Xbox Seems To Be Making A Fortune On The New Black Ops Ports For PS5
Activision has shadow-released ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PlayStation 5, proving immediately successful with players despite offering minimal enhancements over their original versions. The unannounced “shadow drop” release strategy saw both games quickly gain significant traction on the PlayStation Store, with players eager to revisit these classic entries in the long-running first-person shooter franchise.
Within days of launch, the ports have demonstrated remarkable market momentum. Both Black Ops titles have climbed to trending status on the PlayStation Store, notably outpacing even Grand Theft Auto 6—one of 2026’s most anticipated gaming releases. This surge suggests substantial consumer appetite for legacy Call of Duty content on Sony’s platform, translating into considerable revenue generation for Microsoft’s gaming division through Activision.
The success of these ports is particularly notable given the absence of significant improvements or graphical enhancements compared to their original releases. Despite this lack of modernization, the games’ enduring appeal and the strategic timing of their PlayStation release appear to have resonated strongly with the player base. The strong commercial performance indicates that player demand for these legacy titles may have outweighed concerns about minimal technical updates, highlighting the lasting cultural impact of the Black Ops subseries.