Apex Legends launched in 2019 and is currently one of the most popular online royale games. Since the game was released, a brand new generation of consoles also made an appearance. The PS5 is the next generation of PlayStation consoles and the Xbox Series X/S is the next generation of Xbox. Both consoles are capable of significantly higher-quality gameplay and can deal with demanding graphics with ease.
At the moment, the game is playable on the newer consoles but it's the versions used on the previous generations. This means that the in-game graphics and general game quality are not optimised for the newer consoles. However, it seems that next-generation versions of the game are on their way.
From the potential release date to the general improvements we can expect, here is everything we know so far about the next-gen update for Apex Legends.
Release Date
We've not had a solid release date for any next-gen updates for the game. However, a PS5 version of the game was recently spotted in a PSN database. The size of the game does come from a Twitter account and not an official EA source. However, we know that next-gen versions of the game have been in the works since 2021 and a new season is due to launch in early February. Season 12 may be the launch of the PS5 version.
We have not heard anything else about the Xbox Series X/S versions. We will update this page when we learn more.
New Features
It seems that the team at Respawn are striving towards implementing 120 FPS capabilities. Though such a feature is unconfirmed, a Reddit AMA with Steven Ferreira, Respawn's team director, advised:
120 FPS is one of our goals and as we continue to look at [next-gen] features and balance between what we think is best for the overall player experience for [next-gen], we’re keeping this in mind. Can’t promise anything but with the core mechanics ‘feel’ of Apex being such an important piece of the player experience this one is high on the priority list.
- Read more: Apex Legends Cross-Play.
Crossplay and Cross-Progression
Crossplay has already been implemented into Apex Legends, so we'd imagine it'll be present in next-gen editions. However, Cross-Progression is a different matter, though Respawn are making progress. Speaking in a Reddit AMA in August 2021, Apex Legends' director of communications, Ryan K. Rigney, stated that it's coming next year. In full, he told fans:
Cross progression is gnarly as hell in terms of being a problem to solve. It's not only that you have to solve the technical challenge of merging existing accounts, but there are also legal and contractual issues to navigate with purchasing on other platforms. Different regions have different laws. It's a mess. But we're working on it, and we're committed to delivering it.
We will update this guide as we learn more.
While you are waiting for the next-gen versions of Apex Legends, why not take some time to learn more about the game? We have a guide that ranks the best Legends for the current season and another that ranks the best weapons for this season. Knowing both of these things will help you on your mission to become the champion squad.