Metro Exodus is getting a free update for PS5 & Xbox Series X|S – 4A Games also announce sequel and… Metro multiplayer?

4A Games have announced that their hit first person shooter Metro Exodus will be getting a free upgrade for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, taking advantage of the new hardware to feature higher frame rates, increased resolutions, reduced loading times, and bringing ray tracing effects across from the PC version of the game. They’ve also teased some elements of the series’ future, including new generation exclusivity and… something multiplayer.

A release date has not been announced yet, but it will be a free upgrade to the game for owners on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One who are stepping up to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Until then, you’ll still be able to enjoy the game via backward compatibility, playing at a boosted version of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.

However, the enhanced game will be able to take advantage of new graphical features like ray tracing, which was exclusive to PC and Nvidia’s RTX GPUs upon the game’s original launch in 2019.

4A Games have also confirmed that the next Metro game is in development. The game will mean a complete overhaul of the game engine and renderer, which is being done with the new consoles in mind. In fact, the game is only coming to PC and “next generation consoles”, which means PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, so that they can more fully take advantage of the power, SSD storage and hardware ray tracing that these machines offer.

In a strange twist for the single-player, narrative focussed series, 4A Games will be teaming up with parent company Saber Interactive (itself a subsidiary of the vast gaming empire of Embracer Group) to develop a new multiplayer experience in the Metro universe. It’s not clear if this will be a part of the next Metro game from 4A, or a separate game entirely, but it’s an interesting prospect. Saber Interactive developed the popular zombie co-op shooter World War Z, after all.

The announcement is a part of the Metro 10th anniversary, with the company releasing an interactive timeline of the studio and series’ history. You can explore that here.

Nicole played Metro Exodus for our review and she wrote:

Metro Exodus provides an immersive FPS experience that marks a new milestone for the franchise. Its survival-horror, sandbox and shooter elements are remarkably well balanced, constituting an engaging and thrilling game that’ll leave you no stranger to a good jump scare. The once linear horror franchise has been reformed, introducing expansive environments to indulge in without derailing the narrative. Metro Exodus is a must play.

You can read the Metro Exodus review right here.

Source: press release via Gamasutra