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A digital pre-order of the game contains early access to a multiplayer beta, and a character skin for Modern Warfare. Not only are the digital editions of Black Ops Cold War easier to upgrade, they also contain pre-order bonuses that will not be available with physical copies. With this Call of Duty release, Activision is incentivizing players to buy digital copies.
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Xbox One players thinking about purchasing an XSX should buy the digital edition of Black Ops Cold War to receive their next-gen upgrade. The Xbox One physical edition can not be upgraded to a next-gen version. Likely due to Activision's current partnership with Sony, only the physical PS4 version of the game can be upgraded to a digital next-gen version for an additional fee. It will not have next-gen enhancements like faster load times, ray-tracing, etc.
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Meaning, using the PlayStation as an example, a user may play the PS4 disc version of Black Ops Cold War on a PS5, but they will literally be playing the PS4 version of the game on a PS5. For players who prefer owning physical games, both the physical standard PS4 and Xbox One editions will be playable on next-gen consoles via backward compatibility.
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