Once Human arrives on PS5 and Xbox with 300 hours of survival content
NetEase’s free-to-play survival game reaches consoles with cross-play, first-person mode and shared progression.
NetEase and Starry Studio have launched the console version of Once Human overseas, bringing the free multiplayer survival game to PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X|S.
The game is free to download and includes more than 300 hours of content at launch, set in a strange post-apocalyptic world shaped by Stardust contamination and hostile “Deviants”.
A proper console conversion
Players can switch between first-person and third-person views, while PC, mobile and console players can team up through cross-platform multiplayer. Progress and saves carry across platforms.
The PS5 release also supports DualSense features, including haptic feedback for different surfaces and adaptive trigger resistance during actions such as drawing a bow.
More content is coming
The launch is accompanied by the announcement of The Living Ocean: Isles of Abyss, described as the game’s largest content update so far and planned for October across all platforms.
Xbox Game Pass members receive additional in-game rewards, including an avatar, benefit card, discount pack and battle-pass experience card.
Our opinion
Free-to-play survival games usually arrive with enough systems to qualify as a second job, so Once Human’s console launch is both appealing and mildly threatening.
The cross-play and shared progression are the right decisions. A game this large needs a healthy population, and splitting players by platform would be self-sabotage.
The real test is whether the console version feels comfortable rather than merely available. First-person support and solid DualSense integration suggest Starry Studio has at least tried to make it feel native.