A new free-to-play arena shooter is available today on Steam, and it’s best described as Portal meets Halo. Splitgate: Arena Warfare came out May 24 on PC, and it’s the perfect game to play while PC players anxiously await the arrival of the Halo Master Chief Collection on Steam. It’s already getting high praise from anyone lucky enough to play it on PC, but the question therefore arises: Are there Splitgate Xbox One and PS4 versions in the works?
At the moment, it looks like the Steam version is the only way to play Splitgate: Arena Warfare, but can console owners expect to see a port for this Portal/Halo-fueled shooter in the near future? Is Splitgate on Xbox or PS4? Will there be a Switch version, even? Can it be played on PC with a PS4 or Xbox One gamepad in the meantime, and is that even advisable? And just what is this Splitgate thing anyway? We’ve got the answers below.
Will there be a Splitgate Xbox One version?
Splitgate: Arena Warfare launched on PC via Steam today, May 24, and it’s already sitting on a “Mostly Positive” rating on Valve’s digital service. At the moment however, that’s currently the only way to play the game, as it’s currently exclusive to PC. Console owners who are looking to either try out a classic-style arena shooter in the style of Halo 2 or Halo 3 with a twist, or just something new in the FPS online multiplayer genre, are naturally looking rather enviously at Steam players and are wondering when Splitgate will appear on Xbox One.
At the moment, according to developer 1047 Games’ FAQ list on the game, there are no announcements regarding an Xbox One port of Splitgate, as the team is “currently focusing on our PC release” and has no time to work on an Xbox version. However, the good news is that the team is planning on making an Xbox version, saying “we do want to come to console in the future.” We and they have no idea when that will be, unfortunately.
Will there be a Splitgate PS4 version?
Much like the news about the Xbox version of Splitgate, there is currently no version of the game available on PS4 either, as it’s exclusive to PC via Steam right now. Likewise, while 1047 Games’ focus is on the PC version and supporting the game’s launch right now, they do want to bring to consoles as soon as they can. Splitgate on PS4, in particular, got a nod by the team on Twitter when asked about a port to Sony’s console, with the reply “we hope to release on PS4 eventually.” That’s certainly good news for anyone wanting to play Splitgate on PS4, but you may still have to wait for a while as there’s not even a tentative release window.
We hope to release on PS4 eventually.
— Splitgate (@Splitgate) June 11, 2018
Will there be a Splitgate Nintendo Switch version?
Much like the potential PS4 and Xbox One, there may well be a Nintendo Switch version of Splitgate in the works, or at least 1047 Games “do want to come to” Nintendo’s portable console in the future. However, while PS4 and Xbox One owners can probably rest assured that Splitgate will come to their consoles in the near future, the possibility of a Nintendo Switch version is a little more hazy. Splitgate is an intensive shooter that might not work as well on Switch, and the indie team at 1047 Games may not have experience working with the unique system. It’s possible, but there are no guarantees when it comes to a Splitgate Switch version.
Can you play the Steam version with an Xbox or PS4 gamepad?
The simple matter is, some gamers just prefer playing FPS games with a gamepad, as alien as that concept can be to a lot of PC players. Anyone who’s grown up playing shooters on consoles may want to try out Splitgate, especially as it seems to scratch that itch that Halo isn’t offering as much these days, outside of the Master Chief Collection (that of course isn’t on PC yet). But can Splitgate be played with Xbox or PS4 gamepads, for anyone who wishes to do so?
The good news is yes, Splitgate has “partial” controller support, according to the game’s FAQ page. You’ll have to use mouse or keyboard during the menus, but the game itself can fully be played on gamepad. Xbox One and 360 pads are supported automatically, thanks to Microsoft and Windows. For PS4 pads you may have to download and install the DS4 Windows application in order to get it to work. No big deal. We haven’t tried it ourselves, because we’re not weird.
What is Splitgate: Arena Warfare?
For anyone not in the know, Splitgate is a fast-paced online arena FPS that aims to evoke memories of classic multiplayer arena-style shooters such as Halo 2 or Unreal Tournament. The big twist is the inclusion of portals, which work much as they do in Valve’s classic Portal games: First fire one portal, then another, and you can immediately step through one and out the other. It’s amazing to us that no one has thought to mix Portal with a multiplayer game before.
You can battle up to 10 people in the game’s arenas, and yes, there is offline support, so you can fight against AI opponents instead if you want to practice (or just don’t like going up against humans). Splitgate: Arena Warfare is available today for free on Steam, so there’s no reason not to try it if you own a PC that can play it.
