Almost three years since its last patch, there’s big news and a major update for The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. It seems that Obsidian are back at the helm of their sci-fi RPG, and they’re looking to make this remaster the truly definitive version of the game. Oh, and it’s now going to be a free upgrade from the original version (with some caveats).
An initial update has been release for the game now, while a second patch promises to bring larger “performance fixes, lighting changes, a host of other quest and gameplay fixes, and bringing in a brand-new feature to the original game: grenades!”
This also comes with an overhaul for how the game is sold. On 27th May, the base game will be delisted on most storefronts and Spacer’s Choice Edition become the only option. Kind of. It will still be available for Xbox One, PS4 and Switch.
The great news is that anyone that has the base edition of The Outer Worlds in their library before 27th May will get a free upgrade to Spacer’s Choice Edition – this was previously a $10 fee. After 27th, you will still be able to upgrade from Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but you will need to have both DLCs.
The new pricing will be $39.99 for Spacer’s Choice Edition, and the base game and DLCs on Xbox One and PS4 are being reduced to $24.99 and $14.99 respectively.
It will be a sting for those that paid up to get the upgrade previously, but in general, this is good news for the game. Spacer’s Choice Edition was released in 2023 to mixed reception, the remastering work done by Virtuos for Obsidian’s 2019 hit bringing some improved lighting, volumetrics and other effects, but changing some of the visual tone, adding a performance burden and other technical issues. See our Spacer’s Choice Edition review here.
The renewed efforts to improve Spaceer’s Choice Edition sounds like it will bring things back towards the original visual tone and genuinely make this the definitive edition of the game.
Patch 2.5.7.0 is out now for PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. and here’s the patch notes, which already note performance improvements:
General
- Companions’ status effects are no longer obstructed by their HP bars.
- Shooting from the Storm Cannon repeatedly at a close target no longer results in severe FPS drops.
- The heat effect coming out of the Unreliable will no longer stack up each time the player arrives in the ship’s proximity.
- When the Font Scaling setting also scales up the UI icons appropriately.
- Fixed “artillery cannon” typo.
- Fixed “Shipping” typo in Fallbrook.
- Players are now able to sleep in either of the two beds when exploring Ash’s old Outpost for ‘Little Memento’ on Monarch.
- Players are now able to manually save while under the ‘Concuss’ status effect throughout the title.
- Fixed an issue with the Super Scoper 3000 zoom where the zoom would not properly display.
- Felix’s book “Systems and Serfdoms” now appears in his room when acquiring it in Roseway town.
- The arrow is now greyed out when there are no more options.
- Status Bar displays all relevant Status Effect icons.
- The workbench now displays ownership of items when navigating through the workbench during gameplay.
- The gate will now load correctly while moving from Rizzo’s Distillation Station to the Bridge.
- The Item repair tutorial will no longer cause a freeze when switching to the inventory tab.
- SAM’s weapons can no longer be taken and equipped by players.
- Environment decorations no longer look the same as items the player can pick up.
- Players no longer become stuck when falling between two crates at the Spaceport.
- The sights are now centered after modding the Hunting Rifle Hyper with a Funtimes Barrel and a Gyro Sight.
- Frey’s Bar Cart no longer disappears from Unreliable after revisiting Relay GB-23.
- Mods have correct VFX when inspecting them in the inventory and then viewing them on the ground.
- The shadows on the cans no longer appear dark when viewing them in the office in Phineas Lab.
- A companion’s armor displays correctly if players wear a different type and modify it in the Workbench during gameplay.
- All aptitudes are correctly shown being applied when selecting them and viewing the summary screen.
- Mods display correctly for tinkered Elite Troop Armor.
- Players will no longer encounter a stuck spot when jumping/crouching into the 2nd floor of the General Store with insufficient Mag-Picks in Edgewater.
- Fixed a typo with the quest beacon text.
- Udom Bedford and Vicar Max will now play correct dialogue when attempting to turn in Phineas for the first time.
- The hacking and picking locks tutorial now triggers correctly when the user has a high lockpick skill during gameplay.
- Players can no longer get stuck when jumping in between a crate and pipe by the fence at the Geothermal Plant.
- Fixed an issue with the state of Anton on the Groundbreaker.
- A Workbench in the Covert Lab correctly unlocks a ‘Point of Interest’ icon when moving near it.
Design
- Players will now receive only one +10 from a Bonus Support perk when the companion is in the party.
- Leveling to multiple of 5 in Player Ship now updates the Companion UI tabs to indicate new Perk point available.
- Extend-O-Sight properly increases to both Effective and Max Range to 25%.
- The Paranoid flaw description has been updated to “Repeatedly getting caught by guards has made you jittery, especially when roaming around Restricted Areas or sneaking.”
Quests
- Sanjar and Zora are now only present inside the OSI Temple if the Player triggers a truce between them to happen.
- Once players agree to get the Radiator parts, regardless of chosen dialog, they can talk to other NPCs about them.
- Solution Vital now updates after killing Captain Irion on Scylla.
- Players can give the NVTUR mech the collected phonographs and complete The Electric Fling quest.
- The ‘Weathered Lockbox’ is now turned in when completing the ‘Little Memento’ quest in Amber Heights.
- The user is able to pick up the phonograph while doing the ‘Electric Fling’ quest.
- Sophia will no longer give the Player “Signal Point in Space” after the Player acquires the targeting module.
- The quest objective ‘Speak to Spencer Woolrich’ no longer remains active if the user speaks to Bellhop Owens and retrieves the security footage first.
- During BOLT with His Name, Huxley will no longer be invisible during the conversation after releasing her from the locked room.
Performance
- FPS Performance improvements:
- When exploring Fallbrook.
- When in conversation with Percival Platt.
- Performance has been improved when exploring Roseway, Eridanos, Monarch, Emerald Vale or Gorgon for the first time.
- Player can no longer fall through the ground while walking from islands to the Grand Colonial Hotel.
- Performance has been improved in tutorial area, where first Marauder enemies appear.
- Performance has been improved in Emerald Vale Junkyard POI.
- Framerate will no longer steadily drop as the player is continuously shooting onto any metal surface.
