A Strange Upgrade Split
Darksiders: Warmastered Edition has received a new upgrade for modern consoles, which is a curious little twist for a game with plenty of history already. This version began life as a PS3-era action game, was later remastered for PS4, and has now moved again to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The new PS5 release is available now, but current owners of the PS4 version may get an unwelcome surprise at checkout. Instead of a free path to the new edition, they are being asked to pay $10, or 9.99 euros, to unlock the PS5 version.
That paid upgrade gives PS5 players access to native 4K rendering, a Photo Mode, and support for DualSense controller features. The game also runs at 60 frames per second on PS5, so there is a cleaner and smoother version here for anyone who still wants to revisit the first Darksiders.
Xbox players are getting a better deal. Anyone who owns Darksiders: Warmastered Edition on Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X|S upgrade at no extra cost. That means the same general move to current hardware lands as a free update on Xbox, while PlayStation players with the PS4 copy face a small fee.
The difference appears to come down to pricing. The PS4 version is staying at $19.99, while the new PS5 version launches at $29.99. On Xbox, the older Xbox One version is being moved up in price, which seems to make the free Series X|S upgrade easier to explain from a store pricing point of view.
THQ Nordic's announcement lays out the split plainly: PS4 owners can upgrade to PS5 for $9.99 or 9.99 euros, while Xbox One owners get the Xbox Series X|S version free. The same notice also lists the PS4 version at $19.99 or 19.99 euros and the PS5 version at $29.99 or 29.99 euros.
The awkward part is mostly for existing PS4 owners. New buyers can see the two PlayStation prices side by side, but players who already paid for the PS4 remaster are the ones being asked to spend again if they want the native PS5 edition.
From Z-retro's view, this is a small upgrade with a large messaging problem. The technical additions are welcome for fans, but the different treatment across Xbox and PlayStation makes the value question harder than it needed to be.