Sea of Thieves developer Rare considering bringing back 6 ship servers – WGB

On April 30th, the Xbox and PC exclusive game Sea of Thieves will be sailing across the ocean to the land of PlayStation 5. People have obviously had some questions about their progress carrying over, crossplay and more, prompting the developers to post a Q&A containing a piece of excellent news: 6 ship servers might be coming back.

Sea of Thieves has managed to become a success on PlayStation despite not even being out yet. It managed to become the number 1 pre-ordered game on the console, although now that the initial rush has calmed it has slipped down the charts a little.

Due to this success, Rare has posted a special PS5 FAQ to answer some of the most common questions. They’ve confirmed, for example, that all progress will carry over from the Xbox and PC versions if you decide to jump ship to PS5 – all you’ll need to do is sign in with your Microsoft account. Crossplay between all three versions was also confirmed, although you can choose to opt out of crossplay, too.

It was also confirmed that Achievements earned on the Xbox and PC versions of the game will automatically unlock Trophies on the PlayStation version.

But the exciting information comes about halfway down the Q&A.

“With the introduction of a larger player pool, will we see six ships on a server again?

The team are currently exploring the return of six-ship servers and will update players accordingly.”

Sea of Thieves dropped the maximum ship count down to five a few years back while also reducing the player count per server to 16, the reasoning being that it allows for a better mix of ship types and better overall performance.

Server stability has always been iffy for Sea of Thieves. Rare did toy with raising the ship limit back to 6 in 2022, but walked back the change just 24-hours later.

While it would be exciting to see 6 ships per server, it’s unclear what has actually changed to let this happen. While the PS5 launch will surely bring in a lot more players, unless Rare has worked some magic on their servers the same stability and performance woes will presumably strike again. Hopefully that’s the case.

You can find the rest of the Q&A below:

“If I’ve played Sea of Thieves before, will my progress/items transfer?

Fear not, Commendation collectors! When linking your PlayStation and Microsoft accounts, any active pirate character becomes playable in the PS5 version of Sea of Thieves. This means that any progress made with that pirate, including Commendations, cosmetics, Twitch Drops and accumulated gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins, will synchronise across all other platforms linked to that account.

With the exception of a limited selection of designated platform exclusives, all additional cosmetics that players have previously acquired or bought will remain accessible when playing the PlayStation 5 version of Sea of Thieves. This selection is subject to change as cosmetics become available through alternative avenues, and we will keep you all updated as this progresses.

Only cosmetics and items obtained through platform-exclusive offers may not be fully equippable across different devices. For instance, the Duke ship cosmetics linked to the Xbox Series X|S launch won’t be usable on PS5. Similarly, items like the Ruby Viper cosmetics or Dauntless Adventurer Closed Beta rewards, exclusive to PlayStation pre-order campaigns, won’t be equippable on Xbox or Steam.

Will there be special cosmetics to celebrate the launch of Sea of Thieves on PS5?

Pirates who pre-order on PlayStation 5 will gain exclusive access to four Ruby Viper weapons and the Scarlet Storm Parakeet.

Additionally, those participating in the PS5 Closed Beta will earn the Dauntless Adventurer Sails and Title as unlockable rewards. These cosmetics are classified as non-transferable and will be exclusive to players on the PlayStation platform.

We are currently making plans for a unique sail that will be available to all players during the PlayStation 5 launch period. This sail will commemorate the coming together of pirates across all platforms – stay tuned for further details!

Why do I need to use a Microsoft account to play on PlayStation 5?

Whether you’re a seasoned pirate or just starting out, you’ll need to sign in with a Microsoft account to play Sea of Thieves. For those already sailing the seas, this means you can seamlessly continue your adventure and share progress across platforms. Newcomers will find that their Microsoft account keeps track of their pirate’s journey, antics and adventures, making sure everything stays in place between gaming sessions.

Curious about your progress? With a simple login to www.seaofthieves.com using your Microsoft account, you’ll gain instant access to a wealth of essential pirating information. From checking your cosmetic inventories to keeping tabs on your hard-earned currency, every aspect of your pirating progress is at your fingertips.

Furthermore, you can easily track your Seasonal progress and showcase your Commendations, symbolising your daring feats on the High Seas. Fashion-savvy pirates can also access the Pirate Emporium, where you can browse and buy hundreds of cosmetics for your pirate and ship, the newest of which are seamlessly accessible via the website.

How will friend invites work?

The updated in-game friends list on PlayStation 5 now displays players’ existing Xbox friends list alongside their PSN friends list, enabling them to easily invite friends from both platforms to join cross-play sessions. PlayStation users also have the option to utilise the platform’s friends list to either invite friends to their session or join their friends’ sessions with ease.

Will playing Sea of Thieves on PS5 require Xbox Live or PlayStation®Plus?

PlayStation players will need a PS Plus subscription to engage in multiplayer gameplay, but even without an active subscription you can still sail solo in Safer Seas mode. PlayStation players won’t be required to purchase an Xbox Game Pass subscription when playing on PS5.

While playing solo in Safer Seas does not require a live subscription, this is not an offline mode as it is still connected to servers hosted in the cloud. Safer Seas can usually be played with a crew, but playing without a live subscription only enables solo play – joining other players’ sessions or inviting them to your own is not possible while playing the game in this way.

Safer Seas mode still allows access to the vast majority of content in the game, including all the story-driven Tall Tales. Notable exceptions are PvP-focused elements such as The Reaper’s Bones and Faction battles, as well as the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company and World Events such as the Fort of the Damned and Fort of Fortune.

To learn more about Safer Seas, check out our official Safer Seas Explained video.

Will there be PlayStation-only servers?

Pirates playing on PlayStation can deactivate cross-play functionality, thereby restricting their gaming sessions to exclusively include other PlayStation users. Players will also have the option to confine gameplay to fellow controller users, enabling play between both PlayStation and Xbox players who favour controller-based gameplay.

If someone has purchased a digital version of the game that allows them to play both Xbox and PC, will it also allow them to play on PlayStation 5?

To embark on adventures in Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5, players will need to obtain one of the editions of the game (Standard, Deluxe or Premium) available from the PlayStation Store. Xbox Play Anywhere remains solely available through Xbox and the Windows Store.

With the introduction of a larger player pool, will we see six ships on a server again?

The team are currently exploring the return of six-ship servers and will update players accordingly.

How will the influx of players affect server stability?

The team are ready to welcome new PlayStation players to the seas and our live service capabilities have been scaled in preparation for launch.

Are there plans to prioritise bugs ahead of the launch?

The team have been prioritising quality of life improvements during our monthly updates in the run-up to launch on PlayStation 5. We continue to maintain our unwavering commitment to the health and longevity of the game.

How will the PS5 version of Sea of Thieves work with the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller?

Sea of Thieves supports the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, including several of its unique features:

• Haptics – Sea of Thieves uses the haptic feedback technology within the DualSense controller to enhance the experience of movement and interacting with the world.
• Adaptive Triggers – Sea of Thieves uses the adaptive triggers within the DualSense controller to heighten gunplay, allowing players to feel each pull of the trigger.
• Built-In Microphone and Speaker – Sea of Thieves uses the built-in microphone so players can chat to their friends without the need for a connected headset.

Will there be a version of Sea of Thieves compatible with PSVR2?

The team have no current plans to integrate with PSVR2.

Will Sea of Thieves work on the PlayStation Portal?

Yes – we’ve tested this and are pleased to confirm Sea of Thieves will be playable via the PlayStation Portal.

Will the PS5 version have a performance mode that allows 120 FPS?

Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5 is optimised to run at 60 FPS in 4K resolution, with an additional performance mode available for supported TVs allowing for 120Hz refresh rates at 1080p resolution. This has parity with the Xbox Series X experience.

Will there be a version of the Insider Programme available for PlayStation players?

Yes – log into the Sea of Thieves website and you’ll find more details added to the Insider Programme Hub as and when they become available.

Which Trophies will be available, and if I’ve already unlocked Trophies via existing platforms, will I still be able to Platinum Sea of Thieves on PS5? Will Trophies auto-unlock if I previously met the criteria?

All active Sea of Thieves achievements on Xbox and Steam will convert into Trophies on PS5. While existing achievement progress may result in some Trophies unlocking immediately upon login, players will need to replay to fully unlock Trophies on PS5.

Both new and existing players can progress through the base Trophy set (60 Trophies) to achieve the new Platinum Trophy ‘Pirate Perfectionist’.

Additionally, although more Trophies will be added over time, similar to achievements, only the initial base set of Trophies at launch will contribute towards unlocking the Platinum title.

If I participate in the Closed Beta, will my progress carry over to launch?

Participants in the Closed Beta will be able to earn Renown, currency and cosmetic rewards as part of the Season 11 Seasonal progression track. Their pirate will keep these rewards, and these items will be accessible when the game launches globally at the end of April. They will also be awarded 10 levels of Renown towards their Season 12 Seasonal progression track, as a thank you for participating.

Closed Beta participants will not be able to engage with the Pirate Emporium, and will only be playing with other PlayStation players during this period. While Trophies will be disabled during the Closed Beta, progress towards them will be tracked, carried over and unlocked appropriately upon launch of the retail version.

And with that, we’ll see you on the seas!”