Why PS5 owners are being asked to pay for Darksiders: Warmastered Edition’s current‑gen upgrade while Xbox players get it free, and what the new versions actually change.
The return of Darksiders: Warmastered Edition on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S should have been a simple win for fans of War’s apocalyptic adventure. Instead, it has sparked a familiar argument about paid upgrades, platform policies, and what counts as a meaningful current‑gen patch.
Why PS5 players are upset
THQ Nordic’s new release treats each console family very differently. On Xbox, anyone who owns the Xbox One version of Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is automatically upgraded to the new Xbox Series X|S version at no extra cost. It appears just like any other Smart Delivery title: your existing license simply entitles you to the best version on your hardware.
On PlayStation, the situation is the opposite. If you own the PS4 version, the PS5 upgrade is not a free patch. Instead, it is a separate PS5 product priced as a $10 upgrade path, while a full standalone purchase on PS5 costs about $30.
That split has triggered immediate backlash for a few reasons. First, the feature set is essentially the same across both consoles, which makes it hard for PS5 owners to accept why one platform gets it as a perk while the other has to pay. Second, we are deep into the current generation, and most comparable upgrades for older titles have either been free or bundled as part of more substantial remasters.
The criticism is being amplified by comparison to other Darksiders releases. Earlier in the generation, some THQ Nordic titles, including Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition on new consoles, received free performance bumps. For players who have already double‑dipped on Darksiders across multiple platforms and re‑releases, paying again for what looks like a modest spec bump feels like one upgrade too many.
How platform policies helped create the gap
The controversy also highlights how different Sony and Microsoft’s ecosystems are when it comes to cross‑gen support.
On Xbox, Smart Delivery is baked into the infrastructure. If a game participates in the program, one purchase entitles you to every supported version across Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles. Publishers can still choose how they package and price entirely separate SKUs, but once a title is enrolled, the upgrade is automatic for existing owners. THQ Nordic is using that system for Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, which makes the free Series X|S update feel like the default rather than a special gesture.
PlayStation does not have a universal equivalent. There are free PS4 to PS5 upgrades, but they are handled on a game‑by‑game basis. Some titles provide a no‑cost native PS5 version, others charge a small upgrade fee, and a growing number are sold as full remasters with higher price tags. Sony’s own first‑party catalogue reflects this mix, and third‑party publishers have followed suit.
In that environment, THQ Nordic can position the PS5 edition of Darksiders: Warmastered as a new SKU rather than a patch. The result is the awkward split: Microsoft’s structure practically pushes toward a free Series X|S entitlement, while PlayStation’s store layout makes it easy to sell a new version outright.
What the PS5 and Xbox Series versions actually change
If you are looking past the drama and just want to know what you get on current‑gen consoles, the new Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a fairly straightforward technical upgrade rather than a content‑heavy remaster.
The headline change is native 4K support. Previous console versions already ran sharper than the original PS3 and Xbox 360 release, but the PS4 version topped out below full 4K. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game targets 60 frames per second at a native 4K resolution, cleaning up edges and environmental detail across the board. On Series S, the resolution target is lower, but you still get a much crisper image and the same 60 fps cap.
Alongside the resolution bump, the current‑gen build smooths out performance. Darksiders: Warmastered Edition already ran well on last‑gen hardware, but players noted drops during heavy combat and in some large outdoor spaces. Running on PS5 and Xbox Series hardware, frame pacing is noticeably tighter, and the game holds its 60 fps target far more consistently, especially on Series X and PS5.
A new photo mode is the only real feature addition outside visual and performance tweaks. It lets you pause the action, move the camera around War, and capture stylized shots of the ruined Earth and its demonic inhabitants. There are camera controls and basic filters, which fit the comic‑book aesthetic and give returning players a fresh way to play with familiar scenes.
Outside of those changes, this is the same Warmastered Edition introduced years ago. You still get the upgraded textures and improved rendering pipeline that defined that release, but there are no new story chapters, no extra dungeons, and no gameplay reworks tailored specifically for PS5 or Xbox Series. Load times benefit from SSDs on both consoles, though THQ Nordic has not framed those faster loads as a major feature.
Does the upgrade feel worth paying for on PS5?
Judged purely on what you see on screen, the enhancements are not insignificant. Running at a cleaner native 4K with highly stable 60 fps gives Darksiders a level of clarity and responsiveness it has never had on consoles, and the art direction still holds up well on modern displays. For players who skipped the last generation’s remaster or who are discovering the series for the first time, this is the best way to play.
The friction comes from context rather than content. Xbox players get that experience folded into the copy they already own. PS5 players, even those who bought Warmastered Edition digitally on PS4, are being asked to pay again for improvements that some other games have delivered as free patches.
That contrast feeds into a broader fatigue around cross‑gen monetization. When a current‑gen release adds new content, significant art passes, or deep mechanical changes, players tend to accept paying for a fresh SKU more readily. In Darksiders: Warmastered Edition’s case, the package looks much closer to an enhanced build of the existing game than a full reimagining, which makes the $10 PS5 toll a hard sell for many long‑time fans.
Who should care about this release now?
If you are on Xbox and already own the game, the answer is simple: the upgrade is worth grabbing. It is a free bump in resolution and stability that freshens up a classic without demanding anything more than a download.
On PS5, it is a calculation. If Darksiders: Warmastered Edition was a favorite on PS3 or PS4 and you are eager to revisit it with a sharper image and smoother performance, the new version does deliver a cleaner, more modern experience. If you are just curious or already content with how it runs via backward compatibility, the paid upgrade will feel optional at best and exploitative at worst.
In the end, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition’s current‑gen release shows how much expectations have shifted. Native 4K and 60 fps used to define a full remaster. In 2026, those same upgrades, especially when one platform gets them for free, can just as easily define a controversy.