The modern games industry is awash with subscription services that offer players free games; the biggest being Nintendo Switch Online, Xbox Game Pass, and PlayStation Plus. Switch Online includes libraries for the NES and SNES (with N64 and Genesis titles through the Expansion Pack), and Game Pass has a huge rotating collection to download with an emphasis on first-party games. PS Plus offers free games each month for subscribers to keep, and in January 2022 that includes Deep Rock Galactic.
Two of the three games coming to PS Plus next month focus on co-op, with Omega Force's Persona 5 Strikers being the exception as a solo action-RPG in the style of Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors franchise. Codemasters' Dirt 5 is a racing game that supports up to 12 people in multiplayer modes, meanwhile Ghost Ship Games' Deep Rock Galactic is a team shooter akin to Left 4 Dead mixed with Minecraft-style cave exploration. Deep Rock will be debuting on PlayStation alongside its PS Plus availability, and added benefits for PS5 users seem to offer deeper immersion.
Deep Rock Galactic Coming to PlayStation Systems
Starting with a team of six founders in 2016, Ghost Ship and its first release have grown a lot over the years. Deep Rock Galactic reached three million sales in November 2021, with game director Mikkel Martin Pedersen recently telling Game Rant the experience "has been pure fun." It widely released via Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview in 2018, and the official 1.0 launch came in May 2020.
As of this writing the game has not been made available on PlayStation, so next month's launch coinciding with PS Plus should give Deep Rock Galactic another boost - especially since it's coming soon after the co-op game kicked off seasonal updates with a battle pass. There will not be cross-play between PlayStation and other systems according to a roadmap by Ghost Ship posted to Steam on December 1, though PS4 and PS5 players can mine together and kill the hostile insect inhabitants of Hoxxes 4. System cross-play is currently only available between Xbox and Windows 10 versions of Deep Rock, and the December 1 post says, "We are still looking into solutions on how to implement this, but at this point we won't make any promises."
What PS5 Adds to Deep Rock Galactic
PS5 users who download the game when it becomes available on PS Plus will get some benefits inherent to the hardware. A press release from Ghost Ship Games and publisher Coffee Stain details DualSense support that includes Terrain Scanner control through the touchpad, as well as reports from Mission Control coming through the DualSense speakers.
In Deep Rock Galactic, players take on the role of dwarves working for the titular intergalactic mining company. Mission Control is their main link to the outside world, as the NPC will frequently make himself known through announcements ranging from warnings about waves of enemies to complaints about miners kicking barrels around the Space Rig or dancing instead of working. Having those announcements come through a personal device held by the player rather than a disconnected voice on the computer may better emulate the sense of actually being on a job.
Likewise, Deep Rock Galactic's Terrain Scanner is an innovative 3D map that lets players scout their surroundings to see where progression might be hidden, or suss out where ones' teammates dropped objective items like Gunk Seeds. Without playing the PS5 version it's hard to say whether the Terrain Scanner with touch controls will be more effective, but it may boost immersion if invested fans are able to imagine themselves physically turning the in-game peripheral like a hologram projection.
Many games have benefitted from the extra features in Sony's DualSense Controller, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Deep Rock Galactic may not utilize the gammit, but the pieces it does take work well in the context of its worldbuilding. With the game coming free to PS Plus subscribers, it's an easy recommendation for anyone looking to try new co-op experiences in the new year.
Deep Rock Galactic is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It will launch for PS4 and PS5 on January 4, 2022.