Emergency meeting! Will ‘Among Us’ finally come to consoles like Xbox?
There’s something about sitting back with a controller in your hands in front of a big TV screen that makes console gaming especially enjoyable. Sure you can hook up a controller to your PC or set up a bigger monitor – but is it really the same as booting up your PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox?
If you’re a console gaming enthusiast you’d logically want your favorite games to be available on the consoles you own. One of the most beloved games right now is Among Us, the social deduction, party game creating much buzz all over the world. Thus, the big question: can you play Among Us on console?
Limited platforms
Unfortunately, the straight answer is no. Among Us isn’t available to play on any type of console – that includes Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Though Among Us was released back in 2018, the game only started to become a big deal this year, which means it’s a bit slow-going when it comes to expansion & availability.
Right now you can only play Among Us on your PC via Steam or the Epic Games store and mobile smart phone via the Play Store. Despite the very simple gameplay mechanics of the game, it’s restricted to these two platforms at the moment. These two devices use keypads & touch commands that are slightly more difficult to transfer to Xbox or other controllers.
We get the appeal of playing Among Us on a console, but it’d most likely have to be available for crossplay too, considering most people own the game on PC or mobile. This adds another hurdle for the small development team (comprised of only three people) who are trying to get their ducks in a row.
What’s the hold up?
With Among Us’s rising fame, expanding the game’s availability seems like the obvious next step. But according to InnerSloth programmer Forest Willard, adding a console port to Among Us is easier said than done.
In a live Among Us sesh on Twitch, Willard talked about the obstacles they face when transferring to a console version. The biggest challenge of the transition, understandably, is player communication.
“[A console port] is something we’re starting to talk about,” Willard revealed on stream. “But we’d have to write a system for quick comms . . . for randoms, like Rocket League. I don’t know if we’d be able to implement console voice chat or not . . . One of the first things we’d want to add is a friend’s list type of account system . . . because it’s so hard to do anything without it.”
Communication is, arguably, the most important & amusing element Among Us has to offer. Players need to come together to discuss the dead bodies they found and the people they find sus in order to vote someone off and advance the game.
This means that players must have access to a mouse & keyboard so they can type (something super inconvenient on console), a quick communications system (similar to Rocket League or Overwatch), or voice chat (via Discord or other voice programs.)
Voice chat is, subjectively, the best way to play because it allows for a more complex exchange of information – including tone & fast-acting accusations/alibis. Connecting over voice would be the most logical solution to a console Among Us session, though it’d be uncomfortable to add with people who aren’t your friends. Not to mention, cross-platform comms would be even more tricky to coordinate.
Is there a release date?
Due to the small, busy team and difficult hurdles, InnerSloth hasn’t made any official announcements concerning a console port yet. With the difficulties working in the comms system & other priorities on the horizon, dreams of a console Among Us option coming soon are pretty pie-in-the-sky at this point.
However, making Among Us available on console is clearly on the developers’ radars. Considering they’re focusing on expanding Among Us instead of working on an announced Among Us 2, they may consider working on a console port eventually.
