Sony confirmed they will no longer offer free next-gen upgrades for their games. Over the past year, both Xbox and PlayStation have offered free upgrades from previous systems to next-gen for first-party games. This got players purchasing the games while they try to find a console amidst a shortage. PlayStation is the first to conclude this policy.
The announcement comes after some confusion over the upgrade policy of Horizon Forbidden West. It was “leaked” that the game would not receive the upgrade. After much debate on social media, Sony came out to clarify. Players will be able to upgrade Horizon Forbidden West, but it’s that last of the policy.
Free upgrades help the players but can slow console sales. Often a console will sell due to an exclusive title. Many expect a boom in Xbox sales once Halo Infinite releases. Forcing the games to only play on new systems gets players to make the move. Sony changed a few components last month to increase the PlayStation supply, making the shortage less of an issue.
It may be a blow to some players, but it is needed to progress the console generation. As for Xbox, they are using the bound-to-account system. When you buy a game, it’s available for multiple generations via Game Pass and xCloud. The console war has shifted from company vs. company to business model vs. business model. This is the next chapter in the saga that will decide the future of the console gaming industry.
Source: Kotaku
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