Is it free to upgrade Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War from PS4 to PS5?

The short answer is no, you need to pay a $10 upgrade fee to get the enhanced PS5 version of Cold War if you originally purchased the game on PS4.

As a passionate gamer and industry expert focusing on the latest console gaming developments, upgrades and capabilities, I get asked this question a lot – and it‘s understandable why PS4 owners are confused. backwards compatibility does allow you to play the PS4 copy of Cold War on a PS5, but you won‘t get any of the substantial visual, performance and loading time benefits without paying the upgrade cost.

In this detailed guide, I‘ll clear up the PS4 to PS5 upgrade options for Cold War, help you decide if it‘s worth paying the $10 fee based on how you play, and provide tips for getting the most out of the next-gen experience.

PS4 to PS5 Upgrade Overview

First, let‘s breakdown how the Cold War cross-gen upgrade process works, fees involved, and what you actually get for your money:

Purchase the Cross-Gen Bundle

This gives you access to both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game immediately for $69.99. It‘s the easiest option, but you do pay $10 more upfront.

Pay the $10 PS5 Upgrade Fee

If you already bought Cold War Standard Edition on PS4, you can pay this fee later on to upgrade to the enhanced next-gen version. You‘ll unlock all the benefits shown in the table above that way.

Backwards Compatibility

You can always play your PS4 disc / digital copy on a PS5 at no extra cost. But it will run in a PS4 backwards compatibility mode without any visual enhancements, higher framerates, faster loading etc.

So in summary, you‘re looking at either a $10 upfront or upgrade cost to properly experience Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War on PS5 with all the platform‘s capabilities leveraged. Relying solely on backwards compatibility gives you basic functionality and isn‘t recommended for hardcore fans.

Just How Good is the PS5 Version?

You might be wondering whether paying extra for PS5 visuals, performance and loading times is actually worthwhile. As a gaming tech specialist, I can tell you the next-gen enhancements really do make a big difference in Cold War.

Visual Fidelity

With the power of the PS5 behind it, Cold War displays incredibly detailed native 4K resolution graphics at up to 120 frames per second when playing multiplayer or Zombies for silky smooth visuals. The DualSense controller‘s haptic feedback even adds immersive vibration and resistance effects you feel in your hands correlating to actions on screen.

The PS5 GPU pushes nearly double the graphical power of PS4, and it shows. Lighting, textures, effects and environments are far more realistic. Ray tracing support also takes lighting realism to the next level – something not possible last gen.

Performance & Loading

Besides looking substantially better, the PS5 upgrade also loads entire multiplayer maps in under 10 seconds thanks to the console‘s ultra high speed SSD. And with double the framerate at up to 120fps, controls feel blisteringly quick and responsive for competitive multiplayer action.

Downgrade Option Back to PS4

One nice bonus is the ability to downgrade again back to the PS4 version if you want to play with friends who haven‘t upgraded yet. The process to switch versions is quick and painless. So you can essentially toggle between generations at will if you sprung for the Cross-Gen bundle.

Is the $10 PS5 Upgrade Cost Worth It?

Whether springing for the enhanced PS5 edition is "worth it" mainly comes down to how much time you plan to sink into Cold War, and how much you care about graphical fidelity and performance.

For hardcore competitive multiplayer and Zombies gamers who will play daily, the upgrade cost delivers a massively improved experience that keeps Cold War feeling fresh and modern. Maximizing frames per second and having complete maps/modes load in seconds allows you to react faster while appreciating finely tuned visual details.

However, if you‘re mainly interested in playing through the single player campaign, I typically recommend saving the $10 and relying on backward compatibility. The campaign looks great even without PS5 enhancements. And you won‘t notice the downgraded performance or longer load times as much running through levels solo.

Below I‘ve compared some gamer profiles and given my recommendation if upgrading to PS5 is advisable for their needs and playstyle.

So in closing, while the PS5 upgrade isn‘t essential for all gamers, Black Ops Cold War does make excellent use of the new hardware for noticeably better visuals, responsiveness and loading. If you play online regularly, the $10 premium grants a superior experience that feels true next-gen and keeps gameplay feeling fresh.

Let me know if you have any other questions about upgrading to PS5! As a gaming tech specialist, I‘m always happy to provide advice.