Black Ops Cold War: Upgrade from Xbox One to Xbox Series X/S

The release of Sony and Microsoft's next-gen consoles is not like any that has come before it with a level of backwards compatibility and cross-generational game support that has effectively created a series of tiers of console ownership.

That sounds like it could be anti-consumer with fears of having re-purchase games on next-gen hardware or have different accounts and progression spread across multiple versions of the game. 

But those fears are unfounded with systems in place to transfer save/game data, as well as a number of publishers providing gamers the opportunity to upgrade their games to the next-gen version, often free of charge, but sometimes at a cost.

• Read more: Upgrade PS4 games to PS5 free: All compatible games, enhancements, save transfer, and more

In the case of COD: Black Ops Cold War, Activision Blizzard have perhaps devised the most confusing upgrade options of any game, with the PlayStation 5 having essentially two versions of the game.

(Picture: Activision Blizzard)

Thankfully, if you are an Xbox gamer things are a little easier with just one upgrade option - but it comes at a cost.

How to upgrade Black Ops Cold War from Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S

There are three editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War currently for sale - the Standard, Cross-Gen Bundle, and the Ultimate Edition.

(Picture: Activision Blizzard)

Now if you purchased the Standard Edition and want to play it on the Xbox Series X the good news is - you can! The bad news is you will be playing the Xbox One version in backwards compatibility mode with reduced performance and graphic fidelity.

Now if you have purchased the Standard Edition and want to upgrade you can do.

To do so head to the Microsoft store and upgrade the version of the game, it will cost you the difference of between the Standard and Cross-gen version in your locality. To upgrade in the US it will cost you $10 (£5 in UK).

• Read more: How to uninstall Black Ops Cold War modes

So the process is easy enough but tough to swallow considering most developers are offering a free upgrade for their games and after Activision risk throwing the trust built up since the release of Modern Warfare and its much more sensible monetization in comparison to past Call of Duty games.