A current-gen upgrade for Outer Wilds is out now. The update, exclusive for players on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, introduced a bunch of new features, making the game playable in 60FPS and 4K.
The port will automatically be available to anyone who purchased the game on last-gen consoles, available at no extra charge. Better yet, in true Outer Wilds fashion, it appears that most of the changes to the game are yet to be discovered, and aren't outlined by the devs. Due to this, fans are once again taking to the skies, exploring all the upgrades made to the alien galaxy.
Of course, the main appeal of this re-release is that the game looks better than ever. In aid of this, some areas have seemingly been redesigned, with fans over on the Outer Wilds subreddit documenting all the changes they come across (just watch out for spoilers).
After messing around in the game for a few minutes myself, it's immediately obvious that the game has been given a facelift. Even from a distance, the planets look noticibly better, and much more distinct from one another.
According to players in the comment section of the trailer however, the upgrade hasn't gone off without a hitch. Some are noticing framerate drops, particularly on PS5 it seems. Although after playing for a few minutes on Xbox Series S, it's definitely an issue there too.
"Not trying to complain [since] it’s a free update but it’s just really hard on the eyes when you go from 60FPS to like 30-40 in certain rooms", says a YouTube user. Another replied agrees, writing: "There are very noticeable frame drops on the PS5 version. It appears as though it switches between V-synced 60FPS and 30FPS, rather than whatever the alternative is called that doesn't do this."
While developer Mobius confirmed that this will be the game's "final major patch", we can probably expect to see these framerate issues ironed out. In the announcement, Mobius mentions that future updates will be focused on "specific areas, features, or major bugs", so support for the game isn't being dropped just yet.
If this update is enough to get you to pick up Outer Wilds again, it's available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Game Pass subscribers can also download it at no extra charge.