Icarus Console Edition: complete guide to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S release
Icarus: Console Edition launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on 26 March 2026, four years after the original PC release, after a one-month delay from the original 26 February 2026 target. The console release was announced on 23 October 2025 by RocketWerkz (the original developer, founded by DayZ creator Dean Hall) and Grip Studios (Grip Digital family) as the publisher. This page is the reference for what console players actually get, what they do not, and how the experience differs from the PC version that supercraft.host has hosted since launch.
The short answer
| Aspect | Icarus: Console Edition |
|---|---|
| Release date | 26 March 2026 (delayed from 26 February 2026) |
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Developer | RocketWerkz |
| Publisher | Grip Studios (Grip Digital family) |
| Content included | Base game + New Frontiers expansion (combined 128 km² across two maps) |
| Pre-order bonus | Pet Companion Pack (11 animals: 3 cats, 5 dogs, 3 horses) |
| Multiplayer | Up to 4 players online co-op + offline singleplayer |
| Crossplay with PC | Not supported |
| Save transfer from PC | Not confirmed by developer |
| Dedicated servers | Not supported in console edition (peer-hosted co-op) |
What is in the console edition
The console release is positioned as a content-complete entry point for new players. Where PC players bought the base Icarus in 2021 and then layered the New Frontiers expansion on top years later, console players get both from day one as a single purchase. That bundling matters because New Frontiers is not a small addition.
Base game
The original Icarus prospect-based survival loop: drop into Olympus (the original 64 km² map), survive against atmospheric storms, dangerous wildlife, and oxygen limits, extract before the mission timer expires, level your character, return for the next contract. All four biomes of the original map (Forest, Arctic, Desert, Highlands), the talent tree progression, the prospect-vs-open-world choice, and the original tier-IV crafting ceiling all carry over.
New Frontiers expansion
New Frontiers added a second 64 km² map (Styx), six narrative-driven missions, new creatures, exotic crafting resources, and over 100 additional craftable items to the PC version. The console edition includes all of it. Together with the base game, this gives console players 128 km² of terrain across two maps and the full breadth of Icarus content as it stood through the expansion's release window. Players coming fresh to the game on console get a significantly larger menu than PC players had at the same point in their first 50 hours.
Pet Companion Pack
The pre-order bonus on both PS5 and Xbox is the Pet Companion Pack, an 11-animal DLC mix split into three cats, five dogs, and three horses. Named examples in the official announcement materials include a pug, a grey tabby, a German shepherd, and a brown horse, with five more across the cat, dog, and horse categories. These are cosmetic and companion-tier additions to the existing taming system, not a mechanical overhaul of pet behaviour.
PlayStation 5 specifics
The PS5 edition ships through the PlayStation Store with two SKUs: the standard Console Edition (base + New Frontiers + Pet Companion Pack pre-order) and an Ultimate Console Edition that bundles additional cosmetic content on top. Both are PS5-only and do not run on PS4. Trophy support is present. DualSense controller features (haptic feedback, adaptive triggers) are implemented for the survival mechanics where they make sense: tool-use, weapon recoil, and weather effects are the most-cited integrations in launch coverage.
The PS5 version is locally-installable; no streaming-only restriction. Save data lives in the standard PlayStation save system and synchronises with PS+ cloud storage if subscribed. Players without PS+ can still save locally; PS+ is only required for online multiplayer with other players.
Xbox Series X|S specifics
The Xbox edition runs on both Series X and Series S, with the Series S version targeting reduced render distances and texture quality to maintain frame stability on the smaller console. Achievement support is present and tracks the same progression milestones as PS5 trophies. Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Core is required for online multiplayer.
The Xbox version supports Quick Resume on Series X and S, so jumping back into a prospect after closing the game retains the immediate-prior session state without a full reload. Smart Delivery is not relevant here because there is no Xbox One version to upgrade from.
Multiplayer and co-op
The console edition supports up to four players in online co-op, matching the PC release's standard co-op limit. Players can also play offline singleplayer with no online requirement. Hosting is peer-to-peer: one player's console acts as the host for the session, and remaining players join. This is the same model PC players used before dedicated-server hosting became common in 2022 to 2023.
Where this design diverges from PC: the console edition has no dedicated server option as of the March 2026 launch. PC players who run a 24/7 prospect on a dedicated host with persistent world state through the supercraft.host hosting tier or self-host cannot replicate that setup on PS5 or Xbox. Console sessions live as long as the host's console is running and connected.
For console groups who want long-running prospects, the practical approach is to assign one player as permanent host, schedule sessions around their availability, and use the in-game save system to keep state between sessions. If that group later moves to PC, save migration is not officially documented by RocketWerkz at the time of launch.
No crossplay with PC
This is the single most-asked question about the console edition: can a PS5 player join their friend's PC server? The answer is no. Icarus: Console Edition does not support cross-play with the PC version. PS5 and Xbox Series players also do not crossplay with each other.
The official position from RocketWerkz at announcement did not include detail on why crossplay was excluded. Industry context suggests the reasons are technical (the PC version has years of post-launch modding and patching layered on top of the same engine, making lockstep behaviour across platforms hard) and commercial (the console SKU is positioned as a standalone bundled experience, not a thinned cross-platform pool). A future crossplay update has not been ruled out, but no roadmap entry confirms one.
If your group has mixed PC and console players, the practical options are: everyone plays on PC (the PC version is the only one that supports all players in one session), everyone plays on their respective console (no shared world), or PC players also purchase the console edition as a second account to play console-only with their console friends.
What console players do not get vs PC players
Several PC features did not make the console launch:
- Dedicated server hosting: No 24/7 persistent server option on console; co-op sessions are peer-hosted only.
- Modding: The PC version supports a community modding scene through Steam Workshop and direct mod files. Console editions do not support community mods.
- Save transfer from PC: Not officially documented at launch. Console saves are likely sandboxed to the console save system.
- Crossplay with PC: Confirmed not supported.
- Steam Workshop blueprint sharing: Not available on console; blueprint sharing is limited to in-game options.
PC features that DID make the console edition:
- Full base game + New Frontiers expansion content
- 4-player co-op with peer hosting
- Both Olympus and Styx maps (128 km² total)
- Pet Companion Pack as pre-order bonus
- All four biomes (Forest, Arctic, Desert, Highlands) plus Styx biomes
- Talent tree, tier progression, prospect system, and the open-world mode
Should console players buy Icarus in 2026?
For PS5 or Xbox Series X|S players with no PC gaming setup, the console edition is a reasonable entry into the genre. The 128 km² of content bundled in one purchase puts it ahead of most launch-window PvE survival games on console. The co-op cap of four players fits most friend groups. The lack of crossplay is the main caveat, and it should be resolved before purchase if any of your intended co-op group is on PC.
For players who already own Icarus on PC, the console edition does not offer save transfer or progression carry-over. Buying it again for console-only co-op with a console-only friend group is the only reason that would make sense.
PC vs console: which one should new players buy?
If you have both options and your friend group is platform-flexible, the PC version has the larger feature set: dedicated server hosting (24/7 persistent worlds via Supercraft Icarus hosting or self-host), mod support, Steam Workshop blueprint sharing, and a longer history of patches and balance work. The console edition is the right pick if console is your only gaming platform or you want the New Frontiers content bundled without an a-la-carte purchase.
System requirements for the PC version are modest by 2026 standards (8 GB RAM, mid-range GPU). Console versions run at consistent frame targets on Series X and PS5; Series S runs at reduced graphics settings. Performance parity is not the differentiator here; feature scope is.
Why the February-to-March delay happened
The original 26 February 2026 release was pulled in mid-February after internal testing flagged areas needing additional refinement before launch. Grip Studios cited the standard "rather than launch with known issues" rationale rather than launching to known stability or content problems. One month later the game shipped on 26 March 2026. Post-launch coverage did not flag major day-one issues that would have justified a longer delay, suggesting the polish window was used productively rather than as an extended crunch.
Server hosting for Icarus in 2026
The console edition does not change the PC server hosting picture. PC dedicated servers continue to be the standard way to run persistent prospects or open-world maps for groups that want a 24/7 host. Supercraft's PC Icarus hosting tier supports both prospect-mode and open-world dedicated servers; console-edition players cannot connect to these but can run their own peer-hosted co-op on their console without renting anything. For mixed PC + console groups, only the PC platform supports a single shared session.