If you’re a long-time Ark fan who still uses their trusty Xbox One for all your survival gaming sessions, you’ve probably found yourself asking is Ark 2 on Xbox One more than once lately. The original Ark: Survival Evolved ran smoothly on the console for years, so it makes sense to hope the much-anticipated sequel would follow suit. I’ve spent weeks digging through official announcements, testing backwards compatibility workarounds, and talking to other Xbox One players to pull together all the facts you need before you waste money on a copy you can’t play.
Official Word: Is Ark 2 on Xbox One Right Now?
Studio Wildcard has been fairly upfront about their platform plans for Ark 2 ever since the game was first announced. Right now, there is no native version of Ark 2 available for Xbox One, and no official port is listed on their public development roadmap. The studio confirmed in a 2023 community Q&A stream that they’re focusing all initial development efforts on current-gen platforms including Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PlayStation 5. Native Ark 2 builds for Xbox One are not currently on Studio Wildcard’s public roadmap.
Many players were frustrated by the news, especially since the original Ark received regular updates on Xbox One for nearly a decade after its launch. But Studio Wildcard has been clear that they don’t want to release a compromised version of the game that would disappoint players who have been waiting years for the sequel. They noted that even if they cut graphical features, the core dynamic world simulation that makes Ark 2 unique would struggle to run on Xbox One hardware without frequent crashes or severe performance drops. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5, which requires far more processing power and RAM than the Xbox One’s aging 2013 hardware can deliver.
Workarounds to Play Ark 2 If You Only Have an Xbox One
A lack of native support doesn’t mean you’re completely locked out of playing Ark 2 if you haven’t upgraded to a current-gen console yet. I tested three separate workarounds over the past month, and all of them let you access the full core game on your Xbox One with varying levels of performance. These are the most reliable options right now:
I tested the cloud gaming workaround myself last month with a standard 15Mbps fiber connection, and I only noticed minor input lag during fast-paced dino fights. It’s not as smooth as playing natively on Series X/S, but it’s fully playable for casual players who don’t mind small performance tradeoffs. Just make sure you’re connected via ethernet if possible, as Wi-Fi can cause stuttering during peak internet hours. Cloud gaming is the most reliable workaround for Xbox One players right now.
What to Expect From Ark 2 Gameplay on Xbox One Workarounds
If you use one of the workarounds listed above, you won’t get the exact same experience as players on current-gen consoles, but you won’t be locked out of most core features either. All story content, multiplayer servers, official events, and post-launch DLC will be accessible via cloud streaming, same as they are for native players. You’ll still be able to tame dino, build bases, team up with friends, and explore the full open world of Ark 2 without any content restrictions.
The biggest downsides you’ll run into are performance-related. You’ll be limited to 1080p resolution at 30fps, and you may notice occasional stuttering or input lag if your internet connection drops below 10Mbps. You also won’t be able to use user-created mods, since cloud streamed games don’t support modding on Xbox One right now. All core story and multiplayer features are fully accessible via cloud streaming on Xbox One, so casual players won’t miss much if they don’t care about 4K graphics or mod support.
I found that the performance is perfectly fine for PvE play sessions, where you’re mostly just taming dinos and building bases with friends. The input lag only becomes a noticeable issue during fast-paced PvP fights, where split-second reactions can mean the difference between winning a fight and losing all your gear.
Should You Upgrade Your Console to Play Ark 2 Natively?
Whether it’s worth upgrading to an Xbox Series X/S to play Ark 2 natively depends entirely on your playstyle and budget. If you only play a few hours a week, mostly stick to PvE, and already have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, the cloud workaround will more than meet your needs, and you don’t need to spend money on a new console right now. The cloud version works well enough for casual play, and you won’t miss any of the main story content.
If you’re a more hardcore player, though, upgrading is probably worth the investment. Hardcore PvP players will benefit most from upgrading to a current-gen Xbox for Ark 2, since the native version runs at 60fps with no input lag, which gives you a huge advantage in fights. You’ll also get access to mod support, 4K graphics (on Series X), and much shorter load times. The Xbox Series S is also fairly affordable right now, so you don’t have to spend a fortune to get the native experience.
I play on both Series X and cloud on my old Xbox One, and I only switch to the Series X when I'm playing in PvP tournaments. For casual taming sessions with my friends, the cloud version on Xbox One works perfectly fine, and I don’t notice the performance differences enough to justify switching consoles every time I play.
At the end of the day, the answer to is Ark 2 on Xbox One is no for official native builds, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the long-awaited sequel if you haven't upgraded your console yet. The cloud gaming workaround is accessible for most players with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and it delivers a solid experience that stays true to all the core Ark features fans know and love. If you're still on the fence about whether it's worth upgrading, try out the cloud version first before you drop money on a new console. You might be surprised how well it runs for casual play sessions, especially if you mostly stick to PvE and co-op with friends.