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EA details PS5 & Xbox Series X upgrades for current-gen lineup

How will your PS4 or Xbox One version of the current EA lineup work on the PS5 or Xbox Series X? The publisher offers some more details.

Ozzie Mejia

November 5, 2020 9:00 AM

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The next generation of consoles are a week away from release. However, arguably more than any previous generation, there are a lot of current-generation games that are still active. More and more publishers are issuing details on how they plan to take their active current-gen games to the new consoles. On Thursday, Electronic Arts joined them by releasing more details on next-gen upgrades for a handful of their active titles, including Apex Legends, Star Wars Squadrons, The Sims 4, and a handful of their sports games.

EA is mainly focusing on recent releases, as well as games that are still getting regular content updates. Here are the games that are set to receive next-gen upgrades:

• Apex Legends: Fresh off the launch of Season 7, there are plans to bring Apex Legends to PS5 and Xbox Series X before the end of 2020. In the meantime, anybody playing the current-gen versions on the new consoles can expect a performance bump to 1440p, along with unspecified enhancements set to come in 2021. The next-gen console versions of Apex Legends should presumably release alongside the recently-delayed Nintendo Switch version. All versions of the game will support crossplay.
• Star Wars Squadrons: There are no plans to release a fresh version on PS5 or Xbox Series X. Those looking for a next-gen enhancement on Microsoft's new console will have a choice to make. Those who opt for better visual quality can play at 2160p/60fps on Xbox Series X and 1440p/60fps with Xbox Series S. Those who opt for better performance can go up to 120fps at the expense of lighting models and visual quality. PS5 owners, meanwhile, will run with improved lighting, but run at the same resolution and framerate as the PS4 Pro version. A Variable Refresh Rate option is also being added on both next-gen platforms. All versions of the game will support crossplay.
• The Sims 4: There are less specifics on The Sims 4's upgrades, but those who take their console version of the game up to the new hotness can experience faster load times and smoother framerates.
• The EA Sports lineup: The current-gen version of EA's sports lineup (Madden NFL 21, FIFA 21, UFC 4, NHL 21) will receive slight enhancements. Those playing on the Xbox Series X will have their game play like the Xbox One X version. Those on the Xbox Series S can run their game like it does on the Xbox One S. And those on PS5 will see their game run like it does on the PS4 Pro. Remember that Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21 are getting dedicated next-gen versions and those who own the current-gen versions can upgrade for free.
• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered: This Criterion remaster is literally hours away from release, but those who want to take it to the new consoles have that option. The Xbox Series X version will look like it does on the Xbox One X, the Xbox Series S version will look like it does on the Xbox One S, and the PS5 version will look like it does on the PS4 Pro. Crossplay support will be supported for all versions.

There will undoubtedly be questions about the rest of EA's lineup, including other multiplayer efforts like Battlefield 5 and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and its handful of indie efforts. While those questions aren't being answered today, the publisher will hopefully get around to addressing more games in the weeks ahead.

You can learn more about EA's plan for current-gen console games on next-gen consoles by reading today's blog post on the EA website.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?