Laid-back farming simulator Stardew Valley has made its way to a surprisingly high number of platforms since its initial Steam-focused release in 2016. As of 2022, Stardew Valley is available for consoles of all types, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. In addition, a mobile version was released and is available for both Android and iOS users. Unfortunately, development on the mobile version of Stardew Valley has been slow, and over a year later, the game is still missing the major 1.5 content update other versions received.

Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone initially partnered with publisher Chucklefish, but later separated from them and began self-publishing Stardew Valley on all platforms. When he decided to port the game to mobile devices, he partnered with The Secret Police, although the Chucklefish name was not removed from the iOS and Android versions of the game until December 2021 when he was finally able to self-publish on mobile. Currently, Barone is working with a team on releasing the 1.5 update for mobile while simultaneously developing his next project, the recently announced Haunted Chocolatier.

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What's In The Stardew Valley 1.5 Update?

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Update 1.5 of Stardew Valley was one of the game's largest free content updates since its initial release. It added an entirely new area, Ginger Island, for players to explore. Areas of Ginger Island could be unlocked by collecting Golden Walnuts, and each area featured new items to discover: fossils, weapons, recipes, and, of course, new plants for the player's farm including mangoes, bananas, taro, and more. In addition to Ginger Island, new late-game content was added for players who had finished Stardew Valley's main story, including more requests from Pelican Town residents, high-difficulty quests from Mr. Qi, and a Perfection Tracker encouraging players to reach 100% completion.

The Stardew Valley 1.5 content update was released on December 21, 2020 for the PC version of the game. This was described by ConcernedApe as a holiday present for his fans, who were not expecting to see the update until 2021 or later. Eventually, the 1.5 content update made it to the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game as well. Unfortunately, progress on the mobile update was delayed due to the difficulty of implementing such a large amount of new content on mobile devices.

Why Is Stardew Valley 1.5 Delayed on Mobile?

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On his Twitter and blog, ConcernedApe has stated that the primary reason for the delay is "legal difficulties" relating to his separation from Chucklefish and hiring of a third-party team to work on the mobile versions of the game. He expressed frustration and disappointment, stating that he understood that the update had taken "too long" to release and that he acknowledged that fans were upset. As of June 2022, ConcernedApe has not shared any more details regarding the nature of the update delays, but continued to affirm that he and his team were working on bringing Stardew Valley update 1.5 to mobile devices as soon as possible.

When Will Update 1.5 Be Released on Mobile?

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Unfortunately, the version 1.5 update for mobile versions of Stardew Valley still lacks an officially confirmed release date. ConcernedApe has regularly shared on his Twitter and Website throughout 2021 and 2022 that he and his team are continuing to work on the update, but he has been reluctant to provide an official release date due to the already significant delays and his own relative inexperience regarding mobile development. While a debut in late 2022 is certainly possible, the current lack of updates unfortunately makes a 2023 release seem more likely at this point. However, it is likely that ConcernedApe will remain committed to working on the update and deliver it to his fans as soon as possible.

Will There Be More Mobile Updates After 1.5?

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Because ConcernedApe has shifted his focus to working on Haunted Chocolatier, it is unlikely that any version of Stardew Valley will receive major content updates beyond version 1.5 However, it is likely that, as he did with the PC and console versions of the update, ConcernedApe will release minor Stardew Valley patches and bug fixes as needed. On his Twitter, ConcernedApe has also discussed the possibility of future minor quality of life updates, including the ability to move the water bowls used to feed dogs and cats and place the player's house anywhere on the farm rather than its current fixed location.

Fans looking for more extensive content updates, however, will likely have to turn to the extensive modding community for Stardew Valley, which has produced dozens of mods adding new characters, quests, crops, and much more to the farming simulator. ConcernedApe is consistently supportive of the game's many mods, and previous bug fixes and patches have included changes designed to make the game easier for modders to work with.

Stardew Valley is currently available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One.

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