CoD Black Ops Cold War: "Battle Pass Bundle Bonus" gives HUGE advantage to PS4 and PS5 gamers

Console exclusives are an odd thing in an age where cross-play is becoming more common.

It's fine to have games linked to one console or the other. Ultimately, it helps the companies to sell their console over the competition, and it's not likely to go away any time soon.

What's less agreeable is when a company locks down third-party content onto their console, or even introduces console exclusive content in a game that's coming to every platform.

That's exactly what's going on with the next Call of Duty game, and it feels particularly bad this time around.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players on PlayStation have a huge advantage

The PlayStation Blog went into detail about all of the benefits that are there for PlayStation players. As listed on the blog, you get access to:

• Battle Pass Bundle Bonus: Unlock new gear and goodies even faster. PlayStation players that purchase the $20 Battle Pass Bundles will get an additional 5 tier skips. That’s a total of 25 tier skips!
• PlayStation Party Bonus: Teamwork makes the dream work. PlayStation players that play together in parties receive +25% bonus weapon XP. The bonus still counts when playing with cross-platform teammates.
• Double XP Bonus: PlayStation players can look forward to exclusive Monthly Double XP events (24 hr duration), so prepare to boost your rank.
• Extra Loadouts: Be prepared for any scenario. PlayStation players get an additional 2 loadout slots, ready for customization. Available when Create-A-Class unlocks upon reaching Level 4.

It's not unusual for modes or maps to be limited to one console or the other, but this is different.

READ MORE: PS5 Digital Edition vs Xbox Series S

Why this feels off

While we're not huge fans of console exclusive content, we do understand why it exists.

However, given that cross-play will exist for this game, having bundles that boost your XP and battle pass rank, on top of the fact that just playing on PlayStation will give you more XP, this feels less palatable than before.

You could argue that this gives PlayStation players the chance to pay-to-win, but it also just gives everyone on that platform more for their money and their time.

It feels like a slap in the face for fans on other consoles, and it's a little anti-consumer as a result.

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