When is Hell Let Loose coming to consoles? PS5 and Xbox X/S release dates, crossplay, more

When it comes to World War 2 shooters that aim to be realistic and true to the conflict, there really is only two games in town for the PC market at least - Post Scriptum and Hell Let Loose.

The latter, developed by Black Matter Studios, has become the standard by which all other games in the genre, past and present, will be compared; thanks to its realistic gunplay, squad-based mechanics that encourage teamwork and the beautifully recreated real-world locations that serve as the game's maps.

Many aspects of WW2 combat are painstakingly recreated, the sites on which white-knuckle, teeth-gritting 50v50 multiplayer wars-in-microcosm take place. 

Hell Let Loose looks to accurately capture the ferocity and deadliness of World War 2 infantry combat. (Picture: Black Matter Studios)

The game is being continually updated and will be for years to come, with the developers recently releasing a roadmap for 2021 and beyond, promising more fronts and armies, vehicles, gameplay additions, mechanic overhauls and much more.

More interestingly yet, for a game in this genre, Black Matter announced a console version of the game, to be released sometime in 2021 and on the next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S -- it has divided the community, some worried that the gameplay will become more 'casual' others hopeful that the increased revenue can take the game to another level.

• Read more: Hell Let Loose Roadmap 2021: Update 9, Campaign mode, Flamethrowers, Russian Forces

We break down everything we know about the console versions of HLL to track the game's progress up to launch.

When is Hell Let Loose coming out on XBOX X/S and PlayStation 5?

Hell Let Loose features nine 4x4km maps all based on real-world locations. (Picture: Black Matter)

Hell Let Loose will be coming to consoles on 5th October, a date revealed after a series of closed betas.

Pre-order for the Xbox X|S versions are now open with those that do getting a free 'The Silver Vanguard' cosmetic bundle.

PlayStation 5 players can also get themselves into the upcoming open beta, scheduled for the 16-20th September, giving them four days with the game before deciding if they wish to purchase.

The game is priced at $39.99 USD.

How will the games differ on console compared to PC?

A harder question to answer and one which we won't really be able to until we get closer to release.

What we do know is that the console version is being developed by another studio, Flix Interactive, the team behind Sea of Thieves' console versions.

The team working on Hell Let Loose's console version have also worked on Rare's Sea of Thieves. (Picture: Rare)

Black Matter promises that the game will be a "hardcore realistic FPS", and the only one available on consoles at that. So the stated intention is that the game will be near 1:1 the same on both platforms.

But does that mean the PC version will be 'dumbed down' or that for the first time in basically forever consoles will have a game like Hell Let Loose. It's yet to be seen and fans of the game on PC are concerned with many already feeling that the PC version has made concessions in recent months, primarily with the amount of semi and full-auto weaponry available, to cater to a more casual market.

"For those of you who are console players and interested in jumping into a realistic game on next-generation platforms, please be assured that we won’t be altering the Hell Let Loose recipe of time-to-kill, minimal HUD and all the other aspects that define the game," stated Black Matter in their announcement. Let's hope they stick to their word.

Will there be crossplay?

There will be crossplay -- but only between console editions of the game i.e Xbox X/S and PlayStation 5 players.

This will mean that the console versions server population stays high, while also safeguarding the PC version and the inherent control advantages the latter has and the potential for very different audiences to be catered for.

Is any of this a good thing?

It certainly has the potential to be.

Games such as Hell Let Loose take an incredibly long time to develop to the level that the military simulator community demands and by opening up the game to potentially millions more the influx of cash could keep the game going in the right direction.

Fans of the game will hope that, with more developers working on the title, more maps, more guns, and more maps will make their way to the game with increasing regularity. (Picture: Black Matter)

Though, as we mentioned before those millions have their own voices and it could be that the game moves in an entirely different direction.

There have already been some benefits from this new development track. Rudimentary controller support was added in the most recent update for PC and this comes primarily from the need for console gamers but also has the added benefit of making the game more accessible on the former.

• Read more: Hell Let Loose: Best settings, improve FPS and optimize performance

Black Matter also promises faster development times and improved optimisation because of the console development:

"A huge benefit in taking a title to console is the need to confirm the game to specific framerates on both consoles - effectively benchmarking the title. As a result, large scale rolling optimisations done for consoles are being implemented into the PC version of the game. These optimisations are specifically graphical and will not degrade the look of the game, or the gameplay itself."

We will update this page with more information as we get it.