Cyberpunk 2077 will be free on Xbox Series X if you buy the Xbox One version

Posted on February 25, 2020

CD Projekt Red has announced that its upcoming title Cyberpunk 2077 will be free on Xbox Series X when it releases for anyone who has bought the Xbox One version. This will be one of the first games to make use of Microsoft’s new “Smart Delivery” system. This new innovation will allow fans to access “four generations” of games across all of its consoles.

The Cyberpunk developer announced its decision on Twitter. “Gamers should never be forced to purchase the same game twice or pay for upgrades,” CD Projekt said. “Owners of #Cyberpunk2077 for Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X upgrade for free when available.” This also marks the first official announcement of an Xbox Series X version of Cyberpunk 2077. It remains to be seen what technical enhancements it will include. Fortunately Xbox gamers won’t have to choose which system to buy for if they own both an Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Microsoft has elaborated on its plans for Smart Delivery and backwards compatibility on its blog. According to the console manufacturer, Smart Delivery “empowers you to buy a game once and know that – whether you are playing it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – you are getting the right version of that game on whatever Xbox you’re playing on.” Microsoft has announced it will use this system for its first party franchises, such as Halo Infinite. However, Cyberpunk 2077 is the first major third party game announced to be using this service. In addition, the Xbox Series X will maintain backwards compatibility with previous generations, including Xbox One, as well as backwards-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games.

Cyberpunk Halo

Overall, the Smart Delivery service seems like a fairly consumer-friendly feature that will make buying into the next console generation easier for many. The decision of whether to buy a game for your existing console or to wait for the new console so as to play the “best possible version” can be agonising when a new console generation rolls around. This should make buying into the Xbox Series X for Xbox One owners a much less daunting task for some.