Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 & 2 Hit PS5 for $40 Each - Is the Nostalgia Tax Too High?

The Surprise Drop, What We Know So Far

As first reported by IGN and confirmed by our own check of the PlayStation Store, both Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 are available for $39.99 each, with no trailer, blog post, or countdown. The listings show they are compatible with both PS4 and PS5, and each includes the full campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies modes. However, the store pages offer little detail about technical upgrades. There is no mention of 4K resolution, 60 frames per second, or any other enhancements that modern console owners might expect. The descriptions read almost identically to the original PS3 store pages, only with a higher price tag.

The lack of official communication is unusual for a major franchise like Call of Duty. Activision typically promotes re-releases with at least a tweet or a short announcement. This silence has led many to wonder whether these are truly native ports or simply emulated versions running via PlayStation’s backward compatibility layer. If they are the latter, then the $40 price feels especially steep, given that the games are already available on PS3 for a fraction of the cost, and even cheaper on the used disc market.

Port or Emulation?, What You’re Actually Paying For

The distinction matters. A native port would mean the code has been recompiled or adjusted to take full advantage of PS5 hardware, potentially offering higher resolutions, stable 60 fps, faster load times, and support for the DualSense controller’s features. An emulated version, on the other hand, would simply wrap the original PS3 code in a compatibility container, with perhaps a slight resolution bump and little else.

On Xbox Series X|S, Black Ops 1 and 2 have been playable through backward compatibility for years, at no additional cost beyond the original purchase or a Game Pass subscription. Microsoft’s system even applies FPS Boost to some titles, pushing them to 60 fps without requiring any developer work. Sony’s backward compatibility approach has been more fragmented. PS5 can play PS4 games natively, but PS3 games rely on cloud streaming via PlayStation Plus Premium. A digital purchase of a Black Ops port that is essentially just the PS3 code, even if it runs locally, would be a very different product from a full remaster.

The store pages list trophy support. Whether these are brand-new trophy lists (indicative of a native port) or the same sets from the PS3 versions remains unconfirmed, an important detail that could settle the port vs. emulation debate. Without official confirmation of frame rate or resolution, players are left to assume the worst. If these games run at 30 fps with no visual upgrades, paying $40 feels more like a tax on convenience than a fair exchange for an improved experience.

Value Comparison, $40 vs. Other Re-Releases

To judge the price, it helps to look at other Activision re-releases. The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remaster, for example, cost $40 and delivered two fully rebuilt games from the ground up with modern graphics, online multiplayer, and a wealth of new content. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy each cost $40 and offered three complete remasters with upgraded visuals, performance, and quality-of-life improvements.

Against those benchmarks, a plain port of a single decade-old Call of Duty game, even a beloved one, looks overpriced. Even Sony’s own The Last of Us Part I was $70, but that was a ground-up remake with vastly improved visuals, AI, and DualSense integration. Here, we have no such claim.

For context, both Black Ops games are also available on PS3 for around $10, $15 used, and can be played on PS5 via PlayStation Plus Premium’s streaming tier, albeit with the usual latency and quality compromises. On Xbox, both games are playable through backward compatibility if you already own them or have a Game Pass subscription, making them effectively free for many, but not entirely without cost. Still, the gulf in value is enormous: a used PS3 disc costs $15, while the Xbox option requires no additional spend for those already in the ecosystem.

The Bigger Picture, Nostalgia Pricing in Modern Gaming

This release is part of a broader trend: publishers charging premium prices for aged titles. In recent years, we have seen $60 remasters of 2013-era games, and $70 versions of last-generation ports with marginal improvements. The strategy works because it leans on emotional attachment. Call of Duty Black Ops 2, in particular, is considered one of the best entries in the series, with a revered Zombies mode and a competitive multiplayer that defined a generation. Activision knows that many players will pay simply to relive those experiences on modern hardware without digging out an old console.

Yet the backlash on social media and forums has been swift. The prevailing sentiment is that $40 is too much for a game that has not been touched significantly. If these ports sell well, it could set a dangerous precedent, other publishers might follow suit, releasing unenhanced digital versions of classic games at near full price, eroding the value proposition that made backward compatibility and remasters such a consumer-friendly trend.

The Nostalgia Tax, Wait for Proof, Then Decide

For the die-hard Call of Duty fan who has been aching to revisit the Mason-Hudson story or grind through Nuketown one more time, $40 might feel justifiable, but only if the ports actually deliver stable 60 fps, sharp resolution, and fast load times. Without that guarantee, the price is a gamble. Our advice: hold off until Digital Foundry or Activision confirms performance details. If you own an Xbox, play them there for free if you already have the game or a Game Pass subscription. Otherwise, hunt down a used PS3 copy, you’ll save $25 and get the same experience. Nostalgia is powerful, but it should not come with a hidden tax.