EA announced that Battlefield 2042 will have a cross-gen bundle, allowing players to play on both previous and current generation consoles without double-dipping. EA previously stated that players would only get access to both versions of the game if they bought one of the Battlefield 2042 special editions or just paid for two copies of the game. It appears EA has decided to ease up on this approach and give players a more reasonable option for a cross-gen bundle, given current generation consoles are hard to come by.
This announcement comes just prior to the Battlefield 2042 open beta, which begins on October 6 and runs until October 9. The beta will include one map and give a taste of what's to come for the upcoming shooter. The beta will have an early access period for those who pre-order, but will open up to everyone on October 8. The beta will be the first raw glimpse at Battlefield 204 on both older and current generation consoles, which will also highlight some of their disparities. On previous generation consoles, multiplayer maps will be scaled back a bit and player counts will be reduced from 128 players to 64 players.
With that said, players who still want to play Battlefield 2042 on older consoles - but also plan to pick up the game when they get a current generation console (of the same console family) - can purchase a cross-gen bundle. Thankfully, Battlefield 2042 supports cross-progression, so players can transfer progress across platforms when they upgrade. The cross-gen bundle is just the standard version of the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, which costs $69.99. Although the game is $10 cheaper on previous generation consoles, those who plan to play the game on one of these new consoles will likely find more value in just purchasing the standard edition of the game for the latter.
We realize that next gen hardware is still hard to come by for many. But we want as many Battlefield fans as possible to start the journey with us on day 1 and give those players the peace of mind that their progress carries over if they get a new system this holiday season, or beyond. [...] Today, we’re excited to share that we have added a new benefit to our standard digital edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. They now feature dual entitlement so players can future-proof their experience with a standard edition purchase. Now, if you buy the standard digital version of Battlefield 2042 for PlayStation 5 or Xbox X/S, you will get access to the game for both generations for that platform and all of your progress will carry over when you upgrade your hardware.
This feature will also allow players who buy the game on new consoles to play with players on older ones, albeit they have to install two versions of the game to do so. Due to the game being scaled back on older consoles, there's no crossplay between generations, but those who own both versions of Battlefield 2042 won't have an issue with this. Players can also buy the game's Ultimate or Gold editions, which provide early access to Battlefield 2042 and dual entitlement across generations.
As of right now, EA hasn't mentioned any form of an upgrade path for Battlefield 2042 after purchasing the game. It seems like anyone who wants to upgrade the game will need to purchase one of the cross-gen bundles upfront or they'll have to purchase the game all over again at full price. Either way, EA has made a much more consumer-friendly move by allowing players to gain dual entitlement without purchasing a special edition of the game.
Battlefield 2042 releases on November 19, 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.