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EA is joining the slow but still growing list of publishers and companies that are dedicated to providing free "upgrades" to next-gen versions of games. EA joins the likes of Microsoft and even CD Projekt Red in the push to allow fans and gamers to buy a current-gen version of a game and get a free upgrade to a next-gen version of the game with as little hassle as possible. That's right, buy a game once in the here and now and you'll have a graphically superior version waiting for you when the next-gen console versions launch.
Microsoft has even built this sort of free upgrade feature into the Xbox platform. They called it Smart Delivery and was one of the first new features that the company talked about when the Xbox Series X was first revealed. At the time, CD Projekt Red became the first studio to announce that they were giving Cyberpunk 2077 owners a free upgrade as part of the Smart Delivery system. So far, between Sony and Microsoft only Microsoft has announced any sort of an upgrade plan that is natively supported through their platforms. Sony has yet to reveal much of anything concerning the PlayStation 5, so there may still be some hope for something on their end.
EA made a rather vague announcement about this free upgrade initiative during their earnings call to shareholders this week. COO Blake Jorgensen says that there will be some there will be some "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 a simple statement, but it seems very clear that EA is keen on participating in the Smart Delivery program on the Xbox One. It's also presumed that they will do the same on the PlayStation 5 should Sony offer a similar program.
According to Gamesradar, EA and Respawn may be planning to release Apex Legends on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Obviously a game that is already free-to-play isn't much to get excited about, but we do not yet know the full extent of EA's plans. Like with most things related to this next-generation of gaming, we still don't know a whole lot about anything just yet.
EA also confirmed a few new titles that will be coming this year from the studio. These games include the usual EA Sports FIFA 21 and Madden NFL 21. They also say that a new, unspecified HD title is also coming.
