Battlefield 2042 cross-gen entitlement now included in standard edition on PS5 & Xbox Series X|S

EA has announced a change to the cross-generational release of Battlefield 2042, loosening the grip a little so that people can buy the game at a lower price point to gain access to both generations of the game on PlayStation and Xbox.

Dual-entitlements are now included in the £69.99 digital standard edition of Battlefield 2042 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, which had previously only been included in the £89.99 Gold edition and £109.99 Ultimate edition of the game. Quite the price difference, eh?

If you buy the PS4 or Xbox One standard edition of the game, or buy the game for those consoles on disc, there is no planned upgrade path for you. These versions of the game have an RRP of £59.99, but EA “has no plans” to offer the option to upgrade for £10 at a later date. You need to be crystal clear on that fact if you’re buying the game.

In other words, if you buy those versions, then you’re stuck with them. EA has made the change in recognition of the fact that demand is significantly outstripping supply for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X right now, and because the older generation consoles are limited to 64-player battles and without cross-gen play. Personally, I think it’s still pretty crappy not to offer a make weight upgrade option, as we’ve seen Sony commit to doing for God of War and Gran Turismo 7.

EA has also confirmed that cross-progression will let you take you unlocks and levelling from from last-gen to the new-gen machines.

Battlefield 2042 Orbital Map

The announcement comes the day before the open beta for Battlefield 2042 kicks off, with punters getting two days early access to the beta through pre-ordering the game. The beta runs from 6th October for those who pre-order or have EA Play, and then on 8th October for everyone else, concluding on 9th October.

Announced earlier this year after months of rumours and build up, DICE first unveiled the All-Out Warfare modewith Conquest and Breakthrough and up to 128 players on newer systems – PS4 and Xbox One will be restricted to 64 players. The game will have the biggest maps ever found in the series, as well as AI characters that will help keep these massive maps feeling populated at all times.

Alongside that, the newly rebranded Ripple Effect studio has cooked up Battlefield Portal. Remastering content from the original Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3, Portal puts control of the game in your hands, letting users mashup their own game modes, create unique experiences, and more.

The last game experience is the Hazard Zone mode, which is rumoured to take inspiration from Escape from Tarkov, but is catagorically not a battle royale.

Battlefield 2042 will release on 19th November 2021 across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Source: press release, FAQ