Sony's PS5 Launch Games To Offer Free PS4 Upgrades

While Sony had previously indicated that the PS5 would represent a clean break from the prior generation, the recent PS5 showcase showed the company is taking more of a cross-gen approach after all. Horizon: Forbidden West, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales will appear on both PS4 and PS5, and just like on Xbox, you'll be able to upgrade these first-party games for free.

"We know that the PS4 community will transition to PS5 at different times, and we're happy to announce PS4 versions of some of our exclusives," reads a PlayStation Blog note from Sony's Jim Ryan. "The PS4 digital versions of launch games include a free upgrade on both PS5 consoles, while the PS4 disc versions of these games include a free upgrade on the PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc drive."

That means that if you buy Miles Morales digitally, you'll get the PS5 version when you upgrade to the PS5. And likewise, if you buy a disc, you can put it in the disc drive of the PS5 and it will serve you the right version. The one upgrade path that seems closed is if you buy a disc copy of a game and then get the All-Digital PS5. In that instance, it would likely be difficult for Sony to assure that you aren't double-dipping with the disc and digital copy.

This is similar to Microsoft's own method for game upgrades, which it has dubbed Smart Delivery. That designation could also signal that the company has plans to release more than just the Xbox Series X and Series S, as it creates the expectation that the systems will just automatically take care of optimizing for your current hardware. The company has said that going forward it's just called Xbox, which could also suggest multiple hardware revisions coming.

PlayStation 5 launches on November 12 in two configurations: the All-Digital for $400, and the Standard (disc drive) version for $500. Preorders are now available sporadically, so check out our PS5 preorder guide for advice on how to snag one before it sells out.