PS Plus Mafia Claimers Are Locked Out of the PS5 Upgrade—and Starting Over

Here is the fine print that turns a free upgrade into a small but very real slap in the face: Mafia: Definitive Edition owners can move to a native PS5 version with 60 FPS, while players who claimed the game through PlayStation Plus are left on the curb. And anyone moving from PS4 to PS5 has to leave their save file and trophy progress in Lost Heaven.

2K has tied the native PS5 version to ownership of the PS4 game, not merely access to it. That distinction is the whole story. PS Plus has trained players to treat claimed games as part of their permanent libraries, because functionally they are — until a publisher decides an upgrade entitlement needs a receipt rather than a subscription history.

The 60 FPS Upgrade Has an Ownership Catch

The native PlayStation 5 release of Mafia: Definitive Edition is part of the wider Mafia: The Omertà Collection rollout, and it brings the 2020 remake of Tommy Angelo’s 1930s rise through Lost Heaven into the current console generation. The headline feature is 60 FPS, a meaningful improvement over the PS4 version’s 30 FPS performance.

Players who own the PS4 game digitally or physically can claim the PS5 version through the PlayStation Store. Xbox One digital owners also receive a free Xbox Series X|S version through the Microsoft Store.

But PlayStation Plus claimers do not qualify for the free PS5 upgrade. The game was previously available through PS Plus, and those library licenses are excluded even if the player has spent dozens of hours with the PS4 version. Access is not ownership when 2K is handing out native-version upgrades. That is the policy, however much it clashes with how players reasonably read a “claimed” game in their library.

Buying Back In Also Means Replaying the Game

The entitlement problem would already be irritating on its own. The progression restriction is worse. PS4 save data does not transfer into the PS5 version of Mafia: Definitive Edition. A player who buys the PS4 copy to become eligible for the upgrade will still begin again as Tommy Angelo, from the opening taxi ride onward.

PS4 trophies also do not transfer or auto-populate in the PS5 trophy list. The native release has separate progression and separate trophies. A completed PS4 list remains completed on PS4; it does not become a completed PS5 list because the player owns both versions.

That makes this less of a painless technical upgrade and more of a clean second installation for anyone who wants the improved performance. For players halfway through the campaign, the sensible move is to finish the PS4 version before considering a restart. For trophy hunters, the PS5 release is a fresh list rather than a victory lap.

This Is the Part Subscription Libraries Keep Getting Wrong

Publishers have spent years turning game ownership into a maze of editions, platforms, bundles, delistings, backward compatibility, and subscription licenses. Players understand the broad deal: PS Plus games remain playable while the subscription remains active. What they do not expect is to be placed in a lower ownership tier years later when a free upgrade arrives.

2K’s rule is clear, but clarity does not make it player-friendly. The PS Plus copy is good enough to keep people in the PS4 ecosystem, but insufficient for the PS5 version. Meanwhile, owners who bought a disc years ago can access the upgrade. The publisher has created a split between the people who paid directly and the people who accepted PlayStation’s distribution deal — and only one side gets the modern version without another purchase.

The uncomfortable question is straightforward: if a PS Plus claim is excluded from the upgrade, why should a player who buys the game afterward also lose their existing campaign and trophy progress? Those are two separate friction points stacked together, and the second one makes the first far more expensive in time.

What to Do Before Downloading Anything

• If you own the PS4 version digitally or on disc, claim the native PS5 version through the PlayStation Store.
• If you only claimed the game via PlayStation Plus, do not expect the PS5 version to unlock for free.
• If you are currently playing on PS4, finish that playthrough before switching versions if retaining progress matters.
• If you care about trophies, treat the PS5 release as a separate trophy hunt from the start.
• Xbox players with the digital Xbox One edition can download the Xbox Series X|S version through the Microsoft Store.

The verdict is blunt: the 60 FPS PS5 upgrade is worth having for direct owners, but it is a lousy deal for PS Plus claimers and a terrible time to switch platforms mid-campaign. Finish your PS4 run first. Then decide whether smoother gunfights and a fresh trophy list are worth paying for — and replaying — Lost Heaven all over again.