Zenless Zone Zero'd

Zenless Zone Zero is a game I’m excited to play, but things have changed recently. During the last round of beta testing, I was banned for trying to run the game on my M1 iMac.

If you’re not aware, one of the stipulations of beta testing ZZZ is that you agree to install the game on only one of each device type: PC and mobile. You can put the game on your phone or your iPad, not both, and you can install the game on a single PC, not two.

When it comes to the iMac, I know that I’m essentially (because there’s no macOS version) installing the game’s mobile version, but it didn’t occur to me at the moment that it would count against my device limit. To me, my iMac is a PC category device. In hindsight, this makes sense from a technical perspective because there’s no macOS version, and you’re installing the iOS/iPadOS version. However, how do they expect the average person to know this? I’m reasonably tech-savvy, but not everyone in the beta is.

Regardless, I installed and ran the game on my iMac and, shortly after trying to run it and realizing it didn’t support keyboard and mouse, promptly removed it. The next time I logged in, I was greeted with a screen informing me that I’d been banned. After doing some research online and contacting support, it was clear I’d broken the rule around device limits, and the ban wouldn’t be lifted.

I mean, I get it, but really?

Fast-forward to this week, and the game is now available for pre-order/pre-registration. On PS5, the game costs $13 (a first for HoYoverse?), and I feel weird about it. Given my excitement for it and my experience during the beta, I’m still going to play the game (assuming I’m allowed to?), but I’d be lying if I said this experience hadn’t put a damper on it.