Horizon Forbidden West's Confusing Different Editions Explained
After several delays and bits of bad news for "Horizon Forbidden West" fans, Guerilla Games finally announced the release date for the follow-up to "Horizon Zero Dawn" at Gamescom: Opening Night Live, revealing that the new game would go live on February 18, 2022.
With a solid release date in place at last, the official PlayStation Blog quickly made preorders available. Unfortunately, that exciting news was soon obscured by some far more confusing. When "Horizon Forbidden West" finally arrives in February, gamers will have their choice of nine different versions of the game. As if that wasn't an overwhelming amount of choices for consumers, nearly every version has a different price, and buyers need to make sure they don't just pick the cheapest option — otherwise, they may end up with a copy that isn't compatible with their console.
At the very least, the massive variety of choices available ensures that there's something for every level of "Horizon" fan, even if pinning down the best option seems unnecessarily complex. With that in mind, here is a handy guide to the many different editions of "Horizon Forbidden West" that are currently available for preorder.
Horizon Forbidden West currently boasts six different console-specific editions
The most important thing a fan needs to be sure of when preordering "Horizon Forbidden West" is that they're picking the correct version for their console — a proposition which caused a bit of confusion right away. While the PlayStation Blog noted that save files will transfer between systems, the blog originally told fans, "Dual entitlement does not apply to the Standard and Special Editions." After significant outcry from fans, the blog was updated to inform gamers that the standard editions of "Horizon Forbidden West" will indeed offer free upgrades. Players who purchase the PS4 version will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version of the game at no charge when they make the leap to the next-gen console.
The most straightforward version of "Horizon Forbidden West" that players can order is the digital Standard Edition, available on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 4 for $60 and the PlayStation 5 for $70. Players who prefer to own a physical disc can preorder the identical Launch Edition through retailers, and GameStop lists the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 disc versions at the same prices as their digital counterparts. According to the PlayStation Blog, anyone preordering the basic version, digitally or through retail, will receive "the Nora Legacy Outfit and Spear to use in the game."
Next is the Special Edition, which includes a physical disc in a SteelBook case, a digital copy of the soundtrack, and a mini art book. The Special Edition is available on the PlayStation Store for $70 on the PlayStation 4 and $80 on the PlayStation 5.
Gamers who want to have both PS4 and PS5 versions of Horizon Forbidden Dawn have options
As noted by the PlayStation Blog, anyone who wants some flexibility with their preorder of "Horizon Forbidden Dawn" has a couple of choices.
The Digital Deluxe Edition is the first option, available on the PlayStation Store for $80. For the same price as the Special Edition, gamers receive downloads of both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game, as well as extras like a digital copy of the art book, the soundtrack, and a "Horizon Zero Dawn" graphic novel. Players will also receive in-game cosmetics, resources, and extra photo mode options.
Things start to get a little wackier with the Collectors Edition, priced at $200 on the PlayStation Store. This includes digital copies of both the PS4 and PS5 versions, the same in-game extras as the Digital Deluxe, a physical copy of the art book, and "A custom sculpted Tremortusk and Aloy statue." Gamers will also receive a SteelBook display case — but there will be no disc included, just a voucher for the digital download.
Finally, dedicated "Horizon Forbidden West" fans can preorder the Regalia Edition, available for $260 on the PlayStation Store. The Regalia Edition includes another empty SteelBook with download codes for both versions of the game, a slightly different custom statue, two art print cards, physical replica focus and strike pieces, a canvas map, the mini art book, and all the digital bonuses that come with other versions of the game.