Xbox gamers have been enjoying one of the Series console's most well-regarded but understated features: Smart Delivery. Smart Delivery is a process by which players can easily play an optimized version of a game without loss of progress. Xbox has simplified this process to make it easy for gamers. If a gamer was to purchase the Xbox One version of a title, it would be optimized for Xbox Series X at the touch of a button if the player booted up the game on that platform. PlayStation's process on the other hand is a bit more complex, and the issue has been specifically highlighted as of late with the PS5 version of Marvel's Avengers.
Initially, PlayStation offered a few ways in which players can transfer PS4 save data to PS5. Players can transfer over a local Wi-Fi connection, upload to PS Plus storage, and download on PS5, and even a LAN transfer. Marvel's Avengers further complicated the issue whereby none of the usual methods seem to work, and the fix involves booting both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game and downloading data from there. A large portion of gamers have been frustrated with the scenario and the situation with Marvel's Avengers could herald further difficulties for PlayStation.
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The state of backward compatibility on PlayStation is already considered to be somewhat awkward. The PlayStation 5 is compatible with the vast majority of PS4 games, which is great news for those who have a large selection of PlayStation 4 games. However, the older PlayStation consoles aren't nearly supported as extensively, which has been a cause of concern for some gamers. The best that current console owners can do is use PlayStation Now, which has a good selection of older titles, but it isn't complete by any means. Many gamers still have older PlayStation titles in physical formats, and for some, it's a point of frustration not being able to use them.
Backward compatibility for PlayStation is perceived by some fans as low priority. The limited compatibility that PlayStation does offer is considered by a large portion of fans to be a disservice to the large catalog of PlayStation games through its various generations. The relative complexity of running an optimized version of a title on PS5 only compounds the issues for some and reinforces the notion that PlayStation doesn't see backward compatibility as a priority to some gamers.
By comparison, Xbox's Smart Delivery system is relatively straightforward. This is something that's not lost on Xbox, as it sent a friendly jab towards PlayStation in the wake of the Marvel's Avengers PS5 upgrade situation. Over the past few generations, as game consoles have embraced digital formats more, a lot of gamers have built impressive collections of games. Xbox gamers can play their games in their collection in a reasonably simple fashion, where Smart Delivery will optimize and transfer the game based on the platform being used. PlayStation, by comparison, has a more involved process for playing cross-generation titles on PS5.
The simplicity of Smart Delivery on Xbox could potentially mean that some gamers will gravitate more towards Microsoft's new consoles, rather than PlayStation 5. Backward compatibility and access to digital libraries are important facets of modern gaming for a large portion of players out there, and Xbox is widely considered to be doing a good job in this area.
PlayStation 5 is compatible with nearly every PS4 title, but it's the ease with which these titles can be upgraded is the issue for most gamers. The Xbox Smart Delivery service has been considered to be pretty seamless, whereas PlayStation 5 seems to have had several issues with enhanced games. Xbox's simplicity could be enough for some gamers to opt-out of getting a PS5 and choose a new Xbox instead.
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The issues that PlayStation has been facing with PS5 upgrades have affected numerous titles, including Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Marvel's Avengers, and several more. With several upgrade-related issues occurring, PlayStation could have an ongoing issue unless it finds a way to improve the optimization on a more widespread scale.
Considering that the new console generation has only been underway for a few months, this is a particularly relevant issue for PlayStation at the moment. A significant number of new games are cross-generation titles as the industry transitions to the new Sony and Microsoft consoles, which could signify an ongoing issue for PlayStation 5.
Cross-generation titles will ultimately end at some point when PlayStation 5 and the new Xbox Series consoles are fully adopted by developers. A possible roadblock for PlayStation and its current PS5 enhancement delivery system is the supply issues that both Sony and Microsoft are currently facing. The PS5 and new Xbox consoles have been in short supply on a global scale, meaning that there could be a prolonged period of cross-generation titles. Some gamers might consider Xbox to be in a better position to support such games, seeing as PlayStation 5 has had several notable issues with optimizing games.
When it was originally stated that PS5 wouldn't have a dedicated upgrade system like Smart Delivery, it was difficult for a lot of gamers to gauge how much of an impact it would have. Now, several months after the release of the new console generation, it has become apparent to some that there could be some inherent issues with the lack of formal structure. With console shortages set to continue for some time, cross-generation titles could be on the docket longer than past generations. If this turns out to be the case, there remains a distinct possibility there could be continued issues with PS5 upgrades in the future unless there is a new solution provided by Sony.
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