Where you can play ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders launched on October 30, 2025. It is an online-only game: you need an internet connection, an Embark ID account (13+) and a platform account, and you can play solo or in a squad of 2–3.
| Platform | Available? | Subscription to play | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC: Steam | yes | no | Windows only, Steam Family Sharing, Steam Deck "Playable" |
| PC: Epic Games Store | yes | no | same progress through Embark ID |
| PC: Microsoft Store | yes | no | Xbox Play Anywhere: one purchase for Xbox and PC |
| PS5 and PS5 Pro | yes | PS Plus | PS5 Pro Enhanced, Remote Play |
| Xbox Series X|S | yes | Game Pass Essential (formerly Core) or higher | "Optimized for Xbox Series X|S" |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | yes | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | you must buy the game |
| GeForce NOW | yes | no data | officially listed as a platform |
| PS4 | no | not applicable | there is no PS4 version |
| Xbox One | no | not applicable | no version on the Xbox Store |
| Switch and Switch 2 | no | not applicable | not announced |
PlayStation says it plainly: "It is not available for PlayStation 4". Embark has said nothing about Switch 2, and according to Insider Gaming (June 2, 2026) there is no indication the game will ever come there.
Prices and editions
There are two editions: ARC Raiders (the base game) and ARC Raiders - Deluxe Edition. Deluxe adds cosmetics only: The Wanderer Set with the "Valente" Outfit and the "Pathfinder" Backpack, an emote, a Scrappy skin and 2,400 Raider Tokens, the currency you spend on cosmetics.
| Edition | USD | EUR | GBP | PLN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARC Raiders (Steam, Xbox) | $39.99 | €39.99 | £34.99 | PLN 169 |
| Deluxe Edition (Steam) | $59.99 | €59.99 | £51.99 | PLN 259 |
| ARC Raiders on the PS Store (50% off) | $19.99 | €19.99 | £17.49 | PLN 84.50 |
| Deluxe Edition on the PS Store (50% off) | $29.99 | €29.99 | £26.00 | PLN 129.50 |
| Upgrade to Deluxe Edition | $10.00 (PS Store, 50% off) | no data | no data | PLN 90 (Steam) |
Prices as of October 19, 2026. Deluxe on Xbox costs the same as on Steam in Poland (PLN 259) and in the US ($59.99).
The 50% PS Store discount runs in Poland, Germany and the UK until October 21, 2026, 22:59 UTC (October 22, 00:59 CEST in Poland), and in the US until October 22, 2026, 06:59 UTC. Steam and Xbox had no discount on October 19, 2026.
What the latest update brought: what's new in ARC Raiders.
PS Plus and Game Pass: when you need a subscription
- PS5: the store says "PS Plus required for online play", and the game is online only, so without PS Plus you can't play at all. PS Plus Essential is enough; cloud streaming on PS5 and PS Portal needs PS Plus Premium.
- Xbox Series X|S: you need the cheapest Game Pass tier (Essential, formerly Core) or higher. The Polish store still says "Core or Ultimate", the US store "Essential, Premium, or Ultimate": it's the same tier under a different name.
- PC: no subscription, just an internet connection and an Embark ID.
The game is not in the Game Pass or PS Plus catalog: you have to buy it. The only exception was the free week from October 8, 2026, 11:00 CEST to October 12, 2026, 10:00 CEST, which needed no subscription and is now over.
Crossplay: PC, PS5 and Xbox in one game
Crossplay covers all platforms and is on by default. You add friends from other platforms through Embark ID (name#number), not through your PSN, Xbox or Steam friends list.
Embark confirmed on its Discord (before launch, according to MP1st) that there is no console-only option. With crossplay off you only match with players on your own platform, so on PS5 only with PS5 players.
How to turn off crossplay (according to Pocket Tactics):
- Go to Settings.
- Open the Gameplay tab.
- Set Crossplay to Off.
Can't join a friend? Since Live Update 1.45.0 the game tells you when your crossplay settings are incompatible.
According to player threads from January 2026, the game had no native mouse and keyboard support on consoles, and we found no patch that changed that.
Cross-progression: how to carry over your progress
Embark ID is required and saves your progress, purchases and cosmetics across Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox.
- When you first launch the game on a new platform, choose Link Existing Account (QR code or link) instead of Create New Account.
- Or log in on the Embark ID website and connect the platform under Connected Platforms.
- On the new platform, finish a short tutorial mission: only then does your progress carry over (Pocket Tactics).
You can link one account per platform to an Embark ID, and the first linked account can only be unlinked through Customer Support. The message "cannot be merged at this time" means that account is already attached to another Embark ID. Unlinking all accounts permanently deletes your Embark ID and your progress in ARC Raiders and THE FINALS.
There is no cross-buy (according to players on Reddit): you buy the game separately on each platform. The exception is Xbox Play Anywhere: one Microsoft Store purchase works on Xbox and PC.
Performance on PS5 and Xbox
Embark has not published official graphics modes or FPS for consoles, and there is no Digital Foundry analysis of the console versions either. What we know:
- PS5 Pro: the game is labeled "PS5 Pro Enhanced". Update 1.26 on April 28, 2026 brought upgraded PSSR: a sharper image with less flickering and ghosting. The base PS5 still uses TSR, unchanged.
- Resolution: according to pre-launch Embark data (MP1st, October 2025), PS5 uses dynamic resolution of 720p–1600p and PS5 Pro 720p–2160p. This may have changed in later updates.
- FPS: according to player threads (up to February 2026), consoles are capped at 60 FPS with no 120 FPS mode. We found no change in patch notes from 1.40 to 2.1.1.
- Xbox Series X|S: the store lists "Optimized for Xbox Series X|S" and 4K Ultra HD. Series S had crashes in 2026, and Store Update 2.1.0 on October 13, 2026 reduced memory usage on Spaceport, Buried City and Dam Battlegrounds, "with particular benefits on Xbox Series S".
At launch the game took up 16.19 GB on PS5, 29.05 GB on Xbox and 32.66 GB on PC; new maps have been added since then.
PC and Steam Deck
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 or newer, 64-bit | Windows 10 or newer, 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen R5 1600 | Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 580 / Intel Arc A380 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / Intel Arc B570 |
| DirectX | 12 | 12 |
Steam doesn't list the required storage space. According to Digital Foundry, the game doesn't use Unreal Engine 5's Lumen or Nanite, which is why it runs smoothly, and lowering Dynamic RTXGI and GI Resolution from Ultra to High gives up to 24% more FPS with no visible loss.
Steam Deck: Valve rates it "Playable", not "Verified". Interface text can be too small, but the controls and default settings work. The anti-cheat works on SteamOS and Linux (GamingOnLinux).
Anti-cheat
Since September 30, 2026, Embark combines kernel-level protection from Denuvo, Anybrain detection and its own machine learning models, with Elytra planned. Any cheat use means a permanent ban without warning, a license block and a hardware ban.
How many people play ARC Raiders
| Measurement | Players | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| On Steam right now | 125,825–129,181 | October 19, 2026, 00:29–00:40 CEST | Steam |
| 24-hour peak | 159,445 | up to October 19, 2026 | SteamCharts |
| All-time Steam peak | 481,966 | weekend of November 15–16, 2025 | SteamDB (according to VGC) |
| All-time Steam peak | 465,097 | January 2026 | SteamCharts |
| Peak across all platforms | 960,000 | January 2026 | Nexon |
Why do SteamDB and SteamCharts differ? SteamCharts checks the player count less often than SteamDB, so it can miss the exact moment of the peak. Treat about 482,000 (SteamDB) as the Steam record.
| Period | Steam average | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| November 2025 | 264,429.6 | 459,483 |
| January 2026 | 241,196.7 | 465,097 |
| June 2026 | 35,914.8 | 68,130 |
| September 2026 | 21,256.1 | 39,900 |
| Last 30 days (to October 18, 2026) | 51,892.6 | 185,443 |
After the decline in 2026, the game bounced back with Frozen Trail 2.0 and the free week: on October 8, 2026 SteamDB showed 131,388 players, the highest in about six months, and later nearly 186,000.
Sales: 12.4 million on January 13, 2026, over 14 million in February 2026 and 16.3 million according to Nexon on August 13, 2026, with no split by platform. Nexon usually reports its next results in November.
Is ARC Raiders worth buying
Steam reviews are "Very Positive": 349,369 positive and 78,083 negative (about 81.7%). The game won Best Multiplayer awards (BAFTA, DICE Awards, The Game Awards 2025). Until the PS Store discount ends, you can get it for PLN 84.50 instead of PLN 169 ($19.99 instead of $39.99), but on PS5 you also pay for PS Plus. How to get started: beginner's guide.
FAQ
Is ARC Raiders on PS4?
No. The game is only on PS5 and PS5 Pro. It's not on Xbox One or Switch 2 either.
Do I need PS Plus?
Yes, on PS5 (PS Plus Essential is enough), because the game is online only. On Xbox you need Game Pass Essential (formerly Core) or higher; on PC, nothing.
How many people play ARC Raiders?
On October 19, 2026, about 126,000–129,000 people were playing on Steam at the same time. The record is 481,966 on Steam (SteamDB) and 960,000 across all platforms (Nexon).
Is there crossplay?
Yes, between PC, PS5 and Xbox, and it's on by default. You can turn it off (Settings, Gameplay, Crossplay), but then you only play with people on your platform. There is no console-only option.
