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Dune: Awakening brings survival, crafting, exploration and base-building to Arrakis, with a full single-player mode alongside shared-server play. In Push Square’s PS5 review, Aaron Bayne praised its satisfying progression and Dune details, while noting repetitive enemies, uneven visuals and tedious quest sequences. The PS5 version released on September 22, 2026; its single-player mode still requires an online connection according to the PlayStation Store.
What is Dune: Awakening?
Dune: Awakening is Funcom’s open-world survival action RPG set on Arrakis. The PlayStation Store describes an alternate version of the Dune story in which Paul Atreides was never born. The game combines environmental survival with exploration, combat, quests, crafting and character progression.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Dune: Awakening - PlayStation 5 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dune: Awakening Day One Edition (PlayStation 5) | $65.52 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening - PlayStation 5 | $27.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Dune Awakening (Day 1 Edition) | $60.47 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Assetto Corsa Competizione - PlayStation 5 | $28.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Survival means managing the planet’s heat and your need for water. The store description highlights extracting liquid and refining it into water, while the review describes a loop of gathering resources, exploring, and returning to a growing base. You learn abilities through the Imperium’s schools, unlock skills, research and craft equipment, and build tools and vehicles to take on further expeditions. PlayStation Store
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Push Square’s Aaron Bayne describes the crafting as dense but approachable: there are multiple systems to learn, yet they feed into a clear survival-and-expansion loop. He particularly liked how new craftable tools and traversal equipment broaden the kinds of trips you can make across Arrakis. The review also finds base-building straightforward on console and says progression continues to hold interest after establishing an initial base. These are the reviewer’s impressions, not results from independent testing.
#1 Best Overall
- Step into the world of Dune and explore an immersive, open world Arrakis, from sandworm-infested deserts to the sprawling city of Arrakeen
- Experience a unique, cinematic Dune story that gives clear meaning and purpose to your otherwise freeform survival crafting journey
- From the slow blade to epic firepower, train and progress as a Swordmaster, Bene Gesserit, Trooper, and Mentat to unlock their signature weapons and abilities
- Rise from survival to greatness as you grow your own piece of Arrakis from a modest crafting base into a sprawling fortress, or secure your fortune by chasing spice blows and running your own spice-refining operation
- Play single-player and customize every aspect of your experience, or go online to team up with friends on private or public multiplayer servers
Progress is tied to more than collecting materials. Exploration, combat, quests and research contribute to new schematics and skill unlocks, giving expeditions a purpose beyond simply returning with supplies. That structure is likely to appeal if you enjoy survival games where a better-equipped character and a more developed base steadily open up new possibilities.
What are the main drawbacks?
- Repetitive enemies: Bayne says the limited enemy variety can make combat feel repetitive.
- Uneven visuals: The review flags visual inconsistency rather than describing a uniformly polished presentation.
- Some tedious quests: The reviewer found a sequence of Fremen trials tiring. In his account, trials must be activated in order, which can interrupt exploration if you discover one that is not yet available.
These criticisms come from Push Square’s review, which tested the PS5 Pro version. They should be read as one reviewer’s assessment, not as a measured comparison across consoles.
Rank #2
- Explore a vast, open world Dune - Discover a dynamic and immersive Arrakis, from the rolling sand dunes of the Deep Desert to hidden Fremen caves and the bustling city streets of Ardkeen. Climb towering mountains with the Shigawire hook and fly across sandworm-infested deserts in an ornithopter you built yourself. Escape the destructive might of the massive sandstorms towering above you as they sweep across the landscape, then take a quiet moment to witness the beauty of Arrakis when the sun is low.
- Unravel an epic, cinematic Dune story - In Dune: Awakening, you get to step into the books and movies and experience one of science fiction’s most incredible worlds up close. Join the Atreides or the Harkonnen and rise through their ranks as you explore their unique stories. Meet familiar characters such as Duke Leto and Feyd-Rautha, investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Fremen, and discover the truth about your own past. Unravel an epic, cinematic Dune story that asks the mind-bending question: what if Paul Atreides was never born?
- Become a master of combat and survival - Arrakis is a test that few survive. Those who do, awaken. Learn to survive the unique climate of Arrakis, chasing shade and extracting liquid from the bodies of your enemies to refine it into water. Study the teachings of the Schools of the Imperium to unlock a powerful repertoire of abilities, weapons, and tools. Wield the Trooper’s unparalleled firepower, use the Bene Gesserit voice to control your enemies, deploy the Mentat’s deceptive traps, or master the Swordmaster’s unique dance of death.
- Build your stronghold, craft your ornithopter - Carve out your own piece of Arrakis and build your personal base of operations. From small outposts to elaborate and towering strongholds, build everything piece-by-piece in the Atreides or Harkonnen style, or any of the other available architectural styles, and decorate it to reflect your personality. Equip it with powerful crafting machines and spice refineries and watch your power and fortune grow. Craft anything from useful desert-survival gadgets to entire vehicles such as ground cars and ornithopters.
- Single-player, multiplayer, and scalable difficulty - Play alone in full single-player, multiplayer with friends on a shared server, or with hundreds of other players on a public server. The full game, with all its features, content and story, is available regardless of which mode you choose. Both single-player and private multiplayer servers offer extensive customization options, allowing you to scale difficulty and tune gameplay options however you like.
Is the single-player mode offline?
No: the official PlayStation Store listing says online play is required, including for a game that offers full single-player. Funcom’s console release update introduced that mode, gameplay customization, the conclusion to Book One, and gameplay and combat balance changes. PlayStation Blog says single-player lets you play at your own pace; neither source says that it removes the online requirement. PlayStation Store · Funcom console release update · PlayStation Blog
Single-player, private servers or public servers?
The Store lists three ways to play. The practical choice is whether you want to progress on your own, share a server with friends, or encounter the broader public-server community. The listing states that online play requires PS Plus and supports up to 60 online players with PS Plus; that figure is a stated product capability, not a measured player count.
Rank #3
- Visit a multitude of exotic planets across levels filled with traps testing your skills to the limit. With Cobra’s superhuman abilities, you will need to relentlessly run, jump and climb, and make sure you use all the means at your disposal to take out your enemies.
- Master Cobra’s iconic weapons, such as the awesome psychogun and the Colt Python 77, to destroy the opponents on your heels, as well as his famous gadgets like the cigar and the grappling hook. You will need all of your arsenal to defeat the powerful bosses standing in your way.
- Explore story mode by choosing from the 3 difficulty levels, allowing veterans of the genre to take on a real test worthy of their skills, while those looking for less of a challenge to enjoy the story. You can also try to escape your enemies in a 2-player co-op mode.
- Immerse yourself in this amazing space opera world as you embark on your adventure as a fearsome, charismatic hero. Over the course of this epic journey, you will cross paths with colorful characters like the Royal Sisters and the terrifying Crystal Bowie – Cobra’s nemesis.
- Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening is the first video-game adaptation of Cobra on modern platforms. it covers the first 12 episodes of the famous anime series, remaining true to its spirit with the moments of bravery and humor that made it so special.
| Play option | What it offers | Online and PS Plus details |
|---|---|---|
| Single-player | Full solo mode, with the ability to progress at your own pace. | Online play is required according to the PlayStation Store. The Store says PS Plus is required for online play. |
| Private multiplayer | Play with friends on a shared server. | Online play is required; the Store says PS Plus is required for online play. |
| Public-server play | Play on a public server with other players. | The Store lists support for up to 60 online players with PS Plus; PS Plus is required for online play. |
The PlayStation Store listing also describes DualSense vibration and trigger support and labels the PS5 release PS5 Pro Enhanced. These are listed features; the available review does not provide numerical frame-rate measurements. Push Square reports fairly stable frame rates on PS5 and PS5 Pro and some DualSense haptic support, based on its reviewer’s observations, with the review specifically tested on PS5 Pro.
Is Dune: Awakening worth buying on PS5?
Push Square awarded the PS5 Pro version 8/10. Bayne’s review makes the game most appealing for players drawn to survival progression, crafting, base-building and Dune’s setting. Its single-player option offers a more self-directed way to play, but it does not make the game offline. Repetitive combat, uneven visuals and the sequential Fremen trials are the principal cautions in that review.
Rank #4
- Dune: Awakening is an open world single player and multiplayer survival title featuring immersive adventures and RPG gameplay. Explore, build and craft in a cinematic Dune story where you will gain true greatness as a survivor on the most legendary planet in the universe.
- Explore a huge open-world dune
- Experience an epic, cinematic Dune story
- Become a master of battle and survival
- Build your fortress and build an ornithopter
The PS5 version released on September 22, 2026. At the time of the cited Store listing, the US digital Standard Edition was shown at $49.99; prices and availability vary by region and can change. Check the current PlayStation Store listing for your region.
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Funcom announced a PS5 physical edition for September 22, 2026. Its announcement named Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe as distributor in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and Solutions 2 GO for North and South America. It said a Japanese retail release was planned, with the publisher to be announced at that time. Funcom’s physical-edition announcement
Best Value
- Assetto Corsa Competizione allows you to feel the real atmosphere of the GT3 championship
- Compete against official drivers,teams, cars circuits reproduced in game with the highest level of accuracy ever achieved on console
- Sprint, Endurance, and Spa 24 Hours races come to life with an incredible level of realism, in both single and multiplayer modes
The announcement described limited-time edition extras: an exclusive Terrarium of Muad’Dib for a base and a global color swatch. A later Funcom community update refers to the worldwide PS5 disc edition and identifies Amazon and Bandai Namco preorder options. Confirm regional stock and the contents of the edition being sold before buying; the available information does not establish an ongoing difference in game content between disc and digital versions. Funcom community update
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
