Activision Confirms Call of Duty: Black Ops Ports to PS5/PS4 Are Not Remasters
Activision has confirmed that the original Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 are coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in July. According to an official announcement from Treyarch, the releases are handled by developer Iron Galaxy and will include the full campaign, multiplayer, and zombies modes. These titles are ports rather than remasters, meaning they will function as modern versions of the classic software rather than ground-up graphical overhauls.
Why are these games being ported now?
The primary driver for these releases is the technical limitation of the original PlayStation 3 hardware. Because the PS3 utilized the unique Cell processor architecture, those games have remained inaccessible through modern PlayStation backward compatibility features. According to reporting by Eurogamer, Activision clarified that these are direct ports, which explains why fans should expect performance enhancements similar to other legacy titles on newer hardware rather than a complete visual redesign.
The original Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 ran at a sub-HD resolution of 832×624 on the PlayStation 3. By contrast, a standard 1080p output on modern hardware represents a significant jump in pixel density.
What can players expect from performance?
While Activision has not provided specific technical targets, industry precedents suggest players will likely see resolution bumps on the PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. Since these are PS4-class ports, they will likely run at 1080p on the base console, with the potential for 4K scaling on more powerful hardware. Digital Foundry notes that previous Call of Duty titles have successfully utilized dynamic resolution scaling, which could allow these legacy games to maintain higher frame rates than the original 2010 and 2012 releases.
How do these ports compare to Xbox backward compatibility?
The Xbox platform has historically held an advantage in legacy support through its native backward compatibility program. On Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, original discs or digital versions of Black Ops often run with enhanced stability and resolution automatically. The PlayStation approach, managed here by Iron Galaxy, requires a dedicated porting effort to bypass the PS3’s Cell architecture. This creates a functional parity between the two platforms that has been missing for over a decade.
Pro Tip: Managing Expectations
Because these releases are confirmed as “ports and not remasters,” players should not expect modern features like ray tracing, high-dynamic-range (HDR) lighting, or overhauled character models. The primary benefit is improved resolution and the ability to play these specific entries on modern controllers and displays.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will these games support cross-play? Activision has not announced cross-play features for these ports.
- Are these remasters? No, Activision confirmed to Eurogamer that these are direct ports of the original software.
- Can I use my PS3 saves? There has been no official confirmation regarding save-file migration from the original console generation.
- Which modes are included? The ports include the original campaign, multiplayer, and zombies experiences.
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