Recently, Obsidian announced The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition, a revamped version of the original 2019 RPG that would contain visual improvements and also pack in both DLC expansions for the game. Even if you already own the base game and both DLCs, you'll need to pay for Spacer's Choice Edition, but according to Xbox, it'll be "much more than just a visual upgrade".
In an Xbox blog post (Microsoft is Obsidian's parent company, but The Outer Worlds is a multiplatform release), Obsidian's senior communications manager Shyla Schofield says Spacer's Choice Edition is intended to keep The Outer Worlds from "aging prematurely as new games come rolling in". According to Schofield, the advent of the Xbox Series X|S showed the studio that more could be done with its RPG shooter.
If you've played The Outer Worlds, you'll know it can be a little buggy and suffer from some performance hitches. Schofield says the new version targets 60fps at 4K, as well as featuring new volumetric lighting and improvements to special efforts and particle physics. You can also look forward to improved asset density and "visual storytelling", apparently, although it's not entirely clear what that's referring to.
Schofield says that as well as these visual improvements, the team also focused on creating a smoother experience in other ways. These include improving companion AI, improving open-world "sensation" through "better depth", and reworking "vistas" and weather variations. In addition, character models have also been reworked, so The Outer Worlds should feel like a different experience if you pick up Spacer's Choice Edition. The level cap has also been increased to 99, which means more adventuring.
The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition was announced earlier this week. It's coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 7th, and if you already own The Outer Worlds and both of its DLC packs on Xbox One, PS4, or PC, you'll get the chance to upgrade for a "reduced purchase price". It's a shame this performance upgrade isn't being offered for free, but it does sound like some substantial improvements have been made.
