The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds is a science fiction RPG by Obsidian Entertainment. The story is set in Halcyon, a remote colony where powerful corporations control the lives of its residents. After waking from a long cryogenic sleep, your character explores various planets and space stations, meets companions and decides the fate of the colony.

Instead of one continuous open world, the game connects several larger areas with towns, outposts and their own storylines.

The Outer Worlds was released on Oct 25, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The native Nintendo Switch version followed on Jun 5, 2020. On Steam, the game was released on Oct 23, 2020.

The technically revised Spacer's Choice Edition is a separate product. It does not replace the original version in existing libraries, but it has different platform versions and its own upgrade offer.

The original The Outer Worlds was released natively for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The Spacer's Choice Edition is a standalone release for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Backward compatibility of the original console versions is not a separate native release of the original.

The Outer Worlds first launched on PC outside of Steam and was offered there a year later. The Switch version followed in June 2020.

In The Outer Worlds, your character travels between several locations in their own spaceship. Side quests, factions and conflicts await on planets and space stations, and you can influence them through conversations, combat or other solutions.

Skills for persuasion, lying and intimidation open up additional dialogue options. Stealth, tech and science offer further ways to get around obstacles.

The Outer Worlds received two major story expansions. Peril on Gorgon leads to an abandoned research complex on an asteroid. Murder on Eridanos centres on a murder case at a luxurious holiday resort and adds new locations and quests to the RPG.

Both expansions are also included together in the Expansion Pass. They belong to the original version, while the Spacer's Choice Edition offers the base game and expansions as a standalone bundle.

The original version requires at least Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, 4 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 650 Ti or Radeon HD 7850, and 40 GB of free storage. Recommended are Windows 10, 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB or Radeon RX 470.

The requirements for the Spacer's Choice Edition differ from these details.

Along the way, various companions join you, each with their own goals, abilities and personal quests. Your choice of active companions affects combat and conversations.

The relationships between the characters and Halcyon's interest groups also play a role. Anyone who explores their stories discovers further perspectives on the colony shaped by corporations.

Many missions in The Outer Worlds allow several outcomes. Your character can support powerful companies, work against their interests or influence conflicts between different groups.

Choices change relationships and lead to different consequences within individual stories as well as the ending of the plot. There is not just one prescribed path through the quests.

The Outer Worlds combines firearms, melee combat and special character abilities. Tactical time dilation slows the action down and helps you target enemy weak points.

Weapons can be equipped and upgraded. How you develop your character through skills and perks determines whether combat, social solutions or technical abilities take centre stage.

When you level up, skills for combat, dialogue, stealth or tech increase. Additional perks change your character's abilities.

A special system is the so-called flaws: if you frequently run into certain difficulties on your adventure, you can develop a permanent disadvantage and in return gain an additional perk. Accepting such a flaw remains optional.

The original PC version of The Outer Worlds and its additional content were removed from regular digital sale on May 27, 2026. On newer Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the Spacer’s Choice Edition takes its place. The original versions for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch are separate from this.

Digital original versions already purchased remain playable in the respective libraries. Eligible owners can upgrade to the Spacer’s Choice Edition. Requirements vary by platform.

The Outer Worlds focuses entirely on a single-player campaign. Companions are controlled by the game and accompany your character on their missions. The original version does not offer a cooperative or competitive multiplayer mode.