Saros: Everything We Know About the Upcoming Housemarque Game, Including Release Date and Platforms
One of the highly anticipated titles from PlayStation Studios is Saros, the latest creation from Housemarque. Serving as a spiritual successor to Returnal, Saros expands on the roguelike action gameplay that fans loved, and it’s touted as the “ultimate evolution” of the studio’s gameplay-first philosophy. Here’s what we know about the game as we gear up for its release in early 2026.
**Release Date**
Saros is set to launch on April 30, 2026. Originally slated for a March 20 release, the third-person shooter has been delayed to this new date.
**Preorders**
Preorders for Saros are now available. The standard edition is priced at $70, while the Digital Deluxe Edition offers 48-hour early access along with exclusive Enforcer armor sets.
**Trailer**
The first trailer for Saros debuted during the February State of Play event, showcasing the game’s setting, tone, and narrative. It looks impressive and has generated a lot of excitement.
**Platforms**
Saros will be available on PS5, but there’s no word yet on a PC release. Given that Returnal made its way to PC two years after its PS5 debut, and with Sony’s shift towards a multiplatform strategy, it’s likely that Saros will eventually follow suit.
**PS5 Pro Enhancements**
Creative director Gregory Louden confirmed that Saros will be enhanced for PS5 Pro, though specific details on these enhancements are still under wraps. Housemarque is known for delivering visually stunning games, and if Returnal is any indication, players can expect impressive monster designs and stunning particle effects in Saros.
**Story, Setting, and Characters**
Set on the planet Carcosa, players will step into the role of Arjun Devraj, a formidable Soltari Enforcer searching for answers in a lost off-world colony overshadowed by a menacing eclipse. Housemarque promises a haunting narrative filled with nightmarish creatures, as hinted in the teaser trailer. The game will include grounded voice-over work, cinematics, audio logs, and interactions with various non-playable characters. Players will also uncover Soltari Holograms that reveal the history of Carcosa as they explore, with more surreal storytelling elements to be revealed later.
**A Familiar Voice**
Actor Rahul Kohli lends his voice and likeness to Arjun Devraj. Housemarque describes his performance as “grounded,” with Devraj stating in the trailer, “Every time the sun dies, madness reigns, then everything begins again. But after every death, I always come back stronger.”
**Gameplay**
Saros emphasizes aggressive gameplay, with Arjun donning an advanced combat suit that enhances his abilities. Players can choose their loadout from a mix of Soltari human and Carcosan alien weaponry at the start of each run. The September 2025 State of Play showcased Arjun using the Soltari Phosphorous Shotgun, capable of melting through foes. A key difference from Returnal is Arjun’s ability to charge into danger using the Soltari Shield, which allows him to absorb energy from enemy projectiles and power up a Carcosan Power Weapon. This mechanic lets players turn enemy attacks back on them, but it comes at a cost, as using Power Weapons corrupts Arjun’s arm with eclipse energy.
If Arjun falls in battle, he has a “second chance” to rise again. By mastering the use of eclipse corruption energy, he can return stronger, with future runs allowing for upgrades to his combat suit and abilities. “After every death, you will face a changed world, but in Saros, you can choose and permanently upgrade your loadout from an evolving set of weapons and suit enhancements to ‘come back stronger’ and tackle the challenges on Carcosa,” Housemarque explained.
