Call of Duty Black Ops 1 & 2 Now Confirmed Crossplay on PS4/PS5
Activision has stepped in to clarify a key multiplayer question for players who recently picked up the PlayStation versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2: the ports do support crossplay between PS4 and PS5. The confirmation comes after confusion and misinformation spread through community discussions online.
Release window and platform availability
| Game | Platforms | Price (standard) | Price (limited-time with PlayStation Plus) | DLC price | DLC price (with PlayStation Plus) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Black Ops | PS4, PS5 | $39.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 each | $9.89 each |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 | PS4, PS5 | $39.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 each | $9.89 each |
In a post from the official Call of Duty Update X account, Activision laid out exactly how matchmaking works across Sony’s current-generation consoles. The message focused on two different points: players on PS4 can queue into multiplayer with players on PS5, and owners of the Season Pass can also match with those who haven’t purchased it.
Activision’s clarification was explicit about the scope of the feature. “PS4 and PS5 players are able to matchmake with one another,” the publisher said. It also added a boundary line for older hardware, stating that there is no cross-platform play involving PS3 or any other platform outside the PS4/PS5 pairing.
Continuing the explanation, Activision also confirmed that Season Pass owners in both Black Ops titles can matchmake with non–Season Pass owners. That means the matchmaking pool isn’t restricted based on whether you’ve bought the extra content bundle, at least for the feature in question.
Because Iron Galaxy was announced as the studio handling PlayStation ports for the classic Black Ops games, fans had been waiting for details ahead of the launch. The plan was to release in July, but when both titles arrived earlier than expected last week, the lack of concrete information beforehand left a lot of players unsure what to anticipate.
Once the games went live, criticism quickly followed. Players and even technical commentators pointed to a low frame-rate cap and low resolution, and many believed the ports also lacked crossplay entirely. That perception fueled extra frustration, since crossplay was the one thing many would have wanted confirmed immediately.
While the ports have still drawn complaints—often framed as “bare-bones” re-releases for two major 2010-era Call of Duty entries—the crossplay confirmation is at least a late answer to a concern that dominated early reactions. For players deciding whether to jump in now, Activision’s statement suggests PS4 and PS5 users can share the same multiplayer matchmaking experience.
Despite the backlash, sales momentum appears to be strong. Both Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 quickly climbed to the top of the PlayStation Store’s “Best Selling” tab soon after release. Each title is listed at $39.99, though there’s also a limited-time discount of $19.99 for PlayStation Plus members. The games’ DLC is priced at $29.99 per pack, with PlayStation Plus pricing listed at $9.89.
As players revisit the original Black Ops adventures, Activision is also pushing forward with the next step in the series: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. For reviews and additional context on the re-releases, the article points readers to an 8.5/10 review for Black Ops 1 and a 9.3/10 review for Black Ops 2.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer known for work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP.
