I’ve spent countless hours with the Battlefield 6 open beta these last few days, and it’s been a wild mix of action and strategy. DICE and EA are putting a big emphasis on squad play, and it shows in almost every match. Battles are loud, chaotic, and constantly shifting as buildings crumble and objectives change hands.
The beta brings back the familiar class system, with each role feeling useful in different situations. New touches like drag-to-revive and the lethal headshot mechanic add small but important changes to the way fights play out. Gunplay feels familiar for long-time Battlefield fans, with movement and aiming both feeling responsive.
Not everything is perfect. Some matches have minor bugs and spawn issues, and vehicles don’t always have the same impact across maps. Still, there’s a lot here that feels like Battlefield getting back to what it does best.
Here’s what jumped out at me while playing, from the way it feels in combat to the maps, modes, and overall performance.
Classes, Weapons, and Destruction
Battlefield 6 feels like a return to teamwork-focused combat. The class system is back, and each role has a clear purpose. Playing Support means keeping teammates supplied and revived, while Engineers focus on vehicles and explosives. Assault pushes objectives, and Recon scouts and spots enemies. Even small contributions, like healing or repairing, can turn the tide of a fight.
One of the biggest changes in the Battlefield 6 open beta is the freedom to use a wider variety of weapons with any class. It takes away some of the older restrictions, but still lets you focus on your role’s strengths. New mechanics like drag-to-revive bring more strategy to fights, letting you pull teammates to safety before reviving them. In the beta, headshots hit so hard that reviving someone after one wasn’t really an option. Landing a perfect shot feels incredibly rewarding.
Gunplay is responsive and satisfying. Aiming feels natural, recoil is manageable, and movement is smooth whether you’re vaulting obstacles or going prone. Vehicles are present in most modes, but their impact depends heavily on the map. Tanks and helicopters can dominate open areas, but often feel less useful in tighter spaces.
Destruction plays a huge part in how matches unfold. Buildings collapse, walls shatter, and debris becomes part of the fight. It’s not just for show either, as destruction can open new sightlines or force enemies out of cover. The result is a battlefield that feels like it’s constantly changing, keeping matches unpredictable and exciting.
Maps and Modes in the Battlefield 6 Beta
The beta offers a mix of large-scale battles and tighter infantry skirmishes. Conquest and Breakthrough deliver the classic Battlefield feel, with multiple objectives spread across expansive areas. These modes are at their best when squads coordinate, moving together to secure and hold key points.
Domination and King of the Hill bring the fight into closer spaces. These modes move faster and focus more on direct engagements than vehicle play. On certain maps, vehicles barely make an appearance after the opening push, shifting the focus entirely to infantry combat.
Map variety is solid, even with only a portion available in the beta. Liberation Peak offers open sightlines and room for vehicles to maneuver. Siege of Cairo feels more confined, with narrow streets and plenty of close-quarters fights. This variety keeps matches from feeling repetitive, though some maps clearly favor one playstyle over another.
Each map looks and plays differently enough to keep things interesting. Objectives are marked clearly, and layouts encourage multiple paths to each fight. Even with familiar game modes, the way maps are designed keeps you adjusting your approach from one match to the next.
How the Battlefield 6 Beta Performs on PS5
I played the Battlefield 6 open beta on PS5, which offers two visual modes. In Performance Mode, my monitor’s built-in frame rate counter showed it running mostly in the mid-70s to around 80 frames per second, with occasional climbs close to 90. It felt smooth during firefights and stayed steady even in big outdoor battles with buildings collapsing around me. Balance Mode locks the game at 60 frames per second. It definitely looks cleaner, but I could feel the drop in smoothness right away.
Luckily, I never had the game crash, which is always a good sign for a beta. There were a few hiccups though. Every now and then, the game wouldn’t let me respawn until I picked a different location. I also ran into some odd visual glitches, but they disappeared after I respawned.
Load times were quick, getting me into matches without much waiting around. Menus work fine for the basics, though some settings are tucked away in spots that take a little hunting to find. Servers held up well, even when things got busy. Hit detection felt off a couple of times, but not enough to ruin a match.
Balance Mode looks cleaner, but for a shooter like this, I like the higher frame rate in Performance Mode. Overall, Battlefield 6 feels pretty good on PS5, and the issues I ran into seem like the kind that could be cleaned up before launch.
Bringing the Battlefield to Life
The Battlefield 6 beta really delivers on atmosphere. Gunfire has a sharp crack, explosions hit hard, and you can actually hear bullets whipping past during a fight. Using a good headset makes a big difference. I could pick up the sound of distant firefights or hear the rumble of a tank rolling in before it showed up. Those little audio cues sometimes changed how I approached an objective.
The game looks great on PS5 in both Performance and Balance modes. Even with the frame rate differences, lighting and weather effects stand out. Smoke and dust look especially good after a building comes down or a rocket lands nearby. Each map has its own style, and the mix of open ground and tighter spaces feels believable.
Destruction is one of the best parts to watch. Seeing a wall crumble or debris scatter after an explosion never got old. Paired with the audio, those moments create that classic Battlefield chaos where you never quite know what’s coming next.
The Battlefield 6 Beta Left Me Feeling Positive About What’s Ahead
After spending the last 3 days with the Battlefield 6 beta, I’m walking away feeling mostly positive. The class system feels right, destruction is back in a big way, and the maps keep matches varied. New touches like drag-to-revive fit naturally into the flow, and the gunplay feels familiar in the best way.
That’s not to say everything’s perfect. Some maps lean too heavily toward close-quarters fights, vehicles don’t always make an impact, and a few bugs still need fixing. Performance on PS5 has been smooth overall, with only small hiccups that I expect will be addressed before launch.
What stood out most was how often the game created those “only in Battlefield” moments. Buildings crumbling mid-fight, squads working together to take an objective, and the sound of chaos all around. It’s the kind of stuff that keeps you coming back.
If the full release builds on what’s here and smooths out the rough spots, Battlefield 6 could end up being one of my favourites in the series.
Did you play the Battlefield 6 open beta? If so, what did you think of it?
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