How To Upgrade Your PS4 Games Into PS5

Sony’s new console allows consumers to easily upgrade your PS4 games to the PS5 – in many cases for no cost – allowing them to enjoy the latest-generation versions of their favourite titles. However, there isn’t a universal system for upgrading your games. That can lead to confusion, especially as you get used to the details of your new PS5. Eligible upgrades have been dealt with on a publisher by publisher basis so it isn’t as easy as you might imagine.

Here are all the details about how to upgrade your PS4 games to PS5, including which titles can be upgraded and whether or not it’s free. Here are the steps to upgrade your PS4 games and make them PS5.

Check Out The List Of Eligible Ps4 And Ps5 Upgrades

Before you start learning how to upgrade your PS4 games, it’s important that you know which games are available for upgradability. Unfortunately, the majority of PS4 games do NOT have a PS5 iteration. However, some new releases and online games with large communities are exceptions to this rule. 

It is important to remember that a PS4 upgrade to PS5 does not mean backward compatibility. Nearly every PS4 title will run on PS5 via reverse compatibility. However, the following games can be played on any of the cross-generational PS5 versions. The PS5 editions offer visual enhancements, such as a higher frame rate and better resolution. You can find more information about eligible games in the table below.

It will be obvious that most eligible games can be upgraded to PS5 from PS4 for free. This is great considering that you just spent $400-$500 on a new PS5 console. Only a few games are eligible for a free upgrade, and these require that you purchase some kind of special edition like Control. Yakuza: 

Like a Dragon is another game that can be upgraded for PS4 free. However, you must purchase the digital edition on PS4. Final note: Some games, such as Madden NFL 21 (and FIFA 21), can be upgraded free of charge, but only until the next year. The PS5 edition will probably include more PS4 games than we have yet to announce.

How To Upgrade Your PS4 Games To PS5

As you can see, all eligible PS4 games are free to upgrade to the PS5 regardless of whether they are digital or physical. You’ll need to insert a physical copy of an eligible PS4 title into your PS5 (you will need a Standard Edition PS5). This will allow you to access the digital PS5 version for free (in most cases). The disc must be kept in your PS5 for all play.

The upgrade process for both the physical and digital versions is almost the same. The system will detect if you have purchased a compatible digital edition of a PS4 video game and will allow you to upgrade to the PS5 version via the game’s landing pages. You can also upgrade to the PS5 version by inserting a compatible PS5 disc into upgrade your PS4. There are several ways to make this option appear. The easiest way is to select the game you want from your Game Library. It can be found on the PS5’s home screen.

This allows you to select the game. If the game is available in a PS5 edition, it will show a notice to the right. As an example, Dead by Daylight is shown above. You should see a Free PS5 upgrade on the right. Click this link to download the PS5 version. You can also manually search for the game on the PS Store. Dead by Daylight is an example. 

If it detects that the game was purchased on PS4, it will default to the PS5 edition. The three dots at the top of the page allow you to choose which edition you want. This allows you to toggle between PS4 and PS5 editions. You should also notice a modification to the item that you are about to install. You need to pay attention to this in order for you to know if you’re downloading the correct edition.

It is important to remember that not all PS4-to-PS5 upgrades are yet available. Marvel’s Avengers, a game currently available on PS4 and not yet on PS5, is an excellent example. Yakuza 2 and Destiny 2 are other examples. If you are unable to find the option to upgrade to the next-generation version of a PS4 eligible game, it may be because it isn’t yet available. Cyberpunk2077 and Hitman 3 are two examples of games that aren’t yet available on any console. But, you will get an upgrade for those games when they come out.

Paid upgrades

You will need to buy a special edition for the PS5 version to upgrade Your PS4, which is only available in a few games that offer paid upgrades. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War offers a $70 cross gen bundle which includes both the PS4 & PS5 editions. You can also upgrade to the PS5 version for $10 by purchasing the standard $60 PS4 Cold War edition. Other games offer more costly upgrade paths. Here’s a list of games with paid upgrades starting at PS4 and ending at PS5 along with how to get them.

• Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War — Get a $70 cross-gen bundle or $10 more
• Control — Control Ultimate Edition on PS4: $40. The standard version is not upgradeable (at the time of writing).
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered – Spider-Man Miles Morales Ultimate Edition on Sale for $70. This edition is not available as a stand-alone.
• NBA 2K21 — Purchase NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition PS4 for $100

Fortunately, there are few paid upgrades. Publishers often get backlash from the community when they charge PS5 players for their edition.