Once Human Finally Arrives on Consoles With Huge Launch

The free-to-play survival hit brings cross-play, new features, and hundreds of hours of content to PS5 and Xbox.

Once Human has built up a large audience on PC and mobile over the last two years but is now finally making its long-awaited leap to consoles. The free-to-play open-world survival game is now available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S, offering console players an opportunity to explore the weird post-apocalyptic world that’s already attracted tens of thousands of players since its introduction in July 2024.

The game will be entirely free to download and play, with optional purchases that are purely decorative, such as battle passes and other items that do not alter gameplay. Players can also buy launch bundles, including a $9.99 Starter Pack and a $14.99 Radiance Pack, that include cosmetic items, weapon skins, and other premium content.

Once has already built a strong reputation on PC, with over 87,000 Steam reviews, roughly 80% of which are positive.

Console players will have over 300 hours of content from day one, divided into several scenarios with different environments, rules, narrative,, and gameplay systems. At the core of Once Human lies Stardust, an enigmatic element that has changed both man and environment. Players find themselves in a dangerous wasteland, where creatures, few resources, filthy food, and contaminated water are forever threatening. 

Eating contaminated food or drinking dirty water can diminish a character's sanity, lowering their maximum health. Players will explore the environment, battle creatures that were once human, defeat interdimensional bosses, collect resources, and uncover the truth behind Stardust. The game also offers over 100 gun blueprints in seven categories, as well as accessories and weapon bonuses to customize your arsenal.

Building is another big aspect of the experience. Players can build everything from simple survival to grandiose homes equipped with kitchens, patios, and garages. Players can also move territories, giving them plenty of discretion in how and where they build their bases.

The console release includes several elements designed to boost immersion. Best of all, gamers can switch at will between a third-person and a new first-person view. The console version also features high-fidelity visuals, with a quality option aiming for 4K at 60fps and a performance mode capable of up to 120fps.

There’s also been a specific focus on controller support, with varied vibration effects for giant monsters, trigger resistance for boss fights, and tactile feedback for loot drops.

Customizable controls and keyboard-and-mouse support are also available. Another big feature is cross-platform play. PS5 and Xbox gamers can play with PC and mobile players, and cross-progression lets existing players link their accounts and carry their progress to console. But players are confined to the same server region; therefore, North American and Asian servers can’t play together.

One of the main boons for PlayStation players is that Once Human does not require PlayStation Plus. Xbox players also don’t need Game Pass Core to play. The console client is around 80GB on PlayStation and 100GB on Xbox. PlayStation offers preloading 48 hours early, but only if you buy a presale bundle, meaning players waiting for the free launch will have to wait longer to start the big download.

Once Human’s scenario system is also provided, the game will have long-term structure. Each scenario has its own terrain, rules, narrative, and PvE or PvP encounters. Players can keep most of their progress at the end of scenarios and transfer weapons, armor, materials, deviations,, and other resources into subsequent scenarios.

The console release of Human could significantly boost the game's already growing community, with its free-to-play model, cross-platform compatibility, new first-person mode, high frame-rate options, and hundreds of hours of content.