Rust: Console Edition – 7 Things You Need To Know

Rust has been a force to be reckoned with in the PC gaming scene for a long time now. It launched in early access quite a while ago, in 2013, and then saw its full 1.0 launch for the platform in 2018. In all those years and the time since then, the game has gone from strength to strength, building a solid reputation thanks to its uncompromising survival gameplay and its ridiculously engaging and addictive mechanics. As such, Rust’s player base has also grown quite significantly over time, and those outside of the PC ecosystem have been looking on with more than just a little curiosity.

Now, the wildly popular open world survival game is finally coming to consoles as well, and will be hoping to expand its player base even further when it launches for PS4 and Xbox One not long from now. With its release just a few weeks away, here, we’re going to be talking about a few key details you should know about Rust: Console Edition.

DEVELOPER

Facepunch Studios have been expertly handling Rust and its ever-growing community for a long time now, but the game’s upcoming PS4 and Xbox One version is not going to be handled by them. Instead, Rust: Console Edition is being led by Double Eleven, who most recently co-developed Minecraft Dungeons with Mojang. According to Double Eleven, the studio has been working on Rust’s console port for some time now, and they’ve tried to ensure that the game not only retains the core experience of its PC counterpart, but is also optimized properly for consoles at the same time, so that it can provide an experience that is catered specifically for console players.

CONSOLE CROSS-PLAY

Rust is a multiplayer-only game, so it goes without saying that it’s going to live and die by its player base and how well it handles its online functionalities. Most of that we won’t be able to judge until the game is actually out and we’ve put some time into it, but there are a few encouraging things that have been confirmed already. For instance, it’s been confirmed that Rust: Console Edition will support cross-play across both versions, which means players playing on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to play with and against each other.

NO CROSS-PLAY WITH PC

While Rust: Console Edition will support cross-play across consoles (as we just discussed), it won’t have full cross-play functionalities, which is to say that the game’s console and PC versions won’t have cross compatibility. While that is a little disappointing – seeing as Rust already has a sizable install base on PC, which is something that could have been a great boost to the game on consoles right off the bat – it is understandable. As we discussed earlier, Rust: Console Edition retains the core Rust experience, but it’s a separate version of the game, rather than being a slightly retooled version of Rust on PC.

ROADMAP

Rust: Console Edition will be carving its own path separate from the game’s PC version in other ways as well. Developer Double Eleven has confirmed that similar to the game’s PC version, Rust on consoles will continue to be updated following its launch, which will include a combination of content created by Facepunch studios and updates worked on by Double Eleven. However, the game’s console version will have a different roadmap than the PC version, with Double Eleven choosing to introduce incremental updates as they work on expanding its audience and building a community of players. The developer says this will “provide an optimal player experience while gradually introducing players to the vast amount of game play and content that makes Rust an incredible experience.”

PS5 AND XBOX SERIES X/S

Double Eleven have been working with Facepunch on a PS4 and Xbox One version of Rust for a while, and the same was announced some time back- but now that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are also on the market, can we expect native next-gen versions of the game as well? Well, Rust: Console Edition will, of course, be playable on the new consoles via backward compatibility, but so far, no native PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release for the game has been announced. Will that happen down the road? Possibly. As it stands right now, however, Rust: Console Edition is only coming to PS4 and Xbox One.

PRE-ORDER BONUSES

Rust: Console Edition is launching on May 21, but if you decide to pre order the game before then, you will get some bonuses. To be more precise, you’ll get the Future Tools and Weapons Skin Pack, which will include four exclusive skins. These four will be a future themed spear, pickaxe, hatchet, and bow, which should give you a nice little boost right out the gate as you jump into the game. And in a game like Rust, any boost comes as a welcome reprieve.

SPECIAL EDITIONS

Meanwhile, when Rust: Console Edition launches, players will have the option to purchase one of three different available editions. There’s the standard edition, of course, which will include the base game and the aforementioned Future Tools and Weapons Skin Pack, and will cost $49.99. Then there’s the Deluxe Edition, which will also come with the New Cobalt Employee Welcome Pack and three days of early access to the game, and will cost $59.99. Finally, there’s the Ultimate Edition, which, in addition to all of the above, will also include an Elite Combat Skin Pack, an Ultimate Welcome Pack, and 1100 in-game Rust coins. The Ultimate Edition will cost you $79.99.