Sony Caves in Under Pressure; Horizon: Forbidden West With Free PS5 Upgrade
Sony has changed its mind after a wave of criticism from gamers. Horizon: Forbidden West, however, will offer a free upgrade to the PS5 version if we choose to purchase the standard PlayStation 4 edition.
- Sony has changed mind and will offer a free upgrade for Horizon: Forbidden West from PS4 to the PS5 version;
- It was also reported that starting today, every cross-gen game released by SIE will offer an upgrade for $10.
After a wave of criticism from the community, Sony has changed mind and Horizon: Forbidden West will offer a free upgrade from PS4 to PlayStation 5 after all. At the same time, the company decided to simplify communication on the subject, revealing that all cross-gen titles released by Sony Interactive Entertainment will offer an upgrade to the PS5 version for $10.
Voices of discontent emerged momentarily after the announcement of pre-orders. Even before the delayed of release of Horizon: Forbidden West Sony promised a free upgrade, which was later quietly withdrawn, leaving such an option only in more expensive editions of the game.
After a wave of justified criticism, the company decided to make a 180-degree turn and return to the original plan. The original message was supplemented by a message from the head of SIE - Jim Ryan.
"Thursday was to be a celebration of Horizon Forbidden West and the amazing team at Guerrilla working to deliver it on February 18, 2022. However, it’s abundantly clear that the offerings we confirmed in our pre-order kickoff missed the mark.
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.
I also want to confirm today that moving forward, PlayStation first-party exclusive cross-gen titles (newly releasing on PS4 & PS5)–both digital and physical – will offer a $10 USD digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5. . This will apply to the next God of War and Gran Turismo 7, and any other exclusive cross-gen PS4 & PS5 title published by Sony Interactive Entertainment."
So here we have another example of how legitimate criticism brings tangible benefits. Even if a bad aftertaste remains, the players have ultimately come out on top. Whether Horizon: Forbidden West is worth the fuss, we'll find out on February 18, 2022, when the game launches on PS4 and PS5.
