Spacefaring adventure game Elite: Dangerous soars onto PlayStation 4 next year, developer Frontier Games has announced. Having previously been exclusive to PC and Xbox One, Frontier CEO David Braben confirms in a post on Sony’s PlayStation Blog that this particular iteration of the near-limitless exploration game will take full advantage of the PS4’s unique features, including brand new controls “tailored to the DualShock 4.” The controller’s touch pad will allow players to navigate the in-game map of the Milky Way system as well as customize four additional hotkeys for added accessibility.
As an added bonus, full support for the PS4 Pro will also be included, with Braben stating that its architecture allows Frontier “to deliver an experience unlike any other on console.” Tentatively slated for a Q2 release next year, a press release from Frontier (via VideoGamer) says the PS4 version will include the base game as well as Elite Dangerous: Horizons – a fully fledged expansion made available on PC in 2015 and Xbox One earlier this year. Horizons marked the introduction of planetary landings (procedurally generated), ground vehicles and bases, with more features planned for 2017.
As is the case for existing players, Frontier says that “PlayStation 4 Elite Dangerous players will receive the remaining future Horizons updates for no additional cost.” Bargain.
In his original review for We Got This Covered, Tyler Treese gave Elite: Dangerous four stars, stating that, “There’s a really special game inside Elite: Dangerous for those that are willing to put up with the steep learning curve. If you’re not though, it’s too confusing of an experience.”