Tiny Tina's Wonderlands can't be upgraded if you buy a physical Xbox One version
Xbox One disc owners are locked out of native new-gen upgrades
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands players won't be eligible for a new-gen upgrade if they purchase a physical Xbox One copy of the game.
The news appears to have first arisen months ago, but it's now been recirculated under fresh scrutiny with the launch of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands now less than two days away. On the FAQ section of the game's official website, developer Gearbox reveals that those who purchase a physical Xbox One copy of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands won't be able to upgrade it to a native Xbox Series X/S version.
"A physical Xbox One game disc of the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Standard Edition will play on Xbox Series X but it cannot be upgraded to the Xbox Series X version of the game and will not be optimized for Xbox Series X," the website reads. However, it adds that those who purchase the physical Next-Level and Chaotic Great editions of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands will bag themselves both last and new-gen versions of the game.
It's unclear why Xbox One players who buy a disc of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands won't be in for a new-gen upgrade at a later date. Xbox has been incredibly clear about pushing its Smart Delivery service since the launch of the Xbox Series X/S, guaranteeing players a new-gen copy of a game if they purchase it on Xbox One. There's simply no information why Gearbox has broken away from this with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. We reached out to 2K for clarification and were told only that it's "based on what is technically possible on each platform."
However, those who purchase a physical PS4 copy of the new action-packed shooter will be in for a native PS5 upgrade whenever they please. Given that one system allows free new-gen upgrades on disc but not the other, it paints this venture by Gearbox in an even stranger light. Here's hoping the developer clears up the matter for customers sooner rather than later.
Check out our Tiny Tina's Wonderlands review to see what we made of Gearbox's latest venture in the Borderlands franchise.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands tips | Tiny Tina's Wonderlands classes | Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Shift codes
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.