Black Ops and Black Ops 2 Surprise Release on PlayStation—Not Remastered!

The peculiar launch of the original *Call of Duty: Black Ops* and *Call of Duty: Black Ops 2* on PlayStation platforms has stirred up quite a buzz. Recently, Activision and Treyarch announced that both titles are now available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, leaving many fans disappointed as they were hoping for remastered versions rather than simple ports. Unfortunately, these new releases are just straightforward adaptations, lacking the enhancements that players were hoping for.

The PS4 and PS5 versions of *Black Ops* and *Black Ops 2* come with the essential components: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. However, they fall short in several areas, such as not supporting 120 Hz refresh rates, 4K resolution, or field-of-view sliders. Additionally, cross-platform play is not an option. While Activision, Treyarch, and the porting team at Iron Galaxy never claimed these features would be included, the absence of any new polish has left many players feeling frustrated.

Moreover, features like theater mode and visible player counts are missing from these ports, further adding to the disappointment.

The pricing of the games has also sparked debate among gamers. Each title is priced at $39.99 for PS4 and PS5, though PlayStation Plus subscribers can snag them for $20 less. Additionally, there’s a $29.99 season pass available for each game, which is discounted to $9.89 for PS Plus members. Given that these games were originally released in 2010 and 2012, the standard price tag has not been well-received, but Activision and Sony seem to be banking on the fact that anyone interested in these titles will likely have a PlayStation Plus account for online play.

Overall, many PlayStation fans are expressing their disappointment with the releases, which have received minimal promotion beyond a few social media posts. There have been no trailers or blog updates—just some tweets.

While players have had mixed results with cross-play functionality between the PS4 and PS5 versions, one thing is clear: the PlayStation ports do not support cross-play with Xbox. This is a relief, as the multiplayer experience in the original Xbox 360 versions has been heavily compromised, according to fans.

In fact, players have reached out to Treyarch and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, requesting a server update for *Black Ops* and *Black Ops 2* on Xbox to restore their playability.

Since the announcement of the PlayStation ports back in June, fans have been hoping for updates for the Xbox and Windows PC versions. However, Activision and Treyarch have yet to indicate any plans to revive those versions beyond the recent PlayStation releases.

*Call of Duty: Black Ops* first launched in 2010 for PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows PC, and Xbox 360, followed by *Black Ops 2* two years later on PS3, Wii U, Windows PC, and Xbox 360. Both titles are available on PC via Steam, and the Xbox 360 versions can be played on Xbox One and Xbox Series X through backward compatibility.

Activision has previously revisited a classic entry in the franchise with 2016’s *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered*, which updated the beloved *Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare*. The latest installment in the Black Ops series is set to be *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7*, releasing in 2025.

Looking ahead, Activision is gearing up to launch *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4* on October 23. This installment will focus on a “rapidly escalating global conflict centered on the Korean Peninsula,” as described by developer Infinity Ward. This year’s *Call of Duty* will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, marking the first entry on a Nintendo platform since 2013’s *Call of Duty: Ghosts* for Wii U.

The South Korea campaign is set to kick off early.