Doom Eternal's PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrade will be available from tomorrow (June 29, optimizing the popular first-person shooter for next-generation consoles.
Announced at this year's Microsoft and Bethesda E3 conference, the update will be free for anyone who already owns Doom Eternal on PS4 or Xbox One. This means that if you have a physical copy of the game, if you purchased it digitally through an online storefront, or if you redeemed it through Xbox Game Pass, then you will be able to play the new version straight away.
What Does the Free Upgrade Do?
Doom Eternal's free upgrade will optimize the game for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5.
Each version will include enhanced visuals and a suite of new performance options, although the specifics of these will vary depending on which console you are using.
Meanwhile, those who own Doom Eternal on PC will be getting a separate patch in the near future, which will add ray tracing functionality for supported machines.
A breakdown of each system's new performance options can be found below:
Doom Eternal: Xbox Series X Upgrade
- Will support a higher frame rate "Performance Mode", which runs at up to 120 frames per second (FPS) and displays in 1800p resolution.
- Will support a "Balanced Mode", which runs at up to 60 FPS and displays in 2160p resolution.
- Will support a "Ray Tracing Mode", which runs at up to 60 FPS and displays in 1800p resolution, with ray tracing enabled.
Doom Eternal: PlayStation 5 Upgrade
- Will support a higher frame rate "Performance Mode", which runs at up to 120FPS and displays in 1584p resolution.
- Will support a "Balanced Mode", which runs at up to 60 FPS and displays in 2160p resolution.
- Will support a "Ray Tracing Mode", which runs at up to 60 FPS and displays in 1800p resolution, with ray tracing enabled.
Doom Eternal: Xbox Series S Upgrade
- Will support a higher frame rate "Performance Mode", which runs at up to 120FPS and displays in 1800p resolution.
- Will support a "Balanced Mode", which runs at up to 60 FPS and displays in 1440p resolution.
In short, the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will introduce three new performance modes, with one prioritizing a higher frame rate, one prioritizing superior visuals, and another falling somewhere between the two. The less-powerful Xbox Series S upgrade will not include the "Ray Tracing Mode".
It is also worth pointing out that every performance setting will use dynamic resolution scaling. This essentially means that the resolutions could drop below the numbers shown above, in moments that require more intensive rendering.
How to Download the Next-Gen Update
To be eligible for the free upgrade, you will need to already own a copy of Doom Eternal on the relevant last-gen platform. For example, if you want to upgrade to the PS5 version then you will need to own the game on PS4.
Furthermore, if you own the game on physical media, then you will need to be able to insert that disc into your next-generation console. As such, if you own a digital-only PS5 or an Xbox Series S unit, but have a physical copy of the game, then you will be ineligible for the free upgrade.
On Xbox Series X/S
If you own a digital version of Doom Eternal on an Xbox platform, then the next-gen upgrade will begin downloading automatically as soon as it is available. This will be done through Microsoft's "Smart Delivery" system.
Meanwhile, if you bought Doom Eternal on physical media for the Xbox One, then you will just need to insert that disc for the update to begin downloading.
On PS5
As with the recent upgrade for Final Fantasy VII Remake, PS5 owners will need to manually download the new version of Doom Eternal from the PlayStation Store. To do this, navigate to the storefront and then look for the Doom Eternal page. From there, select the ''Free PS5 Upgrade'' option to start the download.
If you own a PS4 copy of Doom Eternal on physical media, then all you need to do is insert that disc into your PS5 console and follow the same steps outlined above.
New Customers
Finally, if you have never owned Doom Eternal whatsoever, or are unable to insert your disc copy, then you will still be able to play the next-gen version, but you will need to purchase the game at full price. Alternatively, Doom Eternal is currently included as part of the Xbox Game Pass service, so you can get it through that instead.
Doom Eternal is currently available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
