'Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War' will bring the series to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X — here's what you should know before you preorder

• "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War," the latest entry in Activision's bestselling video game franchise, will launch worldwide on November 13.
• Preorders are available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, though the PS5 and Series X versions of the game may be released at a later date.
• Activision says the PS5 and Xbox Series X version of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" will include additional features, like ray-tracing, higher frame rates, and faster load times, that won't be possible on PS4 and Xbox One.
• For more gaming coverage, check out our guides to the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launches.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" will be released worldwide on November 13. "Black Ops Cold War" will be the first game in the series to test the potential of Sony and Microsoft's next-generation hardware as gamers decide whether or not to upgrade their consoles this fall.

Players can preorder the game now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. Release dates for the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" haven't been confirmed yet, but Sony and Microsoft are expected to launch their respective new consoles in November.

The "Call of Duty" franchise is a perennial blockbuster with annual releases. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" earned more than more than $600 million in its opening weekend last year, going on to become the bestselling video game of 2019.

Meanwhile, the free-to-play "Call of Duty: Mobile" has seen more than 250 million downloads since its launch in October 2019 and the free-to-play battle royale game "Call of Duty Warzone" has had more than 75 million players in its first six months of release.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" introduces a new campaign set in the 1980s, sending players on covert missions in East Berlin, Turkey, Vietnam, and Moscow to track an international conspirator named Perseus under orders from US President Ronald Reagan.

Beyond the new story, the game will introduce a fresh round of multiplayer offerings for "Call of Duty" fans, including an updated "Zombies" mode where players fight off near-endless hordes of computer-controlled monsters.

Like "Call of Duty Modern Warfare," "Black Ops Cold War" will feature crossplay for players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, so you can play with your friends regardless of which platform they prefer. "Black Ops Cold War" will also include the free-to-play battle royale mode "Call of Duty Warzone," and progression from the current edition of "Warzone" will carry over to "Black Ops Cold War."

• Preorder "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" for PS4, $59.99 at Best Buy
• Preorder "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" for PS5, $69.99 at Best Buy
• Preorder "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" for Xbox One, $59.99 at Best Buy
• Preorder "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" for Xbox Series X, $69.99 at Best Buy
• Preorder "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Ultimate Edition" for PlayStation, $89.99 at Sony

Differences between current gen (PS4/Xbox One) and next-gen (Ps5/Xbox Series X)

Because the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are launching this year, Activision will release different versions of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" for current and next-gen consoles.

The $69.99 next-gen version of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will have improved frame rates, ray-tracing, and faster load times. Activision says you'll still be able to play the $59.99 PS4 or Xbox One versions of "Black Ops Cold War" via backwards compatibility on your PS5 or Xbox One, but you'll have to pay to upgrade to the next-gen version to get those improved features.

However, if you decide to buy a physical copy of the game for Xbox One, you won't be able to upgrade it to an Xbox Series X version, and if you buy a physical copy of the PlayStation 4 version, you'll need the physical disc in your console to play it on PS5.

A digital "Cross-Gen Bundle" is available on in both the PlayStation and Microsoft stores, and as the name implies, they grant you access to both the current and next-gen versions of the game. Buying the "Cross-Gen Bundle" will also grant you access to the multiplayer beta, two downloadable weapon packs, and an operator pack for "Call of Duty Warzone" featuring "Black Ops" protagonist Frank Woods.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" Ultimate Edition and other preorder benefits

The Ultimate Edition of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" for Xbox or PlayStation includes the cross-gen bundle and comes with three operator skins, three weapon blueprints and three vehicle skins, as well as a season one battle pass with 20 tier skips when it's released. Preordering "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" from the in-game store in "Call of Duty Modern Warfare" or "Warzone" will also grant you 10 tier skips in the current game.

Activision has promised players who preorder "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" early access to the multiplayer beta later this year, though dates aren't specified.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" will be available digitally and at most major retailers including Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Amazon. Again, if you decide to buy a physical copy of the game for Xbox One, you won't be able to upgrade it to an Xbox Series X version, and if you buy a physical copy of the PlayStation 4 version, you'll need the physical disc in your console to play it on PS5.