There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. Faster load times. Better graphics. Haptic feedback. Awesome new games. But one of the most enticing might be the ability to upgrade games from one generation to the next, a feature that Microsoft calls Smart Delivery on the XSX.
Square Enix has confirmed that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Marvel’s Avengers will be upgradeable to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions at no cost. According to both a press release and a more in-depth post on the PlayStation Blog, this includes both digital and physical versions of the game.
Gary Snethen, Chief Executive Officer at Crystal Dynamics, the game’s developer, said:
At Crystal Dynamics, we are gamers and we have a gamer-first mentality. We want to make it easy for Marvel’s Avengers players to enjoy the additional features PS5 brings to the game.
Therefore, we’re happy to announce that when you purchase Marvel’s Avengers for the PS4 platform, either digitally or on disc, and later upgrade to a PS5, you get the PS5 version of the game with all of its enhancements free of charge!
In addition, PS5 gamers can play Marvel’s Avengers online with PS4 gamers, so anyone can upgrade at any time and continue playing with friends on both platforms.
In addition to this news, Square Enix also said that Marvel’s Avengers will be a PS5 and XSX launch title when both next-gen console release later this year. The PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia versions of the game will release on September 4, and it will feature cross-play and cross-save functionality for PS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
While reports say that Sony will not support a similar Smart-Delivery-type feature for the PS5 from their end, those same reports contend that the company is “leaving [the implementation a Smart Delivery feature] up to publishers.”
However, other reports say that Sony has mandated recent PS4 games be compatible with PS5. Though, to be fair, that doesn’t exactly confirm the existence of such a delivery system or if one will ever be implemented by Sony itself.
Square unveiled Marvel’s Avengers in 2017. The game’s first trailer was shown at E3 2019 during the company’s games showcase. We were able to go hands-on with it at PAX West 2019, learning, among other things, that multiplayer and single-player have their own distinct mission strands.
