Warzone next-gen update for PS5, Xbox Series X: Performance upgrades, rumors, more

Warzone next-gen update release dateActivision / Treyarch

Console Warzone fans have been desperate to find out when Activision will eventually release their next-gen update for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. When it does arrive, fans will hope to find FPS improvements, and possibly an FOV slider. 

With Warzone Pacific upon us, the CoD battle royale still doesn’t have a next-gen update for PS5 and Xbox Series. In fact, these systems still run the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. This means those playing on newer consoles still don’t have access to customizable options like a FOV slider, SSD, and higher HZ or FPS support – features that came to the next-gen versions of Vanguard.

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As you’d expect, this can put you at a significant disadvantage when playing crossplay against PC users.


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Does Warzone’s next-gen update have a release date yet?

There is no confirmed release date for the next-gen upgrade for Warzone yet. Amos Hodge, Raven’s Creative Director confirmed months ago that the studio has a “dedicated technology team” working on the updated versions, but they offered no concrete date.

Some rumors spread that it would release with the original Warzone and Vanguard Season 5 update, but Activision quickly clarified that the ‘leaks’ were fake. Fans then turned their hopes to the long-awaited release of Warzone Pacific. But with the new Warzone chapter dropping on December 9, 2021, there is no more news on the next-gen upgrade.

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With so little information to go on, and no new leaks for some time, rumors are now circulating that a fully-fledged PS5 and Xbox Series version is still way off. A 2022 release is now the next best bet for fans and it’s highly likely that it will drop with the release of Warzone 2.

The wait goes on for a release date, but what can we expect when it does release?

What will be in Warzone’s next-gen update?

FOV slider in Black Ops Cold WarTreyarch
Black Ops Cold War was the first Call of Duty game to have a FOV slider for console players.

We don’t have any official details on the Warzone next-gen update, but it has been speculated that a FOV slider, SSD loading, higher HZ support, and numerous graphics options could be part of the update. 

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The most common request is of course the FOV slider, but on last-gen consoles, such a feature can have a negative impact of frame rates (FPS). With a higher FOV, more pixels need to be rendered, and this can significantly slow down the number of frames generated per second, therefore making for choppier gameplay.

However, with the power of the graphics cards inside the latest, current-gen consoles, it would be much more realistic to increase FOV while maintaining strong frames per second.

Console players have wanted more customization options when it comes to Warzone, but many of these options were made impossible due to the limited power of previous-gen consoles. 

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The devs have previously said that: “they don’t want to further increase the skill gap” as “FOV slider benefits high skilled players mainly.”

However, the added power from the Xbox Series and PS5 will likely make implementing these highly requested features possible. This is particularly important for console players looking to bridge the gap between their PC competitors. 

In the same vein as Fortnite, we also expect the PS5 version to make use of the Dualsense controller. Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers could make for the most immersive Warzone experience yet.

We’ll be sure to update this article with further information as soon as we hear more.

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