While confusing marketing is far from unusual, it's worth stressing for those buying the new Call of Duty, whether a casual gamer or holiday gift shopping.
Digital versions on Xbox One and PS4 can upgrade for $10, however.Īnd that's not even touching on technical issues, with many Xbox Series X/S owners experiencing crashes and instability when playing the Xbox One version.
The PS4 disc version does provide an upgrade opportunity, with users presented a PS5 upgrade for free via the PlayStation Store. It means those with the Xbox One boxed version can't switch to the full Xbox Series X experience unless double-dipping with a second full-price purchase. The situation is further worsened with no upgrade path from Xbox One to Xbox Series X with the physical disc. Many we spoke to didn't see those differences until explained. But the shared box design makes this hard to understand quickly, with many likely to buy the wrong edition this holiday.
There are several giveaways upon closer inspection, namely with the Xbox Series X sticker in the top right-hand corner of the box and the bottom-right label, emphasizing the two versions. With Microsoft supporting blanket backward compatibility, the non-upgraded version also works on Xbox Series devices, hence the Xbox Series X tag. The left provides only the Xbox One experience without Xbox Series X enhancements. The Xbox Series X version is pictured on the right, optimized for new consoles with upgrades, but with a free Xbox One version included. I've asked several casual gamers to choose between the two products, and many ultimately failed to identify those differences.įor those confused, hold tight - Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War ships in two standard versions, one tailored to Xbox One and the other tailored to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S buyers. While enthusiasts may quickly identify the few identifying traits, you have to admit this makes for a horrible shopping experience.
Look at the image below for a few seconds - which product would you pick off the shelf? Can someone explain the difference and why one costs more? from r/xboxone But that divide also makes buying the latest title a downright mess, with confusingly deceptive box art likely to mislead some throughout the coming year. at launch, while the Xbox Series X version costs $70. The game ships with two distinctly different editions, with Cold War for Xbox One priced at $60 in the U.S. But a few have trialed paid upgrades, with Activision among adopters of the model for the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.