Outer Wilds Releases Final Major Update

Highlights

Mobius Digital has released the final patch for Outer Wilds, signaling the end of major post-launch updates for the game.
The patch adds the highly requested feature of inverting X-axis controls and includes various fixes and improvements across all platforms.
While smaller updates may still be released, the studio is now focusing on new projects after creating a critically acclaimed exploration game.

Developer Mobius Digital has officially closed the door on significant post-launch development on Outer Wilds, its award-winning exploration game. The studio deployed a new patch for Outer Wilds and its Echoes of the Eye expansion on all platforms, and reiterated that no further “major” updates will be coming to the game.

First released in 2019, Outer Wilds cast players as an explorer in a quaint and peaceful space program. It sent them around a tiny, hand-crafted solar system in search of the solution to a strange mystery: a time loop that resets the system every 22 minutes, when the sun explodes and destroys everything. With time as the main antagonist in Outer Wilds, the game challenged players to gather clues in the brief period before the supernova and use the knowledge gained to solve further mysteries in the next loop. The game would go on to win awards at the 2020 BAFTA Games Awards, the Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival, and secure praise from critics and players. Mobius Digital released the more horror-themed Echoes of the Eye expansion in 2021.

8 Mistakes Everyone Makes While Playing Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds doesn’t hold players hands, which can often lead to silly little mistakes that end up wasting a lot of time. Here’s how to avoid them.

Now, Mobius Digital has closed the cycle on Outer Wilds for good, five years past its original release. In its patch notes for the latest update, which brings the game up to Patch 15 on PC, Xbox and PlayStation and Patch 4 on Switch, the studio said that Patch 4 is the last major patch planned for the Switch version of the game. The Switch edition of Outer Wilds launched in December 2023, with the Echoes of the Eye expansion available as an additional purchase.

For all versions of Outer Wilds, the latest patch adds a new feature requested by a very small minority of players: The ability to invert the X-axis controls for moving and camera operation. The X-axis is the horizontal axis, meaning that when toggled, the inversion will cause a push on the stick to the left to move the character or the camera to the right, and vice versa. Inverting the Y-axis is a common accessibility feature, but requests to invert the X-axis are much rarer. Mobius Digital wished 18 players “and Jeff,” who sent “very impassioned emails” well for requesting the feature, and hoped they enjoy their “topsy-turvy world.”

On PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, the patch fixed some issues with achievements, made it harder to accidentally die in some locations, and fixed issues with things like collisions and UI bugs, as well as improving the functionality of the PS5 DualSense controller on PC. On Switch, the patch brought numerous fixes to the game’s visuals, some reported bugs, and improved performance in various areas. Mobius Digital said that while smaller updates might still be deployed for Outer Wilds and Echoes of the Eye, it could not guarantee that it would have the time available. Years after creating one of the most rewarding exploration games of all time, the studio is moving on to new projects.

Outer Wilds Patch Notes for June 10, 2024 Update

New Feature: X-axis invert Move and Camera Look

Due to some very impassioned emails we’ve added a long requested feature: inverting the Move and Camera Look on the x-axis (horizontal). We hope all 18 of you, and Jeff, enjoy your topsy-turvy world.

Patch 1.1.15 Changes (PC, Xbox, Playstation):

Gameplay

Flying outside the solar system long enough to trigger the associated achievement now correctly triggers a new Slate dialogue option
Sudden death from above should occur less frequently while exploring the Hanging City
Portable light sources now react to crossing a certain boundary
A certain locator now can be viewed from afar with the Scout
Fixed some instances where the player could get stuck in a slow walk
Fixed an issue where if you quit to main menu while viewing slides the game would fail to load the main menu
Fixed various issues with collisions

Art & Visuals

The Hourglass Twins are now correctly positioned on a certain holographic map
Fixed inconsistent Nomai child writing visuals on Giant’s Deep

Tech

New Feature: You can now invert Move and Camera Look on the X-Axis (horizontal)

UI

Descriptions of settings update when you hover over a new setting with your mouse
The Regular UI size has been slightly reduced to match its size from before Patch 14
Lock On prompts now resize properly based on UI Size mode
Fixed selection arrows obscuring some text in the Options menu
Removed a duplicate button prompt when using the ghost matter camera in the Hearthian village
It’s me. No time to chat, SERN has found me. The drop at the flaming flower’s atelier is active. Yes, of course I switched it off! El ps–hey, they hung up on me!
The Wake Up prompt no longer appears over the Controller Disconnected message
The Ship Log no longer gets cut off when the Aspect Ratio is set to 5:4
When closing a Ship Log entry you should no longer see a white image
In Chinese, the “Mark on HUD” prompt no longer has text overflow issues
Adjusted the size of the “Leave Menu” button in “Switch Profile”
Fixed visual bug with ship Signalscope waveform
Various other minor UI fixes

Text & Localization

Fixed an issue where in some languages, such as Russian and Polish, in Regular UI size you would not see some Ship Log text
Fixed some overflowing text in some languages
Fixed a minor malapropism. It’s “poring over” not “pouring over”. Yes this was news to many of us as well!
Added some missing Echoes of the Eye playtesters to the credits
Fixed some Japanese characters using the wrong glyph set in the Credits, causing certain characters to be incorrect

PC Only

The gamma calibration screen can now be closed with the mouse
Improved mouse smoothing so it is no longer tied to framerate. You might need to adjust your mouse sensitivity after this update.
Another attempt to fix “lock on” breaking after pausing and changing application focus outside of the game
Increased the minimum sensitivity setting for mouse movement
If you’re using a PS5 DualSense Controller you can now map the Touchpad button to an action

Nintendo Switch Patch 4 Changes

Art & Visuals

Improved the visuals of tractor beams throughout the game
Fixed inconsistent Nomai child writing visuals on Giant’s Deep
A Nomai child’s toy is now officially sponsored.
Improved resolution of a certain easter egg
Fixed a misaligned island splash effect on Giant’s Deep
Timber Hearth’s atmosphere visuals now react correctly during a certain solar event
Fixed missing collision and improper scaling of floating Nomai lights
Small slide projectors now cast shadows
Giant’s Deep ocean no longer disappears when viewed through a projection pool
It’s me. No time to chat, SERN has found me. The drop at the flaming flower’s atelier is active. Yes, of course I switched it off! El ps–hey, they hung up on me!
Taking scout photos no longer causes textures to pop in and out in Echoes of the Eye
Trees no longer turn white when approaching Brittle Hollow
Reduced visibility of a hidden location in Echoes of the Eye
Improved transition into and out of projection pools
Improved the transition into a certain starless void
Improved the visuals during the ending sequence
Various lighting adjustments and fixes
Improved texture resolution of many assets
Various fixes to collisions
Various fixes for incorrect, misaligned or missing textures and materials
Various fixes for LODs so they match better with their high resolution versions and reducing noticeable LOD popping
Fixed various issues where you could see through the world
Fixes for various minor visual issues

Gameplay

Sudden death from above should occur less frequently while exploring the Hanging City.
The ship no longer falls through the ground if left behind on a planet
Fixed some instances where the player could get stuck in a slow walk
Flying outside the solar system long enough to trigger the associated achievement now correctly triggers a new Slate dialogue option
Equipping the signalscope at a certain campsite no longer chucks the player away at high velocity
A secret passage on Ember Twin is now harder to spot from a distance
Fixed an issue where sometimes the music from many of the Travelers could not be heard

Tech

Reduced performance degradation over time
Improved loading speeds when traveling great distances instantly
Various memory optimizations to improve performance and stability

Text & Localization

Fixed some Japanese characters using the wrong glyph set in the Credits, causing certain characters to be incorrect
Fixed a certain Easter Egg so the code can be scanned by external tools
Updated the credits

UI

The ship HUD marker is no longer visible in scout photos
Various minor adjustments and fixes to UI in Normal and Large UI modes

Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds is an indie sci-fi mystery adventure game involving time loops and exploration. Developed by Mobius Digital and published by Annapurna Interactive, the game features a dynamic and evolving world with each new loop, first-person gameplay, and mysteries to solve.

Released: May 28, 2019
Developer(s): Mobius Digital
ESRB: E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference