This is how the free upgrades to PS5 and Xbox Series X games work!

Why free next-gen upgrades?

Since a few weeks we finally know that the PS5 will be released on November 19 in the Netherlands and the Xbox Series X and S on November 10. Before that, it was unclear for a long time when exactly the next-gen consoles would be released. The only indication given by Microsoft and Sony was “somewhere before the holidays.”

In the meantime, publishers just want to release their games and don’t feel like falling victim to one starting contest between the two console manufacturers. In addition, players also don’t feel like paying the full price again when they buy a game, which then comes out on their new console a few weeks later. For those reasons, multiple publishers have decided to offer a free next-gen upgrade for their games, so shareholders can still be satisfied with earnings and at the same time, players don’t have to choose between current and next-gen consoles when it comes to for their games.

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Digital or with a disc

But how exactly do those free upgrades to the PS5 or Xbox Series X and S versions work? The method for this differs depending on whether your next generation will play on a console from Sony or Microsoft. For the latter, the process is quite simple: you buy an Xbox One game that is supported via Smart Delivery, you’ll automatically get a copy for the Xbox Series X or S. Plus, your progress is saved, so you can pick up right where you left off. Just beware: physical games cannot be upgraded on the all digital Xbox Series S.

For the PlayStation 5 it works a bit differently, because Sony leaves the method to the publisher itself. For example, if you want to upgrade the physical version of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5, you can simply download the new version by inserting the disc into your PS5. So do you have the all digital PS5, just like the Xbox Series S, that is not possible. If you have a digital version, you can easily upgrade via the PlayStation Store. In this case, you just can’t get your save game take. Borderlands 3 and Marvel’s Avengers offer the take-out of you saves well on.

Because it is not always possible to take advantage of a next-gen upgrade if you switch to a console without it disc tray, it is useful to keep that in mind. If you’ve pre-ordered an Xbox Series S or PS5 All Digital Edition, it’s best to make your next purchases from Microsoft or PlayStation Store.

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From Xbox to PlayStation or vice versa?

In the examples above we talked about upgrading from a PlayStation 4 game to a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox One game to the Xbox Series X or S. But is it also possible to switch console manufacturers and still transfer your games? to siphon?

Unfortunately that is not possible. Microsoft and Sony are working closely with the publishers, and it seems logical for both manufacturers not to support that move. After all, you do not want to promote that a customer with games and all can switch to the major competitor.

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