Update: After revealing that Horizon Forbidden West would require the minimum purchase of the Digital Deluxe Edition to be able to play the game on PlayStation 4 as well as PlayStation 5 Sony released a blog post on Saturday, September 4th announcing that the upgrade will now be free. The quote from Jim Ryan, president & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, referenced their initial comment last year, that many disgruntled fans were very quick to post over social media upon learning that the upgrade not only wouldn't be free but that it would cost $10 more than the PlayStation 5 edition of the game to play across generations.
However, it’s abundantly clear that the offerings we confirmed in our pre-order kickoff missed the mark.
Last year we made a commitment to deliver free upgrades for our cross-gen launch titles, which included Horizon Forbidden West. 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.
The quote continues on to specify that going forward every PlayStation first-party exclusive cross-gen title will offer a $10 upgrade cost from the PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 edition. This $10 is normally the price difference between the two editions. Ryan specifically name-drops upcoming cross-gen titles Gran Turismo 7 and God of War. There's no mention of whether owning the PlayStation 5 edition of the game will allow you to have access to the PlayStation 4 edition of the game, so if you think you might want to play Horizon Forbidden West across multiple consoles then the PlayStation 4 edition and upgrade might be your best option.
The game itself begins six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, with Aloy, a machine hunter, traveling west to investigate a deadly blight and save all life on Earth. In doing so, she'll meet new tribes and encounter more machines that want her dead, which is par for the course in the Horizon world.
Addressing the Next-Gen Upgrade elephant in the room
During the original announcement for Horizon Forbidden West, prospective players were told that they would be getting a free next-gen upgrade. Now, it's a paid upgrade that can only be got via the Digital Deluxe, Collector’s, or Regalla Editions. If you purchase the standard edition on PlayStation 4 there is no upgrade path to the PlayStation 5 edition aside from repurchasing the game. That being said you can play the PS4 version on your PS5 in backward compatibility mode. Check out the full quote below:
For players looking to have access to both the PS4 & PS5 versions of Horizon Forbidden West, please purchase the Digital Deluxe, Collector’s, or Regalla Editions. Dual entitlement does not apply to the standard and Special Editions.
Pretty sneaky, but hey, thems the rules I guess.
What pre-order options are available for Horizon Forbidden West?
To start, if you order any physical edition in specific regions outside of North America and Canada, who knows what else at this point, you'll receive the Nora Legacy Outfit and Spear to use in-game. To use the items, you'll have to redeem them via the PlayStation Store.
However, if you want to play the game on both the PS4 and PS5, you can pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition exclusively on the PlayStation Store. If you do that, you'll get these goodies:
- Horizon Forbidden West (Digital) PS4 and PS5 versions.
- 2 Outfits (Carja Behemoth Elite and Nora Thunder Elite).
- 2 Weapons (Carja Behemoth Short Bow and Nora Thunder Sling).
- In-game Resources Pack including ammunition, potions, and travel packs.
- In-game Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike Piece.
- Exclusive Photo Mode pose and face paint.
- Digital Art Book.
- Digital Soundtrack.
- Digital Version of The Sunhawk, the first Horizon Zero Dawn graphic novel.
There's also the Special Edition, which includes a steel book and a physical copy of the game for either the PS4 or PS5. It also comes with the digital soundtrack via a voucher and a mini art book.
If you are really committed and want to spend all the money, the Collector's Edition will get you the digital PS4 and PS5 versions, a steelbook display case, and a custom sculpted Tremortusk and Aloy statue. The biggest and baddest Regalla Edition will give players a replica focus and custom stand, a canvas map, and everything else that comes with the Collector's/Digital Deluxe Editions. Check it out below:
If you are eager to climb (heh) another few hundred animals plus everything else in general, you can pre-order the various available editions for Horizon Forbidden West here. For more information on Horizon Forbidden West, stay tuned to TechRaptor.
