Good news for console players — Star Wars: Squadrons will add HOTAS support in a day one patch for PS4 and Xbox One.
A few months ago, EA clarified that HOTAS support was only confirmed for PC versions of Squadrons. They had “nothing to share” regarding HOTAS support on console platforms, meaning that PlayStation players would have to use a DualShock 4 while playing. This was disappointing, especially for prospective PSVR players, as using a DualShock 4 would be much less immersive compared to a proper throttle and joystick setup.
However Ian Frazier, Creative Director on Squadrons at Motive Montreal, confirmed that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will now launch with HOTAS support, thanks to a day one patch on release that will add the feature.
Good news, pilots!
As you may know, Squadrons supports HOTAS (throttle and joystick) controls on PC.
I'm happy to announce that we're adding HOTAS support to both PS4 and Xbox One as well, in a patch that will be available the moment the game goes live! 🙂 #StarWarsSquadrons pic.twitter.com/cVbojAUknL
— Ian S. Frazier (@tibermoon) September 11, 2020
A follow-up tweet implies that this wasn’t planned to be available at launch, which lines up with previous comments from EA. Frazier thanked a staff member who went “above and beyond with a bunch of extra hours and problem-solving to make this happen for launch, for the fans!”
Frazier also confirmed that only HOTAS hardware “developed specifically for the console” will be supported on PS4 and Xbox One. So you can’t just use any old HOTAS gear — it needs to be compatible with your console. Frazier said this isn’t a limitation of Squadrons but of the consoles themselves, and gave the example of a T-Flight HOTAS working on Xbox One but not a Thurstmaster T16000m, which is designed for PC.
Of course, PC players aren’t restricted — they will be able to use any PC-compatible HOTAS setup with Squadrons.
The first-person, space-combat shooter will support a variety of different single-player and multiplayer modes, with VR support on PC and PS4. The game went gold last week and is slated for release on October 2nd. For those keeping a close eye on the game, an accompanying CGI short will also debut in a matter of hours at 8am Pacific.
While you wait, check out everything else you need to know about Star Wars: Squadrons.
