Game Versions

NOTICE: This page is a Work in Progress as much of the lore/Development for the game is yet to be established.

Current Public Demo: Tech Demo 3

This page provides a comprehensive overview of the various public demonstrations, ongoing development builds, planned official releases, and potential platform availability for Starship Simulator.

Public Demos

Fleetyard Studios has strategically released public demos on Steam to showcase development progress, gather valuable community feedback, and allow players to experience core game mechanics. For information on planned updates and releases, please refer to the Roadmap.

Tech Demo 1

• Released: October 3, 2022 (approx.)
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Status: Superseded by Tech Demo 2.
• Content: Served as the initial public proof-of-concept, enabling early exploration of ship interiors, basic flight, and demonstrating the Unreal Engine visuals and galaxy engine.

Tech Demo 2

• Released: June 19, 2023 (for Steam Next Fest)
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Status: Superseded by Tech Demo 3. This version served as the primary public release during an extended period, including the Kickstarter campaign.
• Content: Introduced more interactive elements, including the Fusion Reactor "Cold & Dark Start" tutorial, fundamental Helm and Sensors functionality, expanded ship interior exploration, and seamless galaxy traversal.

Tech Demo 3 (Current)

• Release: July 9, 2025.
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Status: The current public version of the game, available through Steam.
• Content: Anticipated to include significantly overhauled Sensors systems, refined galaxy generation with real star data integration, updated Magellan Class geometry and interior layouts developed post-Kickstarter, and numerous bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements based on recent Dev Builds. The in-game HUD was updated to reference "Tech Demo 3" in Build 0.225.0.89.

Development Builds

• Nature: Frequent, work-in-progress builds released privately to dedicated testers and supporters (typically via Steam Keys obtained through Kickstarter, [[1]], or promotional raffles).
• Content: These builds contain the absolute latest features, changes, and bug fixes, but may inherently be unstable, incomplete, or contain known bugs.
• Access: For detailed information on how to gain access, please refer to the Dev Build page.
• History: A comprehensive chronological record of changes can be found on the Dev Builds page, detailing specific updates.

Planned PC Releases

The primary development target for Starship Simulator is PC (Windows), with initial distribution planned via Steam.

Steam Early Access

• Status: Planned.
• Target Timeframe: Potentially late 2025 (This is an estimate based on past developer statements and is subject to change; please follow official announcements for definitive dates).
• Content: Expected to offer a substantially more polished and feature-complete experience than the public demos, representing a significant step towards the full release. The focus will be on delivering a robust core sandbox experience.

Full Release (Version 1.0)

• Status: Planned (to follow the Early Access period).
• Business Model: The base sandbox game (encompassing the full galaxy, ship simulation, and procedural content) is intended to be Free-to-Play.
• Content: Will feature the complete core sandbox experience: a fully explorable galaxy, detailed Magellan Class ship simulation, implemented Crew Roles and NPCs, diverse exploration mechanics, and potentially initial First Contact scenarios.

Downloadable Content (DLC)

• Status: Planned (for release post-Version 1.0).
• Business Model: Intended as paid content, primarily to fund ongoing development and future expansions.
• Content: Current plans include the release of additional starships (potentially smaller vessels suited for solo or small-crew play) and narrative-driven campaigns (with multiple chapters envisaged).

Multiplayer & Server Support

• Multiplayer Approach: While the game maintains a strong single-player focus, online multiplayer is designed as a co-operative, session-based experience. Players can join a host's ship, each fulfilling a specific role alongside NPCs. Steam's backend will be utilized for initial matchmaking services. Testing has successfully supported sessions with 14-16+ players.
• Dedicated Servers: A separate headless client for running dedicated servers is planned, which will allow player groups to host persistent gameplay sessions.
• Shared Galaxy (Future Plan): A potential long-term system envisions using external MySQL databases (managed by player groups) to allow different player ships/groups to perceive each other on the galaxy map, share scientific data, and communicate via text within a shared, persistent galaxy state. Direct real-time interaction between entirely separate player ships is not planned for initial releases.

VR Support

• Status: Planned and was a successfully funded Kickstarter stretch goal.
• Details: Native VR support is intended for the PC version of the game. Developer FAQs have previously indicated a "basic VR concept" might be released in the months following their respective writing dates, with more comprehensive VR development likely to follow major demo updates as outlined on the Roadmap.

After the release of Tech Demo 3 on the 9th of July 2025, work began on the VR build in Patch Cycle 0.226.0.0. This included work on integrating VR support with various locomotion and reworks of the menus for VR compatibility. Additionally, some in-game performance enhancements were implemented for better frame rates to help avoid players feeling nauseous while playing.

Console Versions (PlayStation / Xbox)

• Status: Not currently planned.
• Details: The developers have stated that console ports are not an immediate development focus but have not entirely ruled them out for the distant future. This would depend heavily on development resources and funding availability post-PC release. It has been speculated that an Xbox port might be technically easier to implement than a PlayStation version, though this remains unconfirmed.

Other PC Stores (Epic Games Store)

• Status: Potential future release.
• Details: A release on other PC storefronts, such as the Epic Games Store, may be considered by Fleetyard Studios after the initial Steam launch.

Linux / macOS

• Status: Not officially supported at present.
• Details: The game reportedly runs on Linux via the Steam Proton compatibility layer, but this compatibility is not officially supported by Fleetyard Studios. There has been no official mention of a native Linux or macOS version being planned.