Microsoft has reportedly warned Xbox Series X developers against charging for DLC upgrades from the current generation to the next one. This is aimed at disincentivising publishers from charging for a service that Microsoft is trying to make a major pillar of its platform with Smart Delivery. Microsoft wants a smoother transition between console generations with players able to keep their games, and get upgrades, when moving to Xbox Series X. Normally, that would cost quite a bit of money.
The information comes from a new report by VideoGamesChronicle, who cite multiple publishing sources revealing that Microsoft’s next-gen policy hopes to include the guarantee that anyone accessing an Xbox Series X version of a game they already own on Xbox One shouldn’t have to pay for the upgrade.
This request from Microsoft is apparently tied in to Xbox’s Smart Delivery feature for its next-gen console, which ensures that players are enjoying the best version of an cross-gen game no matter which Xbox platform they’re running it on.
So far all games publicly announced as offering a next-gen upgrade, including FIFA 21, Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny 2 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, are doing so free-of-charge.However, it’s understood Microsoft wants to give publishers and developers a multitude of options for how to sell their games across Xbox One and Xbox Series X, even if they don’t adopt its recommended policies.
Microsoft is making Smart Delivery a major part of its approach to the new generation, even promising not to publish any next-gen exclusives for the beginning of the new lifecycle. The company appears to be aiming to make this a smooth transition, with less hard-and-fast distinctions between its consoles. If publishers were able to charge for upgrades, many might choose to do just that, undercutting part of Microsoft’s messaging.
