While the core gameplay of Journey is the same on all platforms, there are some differences that may affect playability and/or enjoyment, especially when it comes to "Expert Mode" play.
Video on graphical differences between Playstation and PC versions[]
Console[]
PS3[]
Short example clip, about the sparkly sand on PS3, directly recorded from the TV.
First version of the game.
Graphics:
- A bit on the duller, lower-poly side.
- Sand is a bit on the sparkly side.
- Generally not as hi-res as most of the newer ones.
- 30 FPS - makes entering some Out of Bounds areas easier.
- Connection works very well.
- The 'silent chirp' bug can happen, but not very often.
Expert Mode specials[]
- Sixaxis, moving the camera with controller movements, can make Fancy Flying trickier (some controllers do not support it though).
- Shadowlands - an area in Underground Out of Bounds level, where you can see the "shadows" of level elements such as pipes and structures that are in the level on the ground, but the objects are missing.
- No Level Cube / Sky Box. Which makes certain areas of OOB look different compare to other platforms.
- Low Frame places - those do not exist on other platforms. See Low FPS glitch.
PS4[]
- Graphics had been updated to suit the more powerful console.
- Motion blur is gone.
- "Some of the chirp noises are missing or otherwise more difficult to activate." --Shira
- 60 FPS - makes entering some Out of Bounds areas harder. Some entrances are impossible.
- Connecting to a Companion seems harder than on PS3. It may happen everything is set up correctly, but players are not connecting. See Guide to arranging a meetup, PS4 specifics.
- The 'silent chirp' bug happens much more often than on PS3. It may be difficult to activate some chirp noises. [clarification needed]
Expert Mode specials[]
- Sixaxis, moving the camera with controller movements, can make Fancy Flying trickier (some controllers do not support it though).
- Level Cube / Sky Box exists. Which makes certain areas of OOB look different compare to other platforms.
- Low FPS glitch - is a rare glitch that results in a permanent, dramatic drop of framerate.
- The Chapter Select level is missing the west-side entrance to the Out of Bounds area.
- Visual bug in the Sunken City where a carpet meant to fly you over the wall brings you downwards instead, though the next level triggers normally.
- War machines MUCH more likely to be invisible or otherwise bugged in the snow. See Offsync.
- Bug where you stay down in the water when entering Paradise, whereas on PS3 you're automatically lifted up into the view of the screen as you enter the level.
- Wayfarers (Glitched) - naked Companion, losing Scarf
- PS4 is the only known platform where the Zimcloak glitch , Black Cloth, Black Sand and Sky Painting occurs.
PS5[]
Desktop / PC version[]
General Information[]
Appears to be a port of the PS4 version.
Playing on a PC gives more options for settings, like VSYNC to cap FPS. Also graphic/video settings can change how the game looks.
While the game supports rumble on controllers that support it, it seems less nuanced than on PlayStation; and instead of having different different degrees of intensity, it's either at full throttle, or not used at all. This means that it also occurs for fewer actions/events.
Click on the image to enlarge.Some platforms, surfaces and sandfalls look darker, compared to PS4/PS3.
The snow on the rocks in Paradise is also looking gray-ish on PC.
Expert Mode specials[]
Sixaxis, moving the camera with controller movements, is not supported; may be emulated if wanted. Learning Fancy Flying might be easier without Sixaxis.
Disco Wayfarer - is a PC glitch that makes your wayfarer (and eventual companion) turn into a gorgeous rainbow of changing colors when moving in specific places.
Level Cube / Sky Box exists. Which makes certain areas of OOB look different compare to other platforms.
The option Dune settings can change the looks or some Glitches/OOB.
Known issues:[]
Note: A wiki is not meant to be to help with technical problems. This Wiki is rather unconventional, therefore we will try to also cover known issues and bugs. In this section we will give a short overview about patch notes or persiting problems.
Bugs that can cause crashes and other problems are covered here: PC Version FAQ. The Steam Community Hub also has several help discussions.
To read about exploits, experiments with War Machines (WM), Out of Bounds areas and such, we recommend switching to Expert Mode.
Unofficial patch notes[]
Mobile[]
iOS[]
iOS Players can only connect with each other if they are logged into Apple's Game Center.
The camera zooms in if you move + turn camera.
No multi-touch gestures: you can't jump, chirp or turn your camera at the same time. As a result, Fancy Flying is possible, but appears limited without use of a controller (Fancy Flying capabilities on iOS are still under investigation). See "Technical Issues" below.
Exiting the app, even briefly, is known to cause players to disconnect from their companion and potentially leads to easier IF glitch setup.
Technical issues:[]
- Several people reported additional bugs and glitches in the game, compared to the other versions.
- There is pink / purple flickering in the corners of some cutscenes, including the opening, reported on iOS Beta 5.
- Intense battery usage and screen-heating / dimming reported on iPhone X and XS across multiple versions of iOS.
- Controls prevent some flying and landing techniques / tricks. Consider using a controller: How to connect a controller to your iPhone or iPad.
Trivia[]
"Fun fact: Originally there was also a bug where the mountain wouldn't appear in the credits of the PS4 version at all. There was a bright spot in the sky where the mountain glow was meant to be, but the mountain itself was just not there. This was apparently also related to a crash bug that happened from time to time. Both were patched." --((Quote missing attribution))
Quotes[]
The long awaited patch notes: (joke)
| “ | Hello Journey fans!
In this changelog we'll list what's changed: - Removed the ability to fly (we noticed how people called it a walking simulator, and so we wanted to deliver) - Shouting is disabled. This massively reduces nuisance and griefing. - Final level removed. As there was no portal to it and we considered the player dead, it felt obsolete. - Cutscenes are cut. Many people wanted skip-able cutscenes, but this is much faster! - Extra robe has been cut. It was used to abuse the game's mechanics to break out of the levels. - Remade object collision and wind walls to stop game-breaking bugs. |
„ |
| ~ DJ Thanos, discord |