Sony is forcing gamers to pay for PS5 exclusive upgrades — and I’m okay with it

Sony is forcing gamers to pay for PS5 sectional upgrades — and I'k okay with it

(Image credit: Sony)

Sony appear pre-order details for Horizon Forbidden Westward concluding calendar week and caused an immediate backfire when information technology was revealed that purchasing the standard PS4 version of the game wouldn't entitle owners to a free upgrade to the PS5 edition. This decision was hastily reversed over the weekend.

The PlayStation blog post detailing the pre-guild information has now been updated with the welcome news that "players who purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation iv will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version for complimentary." However, the argument as well independent some news that has been less warmly received.

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PlayStation top brass Jim Ryan confirmed that future "PlayStation first-party exclusive cantankerous-gen titles (newly releasing on PS4 & PS5) – both digital and physical – will offer a $10 digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5." This fee will utilise to both the next God of War game and Gran Turismo vii, which are both currently slated for a 2022 release date.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the net has not taken this news very well. When compared to the Xbox Series X and its Smart Delivery system, which essentially gives players side by side-gen upgrades at no additional cost, Sony's conclusion to accuse an upgrade fee for all exclusives later Horizon Forbidden Westward has been labeled by some as greedy and anti-consumer.

All the same, from where I'm continuing it'south another example of the cyberspace making a big stink about something fairly reasonable. I'grand okay with a $10 PS5 upgrade fee for future panel exclusives. Before you jump to furiously comment just how wrong I am, allow me to explain my reasoning.

Paying more for a premium product

I take no problem paying a lilliputian fleck more to get a game with a a better framerate, faster loading times and proper PS5 DualSense features.

Allow's just get the obvious out of the way showtime. Of course, in an ideal world, my preference would be that Sony continues to offer gratuitous upgrades.

I'thou pleased that anyone who buys Horizon Forbidden West on PS4 will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for no boosted cost. Especially considering PS4 games still retail for $sixty whereas PS5 games price $70, then buying the final-gen version of Forbidden West will actually be a smart way of getting the side by side-gen edition for less.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut review — (Epitome credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

However, I don't think a $10 upgrade fee is particularly egregious. Last calendar month Sony released Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut which sports a paid PS5 upgrade for PS4 owners, and I argued that a $10 upgrade fee was a off-white price and people needed to stop lament about it. That'southward an opinion I stand past.

If the next God of State of war or Gran Turismo 7 offer a significantly enhanced feel on PS5 compared to on PS4, and so I don't see why paying a relatively small amount of money for that is unfair. Paying extra for the premium version of a production tin exist seen in everything from smartphones to streaming services.

Perhaps my willingness to tolerate PS5 upgrade fees come up from the fact I'm an obsessive Blu-ray collector. With physical movies, the least premium format, DVD, is always cheaper than the premium ones such as Blu-ray or 4K UHD — the latter can often cost three times more than a regular DVD.

I take no problem paying an extra $10-15 for a moving picture on Blu-ray every bit opposed to buying it on DVD. In that situation, I'm paying actress to become the motion picture in higher quality with maybe a couple of extra special features thrown in. To me, that'due south comparable to paying a little scrap more to go a game with a better framerate, faster loading times, and proper DualSense features.

I can empathise why people want free upgrades, especially as gamers accept become used to Sony offering them thank you to titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure including PS5 upgrades at no additional price. However, if y'all want the best version of a production sometimes you lot have to pony up a little extra.

When the next God of War finally releases in 2022 (fingers crossed for no delay) I'll take no trouble paying that extra $ten if it means a better overall playing experience.

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Rory is a staff writer at Tom's Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics including tech news, deals, gaming, streaming and more. When he's not writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he can be establish watching a deadline unhealthy amount of movies and beingness thoroughly disappointed past his terrible football team.