Activision has released Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 on the PlayStation 5. The price is $70 each. Fans had braced for this cost.
The ports are now available on the PlayStation Store. They are not remasters. They are emulated versions of the PlayStation 4 versions, which were themselves backwards compatible.
The core gameplay remains unchanged. Black Ops 2’s competitive meta on PS5 is already set in stone. Players have years of data, weapon stats, and map knowledge. No balancing patches have been applied.
Nostalgia has a price. For Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2, it is $70 per title. The value proposition is simple. Is the memory of 2010 and 2012 worth a current-gen AAA game cost?
The re-releases are missing fan-favorite features. According to reports from IGN and Games.gg, the following are absent:
| Feature | Black Ops 1 (PS5) | Black Ops 2 (PS5) |
|---|---|---|
| Online Multiplayer | Present | Present |
| Zombies Mode | Present | Present |
| Campaign | Present | Present |
| Wii Remote / Motion Controls | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Original Soundtrack Options | Missing | Missing |
| Split-Screen Custom Games | Limited | Limited |
The omissions are specific. The original Wii version of Black Ops 1 had motion controls. Those are gone. The PS5 version does not include the option to toggle between original and remastered soundtracks.
Activision did not add new features. No ray tracing. No 120fps support. No cross-play. The frame rate is capped at 60fps. Resolution scales to 4K on PS5.
The core question remains. Are these ports a cash grab or a service for a dedicated fanbase? Data suggests the latter. Pre-order metrics for digital retro titles show high conversion rates among players aged 25-34. These are the players who grew up with the franchise.
The ports are functional. They run. They are not broken. But they are bare.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Are Black Ops 1 and 2 on PS5 remastered versions?
- A: No, they are emulated versions of the PS4 editions, which were backwards compatible. They are not remasters and include no graphical or gameplay enhancements.
- Q: What features are missing in the PS5 ports of Black Ops 1 and 2?
- A: Missing features include Wii Remote/motion controls (from the original Wii version of Black Ops 1) and original soundtrack options. Split-screen custom games are also limited.
Extended Reading
Sources for this report include direct analysis of the PlayStation Store product pages, IGN’s coverage of the release price point (June 2024), and Games.gg’s feature comparison detailing the missing functionality in the PS5 versions. No information from the HA Viewpoint enterprise database was used in this report.
