The recently released PlayStation 4 and 5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 have drawn criticism from players due to their high price point and limited technical improvements over the original games. Activision is charging $40 for each individual re-release, totaling $80 for both, with DLC packs sold separately.
To mitigate the cost, PlayStation Plus members can obtain the games at a discounted price of $20 each, with season passes priced at $9.98 each. This promotional offer, which brings the total for both games and all DLC to approximately $60, is available until August 6th.
Despite the premium pricing, the ports offer minimal upgrades. Activision confirmed these are ports rather than remasters, and analysis suggests they provide a "low effort" experience. Digital Foundry noted that the games exhibit few improvements compared to existing backwards-compatible versions on Xbox consoles or what is achievable on PC.
Neither port leverages the PlayStation 5's hardware capabilities, lacking 4K output and 120Hz refresh rate options. Additionally, features common in modern Call of Duty titles, such as an FOV slider or distinct sensitivity settings, are absent.
On both PS4 and PS5, the games run at 1080p resolution without anti-aliasing, and there are no enhancements to visual fidelity or shadow rendering. The primary technical upgrade is the output resolution, which at 1080p surpasses the Xbox 360's 608p, though this resolution is already accessible via backwards compatibility on modern Xbox consoles.
Prior to their release, limited marketing and communication from Activision left players speculating about features like cross-play between PS4 and PS5. Clarifications made by Activision on X have confirmed that PS4 and PS5 players can matchmake together. Furthermore, season pass owners will be able to matchmake with non-owners, meaning DLC purchases will not restrict players to smaller matchmaking pools, except when playing on DLC-specific maps.