Activision released PlayStation 4 and 5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 at £35 each, but the upgrades are minimal. Separate DLC costs add up, leaving gamers questioning the value proposition.

Key Takeaways

  • Each Black Ops port costs £35 (≈$40) and DLC must be bought separately.
  • No visual or performance upgrades; runs at 1080p without anti‑aliasing.
  • PS4 and PS5 players can matchmake together, but DLC maps use a separate pool.

Activision has finally delivered the long‑awaited PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2. Yet the price tag—£35 (about $40) per title—means a combined cost of £70 (≈$80) before any add‑ons, and the numbers only climb from there.

Pricing vs. Value

Unlike most modern re‑releases that bundle DLC, Activision sells the season passes separately at £26 (≈$30) each. To own every map pack for both games you need to spend an extra £52 (≈$60), pushing the total package price to roughly £122 (≈$140). PlayStation Plus members receive a limited‑time discount, dropping each game to £17.49 (≈$20) and each season pass to £8.57 (≈$10), but the overall spend still tops £52 (≈$60) after the discount period ends on August 6.

Lack of Technical Enhancements

Digital Foundry described the ports as “low effort.” The titles do not leverage PS5 hardware: there is no 4K output, no 120 Hz mode, and none of the modern Call of Duty quality‑of‑life features such as FOV sliders or separate sensitivity settings. Both games run at 1080p on PS4 and PS5 with no anti‑aliasing, and visual improvements like enhanced shadows are absent. The only real upgrade is the jump from the original Xbox 360’s 608p to 1080p—something already achievable via Xbox One backward compatibility.

Connectivity and Match‑making

Because the launch received minimal marketing, many players only discovered core details after purchasing. A key question was whether cross‑play between PS4 and PS5 would be supported. Activision clarified on X (Twitter) that players on both consoles can matchmake together, and season‑pass owners can play with non‑owners, except when using DLC‑specific maps, which create separate matchmaking pools.

Industry Implications

This pricing strategy fuels an ongoing debate about the value of re‑releases. Competitors such as Sony and Microsoft have recently delivered full remasters with substantial visual and performance upgrades, setting a higher bar. If Activision continues to offer only bare‑bones ports, it risks alienating a player base that expects more than a nominal price increase for legacy titles.