Microsoft reportedly mandates Series X next-gen upgrades cannot be sold as DLC

Microsoft has reportedly demanded developers to make sure that Xbox Series X next-gen upgrades are not sold as DLC purchases on their console ecosystem.

Revealed through a report by VGC, developers who are currently working on cross-gen games for Xbox One and Xbox Series systems will not be able to ask customers to purchase a next-gen upgrade for better graphics and enhancements.

Instead, next-gen upgrades must be included as part of a proprietary upgrade scheme like EA’s Dual Entitlement setup or through Microsoft’s internal Xbox Smart Delivery cross-buy functionality.

Those who would rather make players pay a fee to upgrade their games from the current generation version to the next-gen version are out of luck. Instead, Microsoft mandates that publishers and developers will need to sell a separate version to give players a next-gen license.

However, Microsoft will allow the sale of cross-gen bundles. Much like the disgustingly egregious $99.99 NBA 2K21 bundle, publishers will be able to sell collections that grant players access to two different versions of a given game for a price of their choosing.

Microsoft told the outlet that they are flexible with the ways developers wish to sell their games on Xbox consoles, saying: “developers and publishers ultimately decide how they deliver their games, and we work with them to provide the best possible experience based on their needs.”