After much confusion, an about-face by Sony confirms you can, in fact, upgrade the PS4 version of Horizon Forbidden West to the PS5 version for free.
It all began last week when Sony originally announced the preorders for Horizon Forbidden West had gone live. However, upgrading to the PS5 version from the PS4 version did not fall under what Sony labels Dual Entitlement which would provide you both versions of the game.
Sony also detailed several different versions of Horizon Forbidden West available for preorder including the Special Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, Collector’s Edition, and Regalla Edition. But the bit which touched a nerve was the fact that upgrading from the PS4 version to the PS5 version would cost money.
This was especially baffling after Sony had committed last year to delivering free upgrades for their cross-gen titles. This included Horizon Forbidden West. Jim Ryan, Sony President and CEO, took to the PlayStation Blogand issued a statement (emphasis Sony),
“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.”
Curiously, however, Sony’s FAQ notes Dual Entitlement does not apply to the Standard and Special Editions specifically, despite Ryan’s statement making no such distinction (emphasis Sony).
“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.”
Ryan goes on to note moving forward, all first-party exclusive cross-gen titles (physical and digital) will now cost PS4 owners $10 to upgrade to the PS5 version.
Horizon Forbidden West is slated for release on PS4 and PS5 on February 18, 2022.
