A sequel to Horizon Forbidden West hasn’t been announced, but Sony did reveal that they would be releasing a remastered version of the original Horizon Zero Dawn for the PS5 and PC, and it’s coming out by the end of the month.
Owners of the original game can pay for a $10 upgrade, but buying the full game will cost around $50. Already, some players are thinking ahead and buying the original version of the game now, then just paying for the 10-dollar upgrade, but Sony is a step ahead of anyone who thinks they could get the remastered version for cheaper.
Sony Raises Prices on Original Horizon Zero Dawn
As multiple sources have pointed out online, Sony has quietly increased the price of the original Horizon Zero Dawn. While the game has gone down to $20 since 2020, even going as low as $15, Sony has officially raised the price by more than double—at $39.99.
So, if anyone decides to buy the original Horizon game first and then upgrade to the remaster, it will cost around $50—the same price as the full remastered version.
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+ 2Sony Being Slick?
Already, some fans are crying foul for Sony, anticipating that people will suddenly want to buy a 7-year-old game at full price.
Admittedly, it was smart for Sony to anticipate that some fans would try to get the remaster this way, but it is not a good look for the company—especially for fans who are trying to save money on the remaster.
The Last of Us Part I
Horizon isn’t the first game to undergo the remaster rodeo. The Last of Us Part I was also a remake of a 2013 game (which had already received a ‘remastered’ treatment), and fans were upset that there was no upgrade option available for anyone who already owned the game.
Naughty Dog’s defense was that The Last of Us Part I was a ground-up remake, so it was more than just porting over an old-gen game to the PS5 and giving it a glossier coat of paint. It does seem that the Horizon remaster will still be using many elements from the original game, so they offered the upgrade package instead.
click to enlarge + 2Physical vs. Digital
Some say this whole fiasco with Horizon is a testament to why physical releases should still exist. The push for the big game companies to keep everything digital allows them to have indefinite control over the price of games, but with a physical release, the community can set prices on games and sell (or share) titles with whoever they please.
In time, it’s likely that the remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn will eventually have a price drop on a sale, but fans will probably have to wait a longer time before that should happen.
The remastered version of Horizon Zero Dawn is set to launch for PC and PS5 on Oct. 31.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Features and Horizon Zero Dawn remake page.