Horizon Forbidden West launches on February 18th for PS4 and PS5. The sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most anticipated games of the year, and it’s sure to sell millions of copies. But before you buy a copy of the sequel, there is an interesting quirk regarding the two versions of Horizon Forbidden West you should know about. As long as you buy Horizon Forbidden West on PS4, you can save yourself $10, even if you want the PS5 version.
Horizon Forbidden West’s free PS4 to PS5 upgrade
Last September, Sony confirmed that Horizon Forbidden West would be available on February 18th. The company also revealed there would not be a free upgrade from the PS4 version to the PS5 version. This, unsurprisingly, didn’t go over well with PlayStation fans.
In fact, it went over so poorly that the company almost immediately backtracked.
“Last year we made a commitment to deliver free upgrades for our cross-gen launch titles, which included Horizon Forbidden West,” wrote Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan. “While the pandemic’s profound impact pushed Forbidden West out of the launch window we initially envisioned, we will stand by our offer: Players who purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4 will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version for free.”
Horizon Forbidden West will be the final first-party cross-gen game to include a free upgrade. Upcoming games like God of War Ragnarök and Gran Turismo 7 will get a $10 digital upgrade option. Otherwise, if you buy a first-party PS5 game, the retail price at launch will be $69.99. That brings us back to Horizon Forbidden West, which is coming out on PS4 and PS5.
How to save $10 on Horizon Forbidden West
The standard edition of Horizon Forbidden West will cost $59.99 on PS4 and $69.99 on PS5. As noted above, if you buy the PS4 version of the game, you can upgrade to the PS5 version for free. Therefore, there’s no reason that anyone should buy the PS5 version. The only reason would be if you are collecting physical copies of every PS5 game.
If you buy a physical copy on PS4, put the disc in your PS5 to receive the free upgrade. If you buy a digital copy, you’ll get the upgrade automatically.
One last warning: If you search for Horizon Forbidden West on the PlayStation Store on a PS5, you will only find the PS5 version of the game. If you want to preorder or purchase the game digitally, be sure to visit this page on the PlayStation Store from your browser.
It’s not especially surprising that Sony is doing everything it can to push consumers to buy the PS5 version, but it’s a waste of $10. Whether you own a PS4, a PS5, or both consoles, you should by the PS4 version of Horizon Forbidden West. You’ll save $10, and you can upgrade to the PS5 version for free as soon as you get a PS5.
