Squad vs Hell Let Loose on PS5: Which Tactical Shooter Is Better for You?

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For most PS5 players who want to start playing immediately, Hell Let Loose is the safer choice. It is a released $49.99 game with established 50-versus-50 World War II battles, large historical maps, defined roles and documented console cross-play. Choose Squad instead if you specifically want to try a modern military-simulation experience and are comfortable with the PS5 version being a free Alpha Preview whose full release date is still to be determined.

Quick verdict

Both games support battles of roughly 100 players, but they are not interchangeable experiences. Hell Let Loose organizes that scale around a finished World War II game loop. Squad is currently a preview of a newer, more explicitly simulation-focused product, so its availability and feature set should be judged as provisional.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Hell Let Loose: Vietnam - PlayStation 5	$39.99	Buy on Amazon
2		METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER TACTICAL ED – PS5	$37.49	Buy on Amazon
3		Hell Let Loose (PS5)	$44.99	Buy on Amazon
4		Hell Let Loose - PlayStation 5	$49.99	Buy on Amazon

Release status, price and what you are actually getting

Hell Let Loose is the finished purchase

The current US PlayStation Store listing shows Hell Let Loose for PS5 at $49.99. The listing identifies a release date of October 5, 2021, supports up to 99 online players, and requires PlayStation Plus for online play. That combination gives you a conventional purchase: you pay for the released game, subscribe to PS Plus for multiplayer, and join an established console player base.

The store metadata says “up to 99” players, while the game’s official description presents its signature battles as 50 versus 50. Those figures describe the same large-scale design from different parts of the listing: a full match can contain two 50-player teams, with the exact online total represented as up to 99 in the console metadata.

#1 Best Overall

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam - PlayStation 5

• Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles. Play as the North Vietnamese Army or the US Armed Forces.
• Immersive jungle warfare recreates the real-world intensity of the battle. 6 distinct game modes: Offensive, Warfare and 4 alternative new game modes.
• 6 large-scale maps – all with lighting and weather variants and extreme terrain. Emergent gameplay encourages the use of the chain of command to build teamwork and deploy a unique set of tactics and weapons for each battle.
• Multiple vehicles including helicopters and patrol boats. Build tunnels as the NVA and deploy your forces in stealth to ambush the US Armed Forces.
• Enhanced player movement improves in-battle functionality. Revamped tutorial and player onboarding. Updated interface and user experience.

$39.99

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Squad is a free Alpha Preview

The PS5 listing for Squad identifies a free Alpha Preview released on October 16, 2026. It supports up to 99 online players and is enhanced for PS5 Pro. The separate Squad concept page still lists the full release date as to be determined. In practical terms, you can try the preview without an upfront purchase, but you are not buying a finished PS5 edition with a committed launch schedule.

The preview is therefore best understood as an opportunity to evaluate Squad’s direction. Features, availability and the final commercial model can change before release. The official material does not state a PS Plus requirement for the Alpha Preview, so check the current PlayStation Store requirements on your account before assuming that online access works the same way as Hell Let Loose.

How the two games differ in setting and atmosphere

Hell Let Loose: historical World War II combined arms

Hell Let Loose builds its identity around World War II. The official description lists more than nine World War II battlefields, infantry combat, tanks and artillery, and a 50-versus-50 format. The historical setting is more than visual dressing: roles, commanders, objectives and the resource system all support the feeling of a large military operation rather than a small competitive round.

Its sector-capture metagame links territory to resources. Controlling sectors affects reinforcements, vehicles and support, so a team that wins ground can improve its ability to sustain the next attack. That creates a recognizable frontline structure: squads contest objectives, officers coordinate movement, and commanders decide how to use the team’s limited strategic resources.

Squad: modern military simulation in preview form

Squad’s PS5 Alpha Preview presents modern combined-arms warfare. Its official description highlights realistic faction-specific weapons and vehicles, authentic warfare, tactical teamwork, Picture-in-Picture scopes and a Suppression system. The concept page advertises 100-player combined-arms warfare and cross-platform multiplayer, but it does not yet specify every platform that will participate in cross-play once the full PS5 release arrives.

Rank #2

Sale

METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER TACTICAL ED – PS5

• The story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music that made the original a sensation return, remade for modern consoles
• This evolutionary leap breathes new life into every cutscene, and rebuilds every corner of the world
• Incredible new graphics bring the wild growth of the jungles, forests, and swamps to life in exquisite detail
• Characters are rendered in fine detail so that facial wrinkles, pores, & separate eye & iris movements are visible, allowing for rich animations
• Any injuries to his actual body will leave their mark permanently, telling a story of each player's unique journey

$37.49

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The modern setting changes the information problem. Instead of learning a fixed historical battle, you are expected to interpret optics, suppression and movement through terrain while coordinating infantry and vehicles. The emphasis is on how a squad maneuvers and communicates under pressure, not on recreating a named World War II campaign.

Teamwork, communication and command structure

Hell Let Loose gives teamwork a defined hierarchy

Hell Let Loose explicitly makes communication central. Its PlayStation description says, “If you’re not talking to your squad, you’re missing half the game.” Officers and a Commander lead attacks and defenses, while the 14-role roster gives players distinct responsibilities within a unit. That structure helps a new player understand where to contribute: follow the squad’s plan, perform the selected role and keep the voice channel useful.

The command layer also affects the wider battle. Squads are not isolated teams chasing separate scores; their actions support a sector push or defense that changes resource income and access to reinforcement, vehicles and support. If you enjoy a visible chain of command and objectives that make the battlefield feel organized, Hell Let Loose offers the clearer framework.

Squad makes tactical coordination the main skill

Squad’s official wording is direct: it “emphasizes combat realism through teamwork, tactics, and authentic warfare.” The preview’s Suppression system and realistic optics mean communication is tied to survival and maneuver. A squad that shares enemy positions, coordinates movement and uses supporting weapons can do more than a group of players acting independently.

The difference is not that Hell Let Loose lacks tactics or Squad lacks roles. Both are team games. Hell Let Loose presents a more established role-and-command structure, while Squad’s preview foregrounds the tactical effects of realistic sighting, suppression and combined-arms movement. Players who want a military-simulation mindset may prefer Squad’s direction; players who want a mature battlefield framework may find Hell Let Loose easier to read.

Rank #3

Hell Let Loose (PS5)

• Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.
• 9 maps with more added frequently - land at Omaha Beach, fight through Carentan and into the frozen forests of Foy before climbing Hill 400.
• Never fight the same battle twice - 99 capture point variations per map, means thousands of potential battles.
• Play and master one or many of 14 unique roles, including: Officer, Medic, Machinegunner, Commander, Crewman, Sniper and more.
• Constantly updated with new maps, weapons, features and fixes.

$44.99

Buy on Amazon

Modes and onboarding on PS5

Hell Let Loose teaches through its role-based battlefield

Hell Let Loose’s onboarding is embedded in its main battle design. You choose among 14 playable roles, join a squad, receive direction from an officer and work toward sectors that matter to the team’s resource position. The game does not reduce the experience to a short skirmish: the large maps, armor, artillery and command structure require you to learn how your role fits the operation.

This approach suits players who learn by joining the real match and observing a functioning squad. It can also feel demanding if you expect a short, self-contained tutorial or immediate clarity about every battlefield system. The game’s own description warns that communication is essential, so listening and asking for instructions are part of the intended onboarding process.

Squad’s preview includes explicit practice spaces

The Alpha Preview offers Infantry Training, Pilot Training and a consequence-free practice environment. Those modes let you explore movement, weapons, vehicles and aircraft without affecting a live team’s result. The preview also includes an Invasion Mode skirmish on Gorodok, giving you a defined scenario in which to test the modern combined-arms systems.

That training package is a meaningful advantage for players who want to learn controls before entering a 50-versus-50 battle. It does not prove that Squad will have a smoother long-term onboarding experience after launch; it only establishes what the current PS5 preview provides. If you are curious about piloting or want a safe place to understand suppression and optics, Squad gives you more explicit practice tools today.

Cross-play and online requirements

Playing with Xbox friends

Hell Let Loose is the clear choice when your group includes Xbox players. Team17 confirms console cross-play, while also stating that console-to-PC cross-play is not supported. That gives you a documented PlayStation-to-Xbox path without implying that PC friends can join the same console session.

Rank #4

Hell Let Loose - PlayStation 5

• Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.
• Two distinct gamemodes - Offensive and Warfare
• 9 maps with more added frequently - land at Omaha Beach, fight through Carentan and into the frozen forests of Foy before climbing Hill 400.
• Never fight the same battle twice - 99 capture point variations per map, means thousands of potential battles.
• Play and master one or many of 14 unique roles, including: Officer, Medic, Machinegunner, Commander, Crewman, Sniper and more.

$49.99

Buy on Amazon

Playing with PC friends in Squad

Squad’s concept page advertises cross-platform multiplayer, but the current PS5 product is only an Alpha Preview and the page does not identify every supported cross-play platform. Do not treat the phrase as a guarantee that PS5 players can join PC servers today. Wait for the final PS5 documentation to specify the supported combinations before buying hardware or organizing a cross-platform group around that promise.

Which game fits your priorities?

Choose Hell Let Loose if you want a finished, structured experience

• You want to purchase a released PS5 game rather than test a preview.
• You prefer World War II weapons, battlefields and historical atmosphere.
• You enjoy defined roles, officers, a Commander and a sector-based resource system.
• You want documented PlayStation-to-Xbox console cross-play.
• You are comfortable paying $49.99 in the US store and maintaining PS Plus for online play.
• You want a broad role roster and a community already built around the console release.

Choose Squad if you want to evaluate a modern military simulator

• You want to try the PS5 Alpha Preview at no upfront cost.
• You are interested in modern factions, realistic weapons and vehicles, suppression and detailed optics.
• You want Infantry Training, Pilot Training and a consequence-free practice environment.
• You enjoy learning tactical movement and combined-arms coordination rather than a historical setting.
• You accept that the full PS5 release date is still to be determined and that features may change.

Choose based on your group’s platform mix

For PlayStation-only groups, either game can make sense: the decision is primarily finished product versus preview and historical warfare versus modern simulation. For PlayStation-and-Xbox groups, Hell Let Loose has the stronger documented answer. For PlayStation-and-PC groups, neither game’s current evidence gives you a definitive promise you should rely on: Hell Let Loose explicitly excludes console-to-PC play, while Squad’s broader cross-platform wording does not yet specify the final PS5 combinations.

What a typical match asks you to do

In Hell Let Loose

1. Join a squad and select one of the game’s 14 roles.
2. Listen to the officer’s immediate objective and move with the squad instead of treating the match as a solo deathmatch.
3. Capture or defend sectors whose control affects the team’s resources.
4. Coordinate infantry with tanks, artillery and commander-level support.
5. Use voice communication to report enemy positions, request help and keep the attack or defense aligned.

The important decision is operational: whether your squad’s action helps the team hold or take a sector. A mechanically strong player who ignores the squad plan can contribute less than a less experienced player who communicates and stays with the objective.

In Squad’s PS5 preview

1. Use Infantry Training or the practice environment to learn the preview’s movement and weapon systems.
2. Try Pilot Training before attempting to support a live combined-arms battle with an aircraft.
3. Enter the Gorodok Invasion Mode skirmish to experience the preview’s objective flow.
4. Use realistic optics and the Picture-in-Picture scope behavior to identify targets and share information.
5. Move and fire with the squad while accounting for suppression, vehicle support and tactical positioning.

The core decision is tactical: how to move, observe and support teammates when realistic sighting and suppression make isolated pushes risky. The preview’s training spaces let you practice that decision before committing to a full online match.

Performance and image quality: what is not established

There is no comparable official PS5 frame-rate or image-quality benchmark for these two games in the available material. That means it would be misleading to name a performance winner, promise a particular frame-rate mode or claim that one version has superior resolution. Squad’s listing does document PS5 Pro enhancement; it does not provide a side-by-side performance measurement against Hell Let Loose.

If display performance is your deciding factor, check the current in-game graphics options and independent testing after the Alpha Preview receives updates. Treat any result as version-specific: Squad’s preview status means its performance profile can change before the final release.

A practical PS5 decision checklist

1. Decide whether you need a finished game. If yes, select Hell Let Loose. If you are willing to test an unfinished product, Squad remains available as a free preview.
2. Pick the setting you will actually enjoy. Choose World War II history and recognizable battlefields for Hell Let Loose; choose modern simulation and authentic weapons systems for Squad.
3. Check your friends’ consoles. Hell Let Loose has confirmed console cross-play but no console-to-PC play. Squad’s final cross-platform support is not yet detailed.
4. Match the learning style. Hell Let Loose teaches through its live role-and-command structure. Squad provides dedicated infantry, pilot and practice training in the preview.
5. Confirm the online requirement. Hell Let Loose requires PS Plus for online play. The supplied Squad listing information does not state its PS Plus requirement, so verify the store page before relying on multiplayer access.
6. Ignore unsupported performance claims. No authoritative side-by-side PS5 benchmark establishes a winner.

Bottom line for PS5 buyers

Hell Let Loose is the better recommendation for a PS5 buyer who wants a proven purchase, World War II atmosphere, organized 50-versus-50 battles and reliable console cross-play. Squad is the more intriguing choice for a player who wants to sample modern military-simulation mechanics, practice infantry and piloting, and follow a project that has not yet reached its final PS5 release. The deciding trade-off is not simply which game is “more tactical”: it is certainty and established structure versus experimentation and a still-evolving preview.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam - PlayStation 5

$39.99

SaleBestseller No. 2

METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER TACTICAL ED – PS5

$37.49

Bestseller No. 3

Hell Let Loose (PS5)

Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.; Constantly updated with new maps, weapons, features and fixes.

$44.99

Bestseller No. 4

Hell Let Loose - PlayStation 5

Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.; Two distinct gamemodes - Offensive and Warfare

$49.99

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.