Rare PS5 bundle will include Horizon Forbidden West

Ever since Sony launched the PS5 back in 2020, the company has generally wanted to sell the console à la carte. That could be about to change, though, thanks to a new bundle that will include hit sequel Horizon Forbidden West. Players will soon be able to buy a PS5 or a PS5 Digital Edition with a copy of Aloy’s latest adventure included right in the box.

This information comes from Twitter deal-hunter Wario64, who posted images of the bundle on his account.

The pitch is straightforward enough. Sony will be selling the PlayStation 5 Console — Horizon Forbidden West Bundle through its PS Direct program. 

For those who haven’t tried PS Direct before, it’s essentially a way for you to buy PS5 consoles directly from Sony by adding yourself to an e-mail waiting list. Buying from Sony has a lot of advantages, as you’re guaranteed to pay retail price, and the process tends to be a lot less chaotic than the “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” retail store frenzies.

Official PS5 bundles have been exceedingly rare so far. To date, Sony has only offered one other, with a copy of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, in June 2021. It wasn’t available in the United States, however, which makes the Horizon Bundle a geographic first.

There are two potential downsides to this bundle. The first is that Sony has not yet announced a price for it. There’s no indication that the copy of Horizon Forbidden West is complimentary, meaning that the bundle could go for up to $570 instead of the standalone PS5’s $500. This isn’t a big deal if you want to play Horizon Forbidden West, but it’s an unnecessary expense if you’d rather play other games — or if you already own the sequel on PS4.

The other potential issue is that even if you do get the bundle, your PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition will be the plain old black-and-white, or black-and-black, version of the console. While the PS4 had special editions galore, most themed around a particular game, the Horizon bundle doesn’t seem to be taking any artistic license. It’s a PS5 that happens to come with a game, not a collectors’ item that will make you the envy of your gaming peers.

On the other hand, PS5s are still obscenely hard to come by, and this is as good a way to get one as any. If you already own Horizon Forbidden West, you could try to sell your extra copy — or just eat the $70 loss, as it’s still considerably less than you would pay a scalper for a console. If you want to try your luck at other sites, then keep our PS5 restock guide handy.