Horizon Forbidden West is less than two weeks away. The hotly anticipated PlayStation exclusive is set to arrive on February 18, and eager gamers are already securing their pre-orders so they can jump into Aloy’s next adventure the minute the game goes live.
However, if you’re planning to play on PS5 you should buy the PS4 version of the game first. This is because the PS5 version retails for $70, while the last-gen version costs $60. Of course, you'll likely want to play the native next-gen version of the game on your shiny new console, but don’t worry — because buying a PS4 copy of the game comes with a free upgrade to the PS5 version.
That's right: If you insert a PS4 Horizon Forbidden West disc into your PS5 console, you'll be given the option to download the native PS5 version of the game instead. Do note, you will still need to keep your PS4 disc in the console to access the game.
If you own a PS5 Digital console, or just don’t care for disc swapping, you can also purchase a digital PS4 copy of the game and still get a free PS5 upgrade — although Sony has been a little bit sneaky about hiding this fact.
The PlayStation Store carefully excludes any text hinting at the existence of a free upgrade and if you search for Horizon Forbidden West directly on a PS5 console, the PS4 version won’t appear.
To place your order, you’ll instead need to either buy the game via a PS4 console or use the PlayStation Store web app. From here, just purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PS4 and come launch day you’ll have access to the native PS5 version of the game too.
This free PS5 upgrade comes after Sony course-corrected. Initially, it was announced that Horizon Forbidden West wouldn’t have a PS4-to-PS5 upgrade path, but Sony hastily backtracked on that after a significant backlash. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has confirmed via the PlayStation Blog: “Players who purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PS4 will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for free.”
In the same post, Sony confirmed that future exclusives including God of War Ragnarok and Gran Turismo 7 won’t offer a free upgrade. Instead, players will be required to pay a $10 fee to upgrade from PS4 to PS5. So, make sure to take advantage of the free Horizon Forbidden West cross-gen offer, as it looks set to be the last of its kind.
