The upgrade will, in fact, be free.
Sony sparked controversy last week when it announced that the Standard and Special editions of their upcoming title Horizon Forbidden West would not feature a free upgrade to a PS5 version for those who purchased it on PS4.
Many developers have been providing a free upgrade as of late, partly because of the supply shortage of the next-gen consoles; hence, fans were outraged to hear they would have to purchase the title a second time when upgrading consoles. Originally, if players wanted to obtain both generation’s versions of the game, they would have to purchase the Digital Deluxe or Collectors’ editions, which come to a whopping £79.99. Thankfully, amidst the backlash, Sony has done a U-turn on the idea, announcing that there will be a free upgrade path for players purchasing Horizon Forbidden West on PS4.
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan clarified the decision in a statement to the Washington Post, saying: “No one should be disappointed. The PS5 versions of those games are built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS5 feature set, and we have an upgrade path for PS4 users to get the PS5 versions for free. It’s about people having a choice. I’m really quite pleased about the situation.”
Ryan also announced, via the official PlayStation blog, that future cross-gen titles will have an affordable upgrade path available: “moving forward, PlayStation first-party exclusive cross-gen titles (newly releasing on PS4 & PS5) – both digital and physical – will offer a $10 digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5. This will apply to the next God of War and Gran Turismo 7, and any other exclusive cross-gen PS4 & PS5 title published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.”
Regardless of which side you have aligned yourself with, it is undeniable that Microsoft is handling consumer-friendliness far more effectively than its rival. Not only does Xbox offer new triple-A titles via their Xbox Game Pass subscription service on the day of release, but Xbox’s approach to current-gen upgrades has also been much more agreeable for consumers.
Whether you own an Xbox One or a Series X, your version of a game will update accordingly and automatically, thanks to Xbox’s Smart Delivery feature. This means that whenever you buy an Xbox game physically or digitally, your console will install the correct version for you at no extra cost.
We don’t expect Sony to upend its entire business model, though. What Microsoft is doing with features like Game Pass and Smart Delivery is unprecedented. But players shouldn’t have to re-purchase titles they already own just to play the version appropriate for their console.
As Sony are obviously aware, there is a major PS5 supply shortage. Therefore, if players would have to upgrade every new title coming out in the next few months out of their own pocket, they would potentially be forking out more than the console price itself, and believe me, the next few months are packed with big releases. Ultimately, Sony made the right choice going back on their decision; hopefully, their policy remains this way with all future upgrades.
For future updates, watch this space.
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