Ace Combat 8 Editions & Preorder Bonuses Compared
Standard vs Deluxe vs Joker Flight Pack: prices, exact contents, the 3-day early access, and the free ACE COMBAT ZERO port every preorder gets.
Image: Bandai Namco Entertainment
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE ships in two editions — Standard at $69.99 and Deluxe at $89.99 — plus two collector’s bundles sold only through Bandai Namco’s own stores. The decision is simpler than it looks: the Deluxe Edition is the only way to play three days early; everything else on the shelf is cosmetics, a battle-pass voucher and collectibles.
One thing applies to every version: preorder in any edition and you get a full copy of ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR, matched to the platform you bought on.
Every edition compared
| Edition | Price / storefront | Early access | Key contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $69.99 (Steam / PS Store / Xbox); ¥9,790 Steam JP | No | Base game + preorder bonus |
| Deluxe | $89.99 (Steam / PS Store / Xbox / Bandai Namco Store); ¥11,990 Steam JP | Yes — 3 days, digital only | + Customizable Cosmetic Set, PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS Voucher |
| Joker Flight Pack | $149.99 (Bandai Namco Store US) | Via the Deluxe disc — delivery not guaranteed | + Vinyl Collection, artbook |
| Premium Joker Flight Pack | €179.99 (Bandai Namco Store EU) | Key delivered 3 days early | + XXL LED mousepad, woven patch |
Xbox displays those prices as “$69.99+” and “$89.99+” — Microsoft’s tax and regional marker, not a surcharge.
The preorder bonus: an F-14A and a free ACE COMBAT ZERO
Steam’s preorder block lists exactly two items — “Playable Aircraft: F-14A” and “ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Steam Version)” — and both apply to all editions, Standard included. They are not equally permanent, and the difference sits in a footnote: “Bonuses other than ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Steam Version) may be released at a later date.”
Read precisely, the F-14A is an early unlock, not a permanent exclusive — Bandai Namco explicitly reserves the right to release it separately later, without promising that it will. The ZERO port is carved out of that sentence, which is as close as any first-party page comes to calling it a true preorder exclusive. No source says it will never be sold separately, so treat it as exclusive-for-now.
- The ZERO port arrives at launch, not at preorder. Bandai Namco Europe says preorders include the digital copy “available at launch” — you will not be playing it in September.
- It is platform-matched: Steam Version on Steam, PS5 Version on PlayStation, Xbox Series X|S Version on Xbox. No cross-platform choice.
- It supports six languages — Japanese, English, French, Italian, German and Spanish — against ACE COMBAT 8’s thirteen.
Standard Edition — $69.99
Base game plus the shared preorder bonus, nothing else. Physical and digital on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; PC is digital-only through Steam.
Standard does not include early access. The Steam page shows an “Advance Access Starts 28 Sep” line on the Standard box, but that is a product-level countdown for the whole store page — the “3-Day Early Access” bullet appears only in the Deluxe contents list.
Deluxe Edition — $89.99
Steam lists the contents as the base game, a Customizable Cosmetic Set, a PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS Voucher, and 3-Day Early Access. Xbox and the Bandai Namco Store list the same three add-ons at the same price.
Why the early access date differs by page
| Source | Stated early access start |
|---|---|
| Xbox Store (Deluxe preorder page) | September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT |
| PlayStation.Blog | September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT |
| Bandai Namco Europe press post | September 29, 2026 |
They describe the same instant: 3:00 PM PDT on September 28 is 22:00 UTC, already 12:00 AM CEST on September 29. Xbox even shows “9/28/2026” on the Deluxe preorder page — that is the early-access date rather than the general release date, because that SKU genuinely becomes playable then.
Bandai Namco Europe words the benefit as “Play 3 days early (exclusively available with digital versions).” If early access is why you’re upgrading, buy digital.
The Customizable Cosmetic Set
Four items, per Bandai Namco Europe’s press post: an F-4 “MOBIUS SQUADRON” 25th Anniversary skin, an F/A-18C “TEAM ZVEZDA” skin, Scarlet Missile Smoke, and Tasha’s costume. Bandai Namco Europe’s own shop page writes the first as “F-4E,” so the variant letter is unsettled between two first-party pages — same skin either way. No first-party source says these can be bought separately.
The PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS Voucher — what is and isn’t known
The Xbox voucher SKU describes itself plainly: “This item can be exchanged for the PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS in the in-game SHOP.” It requires the base game, and the Xbox page shows no standalone price and no purchase button — its only listed availability is as a component of the $89.99 Deluxe Edition.
That does not settle whether the pass will ever be sold on its own. No first-party source answers this, and no standalone price for PREMIUM ACE PASS or PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS has been published. One piece is first-party: Bandai Namco Europe’s shop page confirms the Deluxe grants 30 unlocked Premium ACE Pass levels.
Beyond that, the structure is reported, not confirmed. The fan wiki acecombat.wiki.gg describes each season as carrying a free track plus a purchasable premium track, with PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS granting the premium track and the 30-level jump, and says the voucher can be banked for a future season. Bandai Namco has published none of that framing. The same wiki reports a playable ADFX-02 MORGAN -PIXY- as a season-exclusive Season 1 reward — again secondary and unconfirmed. Season length, season count and whether rewards expire are all unanswered.
Joker Flight Pack — $149.99, Bandai Namco Store only
The US store lists it for PlayStation 5 and Steam:
- The Deluxe Edition on physical disc — 3-day early access, PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS Voucher, Customizable Cosmetic Set
- The Vinyl Collection — numbered hardcover slipcase, 15 tracks across 2 white vinyl records with 4 unique label designs, double gatefold, printed turntable slipmat
- The “ACES at WAR A HISTORY 2029” artbook — hardcover, full color, 8.5×11 inch
Bandai Namco Europe lists the pack for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X|S, while the US store offers only PS5 and Steam — don’t assume an Xbox SKU exists where you live.
The shipping caveat matters. Bandai Namco’s US store says outright that it is “unable to guarantee the early access duration,” and that delivery may vary by location and shipping method. A disc arriving October 3 does not give you September 29 access.
The artbook’s page count doesn’t match
Bandai Namco’s store page says 208 full-colored pages; its European press post says 200. Both are publisher sources, so neither figure is settled. The name varies too — “ACES at WAR A HISTORY 2029” on both stores, “ACES at WAR HISTORY 2029” in the press post. It is one book.
Premium Joker Flight Pack — €179.99, Europe only
The European PC version bundles the Deluxe Edition as a download, the artbook, 2LP vinyl records, a turntable slipmat, an XXL gaming mousepad with LED, and a WINGS OF THEVE woven patch.
Two differences are easy to miss. The EU listing does not mention the numbered collectible slipcase the US Vinyl Collection includes — the physical contents are not identical. And because this is a download code, the early access problem disappears: “Your game key will be available in your Bandai Namco account 3 days before the game’s release date.”
What you’ll read elsewhere that isn’t confirmed
- The Deluxe Edition does not contain a dog tag or emblem pins. A fan wiki lists them; every first-party listing — Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Bandai Namco Store — describes Deluxe as the base game plus digital add-ons. Buy it expecting physical goods and you will be disappointed.
- A Japan/SEA “Collector’s Box” and a Japanese “Ace of Aces Box” are reported by the same wiki — the Collector’s Box with a steelbook, sticker sheet, soundtrack USB, dog tag, emblem pins, mousepad, woven badge and vinyl collection, the Ace of Aces Box described only as a premium variant. No reachable Bandai Namco page confirms either.
- Post-launch DLC, a season pass or expansions beyond the Ace Pass — nothing announced. Steam’s store data lists no DLC entries at all.
So which one should you buy?
To fly three days ahead of general launch you need Deluxe, bought digitally. If early access doesn’t matter, the $20 gap buys four cosmetics and a voucher whose standalone value nobody outside Bandai Namco currently knows — which makes Standard the defensible pick. The Joker packs are collector buys, and if you want early access alongside the vinyl, the European download-code version is the safer of the two.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ace Combat 8 preorder bonus?
Every preorder, in any edition, includes the playable F-14A aircraft and a digital copy of ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR. Bandai Namco Europe says the ZERO copy is delivered at launch, not at the moment you preorder.
Which Ace Combat 8 edition gets early access?
Only the Deluxe Edition. Early access begins September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT — that is September 29 at 12:00 AM CEST — and Bandai Namco Europe states it is exclusively available with digital versions.
How much does Ace Combat 8 cost?
The Standard Edition is $69.99 and the Deluxe Edition is $89.99 on Steam, the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store. The Joker Flight Pack is $149.99 from the Bandai Namco Store in the US, and the Premium Joker Flight Pack is 179.99 euros from the European store.
Is the ACE COMBAT ZERO port the same on every platform?
It is platform-matched to the version you buy: the Steam Version on Steam, the PS5 Version on PlayStation and the Xbox Series X|S Version on Xbox. It supports six languages — Japanese, English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
Does the Deluxe Edition include physical items like a dog tag?
No. Every first-party listing — Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and the Bandai Namco Store — describes the Deluxe Edition as the base game plus digital add-ons. A fan wiki claims otherwise, but that claim is not supported by any Bandai Namco page.
