The long-awaited PlayStation 4 beta for Sony Online Entertainment's free-to-play MMOFPS Planetside 2 will finally begin next month, the developer has confirmed. SOE president John Smedley says on Twitter that the beta is scheduled to start sometime in the middle of January.

@Tyrese_X it was approved first pass and goes up either the week of the 13th or 20th. We will know when we are back on the 5th — John Smedley (@j_smedley) December 28, 2014

Unfortunately, that's all we have to go on for now. It remains unclear how you'll be able to get in, though you can sign up for a chance today through the game's website.

The Planetside 2 PS4 beta was originally expected to launch in 2014, though of course that is no longer the case. The PC version launched nearly two years ago, so why is the PS4 edition taking so long?

"As much as it sounds like we're blowing smoke, we're working hard to release a game that feels like a full-on console experience and not just like a port," creative director Matt Higby said in November. "So it's taken us quite a long time to re-jigger our user interface and our controls. There's a lot that needs to get done."