Future EA games can be 'upgraded' to run on next-gen consoles for free

Second Sister
Second Sister (Image credit: EA)

What you need to know

  • EA has stated that its upcoming games can be upgraded to their next-gen versions for free.
  • It's unclear if this is through Xbox Smart Delivery or another system EA has in place.
  • Xbox Series X and PS5 are still on track for a Holiday 2020 release.

With major AAA games coming out before next-gen and some people being unable to upgrade consoles anytime soon, more and more companies are making it easier to upgrade your existing current-gen games for Xbox Series X and PS5. In a recent earnings call, EA COO Blake Jorgensen confirmed that the publisher's upcoming games could be upgraded to their next-gen versions for free.

This year the phasing includes the effect of revenue recognition from the games we are launching for the current generation of consoles that can also be upgraded free for the next generation.

It's unclear whether this upgrade will be through Xbox's Smart Delivery program, backward compatibility, or a new service of EA's own creation. Sony hasn't revealed if the PlayStation 5 would have anything like Smart Delivery, but the console is set to be backward compatible with PS4 games.

EA hasn't confirmed if any older games that already released would be getting upgrades for Xbox Series X and PS5, but we can certainly think of a few we'd like to see.

Be sure to tune in on May 7 at 8am PT/11am ET when Microsoft hosts its Xbox Series X gameplay showcase.

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Jennifer Locke

Jennifer Locke has been playing video games nearly her entire life, and is very happy Xbox is growing a stronger first-party portfolio. You can find her obsessing over Star Wars and other geeky things on Twitter @JenLocke95.