Another gaming generation is upon us, and with it, a whole slew of cross-generation titles for gamers to compare and contrast. Call of Duty has been an annual staple for well over a decade, and its latest entry, Black Ops Cold War is currently available on both the fourth and fifth iterations of Sony's PlayStation console, as well as Xbox Series X/S.
Considering what an absurd powerhouse the game is (the PC version can take up to 250 GB in storage and requires a graphics card that's still hard to get your hands on months after launch), there's bound to be some major differences between current and next-gen versions of the game. Experienced players will know that even the slightest change can greatly affect not only the player experience but also grant unforeseen advantages in multiplayer settings. Here are some differences you can expect to see between the two versions, and some reasons why current-gen players might want to consider upgrading.
Updated July 21, 2021 by Thomas Heath: Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War continues to be supported with new seasons and content drops. This list has been updated with more differences between the different versions of the game, in order to allow you to make an informed decision on which version you'd prefer to buy.
8 Higher Frame Rate Caps
The new generation of consoles has, for the first time, allowed you to experience console gaming at 120fps. On PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, Black Ops Cold War runs at a buttery-smooth 120 fps, with the ultra-high framerate being locked-in on multiplayer mode, though the campaign is no slouch either. Meanwhile, the current-gen version remains capped at 60 fps, which has powerful ramifications for cross-generation multiplayer.
It's worth noting that this is only available on support TVs, but even if you're playing at 60fps, the difference between the generations is fairly noticeable. In more intense sequences the PS5 and Series X have no issues maintaining a rock-solid 60fps, whereas last generation systems can see some frame drops from time to time.
7 Ray Tracing
With both next-generation systems being much more powerful than their predecessors, ray tracing has finally made the jump across from the PC world into console gaming. Rather than the baked-in shadows that have been the norm for decades, the next-generation version of Cold War offers dynamic and hyper-realistic lighting that far more closely matches the real deal and compliments the game's visual design significantly.
However, that improvement does come with one significant caveat. Ray tracing is only available on 60 fps mode. It cannot be enabled at 120 fps. In single-player where all opponents are bots and encounters are pre-scripted, this may not be an issue. However, in multiplayer where the difference between a few stray frames can be life-or-death, such discrepancies can have significant consequences, particularly in competitive settings.
6 Better Surround Audio
In addition to graphics, the other part of the game's presentation; audio, is also superior in the next-gen version. According to the developers, the newer version features localized sound both above and below a player, which they've coined as the "Threat Priority Audio System." In the traditional surround sound systems used by previous games, specialized channels were limited to the front, side, and back of a player. Now, with headphones, players can hear region-specific audio from above or beneath their character.
Like the improved framerates, these features could have significant ramifications for multiplayer. Simply put, PS5 and Xbox Series X players can hear sounds that their counterparts on older systems quite literally cannot.
5 Lightning-Fast Load Times
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The PS5/Xbox Series X version of Black Ops Cold War loads fast. Really fast. The load times for the next-gen versions have been described as "practically nonexistent" compared to current-gen counterparts. It's so fast, that you might actually have to wait for other players to catch up while playing cross-platform in multiplayer.
It was touted as one of the biggest features you'd come across in the newer systems, and Cold War truly delivers here. Allowing you to hop in and out of the action incredibly quickly.
4 Haptic Feedback
Probably the most significant difference, and the one most highlighted by Activision, is the PS5 version's use of the advanced haptic feedback found in its new DualSense controller. The Dualsense utilises a similar rumble feature to that of the 'HD rumble' seen in the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and it works fantastically well in Cold War by adding another layer of immersion to the game.
It can be disabled, but it's one of the biggest differences between the two versions and is an exciting reminder of what is possible with the newer hardware within the controller. It is levels above the rudimentary rumble seen in the Dualshock 4, and reacts in more intelligent and thought out ways to in-game actions such as driving, shooting and running.
3 Adaptive Triggers
Another cool feature within the Dualsense controller is the adaptive triggers, and they're used to brilliant effect in Cold War. The left trigger is slower and harder to reflect the difficulty of shouldering a weapon to aim down sight in real life, with the right trigger being snappier but with unique pressure levels for every in-game weapon. Bigger weapons are harder and smaller weapons are lighter.
As lead designer Tony Flame said in an interview with GameSpot, "The DualSense controller is pretty awesome. It's got new haptic feedback so when you're pulling the trigger, it's shaking, every time a gun fires there is a little motor in there that's firing every time. There is sensitivity on the trigger that represents the trigger pressure on a real weapon. All of that has been tuned in the game for each individual weapon."
2 Price Difference - $60 Vs. $70
An unfortunate difference between the two versions of the game is the $10 increase in price on the next-generation version. This comes into play through both buying the PS5 version directly or buying the PS4 version of the game and upgrading to the PS5 version.
Most other titles offer free upgrades for owners of the older system, but Activision opted for a small charge to those looking to do the same to reflect their increased next-generation pricing model.
1 Activity Cards
Activity Cards are another new addition to the PS5 software, allowing you to jump between different parts of games dependent on how the developer of said games utilises them. In Cold War, they can be used to launch quick multiplayer rounds amongst other functions.
They're not a feature you'll use all the time, but it's a welcome addition and allows you to streamline what can be at times a lengthy and arduous process if you're just trying to hop in for a few minutes in a short gaming session.