METAL SLUG ULTIMATE COLLECTION is coming to PS5 in 2027, giving SNK's run-and-gun series a new compilation rather than another piecemeal reissue. The headline detail is not simply the number of games: the package includes nine released entries plus a Location Test Version that SNK says has never been officially released. That makes it a useful announcement for players who want a single PS5 home for the series, but it is still an early one. SNK has not given a release date, price, rating or physical-edition plan.
The collection reaches further than the usual arcade run
SNK's published lineup starts with the 1996 Metal Slug and runs through Metal Slug 7, while also including Metal Slug X, Metal Slug Advance and Metal Slug 6. The first seven numbered games do not make up a neat single-platform history: Advance originally arrived on Game Boy Advance, Metal Slug 6 was a PlayStation 2 release, and 7 began on Nintendo DS. The result is broader than a simple arcade set, although the announcement does not promise that every title will have identical options or presentation.
The tenth item is the reason this collection has a clearer identity than a familiar anniversary bundle. SNK calls it the Metal Slug Location Test Version and says it has not previously been officially released. Push Square reports that it will make its first console appearance here. SNK has not yet explained exactly how that build differs from the original game, so it would be premature to describe it as a finished alternative campaign. For now, its confirmed value is preservation and access, not a known set of new levels or modes.
M2's work brings modern tools, with limits
SNK says M2 is handling the collection, with quick save, quick load, rewind and display and sound settings intended to make the older games easier to revisit. The official site also lists gallery material, score-attack and speed-run challenges, online rankings, replays and Combat School. Those options give the release more than a bare ROM list, particularly for newcomers learning a series built around short, difficult arcade runs. They are features confirmed for the collection, not a guarantee that each individual game supports every one.
Online co-op is likewise described as available for supported titles, while the product page lists one local player and two network players. SNK explicitly says functionality varies by title and that online co-op on PlayStation requires the relevant paid platform service. That is a practical distinction for PS5 players planning to buy around shared play: the announcement confirms network play in principle, not a complete mode-by-mode compatibility chart. The same caution applies to the announced gallery and ranking features until SNK publishes a fuller breakdown.
PS5 players can wishlist it, but not schedule it
The confirmed platform list is PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. SNK's official page provides PlayStation Store links for several regions, including the UK, but its release window remains only 2027 and its price is still marked TBA. That is enough to establish a PS5 version and an active wishlist route; it is not enough to set a budget, take time off or choose between digital and physical editions. No PS4 version is listed in the announcement.
For now, the sensible reason to follow the collection is its combination of the full numbered run, Advance and the location-test build, rather than an assumption about how it will play or what it will cost. SNK has confirmed the games, the platforms, M2's involvement and a set of modern-access features. Its next useful update needs to resolve the missing release date, regional prices and which titles support online co-op. Until then, the PS5 announcement is concrete but incomplete.
