Call of Duty skips PS4 as Activision confirms shift, check impact on Xbox One users

Activision has confirmed that the next instalment in the Call of Duty franchise will not be developed for the PlayStation 4, marking a move away from older console hardware. The company clarified that reports suggesting the 2026 title would support last generation systems are incorrect.

In a post on the official Call of Duty account on X, the company stated that the upcoming title is not being developed for PS4. While Activision did not disclose the name of the game or confirm the full list of supported platforms, the statement signals a shift towards newer systems.

Is Call of Duty available on Xbox One

Although the announcement specifically mentions the PlayStation 4, it has raised uncertainty about support for the Xbox One, which operates on similar hardware. Past Call of Duty releases have typically been available across both older and newer console generations, making this a notable change.

PlayStation hardware cumulative worldwide unit sales

Console	Unit sales	As of date
PlayStation 5	More than 92.1 million	December 31, 2025
PlayStation 4	More than 117 million	June 30, 2022
PlayStation 3	More than 87.4 million	March 31, 2017
PSP (PlayStation Portable)	More than 76.4 million	March 31, 2012
PlayStation 2	More than 160 million	March 31, 2012
PlayStation	More than 102.4 million	March 31, 2012

End of cross generation releases

The franchise has long followed a cross generation release model. Titles such as Call of Duty Ghosts in 2013 and more recent entries like Call of Duty Black Ops 7 were launched across multiple platforms, including older consoles. The latest decision suggests a possible end to this approach.

Impact on development and performance

Shifting away from older hardware allows developers to work with more consistent and advanced systems. Consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One rely on earlier generation processors, which can limit performance and features. In previous titles, certain capabilities such as split screen functionality were reduced on these platforms.

Focus on newer hardware

The transition is expected to enable developers to concentrate on current generation consoles, potentially improving performance, design and gameplay by removing the need to accommodate older hardware constraints.