Activision has officially ended support for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with Call of Duty, marking the franchise's complete exit from last-generation hardware after 12 years. The publisher confirmed the shift, meaning future Call of Duty titles will launch exclusively on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
The timing creates friction in the market. Current PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles command premium pricing, with the PS5 Digital Edition starting at $449 and the Xbox Series X at $499. This forces millions of PS4 and Xbox One owners to choose between upgrading hardware at higher costs or losing access to gaming's most popular annual franchise.
Call of Duty's departure from last-gen consoles accelerates an industry transition already underway. Other major franchises have similarly abandoned PS4 and Xbox One support, but Call of Duty's scale makes this particularly visible. The franchise sold over 426 million copies across all platforms since 2003, with substantial player bases still active on previous-generation systems.
The move reflects developer priorities around next-gen technology. Newer console generations enable higher frame rates, faster load times, and more detailed visual environments. Building games to support outdated hardware constrains what developers can achieve technically. For Activision, dropping PS4 and Xbox One likely reduces development complexity and allows the studio to push what's possible on current platforms.
Console manufacturers haven't cut prices to ease the transition. The PS5 Pro, released at $799, pushed prices even higher. While the PS5 Digital Edition offers a lower entry point, many players still own working last-gen systems with extensive digital libraries. Forcing upgrades during an era of rising hardware costs creates friction, particularly in markets where PS4 and Xbox One maintain strong adoption.
Players with last-gen consoles retain access to older Call of Duty titles through existing