August 2, 2026
1 min read
DEK: A popular cozy escape is preparing to pack its bags for consoles, bringing some highly requested company along for the trip.
By Chuy, Senior Staff Writer
Updated Sep 1, 2026 · Reviewed by the Nexzy newsroom

Anime-inspired farming and life simulator Starsand Island will leave Steam Early Access on August 18, 2026, the studio announced. It is a graduation day of sorts, complete with a long-awaited multiplayer mode and an expansion to new living room hardware.
The studio confirmed the summer launch date, signaling the end of its early access development phase. Moving from early access to a full 1.0 release is a familiar milestone, but the transition is usually about polishing what is already there. Here, the update serves as a passport to broader platforms. Along with the PC launch, the title is making its native console debuts on PlayStation 5 and the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2.
Entering a new console generation with a virtual hoe and some seeds is a bit like bringing a meticulously organized spreadsheet to a beach vacation—it is exactly the kind of structured relaxation a specific, highly dedicated crowd is looking for.
The details
That crowd will also no longer have to tend their digital fields in isolation. The 1.0 update introduces online cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, turning what was once a solitary chore into a group project. Now all that is left is to coordinate calendar invites for three friends who promise they will actually help water the virtual crops this time.
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