If you bought Metro 2033 Redux or Metro: Last Light Redux years ago, 4A Games just handed you a free reason to head back into the tunnels. On October 29, 2026, both games received a free next-gen update on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (PC players got theirs a week earlier, on October 22), bringing native 4K at 60fps, an upscaled 4K mode at up to 120fps, and proper DualSense and Xbox controller support. The best part? If you already own either game, you don’t pay a cent.
This guide walks you through exactly how to upgrade Metro Redux PS5 and Xbox versions step by step, what to do if the update doesn’t show up, and which graphics mode you should actually pick.
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How to Upgrade Metro Redux PS5: What’s Inside the Free Next-Gen Update
Let’s get the big question out of the way first: this isn’t a remake. 4A Games has been clear that the original Redux look and feel are preserved — think of it as a proper technical overhaul rather than a rebuild. Both games now run natively on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S, with 4K textures, reworked lighting and shadows, richer particle effects, improved animations, more environmental detail, and higher-quality audio.
You get two graphics modes on consoles: native 4K at 60fps, or upscaled 4K at up to 120fps on a compatible display. There’s also hardware tessellation, lots of community-requested bug fixes, and quality-of-life improvements — including a fix for a nasty PS5 save-corruption bug that used to lock later chapters and wipe your inventory after the console sat powered off for a while.
One thing you won’t find: ray tracing. PLAION’s FAQ says outright that it would need a much deeper rework of the renderer, and the team is busy building Metro 2039, which launches February 4, 2027. That’s clearly the real reason this update exists — a polished excuse to replay Artyom’s story before the next chapter arrives.
Who Gets the Upgrade Free (and Who Might Not)
The short version: if you already own Metro 2033 Redux or Metro: Last Light Redux, the upgrade is free. You don’t need to own both games — owning one qualifies you for that game’s upgrade. You also don’t need an active PlayStation Plus subscription, which is a nice surprise given how many “free” upgrades hide behind one.
Now the fine print, because there is some. PLAION describes the offer as free for “most owners” and notes that some older editions may not be compatible. A physical PS4 disc, an old bundle, or a specific regional edition could have different entitlement rules. Before you pay for anything, check the edition tied to your account and what the store page actually offers you.
One more wrinkle worth knowing: Metro Redux joined PlayStation Plus Premium back in September (the PS4 version). If you claimed it there, check your game library — eligibility follows the edition on your account, so it’s worth a look rather than an assumption. New buyers, meanwhile, get the updated version automatically with no extra steps.
How to Upgrade Metro Redux PS5: Step-by-Step on PlayStation 5
Here’s how to upgrade Metro Redux PS5 version on your console. The whole thing takes a few minutes plus download time:
- Turn on your PS5, connect it to the internet, and sign in to the PlayStation account that owns the game. This matters — the upgrade is tied to the purchasing account, not the console.
- Head to your Game Library and find Metro 2033 Redux or Metro: Last Light Redux. Do this separately for each game; each one upgrades on its own.
- Highlight the game tile, press the Options button on your DualSense, and choose Check for Update. Alternatively, open the game’s hub and look at its PlayStation Store listing for the native PS5 edition or upgrade tile.
- If your edition qualifies, you’ll see the free PS5 upgrade option. Select it and start the download. If the store asks you to pay, stop — your edition may be one of the excluded ones, and it’s worth double-checking before spending money.
- Once installed, launch the game from the new PS5 version tile. Keep the old PS4 version installed for now — don’t delete it until you’ve confirmed your saves and settings carried over (more on that below).
These are the console’s standard update steps rather than a Metro-specific ritual, but they’re exactly the path that gets you to the free version.
How to Upgrade Metro Redux on Xbox Series X|S: Step-by-Step
Xbox owners get a similarly painless process. Here’s the rundown:
- Power on your Xbox Series X or S, connect to the internet, and sign in to the account that owns the game.
- Open My games & apps, go to See all, then Full library, and find Metro 2033 Redux or Metro: Last Light Redux under your owned games.
- If an update is pending, you’ll find it under Manage and then Updates. The Xbox Store also lists the free Series X|S upgrade on the game’s page for eligible owners — the store handles entitlement automatically, so there’s no code to redeem and nothing extra to buy.
- Install the upgrade for each game separately, just like on PlayStation.
Xbox players also get a couple of platform bonuses with this update: Play Anywhere support and optimization for the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, so your trip through the Metro can continue away from the TV if you own one.
How to Upgrade Metro Redux PS5 and Choose the Right Graphics Mode
Once you’ve figured out how to upgrade Metro Redux PS5 version, you’ll face one genuinely important choice: which graphics mode to play in. Here’s the breakdown.
Quality mode runs at native 4K and 60fps. Everything is crisp, lighting looks its best, and the tunnels have never looked this clean. If you’re replaying for the atmosphere and story — which, let’s be honest, is why most of us are here — this is the mode you want.
Performance mode targets upscaled 4K at up to 120fps. It’s noticeably smoother in firefights, but there’s a catch: you need a 120Hz TV or monitor to actually see those extra frames, and you’ll need to enable 120Hz output on the console first (on PS5 that’s under Settings, then Screen and Video, then Video Output). On a standard 60Hz TV, this mode buys you nothing.
PS5 Pro owners get an extra treat in the form of PSSR upscaling, while Xbox Series X uses 4A’s own TSR upscaling with improved anti-aliasing. My take? Start on Quality mode. The Metro games are about dread and atmosphere, not twitch reflexes — and you can always switch if a firefight feels sluggish.
DualSense Features: What You’ll Actually Feel
This is the part that surprised me most. The official launch trailer confirms full DualSense support: adaptive trigger feedback plus haptic rumbling on PS5. That means your triggers physically resist when you squeeze off shots with heavier weapons, and the rumble does a far better job of selling everything from mutant growls to the shudder of a dying flashlight battery.
It’s the kind of feature that sounds like a bullet point until you feel it, and then you wonder how you played without it. On Xbox, the equivalent treat is Impulse Trigger feedback on the controller, which gives your trigger fingers their own rumble motors during gunplay. Neither version reinvents the games, but both make them feel noticeably more modern in your hands.
Do Your Saves Transfer? The Honest Answer
Here’s where I have to be straight with you, because the answer depends on your platform — and part of it is genuinely unconfirmed.
Microsoft Store (PC): your saves do not transfer. Deep Silver’s official patch notes say this explicitly. The recommendation is to start a new game, though every chapter is unlocked from the beginning so you can jump to wherever you left off — with one catch: chapter select gives you a default equipment loadout, not the gear you’d carefully hoarded.
PS5 and Xbox consoles: no wipe has been announced. I went through the published patch notes and coverage, and the explicit no-transfer warning applies only to the Microsoft Store version. That said, “not announced” isn’t the same as “guaranteed,” so play it safe: don’t delete the old PS4 or Xbox One version until you’ve launched the upgraded game and confirmed your progress is intact. Cloud saves should do their job here, but a little caution costs you nothing.
How to Upgrade Metro Redux PS5: Troubleshooting When the Update Won’t Show
If you’ve followed the steps for how to upgrade Metro Redux PS5 and the free version is nowhere to be found, work through these in order:
Check the obvious first. Make sure you’re online and signed into the account that actually bought the game. Then highlight the game tile, press Options, and hit Check for Update manually — don’t just wait for it to appear on its own.
Check the store listing directly. Open the PlayStation Store page for Metro 2033 Redux or Metro: Last Light Redux and look for the PS5 edition. Your upgrade eligibility shows up there, and it’s the fastest way to confirm whether your edition qualifies or falls into PLAION’s “some versions may not be compatible” bucket.
Check your region. The console update went live October 29 in most regions, but Japan’s console release was scheduled for November. If you’re playing on a Japanese account, the upgrade simply may not be out for you yet.
Check your storage. This is a full native-version download, not a small patch, so make sure you have generous free space before you start. The exact console download size wasn’t published in the materials I reviewed, so free up more room than you think you’ll need. While you wait for the download, by the way, our guide on speeding up slow game downloads might save you some staring-at-the-progress-bar time.
Still stuck? The most likely explanation is edition eligibility. Physical discs from certain bundles and very old digital editions are the ones PLAION flagged, so that’s where I’d look first before assuming the update is broken.
How to Upgrade Metro Redux PS5: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Metro Redux PS5 upgrade really free?
Yes — if you already own Metro 2033 Redux or Metro: Last Light Redux, the next-gen upgrade costs nothing. Each game upgrades separately, so owning one gets you that one’s upgrade. New buyers get the updated version automatically.
Do I need PlayStation Plus to get the upgrade?
No. Unlike some upgrades that hide behind a subscription, this one doesn’t require PlayStation Plus at all. You just need to own the game on the account you’re signed into.
Will my PS4 saves carry over to the PS5 version?
Deep Silver only confirmed a save wipe for the Microsoft Store PC version — console players got no such warning in the published patch notes. Still, keep your old install until you’ve verified your progress transferred, just to be safe.
The upgrade isn’t showing up in my library. What now?
First, confirm you’re signed into the purchasing account and manually check for updates. Then look at the game’s PlayStation Store page, which shows your actual upgrade eligibility. Remember Japan’s release lands in November, and some older editions are excluded entirely.
Can I play at 120fps on any TV?
No — the 120fps performance mode needs a 120Hz TV or monitor, and you must enable 120Hz output in your console’s video settings first. On a regular 60Hz TV, stick with the native 4K 60fps quality mode; you’ll get the better-looking game anyway.
Final Thoughts on How to Upgrade Metro Redux PS5
That’s everything you need to know about how to upgrade Metro Redux PS5 and Xbox versions to the free next-gen release. It’s a rare genuinely free upgrade with no subscription strings attached, the visual jump is real, and the DualSense and trigger work makes a decade-old shooter feel surprisingly current. Whether you’re revisiting Artyom’s journey or playing it for the first time ahead of Metro 2039, the tunnels are waiting — and this time they look better than ever. For more guides like this one, check out the Techvera homepage.
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