No More Free PS5 Upgrades in the Future, $10 Upgrade Fee

One of the best things about the PlayStation 5 is that you can get free upgrades for your PS4 games when you jump systems. Sony had tried to change this by saying that Horizon Forbidden West would not get a free upgrade, a controversial decision they had to quickly walk back due to the backlash they were facing. But, this may change the future of PS5 upgrades.

Forbidden West’s pre-order list was confusing, to say the least. Several versions were revealed, including the cross-gen Digital Deluxe Edition, which promised access to the PS4 and PS5 copies.

This would mean paying more to get the game on both consoles, a decision that didn’t go down well with gamers. This was made worse by the fact that Sony had promised free upgrades prior.

The backlash made Sony recant their decision, and the free upgrade is back, but Horizon Forbidden West may be the last game to get this service.

The company has revealed a road map on how upgrades will proceed, so there will be no more uproar. After Forbidden West, you will need to pay $10 for any upgrades.

It should be noted that this is an update from Sony, so it should pertain only to the PlayStation exclusives. Other publishers have the freedom to go about it as they see fit, so it will not be mandated across the board. This is more for in-house releases such as Gran Turismo or God of War.

On the flip side, Xbox has Smart Delivery, which Microsoft has coined to explain the cross-gen support system, which is entirely free of cost. You will be able to access the same game on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and even the PC. When you purchase a game through Xbox, Smart Delivery ensures that you download and play the very best version of the game without any problems.

This may cause a divide for console preferences in the future, and Sony’s decision to charge for an upgrade may be one it regrets later on.

About Sony

Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo. The company operates as one of the most comprehensive media companies on the planet and also holds the distinctions of being the largest video game console company and the second largest video game publisher in the world.

Its gaming and network services arm Sony Interactive Entertainment (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) is best known for producing the popular line of PlayStation consoles.