MILLIONS of PS5 and Xbox players are being offered an upgrade to two popular games for free today.
The updated versions of the games arrive on consoles on August 12.
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Upgrades are available for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade ll Enhanced and Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice.
The former is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Game Pass and Steam.
But from today, the game will also be available on PS5.
Gamers who already own the PS4 release of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, can also upgrade to the PS5 version for free from today.
More details on the upgrade to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade ll Enhanced can be found on Microsoft’s website at this link.
Additions to graphics
The updated version of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade ll includes additions to the graphics and gameplay.
It also includes an enhanced Photo Mode and developer commentary.
In a statement posted on its website, Microsoft stated: “We’re happy to announce that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced will arrive on August 12 as a free update for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam.”
The company stated the PS5 version will be released the same day with players able to purchase the standard edition for $49.99 (£37.00).
“We are also offering a Deluxe Edition at $69.99 [£52] which, as well as the base game, includes Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice optimized for PlayStation 5,” said a spokesperson.
Upgrades to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II include an enhanced toolset within Photo Mode.
This comes with improvements across several settings.
Video capture
There is also a new “Motion” tab for custom cinematic video capture.
“We can’t wait to see what you create with these new tools at your disposal,” added the spokesperson.
The free upgrades will be welcome news to gamers beware who have been bombarded with news of titles shutting down in one way or another this year.
If you’re the proud owner of an Xbox, PlayStation or gaming PC, you might be cut off some iconic games in 2025, including popular game Skyforge.
By The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach…
It’s simple: money.
When a game is entirely online – or has online features – then there’s a cost associated with that.
The game developer is having to pay to run servers so you can play.
And they’ll need developers working on fixing bugs, staff catching cheaters, customer support staff, and more.
Over time, as player counts dwindle, it becomes less economically viable to offer these services.
That’s especially true for sports games where newer versions come out – drawing away players from the older titles.
In those cases, it’s usually just the online service that is pulled.
But some games – like MMORPGs – are entirely online. There’s no offline mode to fall back on.
In those cases, the games are often shut down entirely.
In some cases, players will set up their own private version of the game to let it live on.
But dwindling players for an MMO is a bad sign – and usually means the game isn’t far from its own doomsday.
Other times, a game closes due to an overall studio shutdown.
But generally, it’s because the cost of supporting the game is too high versus the money coming in from players.
Picture Credit: Sean Keach
