Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One: Release Date & Price

The launch of the original Elite Dangerous for Xbox One, was a watershed moment for some gamers. Built entirely as a space adventure game for people who like space adventure games and not action games masquerading as them, Elite Dangerous has rocketed to the top of streaming services like Twitch and YouTube Gaming. Microsoft teamed up with Frontier Developments to bring Elite Dangerous to Xbox One through its early release program some time ago. Frontier Developments announced something new for streamers and players to devour a few months ago: Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One.

Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One is a massive expansion to the game that already exists. Besides planetary landings for their starships, players can expect big upgrades to the game’s customization options, a multi-crew system and more.

Here’s what we know about the Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One release so far.

Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One Features

Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One, is a different kind of game than most are used to. For one thing, the game is hyper detailed and hyper realistic. Space travel in the game takes time, just like it does in the real world, for example. The things added in with Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One, go a long way towards making that hyper-realistic world even more in-depth.

Through updates and expansions, Frontier Developments is promising Multi-crew setups that allow Xbox One owners to team up with their friends aboard the same ships. Each member of the crew has their own role too. The setup sounds very, very similar to the way that GTA Online handles its Heists missions.

Also promised is Commander Creator, a new feature that’ll let players customize how they look in the game to other players. Different size craft Elite Dangerous Horizons have different capabilities. With Horizons, commanders of large ships will gain the ability to deploy attack fighters. Today, Elite Dangerous Horizons for PC lets players land their starships on worlds using a SRV rover. That’s coming to the Horizons for Xbox One release at launch.

Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One Expansions

Due to the way Frontier explains the game, it sometimes a bit difficult for people to grasp exactly what they’re buying. Elite Dangerous Horizons is part expansion, part sequel and part season pass.

Buying Elite Dangerous Horizons on Xbox One unlocks a season’s worth of content for Xbox One owners. Expansions released within the season add new features. Elite Dangerous Horizons 2.0 is the update that added planetary landings. Version 2.1, The Engineers, will add the next set of features and come built-in to the Xbox One version of the game. It’s Engineers that adds crafting for weapons, modules for ships, loot and expandable missions.

Buying Elite Dangerous Horizons unlocks three more expansions all coming sometime in 2016. 2.2 Guardians will bring with it those fighters that players can launch. 2.3 The Commanders is the update that’ll add the Commander Creator and the crew system for flying around the Milky Way Galaxy with friends. Elite Dangerous Horizons 2.4 hasn’t been unveiled yet.

Anyone that purchases Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One gets to keep their game save from the original game. Additionally, the online multiplayer elements of the game stay intact. That means that players who own Horizons or the original game can keep playing together.

Frontier says that it’s committed to providing free updates outside of expansions to both Elite Dangerous for Xbox One and Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One.

Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One Release Date

The official Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One release is scheduled for June 3rd.

Elite Dangerous Horizons is an expansion of the original game, but stands on its own as far as pricing is concerned. Frontier is maintaining its rather strange approach to delivering the game. On release day, Xbox One owners will have two options to get the expansion. The first is an in-place upgrade to the Elite Dangerous game that they already own. It’ll sell for $29.99.

The second option is called the Elite Dangerous Xbox One Commander’s Deluxe Edition. This version of the game will include the first Elite Dangerous base game, plus Elite Dangerous Horizons and its upcoming content. It’ll sell for $59.99, the same price as any new game on Xbox One. Players will need to buy both directly through the Xbox Store.

Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One Trailer

All told the Elite Dangerous Horizons for Xbox One release looks particularly interesting. Elite Dangerous is one of the few space simulations available on the console right now. Purchasing the game will require users to head to the Xbox Store directly whenever Frontier does release the game. Frontier hasn’t announced a release date for a PS4 version, thought that console has its own deep space simulation coming. No Man’s Sky finally launches on PS4 this summer.