Escape From Tarkov has been a PC-exclusive game since it was first released in a beta state back in 2017. It has grown immeasurably in both popularity and its online presence since it dropped more than five years ago, and these days, console-based players eager to experience the game find themselves forever asking, will Escape From Tarkov come to console platforms?
If you’re sitting around wondering when Tarkov will be released on PlayStation or Xbox, look no further than this guide.
Is Tarkov Too Complex for Consoles?
For years, Escape From Tarkov has been gathering steam, but not always for the most positive of reasons. There are a lot of concerns plaguing the heart of the game, such as a near-constant presence of cheaters on the platform that serves as the bane of the developer’s existence. It’s also one of the most unforgiving and punishing games to ever exist, which means that many new, unwitting players find themselves giving up shortly after purchasing it.
Unfortunately, the complexity behind the game extends much further than the platform’s base mechanics. As a borderline milsim title, Escape From Tarkov focuses on hyper-realistic combat and movement mechanics, which can ultimately mean that there aren’t enough buttons on a modern controller to facilitate every input that the game requires.
That’s the biggest blocker to someone owning Escape From Tarkov on PlayStation 5, for example. While both the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 platforms can accommodate a keyboard and mouse setup in some capacity, the functionality hasn’t been adopted by too many gamers.
That’s not the only issue, though – Escape From Tarkov’s pacing, looting mechanics, and even the UI just isn’t built to be used with a controller. For players that want to experiment with a controller in Tarkov, complex, third-party software must be used, and even then, it’s far from being a perfect experience.
Ultimately, for those asking, ‘Will Escape From Tarkov come to console’, an answer of sorts was provided in 2021 by Nikita Buyanov, studio lead at Battlestate Games, Tarkov’s developer.
And that answer?
‘Maybe…’
Can Escape From Tarkov Come to Console?
During a podcast episode that explored the future of Escape From Tarkov, studio lead, Nikita Buyanov, explained that the developers of the punishing PvPvE title are exploring console-based options for the game. It was little more than a passing comment, but it did show intent.
Coincidentally, a year before the podcast episode aired, Buyanov did make another passing comment about the plans for Escape From Tarkov to come to console platforms.
Now, we’ve outlined the blockers above that would create some clear and well-defined issues with putting Escape From Tarkov on Xbox or PlayStation platforms, but Battlestate Games seems to have a plan in mind to circumvent those concerns.
Most likely, the studio would build a ‘lite’ version of Escape From Tarkov that boasts most of the game’s base features, but is also more accessible and can be played in full with a controller. It’d almost certainly be a console-restricted title, as there’s no way an Escape From Tarkov crossplay mechanic would make sense.
One thing that could be added to consoles is Escape from Tarkov: Arena, the multiplayer, session-based platform released as a standalone game by Battlestate Games in 2023. It’s much smaller and less ambitious than Escape from Tarkov, so it could work.
Perhaps when the current roadmap has been cleared up, the concept of Escape From Tarkov on console can become a reality.
Escape From Tarkov is currently a PC-exclusive game that can only be purchased through escapefromtarkov.com.
If they don’t do it, someone else will, and better.
It would have to be Tarkov lite, but I don’t think it would detract too much. Mostly because there is 0 on the consoles that even comes close to a tarkov lite.
Imagine not just gaming on PC to begin with. Consoles have been obsolete since 1998, get with the program you bots.