There’s a lot to love about PlayStation, but it’s safe to say that the company has been far from straightforward about the upgrade paths for games that are releasing on both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5. Because Sony increased the price of games on the PS5 from $60 to $70, it requires a $10 payment when someone wants to upgrade from the PS4 version of a game to the PS5 one. That said, not all games have followed that path with some offering free upgrades like Horizon Forbidden West.
God of War: Ragnarok is one of the most anticipated PlayStation releases of the past few years and because it’s launched on both the PS4 and the PS5, many are wondering about how to upgrade from one version to the other and if there’s a way to do it for free like with Horizon Forbidden West. Use the guide below to see which version of the game you have and how to upgrade to the PS5 version if you’re playing the PS4 one.
Is the PS5 Update for God of War: Ragnarok Free?
The short answer is that, no, the PS5 upgrade for God of War: Ragnarok costs $10. Following some backlash against the PS5 upgrade charge for Horizon Forbidden West earlier this year, Sony made Horizon‘s PS5 upgrade free but said that it would be the last time that it offered a PS5 version of a PS4 game as a free upgrade and specifically mentioned that God of War: Ragnarok would cost $10 to upgrade, same as the rest of its first-party AAA offerings.
How to Know Which Version of God of War: Ragnarok You Have
There are a few ways to know which edition of Ragnarok you have. The first, and perhaps the simplest, is for those who’ve bought physical copies. You’ll know which version of the game you have depending on what system it was bought for which is labeled on the box. The PS4 can only run PS4 copies, but the PS5 can run both the PS4 and PS5 versions, although the PS4 version will be missing a few key features exclusive to the PS5 edition such as DualSense enhancements.
If you’ve got a digital copy of the game on PS5, you’ll be given the option to download either the PS4 or PS5 versions when you first purchase it. If you’ve already downloaded it but don’t know which version you chose, you can easily see from the home screen by moving the cursor over to the God of War: Ragnarok app and looking at the name of the game displayed on the top of the screen to the right of the enlarged app when highlighted. If it simply says “God of War: Ragnarok” you’ve got the PS5 version, but if it says “God of War: Ragnarok | PS4,” you have the PS4 edition downloaded.
If you have both editions and want to switch from one to the other, highlight the app, hit the “Options” button on your controller, and select “Game Version.” Then, select the version that you want to use.
How to Upgrade From the PS4 Version to the PS5 Version
There are two ways to upgrade your PS4 version of God of War: Ragnarok to the PS5 version depending on if you’ve got a digital or physical copy.
Digital Edition
To upgrade your digital PS4 copy, go to the store page for God of War: Ragnarok and on the right-hand side of the screen, you’ll see the option to upgrade to the PS5 version. Select that box and you’ll be taken to the PS5 listing for the game and then you’ll be able to select “Upgrade for $9.99,” Select that option and then approve the purchase and the download. The upgrade will start downloading and you’ll be able to select the desired version using the steps detailed above.
Physical Edition
Insert your PS4 disk for God of War: Ragnarok and highlight the game’s app on the home screen. Hit down on the D-pad and go to the game’s store page. On the right side of the page, you’ll see the listing for the PS5 version of the game. Select that box and you’ll be taken to the PS5 version of the game’s store page. On that page, select “Upgrade for $9.99” then approve the purchase and the download. Once the PS5 version has downloaded you can select it using the steps detailed above in the previous sections.
