Sony still hasn't established a clear strategy for cross-generation games. They seem to be doing their own thing with every title, as is currently evident in the PlayStation Plus lineup. The madness continues.
It could be so simple, look at Microsoft, who view all their platforms as a single unit. With Sony, on the other hand, you constantly have to figure out where to buy which game and which upgrade is required. That was already disastrous with... Final Fantasy VII Remake Resolved last year, this issue permeates all upgrade paths in first-party titles and is currently resurfacing with PlayStation Plus.
Taking it with you, yes; playing, no!
Those who own a PS5 don't need to worry this time; the "fools" are once again the PlayStation 4 players. Sony is offering the following in February: Planet Coaster: Console Edition as part of PlayStation Plus Yes, but only for PS5 and not for PS4. This is surprising, since there's also a free upgrade to the PS5 version. So why not offer both versions?
PlayStation 4 players can also... Planet Coaster: Console Edition You can claim the game via the app or web store, but you can't actually play it. For that, you need a PlayStation 5, which is still difficult to get. Sony could argue that this is a bonus for owners of the new consoles, but all the cross-gen stuff and the numerous exceptions and conditions are anything but comprehensible!
PlayStation Now is also affected
Such discrepancies can also be found repeatedly with PlayStation Now, for example with the GTA III Definitive Editionwhich also features a free upgrade and is being advertised on all platforms. However, the remake can only be played on PS4. This inconsistency makes Sony look increasingly customer-unfriendly, and quite unnecessarily so. For the Players That's certainly no longer the case.
The question is, how is it that such differences are made here? Certainly, the developers and publishers behind these services always have a say, but generally, they don't operate in such a complicated way, as evidenced by the free upgrades that are much more common with them than with Sony itself. So, it does seem somewhat arbitrary when it comes to subscription services, regardless of who is behind them.
Perhaps something will change regarding PlayStation Now when the service... as speculated, will eventually be part of PlayStation Plus. Until then, we'll probably have to keep biting the bullet.
Yesterday I pre-ordered Horizon Forbidden West for PS4 via the app. I'm really curious to see if the upgrade will actually be free. What's also strange is that after pre-ordering the game, you can only search for the PS4 version in the PS5 store afterward; before that, only the expensive PS5 version was displayed, and it's still displayed for €80 (even now after buying the PS4 version).
It's true, people who don't dedicate themselves to it 24/7 due to lack of time or knowledge are being financially ripped off by these kinds of actions. Even if it's only €10, you can expect more from a multi-billion dollar corporation that owes its success to the PlayStation community. You can think what you want about Microsoft's plans, but when it comes to dealing with their own community, they're much more transparent and responsible than Sony. And I don't know if you've noticed, but the PS4 version of Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy are also gone from the store.
Sony has already stated that the upgrade for Horizon FireWire is free. Nevertheless, the PS4 and PS5 versions are still separate in the store. This is quite disgusting of Sony, as they're ripping off customers who aren't familiar with the game. It's also ridiculous that the PS4 version is only accessible through the app or browser. I'm still hesitant to pre-order, but I should be certain that I can download the PS5 version at release if I pay the 69 bucks for the PS4 version…