Dead by Daylight is getting free next-gen upgrades and a graphics overhaul

Dead by Daylight is getting a next-gen version later this year, and it will be a free upgrade if you're already playing on console.

Developer Behaviour Interactive revealed its next-gen plans for Dead By Daylight on the game's official Twitter account. The new versions will be graphically enhanced, free for existing PS4 or Xbox One players, and will arrive in the holiday 2020 release window.

If you're already playing Dead By Daylight on PC or current-gen consoles, you'll be able to watch visual overhauls drop into the game all the way from now to Fall 2021. Behaviour is calling the new project The Realm Beyond, and it's planned to be a year-long series of updates for "visuals, graphics, lighting, animations, and more". You can see some side-by-side visual comparisons in the video below.

Behaviour is planning to focus on beautifying the Springwood and Yamaoka Estate maps first, giving them better lighting and making each environment more visually distinct. The changes go beyond the visuals to actual layout modifications, including the addition of a new Killer Shack in the Yamaoka Estate. There are also new player animations for using generators and opening chests.

Dead By Daylight first came out in 2016 and it's steadily grown ever since, adding everything from new stages to Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. These updates will ensure the 4v1 horror game is ready to continue even beyond the dawn of a new console generation.

Dead by Daylight also plans to enable cross-progression for PC, Switch, and Stadia this month.