Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the 2006 original, not a remake. Its PS5 release brings the landmark shooter to a new console audience and includes more content and modern multiplayer features—but it also leaves much of the original game’s design intact. That makes it a useful example of the trade-off behind another familiar re-release: better access and technology, without necessarily making the game feel new.
Is Gears of War: Reloaded worth playing on PS5?
It may be, especially if you have never played the original and want to try a foundational Xbox shooter on PlayStation. The re-release includes the bonus campaign act and multiplayer additions, and its cross-play support makes it easier to join friends on other platforms. But players hoping for a ground-up redesign should set expectations accordingly: this is a remaster, and the 2006 game’s age remains apparent in its design.
In its PS5 review, Push Square said the game still plays like a title from 2006, citing dated AI, while also describing the campaign as enjoyable and praising multiplayer. That is one outlet’s assessment, not a universal verdict. TechRadar’s review offers another perspective on the release.
Is it a remaster or a remake?
Reloaded is a remaster of the first Gears of War, originally released in 2006. Xbox describes it as bringing forward content from Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, the earlier edition of the original game. The distinction matters: a remaster updates presentation and brings the game to current platforms, but it does not promise a rebuilt campaign or a redesign of its underlying systems.
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- The Original, Remastered: Powered by Unreal Engine, Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the blockbuster first Gears of War, now fully optimised for PlayStation 5.
- All Included: Gears of War: Reloaded delivers all post-launch content for the original title, including a bonus campaign act, multiplayer maps, plus characters and cosmetics, at no additional cost.
- Stunning Gameplay: The iconic original now looks and plays better than ever with no load times, 4K assets plus remastered textures, lighting, shadows and reflections, HDR, Dolby Atmos, Variable Refresh Rate as well as up to 120 FPS in multiplayer.*
- Cross Play: Supports cross-play across platforms, allowing you and your friends to squad-up, regardless of where you play.*
- Cross Progression: Jump from one platform to another and your campaign saves. Signing in with your Microsoft account is required for cross-progression.*
The return is not without additions. Xbox lists the bonus campaign act, multiplayer maps, modes, characters and cosmetics among the content included in Reloaded. Those additions make this a more complete package than simply putting the original game back on sale, but they do not erase the age of its core design.
What does the PS5 version add?
On the technical side, Xbox’s 2025 launch announcement lists a campaign target of 60 frames per second and multiplayer performance of up to 120 frames per second. Push Square reports 4K resolution at 60 frames per second on base PS5 and notes enhancements for PS5 Pro. The Xbox figures are publisher specifications; the resolution detail and Pro observations are from Push Square’s review.
Rank #2
- THE ORIGINAL, REMASTERED: Powered by Unreal Engine, Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the blockbuster first Gears of War, now fully optimized for PlayStation 5.
- ALL INCLUDED: Gears of War: Reloaded delivers all post-launch content for the original title, including a bonus campaign act, multiplayer maps, plus characters and cosmetics, at no additional cost.
- STUNNING GAMEPLAY: The iconic original now looks and plays better than ever with lightning-fast load times; 4K assets; remastered textures, lighting, shadows, and reflections; HDR; Dolby Atmos; Variable Refresh Rate; and up to 120 FPS in multiplayer.*
- CROSS-PLAY: Supports cross-play across platforms, allowing you and your friends to squad-up, regardless of where you play.*
- CROSS-PROGRESSION: Jump from one platform to another and your campaign saves. Signing in with your Microsoft account is required for cross-progression.*
The release also gives PlayStation players access to a series that had been associated with Xbox. Xbox announced Reloaded for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Steam, with a launch date of August 26, 2025. The launch announcement listed a suggested retail price of $39.99 and day-one Game Pass availability; those are launch details, not confirmation of current pricing or catalog status. Xbox Wire’s release-date announcement sets out the platforms and date.
Does Gears of War: Reloaded have cross-play?
Yes. Xbox says PS5, Xbox and Steam players can play together. The launch guidance says a Microsoft account enables cross-progression and cross-platform invites. Xbox also describes two-player campaign co-op and Versus matches for up to eight players. These capabilities make the re-release more convenient for mixed-platform groups, though the account requirement is worth knowing before arranging cross-platform play.
Rank #3
![Gears of War Reloaded [AT-PEGI] (100% Uncut) (PS5)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519r9dUB3IL._SL160_.jpg)
- German packaging. German instructions. Completely German playable.
- 4K resolution 60 FPS in the campaign 120 FPS in multiplayer mode
- High Dynamic Range (HDR) Dolby Vision and 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 3D Room Sound
- Variable refresh rate (VRR) 4K assets and re-mastered textures Enhanced visual post-processing effects
- Improved shadows and reflections Super resolution with improved anti-aliasing. No loading screens during campaign
Can you buy Gears of War: Reloaded physically on PS5?
GameSpot reported during the launch period that PS5 had the only announced physical standard edition. That report makes the disc version a distinctive option for collectors or players who prefer physical games, but it does not establish what editions or stock are available now. Check current retailers for present-day availability rather than treating the launch-period report as a live stock listing.
Why another remaster can feel frustrating
The criticism is not that remasters have no value. Reloaded expands access to an influential game, bundles additional content and supports current hardware and cross-play. For a PlayStation owner who missed the original, those are meaningful reasons to welcome it.
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The frustration is that improved access and performance do not necessarily address what feels old. A remaster can make an earlier game easier to play on modern hardware while preserving the same campaign structure, enemy behavior and design assumptions that have aged. In this case, Push Square’s review highlights dated AI even as it finds enjoyment in the campaign and multiplayer. Readers should weigh that design trade-off separately from the visual and technical uplift.
There is also a limit to how broadly the complaint can be stated. Reloaded is another return to a familiar game, and it follows Ultimate Edition’s earlier effort to bring the original forward. That makes it a fair example of a pattern some players may find tiresome, but the available reporting does not measure how often remasters are released or establish that audiences broadly reject them.
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Best Value
- Listen up, soldier. The world is in ruin. The Locust Horde has risen. It’s Human vs Horde, and here’s your mission: Pick a side, build a powerful deck, and win the war. The fate of the world is in your hands!
- Experience the gritty gunplay of the video game in this official two-player card game. Take command of the COG forces or the Locust horde and seize control of the battlefield, one chapter at a time.
- Strategise your way through each chapter, bolstering your forces with classic characters like Marcus Fenix, General Raam, August “Cole Train” Cole, Dominic Santiago, and Damon Baird.
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The case for this particular return
The Coalition’s Studio Head, Mike Crump, recalled being “in awe of how great it looked” when Gears of War set a new bar for graphical fidelity in 2006. In Xbox Wire’s August 26, 2025 launch article, Crump also called upgrading and enhancing the game for current hardware “a labor of love” for the studio. Those comments explain the appeal of revisiting the original, but they are the developer’s perspective; whether the result feels worthwhile depends on how much a player values access, included content and technical updates over a more extensive redesign. Xbox Wire’s launch guide details the package and features.
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