Elite Dangerous: Odyssey PC alpha announced and here's when you can dive in

PC players can try out the new expansion this month!

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey expansion
(Image credit: Frontier Developments plc)

Elite Dangerous fans are in for a treat with the upcoming Odyssey expansion, that's set for a PC alpha which kicks off on March 29, ahead of its "late spring" release on the platform.

Gamers have been given a sneak peek at some Elite Dangerous: Odyssey gameplay in the video below which shows three Commanders kitted out in the new expansion's gear, carrying out an on-foot raid of a military outpost. Watch as they head into enemy territory to disable the power centre and leave them scuppered.  

If you're already sold on the expansion, or want to try before you buy, then you can pre-order Elite Dangerous: Odyssey on Steam now for access to the Alpha. 

As with all videos of this nature, the squad is highly organised with no one's background music blaring through their mic, and communication is delivered with military precision, unlike real-life party chat which covers such important topics as snacks, and shirking all responsibility for getting yourself killed. 

If you're playing on PS4 or Xbox One, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is heading your way this autumn, with no news of an alpha for the consoles just yet. PS5 and Xbox Series X players can play the last-gen version with the PS5 hitting 1080p 60FPS, while Xbox Series X players can get in on the 4K action through Quality Mode. 

No dedicated PS5 or Xbox Series X version is in the works right now, so if you're on PS5, there's no way to play in 4K. 

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.