Summary
The latest leaks suggest that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 could be a cross-gen release, which makes sense from a financial standpoint but is still disappointing for those who are ready to see a proper next-gen Call of Duty game. The PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles were released four years ago, yet many of gaming’s most popular franchises have yet to pull the trigger on PS5 and Xbox Series X-only releases, opting to continue releasing cross-gen games that also land on PS4 and Xbox One, withCall of Duty: Black Ops 6rumored to be a cross-gen game as well.
There are pros and cons to this approach. On one hand, it’s great news forPS4 and Xbox One gamers who have yet to upgrade to the latest consoles. It also allows game publishers to take full advantage of the massive install base on the older consoles. The downside is that it means that the games are held back and can’t take proper advantage of the newer hardware. This has left this current generation stuck with one foot in the past, and while things are starting to improve, many blockbuster games continue to be released as cross-gen titles, giving fans little reason to spring for the newer hardware.
Unfortunately forCall of Dutyfans hoping that the series would finally be moving on from older hardware, the latest leaks suggest thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 6will be a cross-gen gamealso launching for PS4 and Xbox One. Commercially, this makes a ton of sense, but creatively, it means the game isn’t going to be able to push the envelope graphically and mechanically in the same way it would have if it were targeting PS5 and Xbox Series X specifically.
Black Ops 6 Being Cross-gen Makes Sense, But It’s Still Disappointing
Still, it’s hard not to be disappointed thatCall of Dutyisn’t moving on from the PS4 and Xbox One with 2024’sBlack Ops 6. While it may seem odd now, there once was a time whenCall of Dutywas a major innovator in the first-person shooter space. Innovation is certainly still possible for aCall of Dutygame releasing as a cross-gen title, but there are undoubtedly opportunities being missed by the games refusing to focus exclusively on more powerful hardware.
WhenCall of Duty 2launched back in 2005, it did so on PC and Xbox 360, leaving the older generation behind. The result was a game that, at the time, featured game-changing graphics and audio. When the PS4 and Xbox One came out,Call of Dutycontinued to cling to the PS3 and Xbox 360 for a few games, but it eventually left those consoles behind with2016’sCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
There have so far been fourCall of Dutygames released as cross-gen titles between the PS4, Xbox One, PS5, and Xbox Series X. It started in 2020 withCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warand has continued through 2023’sModern Warfare 3. While still unconfirmed, it is looking likely thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 6will be a cross-gen game as well, meaning fans have at least one more year before theCall of Dutyfranchisefinally moves on and focuses exclusively on newer hardware. However, there may not really be an end in sight for cross-genCall of Dutygames.
Future Call of Duty Games Are Likely Coming to the Switch 2
When Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, it promised that it would releaseCall of Dutygames on Nintendo consoles for at least 10 years. The current iteration of the Switch is simply not powerful enough to hostCall of Duty, so many are assuming that thisCall of Dutydeal won’t start until the Switch 2 is out. TheSwitch 2 has yet to be revealed, but chances are good that it will be less powerful than the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Since Microsoft will be making a weaker version of the game for the Switch 2 anyway, it seems that theCall of Dutyfranchise will never be able to truly move on and produce a game that utilizes the newer consoles to their full potential.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
