Echoes of Aincrad Deluxe vs Ultimate Edition: Which Should You Buy?
Every major game launch comes with the same question: which edition is actually worth buying? Publishers love offering multiple versions packed with bonuses, cosmetics, soundtracks, and promises of future content. Sometimes the expensive edition is an easy recommendation. Other times it feels like you’re paying extra for things you’ll never even open.
After looking through everything currently announced for Echoes of Aincrad, reading community discussions, watching creator breakdowns, and comparing the official contents, I came away with one conclusion:
Most players will probably be happier with the Deluxe Edition.
That doesn’t mean the Ultimate Edition is a bad purchase—it simply targets a much more specific audience.
If you’re still trying to decide where to spend your money before launch, here’s my complete breakdown from the perspective of someone who actually plays JRPGs instead of just reading marketing pages.
Why This Choice Is More Important Than It Looks
Echoes of Aincrad isn’t just another licensed anime game.
For many Sword Art Online fans, returning to Aincrad has been something they’ve wanted for years. Between the custom protagonist, real-time combat, RPG progression, and post-launch story expansion, this is one of the franchise’s biggest game releases in recent memory.
That’s exactly why choosing the right edition matters.
Nobody wants to spend extra money only to discover later that half the bonuses aren’t useful.
Likewise, nobody wants to save twenty dollars today only to buy the expansion separately a few months later for even more money.
Current Pricing
Here’s the basic pricing structure.
| Edition | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $69.99 | Players who only want the base adventure |
| Deluxe | $89.99 | Fans planning to experience future story content |
| Ultimate | $109.99 | Collectors and dedicated Sword Art Online enthusiasts |
There’s also a physical collector’s package sold separately, but for most PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series players, the real decision comes down to Deluxe versus Ultimate.
What You Get With the Deluxe Edition
This version costs twenty dollars more than Standard, but unlike many deluxe editions nowadays, the extra content isn’t just cosmetic.
- Base game
- Expansion DLC Pass
- Starter Pack
- Early access to Death Game Mode
The biggest selling point is easily the Expansion Pass.
Personally, this is where I think the Deluxe Edition earns its price.
Large JRPG story expansions usually aren’t cheap anymore. Spending an additional twenty dollars now instead of buying future DLC separately later feels like a reasonable deal.
The Starter Pack is nice, although I don’t think it should influence anyone’s purchasing decision.
Extra currency, healing items, and crystals are useful during the opening hours, but experienced RPG players usually replace those advantages fairly quickly.
The same goes for Death Game Mode.
If you’re the type of player who enjoys difficult challenge runs, unlocking it immediately is convenient.
If not, you probably won’t care.
What Makes the Ultimate Edition Different?
This is where things become more interesting.
Ultimate includes everything from Deluxe while adding several exclusive extras.
- Companion Bonus App
- Feature-length anime movie
- Digital soundtrack
- Digital artbook
- Exclusive Flutter armor set
Notice something?
Almost none of these additions actually change gameplay.
Instead, Ultimate focuses on expanding the overall Sword Art Online experience outside the game itself.
For some fans, that’s incredibly exciting.
For others, it’s completely unnecessary.
The 120-Minute Anime Is the Biggest Selling Point
Normally, premium editions throw in a small digital soundtrack or maybe a PDF artbook.
Echoes of Aincrad does something much more unusual.
Ultimate owners receive access to a full-length animated story through the companion application.
That immediately caught my attention because it isn’t just another short promotional animation.
A two-hour anime production is a surprisingly substantial bonus.
If you’re deeply invested in Sword Art Online lore, this alone may justify spending another twenty dollars.
If you’re someone who usually buys anime films on Blu-ray or watches every side story released, the value becomes much easier to understand.
Cosmetics Are Nice…But They’re Still Cosmetics
Ultimate also includes exclusive Flutter equipment inspired by characters appearing in the companion animation.
I actually like that the outfits adapt to different avatar body types.
That’s a thoughtful touch.
Still, they’re cosmetic rewards.
They won’t improve your combat performance.
They won’t unlock new quests.
They won’t make grinding easier.
They’re simply there because they look cool.
Whether that’s worth extra money depends entirely on your personal preferences.
My Biggest Concern
One thing always worries me whenever publishers release expensive editions.
Some digital bonuses end up being forgotten after the first week.
I’ve bought plenty of Ultimate Editions over the years.
I opened the soundtrack once.
I looked through the artbook for maybe ten minutes.
Then I never touched either again.
That’s why I always ask myself one question:
Will I still care about these bonuses six months after release?
For me, gameplay content almost always wins over digital collectibles.
Comparing Every Edition
| Feature | Standard | Deluxe | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Game | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Expansion Pass | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Starter Resources | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Early Death Game Mode | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Exclusive Anime | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Digital Artbook | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Official Soundtrack | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Flutter Armor | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Looking at everything together actually makes the decision easier.
The gameplay additions stop at Deluxe.
Ultimate mainly expands the franchise experience beyond gameplay.
What Other Players Seem to Think
After browsing discussions across gaming communities, I noticed three common opinions appearing repeatedly.
The first group believes Deluxe offers the strongest value because the Expansion Pass alone makes the additional cost worthwhile.
The second group consists mostly of longtime Sword Art Online fans.
They’re excited about the exclusive anime and see it as something genuinely different from typical premium edition bonuses.
Then there’s the third group.
These players aren’t choosing either edition.
They’re waiting.
Considering how frequently anime games receive discounts several months after release, they expect every edition to become significantly cheaper during seasonal sales.
Honestly, that’s a completely reasonable strategy if you’re not planning to play on day one.
Which Edition Would I Personally Buy?
If I were purchasing Echoes of Aincrad today with my own money, I’d choose the Deluxe Edition.
Not because Ultimate is overpriced.
Actually, I think Bandai Namco packaged Ultimate better than many publishers do.
The problem is that I value playable content far more than digital collectibles.
The Expansion Pass guarantees new adventures.
The anime, soundtrack, and artbook are enjoyable extras, but they’re things I’ll probably experience once.
New story chapters, on the other hand, can provide dozens of additional gameplay hours.
For me, that’s where the real value exists.
Who Should Buy Ultimate?
Even though Deluxe would be my choice, there are definitely players who should consider Ultimate.
I think it’s worth the extra investment if you:
- Love collecting every piece of Sword Art Online media.
- Enjoy watching exclusive animated stories.
- Frequently listen to game soundtracks.
- Appreciate developer artwork and concept galleries.
- Usually purchase premium editions anyway.
If several of those describe you, Ultimate starts making much more sense.
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Who Should Stick With Deluxe?
I would recommend Deluxe if your priority is simply playing the game from beginning to end.
It’s especially suitable if you:
- Want future story expansions included.
- Care more about gameplay than cosmetics.
- Don’t usually revisit digital artbooks.
- Prefer spending extra money on DLC instead of collectibles.
- Want the best balance between price and content.
For what it offers, Deluxe feels like the sweet spot.
Final Thoughts
Every player values different things.
Some people buy games for hundreds of hours of gameplay.
Others enjoy collecting everything connected to their favorite series.
That’s exactly why neither edition is objectively “better.”
However, if someone asked me which version delivers the strongest overall value for the average JRPG fan, my answer would be straightforward.
The Deluxe Edition strikes the best balance between cost and meaningful content.
You receive the complete game, secure the future expansion without additional purchases, and gain several useful in-game bonuses without paying for extras you may never use.
The Ultimate Edition remains an excellent option—but primarily for dedicated Sword Art Online fans who know they’ll genuinely appreciate the exclusive anime, soundtrack, artwork, and collectible cosmetics.
At the end of the day, I don’t think you’ll regret either purchase if you’re excited about returning to Aincrad. The real question isn’t whether Ultimate includes more content—it obviously does. The better question is whether you’ll actually use that content after the excitement of launch week fades. For most players, I suspect the answer is no, which is exactly why Deluxe would be the version I’d confidently recommend.
