GameWatcher searches for a DayZ release on PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 for Bohemia Interactive’s enduring survival game.
DayZ began life as a mod for military sim Arma 2 in 2012 before becoming a standalone game in Early Access in 2013. Years of work turned it into a unique, sprawling survival game, utilising the vast Chernarus map from Arma 2. As the game grew, players could forage, hunt, farm, and build bases whilst fending off the undead.
But the magic came in interacting with other players. Unlikely friendships, temporary truces, brutal betrayals, and random acts of kindness became an evergreen appeal for DayZ.
In 2018, it finally got a full release, and console versions followed for PS4 and Xbox One. The scale of the game didn’t sit especially well on consoles at first, and certainly paled in comparison to the PC version. Things did smooth out somewhat, but to this day, the game could do with some extra oomph on consoles.
And here we are, over half a decade into the current generation of PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and DayZ is about to add a huge new Badlands expansion. So are we likely to get a current-gen version of DayZ?
DayZ on PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2
There had been murmurings of a current-gen version of DayZ for some time now, and the developer has long stated it was keen to get the game on all relevant platforms.
In April of 2026, Xbox Series X/S was the first to get the DayZ treatment as a free upgrade for existing players, bringing improved performance and visual enhancements.
A Nintendo Switch 2 release was confirmed by Bohemia Interactive on June 10, with a 2026 release for the Cool Edition bundle.
But what about PS5? The PS4 game has worked via backwards compatibility for years now, but an updated native version remains in the works at Bohemia Interactive.
With the other two consoles taken care of, a PS5 version not being far behind seems sensible to bet on, but whether we get it before the release of the Badlands expansion is anyone’s guess.
We’ll keep you updated on exactly when Switch 2 and PS5 releases of DayZ will arrive.
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