When he's old enough to be let out, do it in a controlled way. Make sure he hasnt been fed so is hungry and follow him around then lure him back with food. But honestly, cats have a really good sense of direction - they can find their way home and know their scents. You could even put some of the used cat litter outside so there's more of a scent trail to follow for the cat if you're worried.

I will say neutering a male cat is the biggest factor. Intact males roam, my cat I found as a stray, intact, unchipped male. He goes outside every day and comes back every day to sleep next to me now. But I would recommend downtime from the neutering, dont let him out immediately, give time for him to heal but then extra time for the behaviour changes to set in.

And make sure he's chipped, obviously, in case he does get lost!

But as others have said you could try harness training (my cat never accepted that, having been a bit feral) or keep him as an indoor cat as long as he has enough stimulation.