Will Sea of Stars Get A Physical Release On Switch, PS5, or Xbox

Upcoming indie RPG Sea of Stars will release across all major platforms. There's going to be more than one way to buy the title on several of them.

Sea of Stars is an upcoming RPG from Sabotage Studio, but as an indie production, it isn't following an identical distribution model to AAA titles. Sea of Stars follows up on the studio's action platformer The Messenger, taking place in the same universe but telling a new story in a new genre. This time, the main source of inspiration comes from classic Japanese RPGs, which set the stage for its modern update to turn-based combat and fantasy storytelling. Set to be released on August 29, Sea of Stars will be playable on Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5.

Although many indie games never get physical releases, The Messenger received one through the company Special Reserve Games. Operating in the same mode as Limited Run Games and Super Rare Games, Special Reserve distributes a limited amount of copies of titles that might otherwise be digital-only, selling principally to collectors or enthusiasts. Thanks to The Messenger's breakout popularity, second-hand copies of its Special Reserve Games release go for significantly higher than its original retail price. Sea of Stars is following a somewhat similar release plan, although physical copies of Sabotage Studio's new game aren't arriving courtesy of the same company.

Related: Do You Need To Play The Messenger Before Sea Of Stars?

The upcoming physical copies of Sea of Stars were announced in a tweet from iam8bit, which revealed a release for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and a cross-gen compatible disc for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

Like Special Reserve Games, iam8bit distributes physical copies of indie games, although the company also handles soundtracks and merchandise for a number of titles. The physical distribution will come some time after the initial digital release, with availability currently slated for an early 2024 window.

There's currently no word from iam8bit on how many copies of Sea of Stars the company plans to distribute across platforms. Although Sea of Stars will doubtless receive a smaller print run than popular AAA titles, it's unlikely to immediately become as scarce as The Messenger. Some iam8bit games have been distributed through other avenues like Best Buy, and the company's official website offers international shipping so that the game will be purchasable across multiple regions. It's also likely to cost less than many new releases, with other games available from iam8bit generally picking up price tags in the range of $29.99 to $44.99.

Related: Is Sea Of Stars Releasing On Xbox Game Pass & PlayStation Plus Day One?

Despite a large percentage of the game market moving over to digital distribution, the planned arrival of Sea of Stars on Switch, PS5, and Xbox systems offers an excellent alternative to purchasing a downloadable copy. The delay between the game's initial launch and its physical release will require some degree of patience, however, or the willingness to double-dip if the game delivers on the high standards set by Sabotage Studio's blissful retro platformer The Messenger. Although a physical release of Sea of Stars isn't set to arrive for PC or PS4, the array of options provided should make for an exciting throwback to the releases of the RPGs that inspired it.

Source: iam8bit/Twitter