ARK: Survival Ascended Coming to Xbox Ahead of PS5

Article Key Points

The eagerly-anticipated ARK: Survival Ascended, an upgraded iteration of the popular game ARK: Survival Evolved, is slated for an Xbox Series X/S debut on November 14, with a PlayStation launch planned for the end of November.

Xbox players will be able to engage in crossplay with PC Steam gamers, while console-specific servers will be accessible to both Xbox and PlayStation players.

Although encountering a few bugs and glitches, ARK: Survival Ascended has already achieved significant milestones and is anticipated to undergo optimization for its console release.

ARK: Survival Ascended is confirmed to be coming to Xbox before PS5, according to Studio Wildcard. The game aims to enhance and expand upon the success of ARK: Survival Evolved. However, it is worth noting that not all players will have access to the game at the same time.

Ever since its launch, ARK: Survival Evolved has garnered a substantial player base, with peak player counts surpassing 150,000. Despite continuous updates to ARK: Survival Evolved in recent months, a remake called ARK: Survival Ascended has already entered early access on PC. Due to the popularity of ARK, some players remain devoted to the original game, while others are eagerly switching over to ARK: Survival Ascended. Although PC players are already experiencing early access, a few last-minute issues are being resolved prior to its console release. While the game is confirmed for release on both Xbox and PS5, developers have prioritized bringing ARK: Survival Ascended to Xbox players first.

A new Community Crunch for ARK: Survival Ascended has recently been published, providing details about the game's upcoming launch. The developers have announced that ARK: Survival Ascended will be available on Xbox Series X/S starting from November 14. Xbox players can look forward to a similar experience as the PC version when it becomes available on the platform. Additionally, cross-platform play will be enabled, allowing Xbox and PlayStation users to encounter each other, while console-specific servers will also be made available. However, fans of the PS5 will have to wait until the end of November to experience ARK: Survival Ascended on their platform.

The developer of ARK: Survival Ascended for PS5 is currently finalizing the details with Sony and has not announced a specific release date. Similar to Xbox, PS5 players will have the option to play with PlayStation or Xbox players, as well as crossplay with Steam users. Additionally, unique servers with accelerated rates will be available for each game mode, allowing console players to catch up to the progress of PC gamers. Despite being a new release, many players have already achieved notable accomplishments in ARK: Survival Ascended.

However, the current state of ARK: Survival Ascended has received negative reviews, with numerous bugs and glitches reported. While some early players still recommend the game, it is evident that improvements need to be made. It is worth noting that the earlier version of the game, ARK: Survival Evolved, also faced similar challenges during its early access phase. As a result, it is uncertain how optimized ARK: Survival Ascended will be for its console launch due to the ongoing issues that need to be addressed.

Community Crunch Notes

Xbox Series X/S and Windows:

We are on track to launch on November 14th (Tuesday)! As the launch date approaches, we will provide more details on the exact availability for downloading. On November 14th, the Xbox version will have all the latest PC features and will immediately support crossplay with the PC version. Additionally, new servers, including Xbox-only servers, will be introduced.

Playstation:

We are currently finalizing the details with Sony and hope to have a more precise date to share with you soon. The release is still scheduled for the end of November. We understand that this might not be ideal, but we remain optimistic that we will be able to provide a confirmed date very soon. After the successful launch on PC and the valuable information and data we have gathered, we have made some changes to our plans for the console release. Here is how everything is going to unfold:

Xbox Launch

Steam cross-platform functionality will be available immediately upon launch.

We are introducing a fresh set of Official Servers specifically tailored for different game modes (PVP, PVE, and Small Tribes). These servers will operate with accelerated rates for a limited period, giving new players a chance to catch up. Our goal is to align the rates with the standard ones by mid-December.

We’ll also be onlining our first set of console-specific servers at this moment so that players who do not want to play on crossplay can play on those

PlayStation Launch

On Day One, we will enable cross-platform compatibility between Steam and Xbox. Additionally, we will introduce a new set of Official Servers for different game modes such as PVP, PVE, and Small Tribes. These servers will have significantly higher boosted rates for a limited time to help new players catch up. Our goal is to align the rates with the rest of the servers by mid-December.

We will be launching a new set of console-specific servers with improved rates, which will be fully synchronized by mid-December. Despite a few challenges along the journey, we are diligently working to resolve any concerns that players are experiencing. This week, we have released a significant number of patches, which can be summarized as follows:

Improved: Our team has successfully resolved various bugs, such as server crashes, dino spawn issues, and mesh exploits.

Furthermore, we have implemented several performance enhancements. These include optimizing the dynamic navmesh system, server code (resulting in an impressive 80%+ reduction in out-of-memory issues), and foliage. Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that we have considerably reduced server RAM usage. As a result, players can expect an enhanced gaming experience, while making servers more accessible to all users.

Security enhancements have been implemented in our game, Ark: Survival Ascended. These improvements include the addition of client-side protections to prevent players from falsely labeling unofficial servers as genuine official servers. Furthermore, we have successfully addressed various exploits that were affecting the gameplay experience.

Ark: Survival Ascended revamps Ark: Survival Evolved with the power of Unreal Engine 5. This enhanced version not only delivers stunning visuals but also includes all the expansions, making it the ultimate edition of Ark. Released on October 26, 2023, the game is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. You can find it on Steam.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I am excited about the upcoming release of ARK: Survival Ascended on Xbox. I have been a fan of the ARK series for years, and I can't wait to experience the game on a new platform. I am also excited about the crossplay feature, which will allow me to play with my friends who have different consoles.

However, I am concerned about the bugs and glitches that have been reported in the early access version of the game. I hope that the developers will be able to fix these issues before the game's official release. Overall, I am optimistic about ARK: Survival Ascended and I believe that it will be a great addition to the Xbox library.