Players who purchase the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will gain access to a free next-gen upgrade, as revealed by an update on the Ubisoft Store. The publisher finally unveiled the remake back in September during an Ubisoft Forward stream. Such an announcement came on the heels of a lengthy cycle of rumors and leaks, many of which have since proven accurate.
In many respects, the reveal wasn't at all what many came to expect. Notably, the debut trailer for The Sands of Time Remake showcased visuals that failed to meet those of a quality standard. This resulted in a negative fan response, which prompted Ubisoft to delay Prince of Persia out of its originally slated January 2021 release to March. And until recently, the publisher had nothing to say about what PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players could anticipate with regards to Prince of Persia's return.
As spotted by a ResetEra user, The Sands of Time Remake's listing on the Ubisoft Store recently received an update to reflect that owners of the PS4 and Xbox One SKUs will be able to upgrade to the next-gen version free of charge. A brief note on the page listing states the following: "Purchase Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and upgrade your game to the next-gen version (PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X) at no additional cost."
At the time of writing, there is no word as to whether or not the free next-gen upgrade will also translate to improved visuals for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. In addition, Ubisoft has yet to confirm how exactly it intends to improve upon what was originally shown in the remake's announcement trailer. Interestingly, though, a comment from developer Ubisoft India's Managing Director, Syed Abbas, noted that the poorly received graphics were actually a stylistic choice. "It was not a problem of timeline or budget," Abbas divulged in an interview with The Mako Reactor.
Prince of Persia's March 2021 release will close out a big fiscal year for Ubisoft. By then, the French publisher will have released heavy-hitters like Watch Dogs: Legion, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Immortals Fenyx Rising since the start of its 2020/2021 fiscal year back in April. Once the next fiscal calendar kicks off in April of next year, the company aims to begin making plans for the release of titles such as Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Quarantine, both of which were delayed several weeks ago.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake hits Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One platforms on March 18, 2021.
Source: Ubisoft Store, ResetEra