The Xbox Series X upgrade of Cyberpunk 2077 will be free to anyone who owns it on Xbox One.
Today, Xbox head Phil Spencer dropped a bunch of information about the company’s upcoming console. Spencer’s post on Xbox Wire led with teraflops. But, the most interesting news had little to do with technical power.
Instead, it was this bit, which indicated an expansion of Xbox’s overall attitude toward breaking down barriers between platforms.
Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X
“Smart Delivery: This technology empowers you to buy a game once and know that – whether you are playing it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – you are getting the right version of that game on whatever Xbox you’re playing on,” Spencer wrote.
“We’re making the commitment to use Smart Delivery on all our exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles, including Halo Infinite, ensuring you only have to purchase a title once in order to play the best available version for whichever Xbox console they choose to play on. This technology is available for all developers and publishers, and they can choose to use it for titles that will be release on Xbox One first and come to the Xbox Series X later.”
Sounds good right? In the past, developers have republished games with updated graphics and a new price tag on next-gen consoles. Think The Last of Us: Remastered and Grand Theft Auto V. But, from now on, Xbox is giving developers the option to sell their game once and allow players to access it across all Xbox platforms.
And, the studio behind the most highly-anticipated game in recent memory has taken note. Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red tweeted its support for the initiative.
“Gamers should never be forced to purchase the same game twice or pay for upgrades. Owners of #Cyberpunk2077 for Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X upgrade for free when available,” the Polish developer tweeted from its official account.
Cyberpunk’s September release date positions it near the end of the current generation. So, this is a boon for players who want to continue playing the game for years to come.
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