Microsoft is continuing it’s quest for perfect compatibility with their next generation of consoles. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer announced today that owners of all Xbox Game Studios titles for Xbox One will get a free upgrade for their games so they can play on the upcoming Series X. Cyberpunk 2077 quickly joined the compatibility party.
Upgrading Cyberpunk 2077 for free
CD Projekt Red, sweethearts that they are, picked up on this concept and offered the same for Cyberpunk 2077. Gamers who purchase games like Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, and other Xbox exclusives, will be able to upgrade their Xbox One-edition to the Xbox Series X free of charge.
Gamers should never be forced to purchase the same game twice or pay for upgrades. Owners of #Cyberpunk2077 for Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X upgrade for free when available. https://t.co/nfkfFLj85w
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) February 24, 2020
This new strategy, besides promoting cross-platform compatibility, also ensures companies like the Polish Witcher-developer don’t miss out on initial sales. As we know, the sci-fi epic is initially only launching for current gen consoles. They wouldn’t want players holding off on purchasing the game if gamers plan on fully experiencing the game on the Series X later.
Smart delivery
As of yet, it is unknown whether player data will transfer between versions of the game. It would be somewhat of a bummer to have to restart the meticulous process of developing a character in Cyberpunk 2077. On the other hand, the game might be so awesome that gamers would do so regardless!
Spencer:
This technology empowers you to buy a game once and know that – whether you are playing it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – you are getting the right version of that game on whatever Xbox you’re playing on. We’re (…) ensuring you only have to purchase a title once in order to play the best available version for whichever Xbox console they choose to play on.
The Xbox-boss explains that the system, called Smart Delivery, is available to all developers and publishers. In other words, companies are free to offer the same service if they choose to. Not all games coming out this transitioning period are necessarily releasing on both platforms though. So we wonder just how many titles are eligible for Smart Delivery.1
But it’s a great gesture by Microsoft and CD Projekt Red, that’s for sure. We wonder what other Xbox exclusives will be added to this roster. Even more importantly, it remains to be seen if Sony will pass along the favor to their player base.
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