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Steins;Gate 8-Bit Spin-Off Octet in Shifting Space Returns as Re:Boot Pre-Order Bonus

The re-release of a decade-old 8-bit experiment as a pre-order incentive signals MAGES. treating its niche back catalog as a value-add for a premium remake, rather than a standalone product.

Key Facts

  • Octet in Shifting Space originally launched on PC on October 28, 2011, under the working title STEINS;GATE 8bit, and this is its first port to consumer consoles.
  • The game uses a command-input system where players type English words like 'talk' to progress, and its graphics reproduce the line-and-paint method of 1980s adventure games.
  • The bonus game's download code becomes usable around late November 2026, and the code cannot be reissued if lost or discarded.
  • STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT adds a new Gamma World Line route where Okabe never becomes Hououin Kyouma and works with Moeka Kiryu.

Reporting from 4 sources: 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Inside, Game Spark.

Steins;Gate 8-Bit Spin-Off Octet in Shifting Space Returns as Re:Boot Pre-Order Bonus

MAGES. announced on June 8, 2026, that first-print package editions of STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT will include a download code for the retro spin-off STEINS;GATE Octet in Shifting Space. The bonus is available for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PS5 versions of the August 20 release. Octet in Shifting Space originally launched on PC in 2011 under the working title STEINS;GATE 8bit. Built around the concept of what Steins;Gate would look like on a 1980s PC, the game uses a command-input system where players type English words to progress. Its graphics reproduce the line-and-paint method of early adventure games, and its sound mimics FM and PSG audio sources of the era, with BGM programmed by series composer Takeshi Abo. This marks the first time the title has been ported to consumer consoles. The download code will become usable when the game launches around late November 2026. MAGES. also confirmed that RE:BOOT itself adds a new Gamma World Line route, depicting a timeline where Okabe never becomes Hououin Kyouma and works with Moeka Kiryu.

The bonus game originally launched on October 28, 2011, for Windows XP/Vista/7 under MAGES.'s PC brand GigasDrop. It was first announced as "STEINS;GATE 8bit." 4Gamer.net had previously hosted a PC demo version of the game, which is now difficult to run on modern systems. The port supports software keyboards and USB keyboards on current consoles.

The game's graphics reproduce the "line & paint" method, drawing lines one by one and painting them in real time over several seconds. Players can watch the drawing process or skip it with one button. The display supports 8-color digital RGB and green monitor modes, mimicking the specs of various 1980s machines. The sound reproduces FM and PSG audio sources, with BGM personally programmed by series composer Takeshi Abo. The game uses 3 FM sounds plus 3 PSG sounds, with attention to spec differences between machines.

The story follows Rintaro Okabe searching for the IBN5100 in Akihabara with the lab members. Players type English word commands such as "talk" to converse with characters and advance the plot. The download code flyer is included only in first-print standard packages for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PS5. The code cannot be reissued if lost or discarded. Distribution of the bonus game is scheduled around late November 2026, and the code will not work until then. Download requires a network connection.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT STEINS;GATE 変移空間のオクテット

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