Horizon Forbidden West will not offer a free PS5 upgrade

While many publishers have pushed back against the idea that next-gen games need to cost more money, with most opting to offer free next-gen upgrades when it is available, Sony has not been doing so for the most part. Such is the case with Horizon Forbidden West, which will see PS4 players needing to buy the digital deluxe edition in order to play the game across generations.

As preorders for the upcoming Horizon Forbidden West have finally gone live, fans were given their first look at the game’s collector’s editions and more. Alongside this, Sony detailed how the cross-generational title will operate when it releases on the 18th of February, 2022.

In the FAQ section for the game, it asks “Can I upgrade my Horizon Forbidden West PS4 version to the PS5 version?” to which the company explained that “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.”

While annoying in its own right, what is perhaps even more frustrating is the fact that “There are no plans for an update offer from Standard to Digital Deluxe Edition at this time” meaning that if you bought the standard PS4 version you will have to purchase an entire other copy to access the PS5 version.

While there is no denying that the PS5 offers more unique next-gen features than Microsoft’s Xbox Series X for example, locking these feature behind such a significant paywall – especially when the competition offers free upgrades – can feel disheartening to some PlayStation fans – especially those who haven’t managed to get their hands on a PS5 due to the continued shortages.

KitGuru says: what do you think of this strategy? Are you bothered by it? Do you think Sony will reverse this decision? Let us know down below.

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