Squad is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in 2027, and PS5 owners can play it free right now: a PlayStation 5 alpha preview runs from Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 25. Developer Offworld Industries and publisher Secret Mode announced the console version on October 15, almost eleven years after the 100-player tactical shooter first hit Steam Early Access.
Here is how to get into the alpha, what you will play, and what Offworld has confirmed about the full console release.
Helicopters ferry squads to the front line, and console matches support up to 100 players. Image: Offworld Industries / Secret Mode
Table of Contents
How to join the free Squad PS5 alpha
Offworld says the alpha preview is “open to all”, but you have to enlist through its official page first. The steps, as laid out on the official sites:
- Go to alpha.joinsquad.com, the official alpha page.
- Hit Download Alpha. The button takes you to Squad’s PlayStation Store page, where the alpha download appears once the test is live.
- Download it on your PS5 and play any time between October 16 and October 25.
A few things Offworld has not spelled out yet: the exact start time on October 16, and whether specific regions are excluded. If the download isn’t showing yet, check the Store page again later on Friday. The PlayStation Store listing for Squad says PS Plus is required for online play; Offworld hasn’t said whether the free alpha waives that. The same alpha page also has a newsletter sign-up that enters you into a draw for a copy of Squad Console Edition at launch.
What’s in the alpha
The test is a single battleground. According to the official Steam announcement, players fight as the Armed Forces of Ukraine or the People’s Liberation Army over a strategic rail line running through the Gorodok map. Offworld is collecting feedback on its official Discord server.
PC players get something too: every Squad owner on Steam can claim the Recon Team Pack for free until October 25. It contains five woodland weapon skins for the USMC faction.
Crossplay, controls and what’s confirmed for launch
The official FAQ answers most of the big questions:
- Crossplay: PS5 and Xbox players can play together through opt-in crossplay on official console servers. PC players can host community servers that use the console ruleset, and console players with crossplay turned on can join those.
- Match size: up to 100 players in PvP, and 5 players in the co-op Fireteam PvE mode.
- Launch content: AAS, RAAS, Invasion and Fireteam modes; Al Basrah, Fallujah, Mutaha, Narva, Yehorivka and Gorodok maps; eight factions, including the US Army, USMC, Russian Ground Forces and British Armed Forces.
- Controls: a console-specific control scheme and interface, plus aim assist. There’s no mouse and keyboard support.
- Servers: official dedicated servers, a server browser, and console players can host their own servers.
- No: cross-progression, free console copies for PC owners, physical editions or mods on console. Cosmetics and DLC stay on the platform you bought them on.
The PS5 alpha pits the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the People's Liberation Army on Gorodok. Image: Offworld Industries / Secret Mode
Offworld’s current performance targets:
| Console | Resolution target | Frame rate target |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | 4K (dynamic resolution upscaling) | 60 fps |
| Xbox Series X | 4K (dynamic resolution upscaling) | 60 fps |
| Xbox Series S | 1440p (dynamic resolution upscaling) | 30 fps |
There won’t be separate performance and quality modes, and Offworld says final numbers come closer to release. The PlayStation Store page also lists the game as PS5 Pro Enhanced.
When does Squad launch on console?
The official alpha site says Squad Console Edition arrives on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2027. There’s no exact date or price yet. Offworld says it will share the date closer to launch, and that the alpha may be followed by a beta. It has nothing to announce about Game Pass or PS Plus. Console updates will be day-and-date with PC after launch under what the studio calls “One Squad”, a shared roadmap for both platforms.
The official console announcement trailer, from Secret Mode:
Squad joins a busy run of PC-to-console moves this month: co-op climber Peak lands on PS5, Xbox and Switch 2 on October 22, and military shooter fans also have Modern Warfare 4’s early access and preload to plan around. Our October 15 live blog carried the first short report on the announcement.
What’s next
The PS5 alpha runs until October 25, and the free Recon Team Pack on Steam ends the same day. Xbox players will have to wait for the 2027 launch or a possible later beta. Offworld says it will show more console gameplay, controls and UI before release, and will keep updating the FAQ as details are confirmed.
Sources: Offworld Industries announcement and FAQ, Squad PS5 Alpha Preview site, Squad on Steam, PlayStation Store, Gematsu.
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Featured image: Offworld Industries / Secret Mode
