Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch on last-gen hardware as well as current-gen systems, but PS4 and Xbox One users will notice that they’re missing two popular features.
Despite being four years into the lifespan of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, many developers are still releasing new games on eleven-year-old hardware.
The reason for this is simple – there’s more money to be made in releasing games where a large percentage of the player base still resides.
However, while it’s perfectly possible to experience Black Ops 6 on PS4 and Xbox One devices, those that do so will be missing out on two key features.
Black Ops 6: All Differences Between Current and Last-Gen
Although Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available on both last and current-gen consoles, there are a few differences that players can expect when picking up the game on older systems.
First of all, players are certain to notice reduced graphical fidelity, slower loading times, and lower FPS when playing on PS4 and Xbox One.
However, with Treyarch utilizing texture streaming across all platforms (controversially requiring Black Ops 6 to be online at all times), the visual downgrade may not be as noticeable as it has been in the past.
But crucially, Black Ops 6 players on last-gen will miss out on two major features that all other users will be able to experience:
Theatre Mode
Call of Duty’s iconic Theatre Mode will not be available on last-gen consoles.
The mode, which has featured in every Black Ops title to date, allows users to save gameplay, take screenshots, and piece together clips from their recent matches.
Unfortunately, this will only be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC this time around.
If you’re someone who values being able to compile and upload content, or a player who likes to watch their footage back to learn from their mistakes, you’ll want to ensure you’re not playing on PS4 or Xbox One.
Split-Screen Mode
A true disappointment for those who love local Multiplayer, Black Ops 6’s split-screen mode will only be available on next-gen consoles.
“Split-screen gameplay (two players sharing a screen) for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5,” Activision confirms. “To ensure performance integrity, split-screen gameplay will not be supported on Xbox One or PlayStation 4.”
If you’re yet to upgrade your hardware from the previous generation of consoles, you will not be able to play Black Ops 6 in split-screen mode.
However, in this instance, even PC players will be missing out on the feature. In fact, split-screen has been missing from every Call of Duty PC release since 2015’s Black Ops 3.
Interestingly, last year’s MW3 does contain split-screen Multiplayer, even on last-gen systems.
However, Treyarch’s previous release, Black Ops Cold War, had notoriously buggy split-screen gameplay. Therefore, Black Ops 6 is either too intensive for older hardware, or the developer simply struggles with getting the mode operational.
The good news is that should you choose to upgrade from the PS4 and Xbox One later down the line, the Black Ops 6 Cross-Gen bundle will allow you to maintain access to this year’s Call of Duty for no additional charge!
