Earlier this week, Sony found itself in the middle of controversy after announcing that it would not be giving Horizon Forbidden West standard or special edition buyers a way to upgrade from the PS4 to the PS5 version of the game. Instead, to play the PS4 version and upgrade to PS5 later, you would need to buy the $80 Deluxe edition, one of the more expensive collector's editions. Fortunately after some swift backlash, Sony has reversed its decision.
Sony's strategy came in stark contrast to Microsoft, as all Xbox first-party titles are sold with ‘dual entitlement', meaning customers don't have to worry about last-gen or current-gen versions of the game, as one purchase will grant you both and Smart Delivery will ensure you are downloading the correct version of the game for your console.
Not only that, but in a previous PlayStation Blog, Sony had promised free PS4 to PS5 upgrades for several early releases, including Horizon Forbidden West, indicating that Sony was going back on its previous plans.
Last night in an updated PlayStation Blog post, Sony confirmed that it is reversing course on this and will provide a free upgrade to the PS5 version of Horizon Forbidden West for everyone picking the game up on PS4. Moving forward, Sony also confirmed that all future exclusive cross-gen titles, like Gran Turismo 7 and the next God of War, will offer a $10 upgrade for those making the jump from PS4 to PS5.
KitGuru Says: Horizon Forbidden West will include a free upgrade from PS4 to PS5 after all. After this, other first-party cross-gen titles will require a $10 upgrade.