PS4 Boxes Will Have PS5 Upgrade Banner for Compatible Games

So do you have to do that direction on the left or right thumbstick? It’s all very confusing...

At the end of the day I wonder how many more games will have Smart Delivery on Xbox compared to the ones on PlayStation.

I can hardly think of any instance where a game has Smart Delivery on Xbox, but can't be upgraded for free on PlayStation.

All publishers that announced free upgrades, announced them for both platforms.

@sabaki08 Yeah, that's true, except that Sony doesn't use it as a selling point.

I much rather they all jumped to the PS5 box instead of staying with the PS4

I wonder how many of theses games will allow you to also upgrade your save to the next gen version?

I like the upgrade idea but I wouldn’t want to have to start every game over.

They should have faded the blue ps4 banner into a white ps5 banner and put the "upgrade available" icon in it. 🤷‍♀️

@Shepherd_Tallon I think in terms of marketing blurb and stuff, the Microsoft PR team is killing it this generation...

Smart Delivery
Velocity Architecture

Neither mean very much in reality, I mean VA is currently an immature API that's targeted textures mostly, not much on the "hardware" side of things. But both do sound good and people sure do like posting about them.

That's good, also the game cover art is nice

This game looks like next-gen kid icarus open world game, can't wait to try it after the positive previews on youtube. Man now I want kid icarus ds switch port with improved dual analog control lol.

@Shepherd_Tallon Say what you want about Series X|S, but, I think, if Microsoft hadn't push hard on Smart Delivery, free upgrades to PS5 might not have even been a thing.

Think of the backlash companies would get if only Xbox upgrades were free thanks to Smart Delivery and not PlayStation.

@Shepherd_Tallon @Octane

It's just like Apple marketing features that are years old on Android and people deifying them for being innovations. Like the recent Smart Clips where you don't need to download an app to access a specific feature, only a part of it. It's a smart strategy and it works. But in a few years we'll look back and realize that as you said, it's nothing more than a marketing tactic.

'PS5 Upgrade Available'

Well that's nice and all, but what does it mean? Specifically the "upgrade" part.

Has Sony told us what "upgrade" means? Any 30fps game will be 60fps, and 108-p game will be 4k?

If all "upgrade" means is "playable on PS5" then it isn't an "upgrade", it's just playable.

Also does "upgrade" on a disc mean we put the disc in the PS5 and it downloads the "upgraded" version. What if we buy it digitally, how does that work, do we get to continually play it on both PS4 and PS5 at the same time?

If they are going to put it on the box they can tell us what it means, right?

Edit: So I read this article

https://www.pushsquare.com/guides/ps4-to-ps5-all-games-with-confirmed-free-upgrades

and it had some nice info, so thanks for that, but it looks so random from game to game I'm not sure how Sony uses 1 banner to cover it all. And I forgot all about people buying the physical PS4 disc and then owning a PS5 DOE, in which case they can't upgrade, so Sony better put a big asterisk next to that "PS5 Upgrade Available" banner if it's only available to people who buy the ~$500 PS5, not the ~$400 PS5 DOE. Or there will be a lawsuit. We sue over everything in this country in case you all forgot.

@rjejr ...and this is why Smart Delivery "PR message" works for Microsoft:

Digital version downloads the version of whatever platform you are playing.
Physical version installs the version that matches the platform you are playing.
Saves carry over.
Achievements carry over.

Easy to understand. No confusion. As long as the game supports Smart Delivery, it "just works". It also helps that Xbox Cloud saves are free and automatic - no paid service necessary. Moving from one console to the other and picking up where I left off is seamless.

I would think the PS5 Upgrade is the same thing. Digital version matches platform where you are downloading. Physical installs whichever version matches the platform.

But do saves carry over - assuming you backed up your saves on a USB drive/have PS+ subscription?
Do Trophies carry over?

That is messaging that isn't standardized for Sony. During the PS3/PS4 X360/X1 transition back in the day, cross-gen games were treated as entirely different versions. We know MS is alleviating that with Smart Delivery, but it's a big Question Mark on these free upgrades for PS5.

I would HOPE that developers are developing their games to read save files across the generation on the Sony side of things, but one never knows!

@Shepherd_Tallon of course competition is good, you could argue the reason the XSS even exists and the XSX is as cheap as it is, is because they really need to compete with Sony this time round. I have no issue with the concept of smart delivery, as much as I do the BS marketing spiel. It's cross buy in concept, but it's very good Microsoft have pushed it this generation. Honestly though? Sony were targeting a price range between $349.99 and $499.99 for the PS5, and I think they'll get I side that comfortably. I think both have executed their plans fairly well this time. The parts costs for the PS5 are lower than the XSX, so if the PS5 is more than the XSX Sony are making money on it.

@GamingFan4Lyf "Physical version installs the version that matches the platform you are playing."

So if you buy the disc version of an Xbox One game, which of course plays on both Xbox 1S or 1X, your account will let you play that game on Xbox Series S even though there is no disc drive? That's very cool if true, don't see Sony doing that.

One thing that I don't think either Sony or MS got enough credit for THIS gen is keeping their word that no game was only for PS4 Pro or X1X. May not seem like a big thing, probably b/c nobody broke their word, but Nintendo did sell a NEW 3DS that had a couple of games, Xenoblade Chronicles being the biggest, that would not play on a regular 3DS. Nintendo fans being Nintneod fans nobody said a word, but I kept waiting for MS to release an X1X only game but it never happened, so I think they deserve some credit for that. I never really thought Sony would do it, not a big enough difference between PS4 and Pro.

@Shepherd_Tallon I do feel that Smart Deliver is more than just PR. I mean, most people see it as it pertains to Xbox One and Series S|X and cross-gen titles, but Smart Deliver also applies to console/PC versions - it's basically replacing Xbox Play Anywhere.

This just something that won't exist for PS5 - and for many people here, that's how they would prefer it. It makes the PS5 a unique and standalone solution for them. It offers games available no where else - and that's okay.

For others, it's nice to be able to take a game basically anywhere - whether it be playing same game natively on a less powerful gaming laptop when a home console isn't available or streaming from a smartphone waiting for a doctor's appointment and then being able to get back to their home console and continuing on the big screen.

It's just two totally different strategies. Which is why I say the console wars don't exist anymore because both companies are playing completely different games at this point.

Microsoft wants the Series S|X to be successful, but much like it's Surface line of products, doesn't care if it's the dominant platform. Microsoft simply wants to provide products that are guaranteed to work within Microsoft's ecosystem.

In the Surface's case, it's having a product that "just works" with Microsoft products, while also providing some interesting technology (and in some cases, light to moderate gaming - most especially games on Game Pass).

In the Series S|X line, it's a product guaranteed to play video games on the TV (most especially games on Game Pass) without needing to know all about gaming PC architecture while also providing some interesting technology.

@rjejr Regarding Smart Delivery for Series S and physical media - I think it depends on if Smart Delivery games also have a digital code. That is actually one piece of messaging I don't think Microsoft has addressed - good eye on that.

I mean, games that don't support Smart Delivery, you are just hosed if you have a large physical collection and go with Series S.

Like what do people do if they have a physical copy of The Witcher 3 for Xbox One and want to take advantage of the free upgrade for the cheaper Series S?! Sadly, I fear the answer is that they are S.O.L. ([expletive] Outta Luck) - will have to go with the Series X, instead.

But, for current titles like Cyberpunk 2077, will physical Xbox copies have digital codes as well? I don't think that has been addressed by Microsoft.

I know physical games like Gears of War 4 (that support Xbox Play Anywhere) came with Digital Codes to activate the PC version - so there is precedent.

I hope they also end up reprinting past releases to display that little reminder if they do end up being backwards compatible. Especially releases from this year like Persona 5 Royal or FFVII Remake.

@Shepherd_Tallon well the costs to manufacture the PS5, before they doubled production was rumoured to be either $428's or $450's. That's not including shipping. On average though Sony have eaten a 15% loss on hardware at launch, the PS3 bumps that a bit, but even if you remove it you still get them eating an average of 12% costs. So I can see the digital hitting around $399.99 fairly comfortably actually. The PS5 SE is the interesting one, by doubling production though they could've brought unit costs way down, I mean at that volume fabrication at TSMC is going to lead to massive savings on their APU, and unlike Microsoft they're producing one APU spec, not two. I think they might have wiggle room.

@Shepherd_Tallon Sony are a tech company too, the amount of tech patents they own is pretty insane, I think people forget Sony are one of the world's largest consumer electronics companies too. We'll see soon enough what Sony have got, but right now Microsoft have executed their plan well.

Guessing that it will work like xbox one where you put in an old game and it downloads the game.
My ps4 pro sounds like a jet when playing the division 2 it's so loud i can hardly hear the speach.

@GamingFan4Lyf "games also have a digital code"

Sorry, didn't mean to make you all nuts.

I'm willing to guess like 99% of physical games have digital codes. The only 2 I can even think of are Ring Fit Adventure and Labo on Switch. Since I don't think MS has any "toy" based games, and also since almost all Xbox games are playable on PC, it's likely ALL Xbox games have a digital version available. Even the Kinect games from years ago. MS was all in on digital when they launched Xbox One, remember the whole "digital rights" thing? MS has really wanted all digital for awhile now.

So I don't think anybody w/ an Xbox One and a game disc has to worry about there not being a digital version.

Though it's possible not all Xbox One disc games will have a digital download available day 1 on Series S I suppose. But they probably will.

I think the biggest problem with X1 disc games on Series S is you can install it and play it, but then sell the disc. Or you could have borrowed a friends disc. Or like me, I borrow a lot of games for free from my public library.

Soooooo.... I'm thinking Series S owners are getting no digital versions of X1 disc games. Something MS may need to explain. But they know better than I do how many discs vs digital they sell, may be a small number of people w/ discs.

Did a google search, nothing 100% definitive but I'm guessing no for Series S owners who have played, owned, rented or borrowed physical X1 discs.

So, basically, it's an Xbox for Sony and Nintendo fans who don't own a gaming capable PC to get Gamepass and not own anything.

@nookie_egg @nookie_egg Came here to say exactly this! Figured that'd be a no-brainer...

@Shepherd_Tallon I think they're not going to budge from their schedule, and I was told they'd do stuff around TGS 2020, which starts the 23rd September and runs to the 27th. So maybe something the day before the show? Who knows.

@jacobia You have to do it with both sticks at the same time (coordination is key) whilst rotating the controller 360° in the Y-axis and mashing the R2 & L2 rhythmically to a song of your choice.

@rjejr The advantage of Microsoft approach in having different names for the disk and diskless consoles. Is that they can write Xbox series X on the disk and it will play on every Xbox series X. Nowhere will it say Xbox series S so you don’t have to worry about confusion.

@jacobia I've always struggled to do Zangief's Spinning Piledriver. This is SO anti-consumer! 😤😠

@Ryall It's a valid point, but it's a very very fine one that doesn't really hold up to well when you shine a light on it.

Imagine you have 1 of those marketing group meetings. The lady up front says: Here's 2 pair of names, which are the most similar and which are more dissimilar:

Xbox Series X
Xbox Series S

Playstation5
Playstation5 Digital Only Edition

And you can't say PS5 DOE doesn't count, MS literally named THEIR discless console:

Xbox One S All Digital

So the "Digital" has to count.

MS does have a black box for XSX, and I'll assume a white box for XSS, so that will help a lot distinguishing between consoles, but the different names don't really help on boxes, names aren't really that different, just 1 letter that when a lot of people say it out loud sounds the same.

I am very curious how Sony will distinguish their console boxes. They might not even try, may look exactly the same at nearly the same price, so that could be an issue for people buying the consoles. I think the consoles will be $399 and $499 but I've read a lot of comments saying only a $50 difference, $449 - $499, which kind of gets them into Wii U marketing issues.

We'll at least we should know in only 5 more days.