As we reported over the weekend, Sony needs to make it clearer when you’re playing PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4 games. There have been an astounding number of reports this weekend from people who thought they were enjoying Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on the company’s next-gen console, only to learn they’re actually in backwards compatibility mode.
Here’s the problem: it’s possible to toggle between versions by pushing the Options button on the game icon, but the console actually defaults to the PS4 in cross-gen cases. In fact, even if you specifically download the PS5 version, you’ll probably end up with both copies installed, wasting precious bandwidth and storage space.
While you will see both editions in your Game Library, often only one version will show on the console’s main menu, which is usually the PS4. And you may not even notice the text stipulating that. As a result, you may end up playing the current-gen game without even realising it, which is pretty stupid.
Obviously, this is a complicated problem, but we reckon the platform holder can clean it up by being clearer about which version of the game you’re booting. We’d also prefer it if it stopped downloading both versions of the same title simultaneously; just let users grab the edition they actually want to play and leave it at that, please!
Comments 41
Awful design on how it's handled by Sony. At least the Xbox automatically prevents this. Very on brand for Sony so far this gen though.
I do like it gives us the option. Especially for games without so much ongoing progression where being able to do the trophy challenges twice will be nice. Still, it should make it very obvious if it isn’t.
Is it so hard just to add a little banner?
Sony fumbling a lot this next gen console release but with so many great games to play It’s hard to complain about the little things
@Menchi While this could obviously be a lot smoother, there are pros to Sony's solution, like the fact that you can get all the Trophies twice. (You may not personally care but there are people who definitely do.)
The good news is that this is a relatively simple problem to fix, so I'm sure they'll update this soon.
Maybe it’s defaulting on the PS4 version because people didn’t buy the ultimate edition. The upgrade for PS5 version it’s not free right ? So maybe that is the issue also, that the developer put the game under a paid wall and most players are still confused about the upgrade path of Sony games. Some are free, some not.
@God_of_Nowt with so many issues this year. It would have been better for Sony to just take Microsoft’s path, ship the PS5 with the PS4 OS, improve on it where it was necessary to make it work on PS5 and later on when everything has settled introduce the new UI to the people through a Software update.
@God_of_Nowt thanks for the update on the mechanics. Just talking from references. The console is still not out in Europe, and have no idea if I can find one in Romania when I get home in December. Here’s hoping for a miracle already ordered my PSVR adaptor, can’t wait to see how blood & truth looks like on PS5. Cheers mate
@get2sammyb It should AT LEAST default to the console version you're playing on though. And an opt in toggle if you want the old for a separate trophy list.
It makes you download both?
I thought the new COD was huge. If it is downloading 2 versions does it take up around 200gb of space or was the advertised amount when both versions are downloaded? Space is currently at a premium on the PS5. You don't want extra stuff on the drive taking up valuable space.
Surley it cant be hard to pop a little option asking the version you want to install when you select it.
@God_of_Nowt yeah, at a hardware level I’m very impressed at what Sony managed to to, especially unloading all other constraints from the main chip (I/O decompression and even audio) and from a developer’s stand point still has a better low level API that can really squeeze everything from the system, in comparison with the triple OS and DirectX 12 on XBox. But it’s clear from a software stand of view PS5 was not ready to ship, and at some point they should have realized this and just work in parallel with 2 OS, especially if you say that the devkits are working on PS4 OS, ship with that cause it works, people will be happy about the new console not the UI.
Edit: look also at the PSStore website and app. Why change it if it’s not ready ?? Just to show people that you kept your promise and everything is changed ? Change is not always good.
If your enjoyment wasn’t impacted by blissful ignorance that the graphics weren’t on the high settings, does it really matter?
All those issues with the PS5 make me glad I didn't buy it day one. I'll probably end up waiting 6 month or a year so they get it together and fix that mess
Oh come on, please.
A tiny number of idiots have created a fake moan and got it on the internet.
"Some people are wearing their pants outside their trousers. It's so confusing one person said, I just didn't realize for ages."
If people can’t tell the difference in graphics from the new generation to the old one that says a lot about this new jump in graphics for the new generation
So ppl didnt know they were playing the ps4 version of the game thinking it was ps5 version? Why dont they just keep playin it like that then? Obviously it doesnt matter to them since they probably used to seeing cod run on older engines.
What if you buy a ps5 version of Cross gen games, will it still download the ps4 version too? Or is just if you buy the ps4 version and then upgrade 🤔
@Menchi typical Menchi post about Sony is typical.
That's one way to live your life.
@God_of_Nowt can you confirm if PS5 is using FreeBSD 12 or something newer than 9 ???
There should be warning when ps5 start ps4 games that has ps5 version (that the users have).
It's not a complicated problem. It's a simple issue Sony made complicated. There's a difference.
I rented the PS4 version of Miles Morales.
As soon as I inserted the disc the game icon had a button to "upgrade"
Took me to the PSN store and I installed the upgraded version. Super easy.
@God_of_Nowt two words ... bad management !! I don’t know if you can blame all on Jim Ryan, but also this is the Japanese way, to overcomplicate everything. I think everybody would have been very happy if it would have shipped with Orbis with few updates and everything would have been so much better.
I'm glad I chose to only buy the dedicated PS5 version of games! My Spider-sense was tingling when the PS4 + PS5 combo packs are sold for less then a standalone PS5 version. What a mess with these free PS4 to PS5 upgrades!
You can delete the PS4 version. However, you'll end in a loop if you upgraded from a PS4 physical game. After deleting the PS4 version, the PS5 will automatically reinstall the PS4 version as soon as you insert the PS4 disc, which is mandatory in order to boot up the free digital PS5 upgrade.
Just imagine having to install COD twice and receiving their massive patches twice! R.I.P. SSD!
I was able to stop the downloads when they first started and just installed the PS5 versions of AC Valhalla and Miles Morales
As I read this all I think that PS5 operating system was designed by czech parliament. 😀😀😀
Imagine having two console generations so negligibly improved that the players can't tell which generation they're playing. Ps5=PS4 @60fps. I'll wait for the 2TB ps5 pro.
One of the many reasons I'm waiting til early next year to get my ps5. Really appreciate you guys out there beta testing it for me 😂
@get2sammyb if you get both versions isn't this losing Sony money ? I mean If wanted the ps5 version of a game and ended up getting both couldnt my buddy then get the ps4 version if he logged into my account?
@Tmw1984 its hardly a massive issue really...ohhhnh you mean you couldn't get one 😂
This is hilarious.
Just like most other generations, this gen started with a rocky start. I don't want to remind people who bought 7th gen consoles about doa ylod and rrod units, but they didn't even get to play on their shiny new consoles.
This is why we leave day one products for reviewers who can afford to get screwed up. The rest of us should spend our hard earned cash when the products are optimized and stabilized.
Yeah, the whole downloading thing on ps5 is not very clear. Do better sony
@grahamd if you cant tell the difference you are blind lol
I remember being a bit apprehensive about the u.i. changes when I read the design guy (yea I don't know his name) say they basically left no stone unturned. It's kind of goofy to have it defaulting to the ps4 version of a game on the ps5, I didn't know this was a thing until I watched the acg video about it yesterday and went to check it on Spider-Man.
People this is a new console, so stop acting like you know how to use it. We were given eyes an a brain for a reason. Use them. It quite clearly says PS4 above the game your looking at. Sony has not done anything wrong or fumbled. Your brains have fumbled. Again use your eyes an brains. An you won't have a problem.
I bought call of duty black ops cold war and cannot play campaign as the game crashes and I have to pull plug on ps4 to reset it and has now started crashing on multiplayer mode I'm not very happy about this at all
@SilkySmile89 I paid £90 for ultimate edition on digital version and game keeps crashing my ps4 console
Soooo....are these the idiots that bought a ps5 just to play the new cod that's also out on the ps4 that they own but shoved into a closet just to say "look ive got a ps5 with cod" while not knowing their playing the ps4 version? Bloody posers lmao at least get a ps5 for what's to come not a game you can't tell apart from ps4 or ps5
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