While some in the PS5 audience decry Sony's move to not make Spider-Man Remastered a free upgrade for players who already bought the game, Xbox is capitalizing by showcasing how they do upgrades differently for their players.
Replying to Windows Central writer and Xbox insider Jez Corden, Microsoft marketing director for the Gears franchise Guy Welch touted a consumer-friendly upgrade system for both Gears 5 and Gears Tactics.
"Gears Tactics, Gears 5 will get day-and-date Smart Delivery updates including all Xbox Series X features plus new content free of charge. This is true even if you own the games on Windows and Steam."
Smart Delivery is the system by which Xbox players can buy a game once, on either Xbox One or the Xbox Series X/S, and it will automatically unlock all versions at their best possible specs. The company has put this practice front and center since the spring and has invited third-party companies to utilize it as well, with some such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Dirt 5 getting free upgrades via Smart Delivery.
The nice part is those playing on Windows PC and especially Steam will also benefit from these upcoming upgrades also free of charge. Gears Tactics will make its console debut as a launch title on Xbox Series X/S after earning high praise earlier this year. 102 critics weighed in to give it an average of 82 here on OpenCritic. Gears 5 was even more warmly received, garnering a Mighty 85 average from 137 critics.
While PlayStation no doubt has years of prestige in its first-party system, Xbox is positioning itself as the more consumer-friendly platform holder in the next-generation, and with the recent news that Microsoft has purchased Bethesda and eight total studios, their own first-party problem may be a thing of the past.
