Horizon Forbidden West is undoubtedly one of Sony’s biggest and most anticipated upcoming releases. It was first announced back in June 2020 during the PlayStation 5’s reveal event. But it’s not a PS5 exclusive. It’s actually a cross-generation title – which makes sense given the PS4’s significantly larger install base. With the game now up for pre-order, it’s likely many players will be purchasing it on the older console. After all, PS5s are still incredibly hard to come by. So, fans are asking, “how does Horizon Forbidden West PS4 to PS5 upgrade work?”
Naturally, lots of people who own PS4’s ultimately plan on purchasing a PS5. That is, once they’ve actually found one to buy. And if you’ve bought a game on PS4 which has significant performance and visual enhancements on PS5, of course you’re going to want to get your hands on the superior version. However, it’s reasonable that you shouldn’t have to pay twice for a game you already own. Let’s take look at how Sony are handling Horizon Forbidden West across two console generations…
Horizon Forbidden West PS4 to PS5 upgrade explained
Sony ruffled feathers last week when they announced the upgrade policy for Horizon Forbidden West. Despite previously promising free upgrades for cross-generation titles, Sony let fans down when they released an FAQ for the game stating otherwise.
In answer to the question “Can I upgrade my Horizon Forbidden West PS4 version to the PS5 version?” Sony responded “To access both the PS4 and PS5 versions of Horizon Forbidden West, you need to purchase the Digital Deluxe, Collector’s, or Regalla Editions. Dual entitlement does not apply to the Standard and Special Editions.”
The subsequent question – “Can I upgrade my Standard Edition to the Digital Deluxe edition of Horizon Forbidden West?” – caused further disappointment with the response “There are no plans for an update offer from Standard to Digital Deluxe Edition at this time.”
However, Sony have reversed the decision as of 4th September. In a new blog post, Jim Ryan (President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment) admitted the company had “missed the mark” and referenced their prior commitment to “deliver free upgrades for our cross-gen launch titles, which included Horizon Forbidden West“. He went on to confirm that “Players who purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4 will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version for free.” So, there we have it. No silly upgrade policy where you have to purchase a certain edition of the game. You will get the Horizon Forbidden West PS5 upgrade for free if you already own it on PS4. Nice and simple.
Horizon Forbidden West delay
Of course, we’ll need to wait for the game’s release before we can see how all this plays out. And we’ll actually be getting our hands on Horizon Forbidden West later than expected thanks to its recent delay. It was initially slated to launch in late 2021, although this was caveated with the possibility of postponement. Back in June this year, Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst said “we think we are on track to release this holiday season. But that isn’t quite certain yet, and we’re working as hard as we can to confirm that to you as soon as we can.” So, when is Horizon Forbidden West release date? During Gamescom: Opening Night Live, Guerrilla Games confirmed it will be released on 18th February 2022.
If you can’t wait until then and need your Horizon fix now, we’ve got good news! A Horizon Zero Dawn 4K 60fps PS5 upgrade dubbed the “Enhanced Performance Patch” was released on 25th August. You can download it now, and enjoy the original game in the series in its best possible form.
Are you excited for Horizon Forbidden West? Will you be getting it on PS4 or PS5? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
