SAROS is proving fast that the “bullet ballet” roguelite is here to stay. Players keep returning for another round of punishing runs, and we’re right there with you! To help ease the journey, we’ve put together a handy weapons guide so your path through Carcosa won’t feel quite as unforgiving.

Survival in SAROS demands sharp instincts, lightning reflexes, and a healthy dose of luck. Every run pits you against relentless waves of horrors, whether it’s hostile mobs, fearsome Alphas, or towering Overlords, determined to end your one fragile life. Dodging, weaving, and leaping can buy you precious seconds, but ultimately, combat is unavoidable. To push forward, you’ll need to fight back with precision, strategy, and the right tools at your disposal.

Check out our SAROS weapon guide below and don’t tell us we didn’t warn you. Happy Hunting!

*Spoilers Below*

SAROS Weapons Guide

In SAROS, your loadout is composed of three essentials: a main weapon, a power weapon, and a melee option. Unlike many roguelites, you’re limited to carrying only one main weapon at a time. With five weapon classes and three variants each, that gives you a total of fifteen distinct choices to master.

Every main weapon comes equipped with an alt-fire ability, offering another way to dispose of enemies that can turn the tide in combat. On top of that, each weapon carries unique attributes that enhance its performance, giving you critical advantages when facing Carcosa’s relentless challenges. Choosing wisely and learning how to maximize these traits can make all the difference between survival and defeat.

I know it sounds like a lot, so we’ll break it all down for you!

Handcannons

Your trusty handcannon is the default firearm you’ll start with in SAROS. The base model, the Eruptor Handcannon, features autohit targeting, solid stopping power, and reliable performance, which is perfect for early runs. As you progress, two additional variants unlock: the Ricochet and the Marksman.

The Ricochet Handcannon fires bouncing rounds that strike multiple enemies, dealing reduced damage but offering valuable crowd control. Meanwhile, the Marksman Handcannon trades the autohit perk for higher raw damage, with an alt-fire that lets you charge shots for devastating impact and increased stagger.

Early on, the Ricochet Handcannon is your best bet if you don’t yet have access to the Smart Rifle. Its bullets jumping around enemies helps clear groups of hostiles, giving you breathing room to dodge and survive despite low HP and defense. However, as you advance deeper into Carcosa, handcannons lose their bite, making them best retired in favor of heavier-hitting options.

Rifles

Just after you start SAROS, you’ll unlock the Smart Rifle, which is a weapon that quickly establishes itself as a very reliable companion moving forward. While it has two other variants, the Smart Rifle stands out for its straightforward design, generous ammo count, and point‑and‑shoot simplicity. Early on, its damage output may feel modest, but its consistency and versatility make it a long‑term keeper.

The rifle’s variants include the Tactical Rifle and the Onslaught Rifle. The Tactical variant emphasizes stagger damage, favoring builds that allow enemies to build up their stagger gauge faster, though at the cost of reduced overall damage. The Onslaught trades away auto‑targeting for higher raw damage, but its reliability doesn’t quite match the Smart Rifle due to the fact that you have to manually and accurately aim it.

What makes the Smart Rifle shine in SAROS are its weapon traits. Spectral Shot allows bullets to phase through walls, striking enemies behind cover. Extra Clips boosts ammo capacity, keeping you in the fight longer. With balanced damage, reliable targeting, and powerful traits, the Smart Rifle truly earns its place as one of the game’s standout weapons.

Shotguns

For close‑range specialists, shotguns deliver devastating power in SAROS. You’ll begin with the Horde Shotgun, a reliable option for tight encounters that blasts enemies back with sheer force. Its alt‑fire lets you adjust pellet spread horizontally or vertically, giving you control over how you clear the field as the vertical fire condenses the spread a bit more reliably.

The weapon line expands with two variants: the Stalwart Shotgun and the Annihilator Shotgun. The Stalwart offers a defensive edge, leaving pellets suspended mid‑air to either fire manually as needed or to create zones that punish enemies who rush in. The Annihilator, while lighter on raw damage, excels at rapidly building stagger. Combined with its grenade launcher alt‑fire, it becomes a strong choice for crowd control in later stages where stagger mechanics are key.

Choosing between the Horde and Annihilator Shotguns often comes down to playstyle. The Horde provides raw stopping power early, while the Annihilator shines in advanced runs with its stagger utility. Either way, shotguns remain a formidable option throughout your journey in Carcosa, rewarding aggressive players who thrive in close‑quarters combat, but more skill will be required in effectively handling this weapon compared to others.

Crossbows

Later in SAROS, you’ll unlock the Repeater Crossbow. Unlike traditional firearms, it doesn’t require reloading, offering a refreshing change of pace from the game’s perfect reload mechanic. Functionally, it mirrors the Smart Rifle in reliability, delivering moderate damage with simple, sustained fire by holding down the trigger.

Its variants add unique twists: the Impactor Crossbow delivers heavy damage and features an alt‑fire that targets enemy weak points, making it a strong late‑game option and particularly effective against bosses despite lacking autohit. The Bifurcator Crossbow introduces homing capabilities, but its lower damage output and weaker stagger potential make it less appealing compared to other choices.

The Crossbow weapons in SAROS are a great addition, rewarding players who want a weapon that feels distinct from the usual firearms. If you’re looking for something more nuanced without having to rely on perfect reload timing, the Repeater Crossbow and its variants provide a great alternative.

Chakrams

Chakrams are one of the more unconventional weapons in SAROS, standing out in an already diverse arsenal. Like crossbows, they don’t rely on perfect reloads, but they demand precision because damage only registers when your blades actually connect with a target. Once they land, the Chakrams ramp up damage as you rev them like a chainsaw, while their alt-fire recalls the blades back.

Variants include the Ripsaw Chakrams, which launch three blades, while the Myriad Chakrams, which unleash five blades at reduced individual damage. Lastly, the Reaping Chakram is a single‑blade option that delivers the highest damage but requires pinpoint accuracy. Of the three, the Myriad often is the easiest choice because five blades mean more opportunities to stack damage, making it a reliable option for players who value consistency over precision.

Chakrams take some practice to master, but they’re among the most creative weapons in SAROS. For players looking to break away from traditional firearms, they offer a fresh and rewarding alternative. Starting with the Myriad Chakram is a solid way to ease into their unique playstyle before experimenting with the more specialized variants.

Power Weapons

Power Weapons in SAROS function much like grenades and explosives in other games, offering high-impact area-of-effect options when used strategically. These weapons draw energy from your shield’s power bars, which charge up by absorbing blue projectiles, allowing you to unleash devastating attacks against your enemies, depending on how daring you are at absorbing the incoming attacks.

There are four primary types: the Prominence, a grenade-like effect, and the Dispiritor, which inflicts sustained damage over time. More options are unlocked later, charged variants such as the Nova Lance and Illumine become available. While these weapons deliver greater damage, their charge mechanics can slow things down and complicate your movements, requiring careful timing in heated battles.

Among the options, the Prominence stands out as the easiest and most reliable one to equip. It is easy to use, and it gains powerful traits as you progress, such as Vacuum Bomb, which disrupts projectiles within its area, and Searing Field, which creates a damaging blast radius.

Melee and Stagger Play

In the late game, SAROS throws relentless swarms of hostiles and Alphas at you, making crowd control essential for survival. While melee attacks are introduced early, useful for breaking red fields and dealing with shielded enemies, the system evolves significantly as you unlock the ability to parry.

Parrying is a true game‑changer, but you will need to actively be on top of everything at a moment’s notice. Since red projectiles can’t be dashed through, parries allow you to deflect them safely while also inflicting stagger damage on enemies caught in the wave. Building stagger incapacitates opponents, leaving Alphas vulnerable and troublesome mobs temporarily disabled. From there, you can follow up with a Stagger Melee attack, which is a teleporting strike that deals heavy damage.

Against Overlords, parrying becomes invaluable. While bosses don’t have stagger meters, the ability to deflect their red projectiles gives you a crucial edge in battle because you don’t need to move around too much, but the timing of it all might need some practice. It’s a skill that can turn the tide of a fight, and few things are more satisfying than landing a decisive punch against the King in Yellow himself.

Saros will release on April 30, 2026, on PS5.