Activision has finally brought Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 to PS4 and PS5, but fans are furious — the ports offer zero graphical upgrades, a $40 base price, and separate DLC purchases that can push the total cost to $140.
After years of PlayStation players being unable to play two of the most beloved Call of Duty titles from the Xbox 360/PS3 era, Activision has finally released Black Ops 1 and 2 on modern PlayStation platforms. Xbox users had long enjoyed these games via backward compatibility, complete with online multiplayer support, making the PlayStation community's long wait for a proper port especially frustrating.
But when the ports finally arrived on July 9, the reception was overwhelmingly negative. Players and critics alike have condemned Activision for what they describe as a lazy, cash-grab port that offers no meaningful upgrades over the original 2010 and 2012 releases.
Each game is priced at $40 USD at standard retail, with a limited-time PS Plus discount bringing it to $20 per title (valid until August 6). However, the DLC situation has drawn the most ire: neither game includes any of their original downloadable content. Season passes are sold separately at $10 each during the promotion, set to rise to $30 after the discount ends. Players who want the complete experience across both games face a potential total cost of up to $140.
The technical state of the ports has been described as "bare minimum" by reviewers. Highlights of the complaints include:
• No visual remaster or graphical enhancements whatsoever
• No 120 FPS support on PS5
• No Field of View (FOV) slider
• Only simple resolution upscaling to accommodate 4K displays
• No new story content, maps, or behind-the-scenes material
• Essentially a straight emulation wrapper around the original code
The decision to sell DLC separately has also split the player base, as those who purchase the base game cannot play multiplayer maps with those who own the season pass — a problem that the unified Xbox backward compatibility system naturally avoids. Community sentiment on social media has been overwhelmingly negative, with many accusing Activision of exploiting fan nostalgia at the highest possible price point.
Industry observers have noted that Activision could have taken a different approach — bundling all DLC, applying a proper visual remaster, implementing cross-platform play, and pricing the package reasonably. Instead, the company chose what many describe as the most anti-consumer approach possible, cashing in on beloved classics with minimal effort investment.
The controversy comes as Call of Duty fans eagerly await more details on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (COD 2026), which is expected to launch later this year. The stark contrast between Activision's treatment of its back catalog and the promise of its next-generation flagship title has not gone unnoticed by the community.