Escape From Tarkov has been a PC-exclusive game since it was first released in beta in 2017. It’s grown immensely in both popularity and online presence since dropping over five years ago, and today it’s console-based. Players who want to experience the game will forever be asked, is Escape From Tarkov coming to console platforms?
Is Tarkov too complex for consoles?
Escape From Tarkov has been gathering momentum for years, but not always for the most positive reasons. There are many concerns at the heart of the game, such as almost constant presence of scammers on a platform that acts as a threat to the developer’s existence. It’s also one of the most forgiving and punishing games ever, meaning that many new, uninitiated players find themselves giving up soon after buying it.
Unfortunately, the complexity of the game extends far beyond the basic mechanics of the platform. As a borderline milsim game, Escape From Tarkov focuses on hyper-realistic combat and movement mechanics, which can ultimately mean that a modern controller doesn’t have enough buttons to facilitate all the inputs the game requires.
That’s the biggest obstacle for someone who owns 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 to some extent, not too many gamers have embraced the functionality.
That’s not the only problem, though—Escape From Tarkov’s pacing, looting mechanics, and even the interface just aren’t built to work with a controller. Players who want to try a controller in Tarkov have to use complex third-party software, and even then it’s not a perfect experience.
Finally, for those asking “is Escape From Tarkov coming to consoles,” Nikita Buyanov, Studio Director of Battlestate Games, the developer of Tarkov, gave an answer of sorts in 2021.
And that answer?
‘Can be…’
Butter Escape from Tarkov Come to the console?
During a podcast episode exploring the future of Escape From Tarkov, studio head 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 showed intent.
Coincidentally, a year before the podcast episode aired, Buyanov made another passing comment Escape From Tarkov’s plans to come to console platforms.
Now, we’ve outlined the blockers above that would cause clear and well-defined problems with getting Escape From Tarkov onto the Xbox or PlayStation platforms, but Battlestate Games seems to have a plan to work around those concerns.
Most likely, the studio would build a “lite” version of Escape From Tarkov that has most of the basic features of the game, but is also more accessible and can be played entirely with a controller. It would almost certainly be a console-limited title, as Escape From Tarkov’s crossplay mechanic doesn’t make any sense.
As Escape From Tarkov’s popularity has grown rapidly, the developers have worked hard to keep the platform full of fresh content. In 2023, it is expected to be a product called “Escape From Tarkov ARENA” drops the beta phase and brings a standalone experience to the ecosystem that offers more traditional multiplayer modes.
Perhaps once the current roadmap is clarified, the Escape From Tarkov console concept can become a reality.
Escape From Tarkov is currently a PC-exclusive game that can only be purchased through escapefromtarkov.com.
