The Overwatch 2 console beta is here, giving players on Xbox and PlayStation hardware their first taste of Blizzard’s newest title. While PC players got to have fun in the last beta, console players have had to be patient.
That wait is now over… at least if you're lucky enough to be invited to the Overwatch 2 beta. While it’s not clear exactly how many are being let in and in what timeframe, Blizzard has said that it intends to let everyone in by July 14.
Once in, players will be greeted with their first chance to play with all of the new Overwatch 2 content, from five new maps, including the brand new hybrid map Rio, alongside two new heroes both Junker Queen and Sojourn. There’s plenty to get familiar with, and that’s even before getting to the massive change to 5v5 and other character reworks.
However, just how do you get into the console beta, and how does it work? On that, we're here to help. Here’s how you get into the Overwatch 2 console beta.
Overwatch 2 console beta
Overwatch 2 console beta: Sign up and check your email
If you’ve followed the steps to sign up to the Overwatch 2 beta, you are now going to be left in the waiting game. On the Overwatch 2 beta sign-up page, you will be prompted to choose your platform of choice. You can choose between Xbox, and if you're a PlayStation user, you will have to specify your region too.
For the record, Xbox consoles cover both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S console families, while the PS4 and PS5 are both covered in the PlayStation sign ups.
After this point, you just have to wait and see if you are selected to take part. There’s nothing you can do to usher this along – you’ll just have to wait until Blizzard sends you a message.
In an FAQ blog post, Blizzard explained how they are prioritizing players, saying: “Beta participants are chosen from our Overwatch beta opt-in pool based on a variety of factors. This can include but is not limited to, your Battle.net region and the platform for which you are opting in. We’ll also be inviting select journalists and community contributors from around the world to participate.”
Overwatch 2 console beta: redeem your access
So, you’ve waited patiently and lady luck is on your side. You’ve got your email saying you have Overwatch 2 beta access – but what now? Unlike on PC where the beta automatically becomes available through your Battle.net account, you will need to do a little bit work.
Within your email will be a code that you will need to get access. You'll then need to redeem it in-store as you would any other game. On PS5 and PS4, you will need to head to the PlayStation Store and redeem it there. (For specific instructions, check out How to redeem a code on PS5.)
The process on Xbox consoles is similar. First head to the Store tab on your dashboard. Once there, head to the bar on the left and scroll down to a tab called Redeem and then just enter your code exactly.
Then you just need to download the game, and you're good to go. It’s been a long wait to get to this point for console players, so enjoy your time in there!
