H1Z1, one of the pioneers of the battle royale genre on the PC, is finally coming to the PlayStation 4 next month as an open beta.
H1Z1 will be challenging Fortnite on the PlayStation 4's battle royale scene, as the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds PlayStation 4 version looks like it will not be happening soon.
'H1Z1' PlayStation 4 Open Beta
Zombie survival game H1Z1 branched out into its survival and battle royale modes for the PC back in early 2016. However, it was not until this February that the game moved out of its early access period and proceeded with an official release.
Daybreak Games, the game's developer, has now announced that the last-man-standing shooter will be arriving to the PlayStation 4, beginning with a closed beta this month and followed by an open beta starting May 22.
PlayStation 4 owners who are interested in signing up for the H1Z1 closed beta may visit the dedicated page on the game's website and provide their email address and country. For gamers who prefer to wait for the open beta, at least the wait would not be too long.
Perhaps the best part is that H1Z1 will be a free-to-play game, which should give it at least a fighting chance against Fortnite.
'H1Z1' On PlayStation 4: What's New?
H1Z1 for the PlayStation 4 will not be a simple port of the PC version of the game, as there will be several console-specific adjustments. First and foremost, the control scheme will change, with a radial inventory menu, a streamlined user interface, and a simplified looting system.
A major change for the PlayStation 4 is that the crafting system, a core gameplay feature for H1Z1 on the PC, will not be making the jump to the console. On the PC, H1Z1 players may break down clothes and helmets into materials that may be used to create armor and weapons. According to Daybreak, the removal of the feature for the PlayStation 4 version will allow the game to focus on the action and quicken the pace.
Daybreak will also make the deadly gas zones move faster for the PlayStation 4 version. Similar to the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds blue zone, the feature shrinks the safe areas over the course of the match to bring players closer to each other.
For the PlayStation 4 version, supply drops will become the primary way to acquire high-powered weapons and armor. The airdrops will be released throughout the map, with rare drops containing level 2 and level 3 equipment to make light radio noises when nearby.
H1Z1 will also undergo optimization for PlayStation 4 hardware, with the PlayStation 4 Pro to run the battle royale title at 60 frames per second.
