Top 5 PS4 games with free PS5 upgrades

With the release of the PS5 in November 2020, PS4 users were delighted to hear that the PlayStation 5 supported backwards compatibility for most PS4 games by default. While this is beneficial to end-users, certain game developers sweetened the deal by announcing free upgrades from PS4 to PS5 for their titles.

This didn't just mean that the same title ran on both consoles. Instead, a complete utilization of the PS5's extra-computational horsepower and incorporation of next-gen features took place, breathing new life into older games.

Five best free PS4 to PS5 game upgrades

#1 - Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Launching two days before the release of the PS5, Assassin's Creed Valhalla followed in Assassin's Creed Black Flag's footsteps as an inter-generational game. While the latter focused on adding more detail and visual elements to its presentation, Valhalla went the opposite route on the PS5, instead opting for higher framerates.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla manages a solid 60 FPS on the PS5, a first for the franchise on consoles. The best part is that PS4 users who bought the game can upgrade to the next-gen version for free.

#2 - Borderlands 3

Developer Gearbox Software's first-person classic, Borderlands 3, finds its way onto the PS5 a year after release. Much to the joy of fans, the upgrade is free for existing users and consists of a host of improvements.

4k 60 fps support, faster loading times, carried-over save files, and complete DualSense controller support for advanced haptic feedback make Borderlands 3's PS5 upgrade all the more worth it.

#3 - Destiny 2

Bungie's first-person shooter, Destiny 2, saw a comprehensive upgrade on Sony's latest and greatest console. The developers have bumped up the frame rate to 60 FPS, added 4k support, and faster loading times.

They have also implemented cross-save between PS4 and PS5, so players never lose progress and an all-important field-of-view slider for a better view of the battlefield.

#4 - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege

As Ubisoft's competitive shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, sees its fourth season of the year to an end, it also gets a next-gen upgrade in the form of the Rainbow Six Siege PS5 Upgrade Edition.

In a first for consoles, the PS5 supports a whopping 120 FPS mode for the game, bringing the level of competitive play for controller players much higher. Other upgrades include the usual bells and whistles of better loading times and upgraded textures, all for free.

#5 - Dirt 5

Codemaster's Dirt 5 is a game that has gone above and beyond in its PS5 upgrade, allowing users to choose from three available graphics modes. Prioritize resolution focuses on lowering graphical details to maintain a native 4k resolution at all times. Prioritize quality enables the game to use dynamic resolution scaling to accommodate increased effects like more ambient occlusion, higher draw distance, and so on.

Last and most impressive is the prioritize frame rate mode that pushes the game to 120 FPS for a silky smooth visual presentation. While some graphical details and higher resolutions are lost in this mode, the game still visually holds up and is a unique experience for those with 120 Hz TVs or monitors.

Note: This article reflects the writer’s opinions, and what may seem right to one person may not be so to another.