Choose PlanetSide 2
Choose PlanetSide 2 if you want the MMO side of the pairing. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 47,301 Steam reviews back the pick.
PlanetSide 2 vs PlanetSide Arena
PlanetSide 2 and PlanetSide Arena both land in Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam. PlanetSide 2 (2012) is 7 years older than PlanetSide Arena (2019). PlanetSide Arena scores higher on Steam reviews (84.6% positive) than PlanetSide 2 (81.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose PlanetSide Arena
Choose PlanetSide Arena if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. PlanetSide Arena launched in 2019.
Both PlanetSide 2 and PlanetSide Arena sit in Action, Massively Multiplayer, and Free To Play on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 PlanetSide 2 |  PlanetSide Arena | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 81.6% positive (47,301 reviews) | 84.6% positive (52 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Rogue Planet Games | Daybreak Game Company |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam.
- PlanetSide 2 (2012) is 7 years older than PlanetSide Arena (2019).
- PlanetSide Arena scores higher on Steam reviews (84.6% positive) than PlanetSide 2 (81.6% positive).
- PlanetSide 2 is free; PlanetSide Arena is paid (Price unknown).
- PlanetSide 2 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; PlanetSide Arena has no Deck rating yet.
PlanetSide 2 vs PlanetSide Arena — FAQ
- Should I play PlanetSide 2 or PlanetSide Arena first?
- If you want chronology, PlanetSide 2 (2012) came out before PlanetSide Arena (2019). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are PlanetSide 2 and PlanetSide Arena similar?
- They overlap on Action, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is PlanetSide 2 free?
- Yes — PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play Steam title. PlanetSide Arena is paid (Price unknown).
- Does PlanetSide 2 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — PlanetSide 2 is rated Deck Playable by Valve. PlanetSide Arena doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.