Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen console have launched, and – as expected with new tech – users are finding some glitches in the system.
Perhaps one of the most obnoxious is that the PS5 defaults to launching the PS4 version of some games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. For most users, this is a not-so-obvious UI problem that’s resolved by manually selecting the PS5 version of the game, as Activision support explains on Twitter:
To make sure you’re playing the next-gen version of #BlackOpsColdWar on PS5:
1. Highlight the game tile on the Dashboard
2. Scroll down and highlight “Play”
3. Select the 3 dots and open the menu
4. Select “PS5 | Full | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War”
5. Launch and enjoy!
— Activision Support (@ATVIAssist) November 14, 2020
For other users, however, the problem is much more complicated, and choosing to play the PS5 version of the game results in that game being stuck in a download queue forever instead. According to IGN, this can only be fixed with a factory reset, which isn’t exactly a super fun time for users with slow internet connections. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, for example, is a 130GB (!) download – sucks to be you on dialup.
Microsoft has circumvented this issue with its Smart Delivery feature, which automatically downloads the Xbox One or Xbox Series XYZ version of a game, but it’s not off the hook. There are multiple reports of the console serving “no signal” or “corrupted image” errors at on LG, Samsung, and Vizio TVs with 4K, 120Hz, and variable refresh rate (VRR) enabled, for example, and support for the much-hyped Quick Resume feature is inconsistent from one game to the next. Bummer.
A temporary inconvenience or a sucker’s tax for launch week fanboys? You decide.