Is Xbox's Hellblade 2 on PlayStation 5?

Hellblade 2 launched on Xbox and PC only

The first Hellblade game — a third-person narrative adventure title in which Celtic Viking warrior Senua ventures into the realm of Helheim to save the soul of her lover — released to widespread acclaim back in 2017, so it's no surprise that fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the 2024 sequel. Launched on May 21, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II follows up on the original's beloved story with a new narrative set in Iceland. Like the first game, it was developed by Ninja Theory, though it's been published by Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft acquired Ninja Theory back in 2018).

Built from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5 and extremely advanced motion capture technology, Hellblade II is an incredible visual spectacle that takes full advantage of the power of modern gaming hardware (read through our Hellblade II FAQ for more details). Naturally, that has many players on Sony's PlayStation 5 console curious if they can check it out like Xbox and PC gamers can, especially since the original Hellblade was available on PS4.

However, this is not the case at launch, as Hellblade II released exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (check its PC system requirements) through the Microsoft Store and Steam. That means if you only play games on your PS5, you won't be able to experience the next chapter of Senua's journey on your system.

The silver lining here, though, is that Hellblade II is also playable day one through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means even if you don't own a current-gen Xbox Series X|S console or a capable gaming PC, you can stream the game from Microsoft's servers on a PC, mobile device, or Xbox One system with Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Could Hellblade 2 come to PS5 in the future?

While Hellblade II isn't available to play on PS5 at launch, it's entirely possible that the game could come to Sony's console at some point down the line. After all, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves were all brought to PS5 earlier this year, and notably, Sea of Thieves and Grounded are sailing high on the PlayStation charts.

In his explanation for the move to release these previously Xbox exclusive games on PlayStation, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer noted that two of these titles (Sea of Thieves, Grounded) were chosen because they're "community-driven" games with elements of the popular live service structure, while the other two (Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment) are "smaller" and were put on other platforms because Microsoft saw an opportunity to "drive more business value out of those games" after they'd been on Xbox and PC for some time.

Though I hesitate to call Hellblade II a small game, it is "similar in length to the first Hellblade," which puts its runtime at around five-to-eight hours. On top of that, it was confirmed in an interview that only around 80 developers worked on the game (it was in development for many years, but then so was Hi-Fi Rush). Compared to larger AAA projects, it could be argued that Hellblade II is much "smaller," and therefore may be the type of game Microsoft looks to bring to other platforms in the future.

Ultimately, it's unlikely Hellblade II will come to PS5 anytime soon, but I wouldn't rule out a PlayStation release at some point. Until we get some news about one, though, you'll need an Xbox Series X|S console, PC, or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play it.

In our review of Hellblade II, my colleague Zachary Boddy said that "a game like Senua's Saga: Hellblade II can only be the result of years of passion and talent, captivating you with its unbelievable visuals, impeccable audio design, and powerful thought-provoking narrative." They also called it "a veritable masterpiece," though noted that the world can feel a bit too static sometimes and that the PC port of the game has some performance issues.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is arguably one of the best Xbox games and best PC games for fans of story-rich cinematic games. It's released on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam, and is also playable with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II — $49.99 at Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop

The next chapter of Senua's story, Hellblade 2 is a masterfully crafted video game with amazing graphics, audio design, character performances, and storytelling. For fans of the previous game or narrative-driven adventures, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II can't be missed.

Also see at: CDKeys (Steam code) for $49.39

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