PSA: The Outer Worlds is on Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox One – Polygon
The Outer Worlds, the new interstellar role-playing game from Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment, has been getting rave reviews ahead of its release. You might be wondering where and how you can play it when it launches this Friday, Oct. 25. We’re here to help!
Published by 2K Games’ indie label, Private Division, The Outer Worlds will debut on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One this Friday. A Nintendo Switch version is also in development, but it won’t be available until later.
In a refreshing change of pace, there aren’t any special editions of The Outer Worlds; the $59.99 base game is it. And the only pre-order bonuses are on PS4: Customers who pre-order the game from the PlayStation Store will receive a pack of five avatars. The PS4 situation is otherwise simple, though — the only real choice on that platform is between a physical or digital copy.
As for the differences between the two console versions, it’s worth noting that The Outer Worlds will run differently on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. Private Division confirmed last week that the game “includes 4K textures and resolution on Xbox One X and PC,” while it runs natively at 1440p resolution on PS4 Pro and “upsamples to 4K” from there.
Get The Outer Worlds via Game Pass for PC, Xbox One
On PC and Xbox One, there’s a way cheaper option than buying the game outright: The Outer Worlds is included in Xbox Game Pass on both platforms at launch. Anyone with a Game Pass subscription can preload the game right now, so they can start playing as soon as it unlocks (see details below). Game Pass costs $9.99 per month on Xbox One and $4.99 a month on PC. Microsoft also offers Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which bundles access on both platforms with an Xbox Live Gold subscription, for $14.99 per month.
There’s an introductory offer where new customers can get their first month of PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate for $1. In addition, Microsoft is running a promotion with Taco Bell from now through Nov. 23 that offers a 14-day trial of Game Pass Ultimate if you buy a $5 Double Chalupa Box.
If you want to play The Outer Worlds on PC but don’t have Game Pass on that platform, you can buy the game in the Microsoft Store. Otherwise, the PC version is available exclusively in the Epic Games Store. You won’t find it on Steam for a full year after launch.
Of course, you can also just buy a physical or digital copy on Xbox One.
What time does The Outer Worlds unlock?
The unlock times for The Outer Worlds depend on whether you’re playing on PC or console. Obsidian laid out the details in a forum post last week.
On PC, the game has a simultaneous global release at midnight U.K. time on Oct. 25. That means it will go live in the U.S. on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT. Here’s a full list of region-specific time zones:
Los Angeles: Oct. 24, 4 p.m. PDT
New York: Oct. 24, 7 p.m. EDT
São Paulo: Oct. 24, 8 p.m. Brazil Time
London: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. British Summer Time
Munich: Oct. 25, 1 a.m. Central European Summer Time
Moscow: Oct. 25, 2 a.m. Moscow Standard Time
Singapore: Oct. 25, 7 a.m. Singapore Time
Tokyo: Oct. 25, 8 a.m. Japan Standard Time
Sydney: Oct. 25, 10 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time
Wellington, New Zealand: Oct. 25, 12 p.m. New Zealand Daylight Time
PS4 and Xbox One digital copies of The Outer Worlds will have a rolling midnight release on Oct. 25 in all regions except the U.S., where they will unlock simultaneously across the country at midnight EDT. Here’s a full list of region-specific time zones:
Los Angeles: Oct. 24, 9 p.m. PDT
New York: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. EDT
São Paulo: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. Brazil Time
London: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. British Summer Time
Munich: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. Central European Summer Time
Moscow: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. Moscow Standard Time
Singapore: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. Singapore Time
Tokyo: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. Japan Standard Time
Sydney: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time
Wellington, New Zealand: Oct. 25, 12 a.m. New Zealand Daylight Time