Tetris Effect: Connected Headed to PS4, Epic Games Store, Steam, and Oculus Quest in Late July - News

by William D'Angelo , posted on 17 June 2021 / 1,488 Views

Developer Enhance Games announced Tetris Effect: Connected will be getting a release on the PlayStation 4, Epic Games Store, and Oculus Quest with a free update to Tetris Effect. The game will be coming to Steam for the first time as well. The update and Steam release will be available in late July.

At the same time the game will be getting cross-play support on all versions, with a new Spectator Mode.

Read the latest details on the game below:

Overview

Cross-platform play between all current versions of the game (PlayStation 4, Epic Games Store, Oculus Quest, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Microsoft Store PC, including Xbox Game Pass), as well as the highly-anticipated Steam version (store page now up for Wishlisting!), all sim-shipping in late July (exact date TBD).
Bonus features include Spectator Mode, as well as PAL and “Slow” speed modes, coming to all versions of the game.
An Owner’s Beta Test, available as a separate download to all accounts who own a copy of Tetris Effect on the Epic Games or Microsoft Stores, Xbox, or on PlayStation 4 (schedule found below).
An invite-only Closed Beta Test, starting this week and running through July 5, on some of the same platforms as the Owner’s Beta, but also including invited Steam and Oculus Quest users (schedule found below).
Specifics on each point follow; the final release date will be confirmed based on the results of the Beta Test, but the Tetris Effect: Connected expansion is expected to release in late July.

Also, an explainer video covering everything in this release can also be found here, courtesy of beloved Tetris YouTuber aGameScout.

Cross-Platform Play

Furthering the game’s goal of bringing people together in cooperation and competition, the Tetris Effect: Connected update will allow Friend Match players to invite owners of the game on other platforms to all play together, via a simple, shareable four-digit alphanumeric “Room ID” code. (Of course players can also invite others on their same platform directly via that platform’s native invite system as well.)

Display of the Room ID can be disabled for those streaming their matches who wish to keep it private, and all platforms have the option of limiting themselves to players of their same platform. (Note: progress and achievements will not be shared across platforms.)

In addition to breaking down barriers between friends, wherever they might choose to play, cross-platform play will maximize the player base for Ranked Matches, ensuring better matchmaking and more equivalent competition for players at all levels.

Bonus Features

Spectator Mode (Friend Matches Only) – The Tetris Effect community’s #1 most-requested feature! Between 4 and 6 additional players, depending on the multiplayer mode, can join a match to watch as spectators (and emote from the sidelines in real-time), adding flexibility and convenience for anyone hoping to run or stream tournaments, or simply making it easier to drop in and out of games with a group of friends.
PAL Speed (Classic Score Attack Mode, Friend and Local Matches Only) – A new option designed to replicate the feeling of the European PAL format of the Tetris game from the Nintendo Entertainment System, including a lower framerate, faster horizontal movement, and faster dropping speed in later levels.
Slow Speed (Zone Battle Mode, Friend and Local Matches Only) – The flip-side of the Hyper Fast mode, this option, well, slows things down, with a longer entry delay for new Tetriminos, and slower horizontal movement. Helpful both for beginner players and also for advanced pros who can use the delay for more effective stacking and more devastating Zone Attacks.

*A limited number of spots are available for the closed beta. Spots are not guaranteed and you will only get an email if accepted.

Beta Test

Cross-platform play, together with new platforms and features, represents a significant technical challenge, so Enhance is planning a Beta Test period to help test and improve online play ahead of the official launch of the Tetris Effect: Connected update.

The Beta Test will be available as a separate download to existing accounts that own Tetris Effect (Owner’s Beta), or to any account with a redeemable code (Closed Beta) sent by Enhance, during the periods listed below.

Note: Progress in the Beta Test will not carry over in any way to the final game. Online multiplayer on all Xbox consoles requires Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus on PlayStation 4 (subscriptions sold separately).

Also Note: All dates listed can be thought of as “by 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (USA) that day.”

But Also-Also Note: These dates are targets and subject to change (this is a test, after all, stuff can go wrong).

Please check @enhance_exp on Twitter or visit the official website for the latest updates!

PlayStation 4

Closed Invite Only – June 17 to June 23 (Apply Here)
Open to Tetris Effect Owners – June 23 to July 5

Epic Games Store

Closed Invite Only – June 17 to June 23 (Apply Here)
Open to Tetris Effect Owners – June 23 to July 5

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Microsoft Store PC (including Xbox Game Pass)

Closed Invite Only – June 17 to June 23 (Apply Here)
Open to Tetris Effect Owners – June 23 to July 5

Steam

Closed Invite Only – June 17 to July 5 (Apply Here)

Oculus Quest

Closed Invite Only – June 23 to July 5 (Apply Here)

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.

2 Comments

SuperNintend0rk (on 17 June 2021)

I find this pretty confusing. Tetris Effect was originally a PS4/PC/VR game that received an exclusive Xbox port with some enhancements and now that version is coming to PS4/PC/VR. Talk about a convoluted release cycle lol