Saros release date, launch time and what to expect

Saros marks the returnal of Housemarque, and we’ve got everything you need to know about the Saros release date, launch time and what to expect so you can hit the roguelike ground running!

Housemarques previous game, Returnal, released in April 2021, and was a great early title for the nascent system, winning four BAFTAs, including best game and best performer for Jane Perry. In today's age of extremely long development cycles, it’s great to see Housemarque return with another game this generation, something that can’t be taken for granted these days.

The game has reviewed well, and is a bit more approachable for players new to the bullet hell genre as opposed to Returnal, which relished in its brutality.

But, for all things Saros, read on!

When is the Saros release date?

The Saros release date is Thursday 30 April, or 28 April for those who pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition.

If a couple of early days with Saros sounds like your bag, then you can scroll on down to our pre-order section to see where you can get the game from.

If you ordered a physical version, then it will arrive sometime on 30 April, depending on when your postie or courier usually arrives where you live.

When is the Saros launch time?

Saros launches midnight 12am in your local timezone.

This means that folk living in places such as New Zealand will be able to go hands-on with the game ahead of most others, so if you are desperate to play Saros first, then you will need to book your flights.

This quirk of living on a spherical planet means that if you live in American Samoa, which is UTC-12:00, you will only be able to play Saros a whopping 24 hours after a New Zealander, who lives in the far-flung future of UTC+12:00.

The more you know!

Can I pre-order Saros?

Yes, Saros is available for pre-order

There are three different versions available for purchase: the physical Standard Edition, the digital Standard Edition and the Digital Deluxe Edition.

There is a pre-order bonus, the Hands of Shore Armour, but it’s not clear if it is included in the physical edition.

• Buy Saros Standard Edition (Physical Copy) for PS5 from Amazon
• Buy Saros Standard Digital Edition for PS5 from the PlayStation Store

Saros Digital Deluxe Edition

If you opt for the Digital Deluxe Edition of Saros, you will get the following:

• AROS Digital Deluxe Edition
• Hands of Shore Armour
• ASTRA Armour
• Midgard Armour
• Onryo Armour
• 48 hours of early access (if pre-ordered)

And if you think that’s a worthwhile deal, you can get it from the link below!

• Buy Saros Digital Deluxe Edition for PS5 from the PlayStation Store

Which consoles and platforms can play Saros?

Saros is a PlayStation 5 exclusive and is currently only available on Sony’s current-gen console.

Housemarque’s last game, Returnal, did eventually make its way to PC, but there have been rumblings in the industry that Sony is walking away from PC ports, as reported by Jason Schreier for Bloomberg.

This remains to be seen, but it could be that Saros remains on the PS5 and future Sony consoles.

Saros gameplay and story details

Saros sees you take control of Arjun Devraj, played by Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), who, according to developers Housemarque, is "a powerful Soltari Enforcer who will stop at nothing to find who he is looking for".

Devraj and his team of colonists are exploring the planet Carcosa, which continually changes due to a perpetual solar eclipse.

Saros is inspired by Hindu mythology and cosmology, giving it a distinctive look that is oft not seen in video games.

Gameplay is quite similar to that of Housemarque’s prior game, Returnal, featuring cheek-clenching bullet hell action. Saros is a bit less punishing than Returnal, however, as you carry forward new abilities and weapons, rather than starting from scratch each run.

Is there a Saros trailer?

There are plenty of Saros trailers to peruse, but we’ve included the launch trailer as it is the most recent.

We also have a gameplay overview trailer embedded further up the page if you want to see more of the game in action.

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