Activision and Treyarch have released Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. However, these are straightforward ports of the original games and not remastered versions, a fact that has led to considerable disappointment among fans who had hoped for enhanced experiences. The new releases do not include support for 120 Hz refresh rates, 4K resolution, or field-of-view sliders, and they lack cross-platform play functionality.
Players have also noted the absence of features such as theater mode and visible player counts in these new ports. This lack of polish, despite the games being readily available on other platforms, has fueled frustration within the PlayStation community.
Pricing Divides Gamers
The pricing strategy for the ports has become a significant point of contention. Both Black Ops and Black Ops 2 are priced at $39.99 each on the PlayStation Store. While a $20 discount is available for PlayStation Plus subscribers, the cost for games originally released in 2010 and 2012 is viewed by many as excessive. Activision is also offering season passes for $29.99 each, which are discounted to $9.89 for PS Plus subscribers. It appears Activision and Sony are banking on players being willing to pay for online access, which necessitates a PlayStation Plus subscription.
Beyond a few social media posts, the releases have seen minimal promotion from Sony or Activision, with no accompanying trailers or detailed blog posts. This quiet rollout has further contributed to the feeling of being underwhelmed among PlayStation fans.
Cross-Play and Backward Compatibility
While some players are reporting mixed success with cross-play between the PS4 and PS5 versions of these new ports, there is no cross-play support with Xbox consoles. This absence is seen by some as a positive, given that the multiplayer environments of the original Xbox 360 versions of Black Ops and Black Ops 2, which are playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S through backward compatibility, are reportedly plagued by hacking issues. Players have even petitioned Treyarch and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to address these problems and update the Xbox servers for a better experience.
Since the PlayStation ports were announced in June, there has been anticipation for similar updates to the Xbox and Windows PC versions of the games. However, Activision and Treyarch have not yet confirmed any plans to revive those versions beyond the recent PlayStation releases.
Call of Duty: Black Ops originally launched in 2010 for PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows PC, and Xbox 360. Black Ops 2 followed in 2012 on PS3, Wii U, Windows PC, and Xbox 360. Both titles are available on PC via Steam, and the Xbox 360 versions are accessible on current-generation Xbox consoles through backward compatibility.
Activision has previously released enhanced versions of older Call of Duty titles, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered in 2016. The most recent entry in the Black Ops sub-franchise is the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, slated for release in 2025. Separately, Activision is preparing to launch Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, which will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. This marks the first Call of Duty release on a Nintendo platform since Call of Duty: Ghosts for the Wii U in 2013. Modern Warfare 4 is set against the backdrop of escalating conflict on the Korean Peninsula, developed by Infinity Ward.