How to upgrade Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves on PS5 — all your questions answered

Screenshot from Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection featuring Nathan Drake, Sully and Sam
(Image credit: Sony)

The first must-own game of 2022 is here, and already gamers are wondering how to upgrade Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5. Yes, for those that already bought Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy on PS4, Sony has put a pathway in place for gamers to upgrade their copies to play at a superior resolution and framerate on PS5. But the process itself is a tad confusing. 

Below, we've broken down exactly when and how you can upgrade to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves. And to answer a few basic questions right off the bat: yes, there will be a cost ($10), and yes, it also works if you own the physical copies of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and/or Uncharted: The Lost Legacy on PS4.

When can I upgrade to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5?

On forums and message boards across the net, gamers are asking exactly when they can upgrade to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5. Gamers will be able to make the upgrade on Friday, Jan 28, 2022. 

But you can't buy the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection $10 upgrade on PS5 just yet. If you head on over to the PlayStation Store, it will only list the current $50 PS5 pre-order.

How can I upgrade Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection?

On Friday, Jan 28, insert your copy of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and head on over to the PlayStation Store. There, you should be able to see or search for The Legacy of Thieves Collection. Once there, you should be able to buy the upgrade for $10 (or £10 if you're in the UK.) If it's not showing you the $10 option, click on the ellipsis (...) to select the correct edition.

What's cool is that you don't need to own both Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy on PS4 to get Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5. As long as you have one of the games inserted, you'll be eligible for the $10 upgrade.

According to the PlayStation Blog, physical owners have to take some extra steps to ensure their upgraded version of Legacy of Thieves Collection work correctly.

"Owners of PS4 disc copies must insert them into the PS5 every time they want to download or play the PS5 digital versions."

If you currently don't own Uncharted 4, you can head on over to Best Buy and pick it up for $20 as of publishing. It'll cost you just another $10 to get the Legacy of Thieves Collection. That's a $20 savings over buying the Legacy of Thieves Collection separately on PS5.

If you don't want to buy new, we're seeing used copies of Uncharted 4 sell on eBay for between $8-10 dollars.

Unfortunately, if you own the PS5 Digital Edition Console, the cheaper $400 unit without a disc drive, you'll need to own Uncharted 4 digitally. Right now, the Uncharted 4: A Thief's End & Uncharted: The Lost Legacy bundle on the PlayStation Store retails for $40. At that point, just buy the Legacy Collection for $50 on Jan. 28.

Can I upgrade Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection if I only own Uncharted 4 through PS+?

Here's the quick answer: no.

Sony was gracious enough to give PlayStation Plus subscribers a free copy of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End back in April of 2020. Current PS5 owners with a PS+ subscription also have access to the PS Plus Collection, two-dozen games that are free to download. One of these titles includes A Thief's End, alongside inFAMOUS Second Son, God of War and other stellar games. The full list can be found here

Unfortunately, owning Uncharted 4 via PS Plus does not net you the ability to upgrade to the PS5 version for $10. You'll need to go out and either buy a physical or digital copy. 

Will Uncharted 4 multiplayer work on Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

As fun as Uncharted 4's multiplayer was on PS4, Sony has decided not to bring the mode over to Legacy of Thieves Collection. As of publishing, Uncharted 4's multiplayer servers are still active. Streamer LoneWolfXP uploaded a video of himself going through multiplayer matches in 2022.

So, if you want to still continue playing Uncharted 4 multiplayer on your PS5, you'll need to play it via the PS4 version of the game. It will not work through the Legacy of Thieves Collection. That also means that PC gamers who purchase the collection via the Epic Games Store or Steam will also not have the option for multiplayer goodness. They'll need a PS4 with a copy of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End to do so.

Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.