Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is about to completely rework the way giant space sims render planets. However, if you don't purchase the expansion, you will be completely cut off from this strange new world, effectively splitting the game world in two.

Currently, players of the "Horizons" expansion can touch down and walk around on a planet with no atmosphere. I had assumed that this feature would carry over into "Odyssey," allowing players to touch down on new versions of planets that have been meticulously reconstructed with more geographical detail, organic vegetation, and atmospheric effects.

However, in a Steam compatibility post, Frontier explained that once Odyssey is released, there will effectively be two versions of every world: Expansion owners will see a newer geography, and Horizons players will see a more left behind in the existing worlds with lower fidelity. This means that players will be divided by edition; Odyssey owners will not see Horizons players on their planets unless they intentionally opt out of the new content in the Elite launcher.

This dimensional divide will not last forever; Frontier has stated that it hopes to reunite Horizons and Odyssey players on a new world when the console version is released. Pilots who have not yet purchased Odyssey by then will be able to land and drive as normal, but will not be able to leave the cockpit or approach the new atmospheric world of the DLC.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launches next week. Andy and I may be in disbelief about everything from its lifeless NPCs to its surprisingly half-baked headline feature, but the view from its gorgeous new world more than makes up for this nonsense. It's just a shame that the view will be locked behind a price tag, at least for the next few months.