PlayStation fans weren’t happy when Sony announced the various editions of Horizon Forbidden West for PS4 and PS5 consoles on Thursday. None of them offered a free upgrade path from the PS4 to PS5 version of the game, and worse, there wasn’t even a paid upgrade option.
The decision was met with extreme controversy because PlayStation boss Jim Ryan had told The Washington Post in 2020 that Horizon Forbidden West players who buy the game for PS4 could upgrade to the PS5 version at no cost.
“The PS5 versions of [Horizon Forbidden West] are built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS5 feature set, and we have an upgrade path for PS4 users to get the PS5 versions for free,” Ryan said at the time. “I’m really quite pleased about the situation.”
Fortunately, Ryan has managed to remember what he had promised PlayStation gamers last year and is reversing course.
In an updated post regarding Horizon Forbidden West’s Collector’s and Digital Deluxe Editions, Ryan announced that players who purchase the game on PS4 will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for free. This is fantastic news for Horizon Forbidden West fans, particularly those who haven’t been able to find a PS5 for purchase yet.
Ryan admitted that it was “abundantly clear” that he and Sony had “missed the mark” in their original announcement. Horizon Forbidden West will be released on February 18, 2022.
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.
Source: PlayStation