If you’re a PlayStation fan scrolling through the free-to-play game library looking for your next time sink, you’ve probably asked yourself is the first descendant on PlayStation available, and if it’s worth downloading. I’ve spent the last three months playing the game exclusively on my PS5, with a few test runs on my old PS4 Slim to compare performance, so I’ve got all the details you need to decide if this looter shooter deserves space on your console’s hard drive. Unlike a lot of generic free-to-play shooters, The First Descendant blends fast-paced action, deep character customization, and crossplay support that lets you team up with friends no matter what platform they’re on.
Is The First Descendant on PlayStation Supported for All Console Generations?
The short answer is yes, is the first descendant on PlayStation available to download for free on both PS4 and PS5, with no paid gatekeeping to access the core content. That means you don’t need a PS Plus subscription to play the main campaign or even most multiplayer modes, though you will need it to join custom private lobbies with friends if you’re on PS4. I tested the PS4 version on a base console and a Slim model, and while load times are a bit longer than the PS5 version, the game runs surprisingly smoothly at 30 FPS with rare frame drops, even during big boss fights with 3 other players. The PS5 version, by comparison, runs at a locked 60 FPS in performance mode, with 4K resolution available in quality mode if you prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. You won’t have to pay extra to upgrade from the PS4 to PS5 version either, as all copies come with a free upgrade path when you switch consoles.
Exclusive PlayStation Perks for The First Descendant Players
While the game is fully cross-platform, PlayStation players get a few small perks that you won’t find on PC, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch. First off, you get a free exclusive character skin for the starter descendant Viessa as soon as you log in for the first time, no challenges required. You also get early access to time-limited event modes 24 hours before they launch on other platforms, which is a huge plus if you want to grind for limited-time loot before everyone else. I also noticed that PlayStation servers have far fewer disconnects during peak play hours than the PC servers I tested last year, which is a big win if you hate losing progress mid-boss fight. If you’re a PS Plus Premium subscriber, you get an extra 10% XP boost for all matches that stacks with other in-game XP buffs, letting you level up new descendants way faster than non-subscribers. All these small perks add up to make the experience of playing is the first descendant on PlayStation feel a bit more rewarding than on other platforms.
Some of the most popular PlayStation-exclusive rewards released so far include:
- A PS-themed glider that matches the classic PlayStation button color scheme
- Exclusive weapon charms for all starting assault rifles and sniper rifles
- Free premium battle pass tiers for the first two seasons of content
Tips for New The First Descendant Players on PlayStation
If you’re new to is the first descendant on PlayStation, these tips will help you get off to a strong start without wasting time on unnecessary grind. When I first started playing on PS5, I made a lot of silly mistakes that slowed down my progress for the first two weeks, so I’ve put together a few quick tips to help you avoid the same issues. First off, don’t sleep on the controller customization options in the settings menu. The default control scheme works okay, but you can remap buttons to make swapping weapons and using descendant abilities way faster, especially during intense fights. I swapped my ability trigger to the left paddles on my DualSense Edge controller, and that cut my reaction time in half during PvP matches. Make sure to turn on the haptic feedback and adaptive trigger settings if you’re on PS5 — the feedback when you fire different weapons or use abilities adds so much immersion you won’t want to turn it off again.
You should also take the time to play through the 2 hour tutorial campaign first, even if you’re used to looter shooters. It gives you a ton of free loot and levels up your first character to level 10 for free, so you can jump right into multiplayer matches without feeling underpowered. Don’t waste your in-game currency on random cosmetic crates early on — save it for upgrading your weapon mods, which will make a way bigger difference in your performance. If you’re playing with crossplay enabled, you can also match with players from other platforms to cut down on queue times for popular raid modes.
Common Issues to Watch for When Playing on PlayStation
For the most part, the PlayStation version of the game is really polished, but there are a few small issues I’ve run into that you should be aware of. First off, if you’re playing on PS4, you might run into occasional crashes when you’re joining a 4-player boss raid. The devs have released three patches to fix this over the last six months, but it still happens once every 10 or so raids for me on my old PS4 Slim. The fix is simple: just close the game fully and restart it, and you’ll be able to rejoin the raid in progress without losing any progress. Another common issue is that crossplay voice chat sometimes cuts out if you’re playing with friends on Xbox or PC. The workaround for that is to use the PlayStation party chat instead of the in-game voice chat, which is way more reliable anyway. Always make sure you have at least 20GB of free space on your console before installing a new update — the devs release big content updates every two months, and if you don’t have enough space, the update can corrupt your game files and force you to reinstall the whole thing. Most of these small kinks are rare, and they don’t take away from how fun is the first descendant on PlayStation is to play with friends.
At the end of the day, if you’re a fan of fast-paced looter shooters with deep customization and fun co-op play, you can’t go wrong giving The First Descendant a try on your PlayStation console. It’s completely free to play, so you don’t have anything to lose besides a bit of hard drive space, and the amount of content you get for no cost is really impressive. I’ve already put over 120 hours into the game, and I still log in a few times a week to play raids with my friends. If you’ve been wondering is the first descendant on PlayStation worth picking up, the answer is a resounding yes, especially if you have friends to play with across different platforms.