Is Horizon Forbidden West Coming To PS4?

After fans got bad news about a release date pushback, the highly-anticipated "Horizon Forbidden West" was confirmed for a Feb. 18, 2022 release. Players are chomping at the bit to get back in Aloy's shoes and see where her next adventure leads. First, some fans need to know if they'll be able to join in the fun on the PS4.

When the PS5 was revealed, its promotions included a ton of strong female protagonists, including "Horizon Forbidden West" star Aloy. Naturally, the game is a PlayStation exclusive that has been heavily tied to the company's new console since its announcement. This naturally leads many fans to believe the game may only be available on the PS5, which could be a problem for many. Even if fans wanted to grab a PS5 just for "Horizon Forbidden West," doing so is still quite the challenge as it has been since the console was launched. However, despite the strong connection between the PS5 and "Horizon Forbidden West," there is some good news for players who haven't yet upgraded to the next-gen console.

As confirmed on the PlayStation blog, "Horizon Forbidden West" will be available on both PS4 and PS5. So, even players who haven't gotten their hands on the hard-to-get PS5 will be able to enjoy the next chapter of Aloy's epic journey.

There's also a perk. According to Sony President and CEO Jim Ryan, "Players who purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4 will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version for free." This means fans of the "Horizon" series won't have to hold out for the PS5 for fear of losing their progress. However, it looks like the gift is a one-time thing. In the future, Ryan explained, "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 sad truth means big-name titles like "God of War" and "Gran Turismo 7" won't have the same perk as "Horizon Forbidden West."

One note: players trying to upgrade a PS4 physical copy of "Horizon Forbidden West" to a digital PS5 copy won't be able to do so. A PS5 that includes a disc drive will be required to keep playing the PS4 physical copy. So, digital is probably the safer route unless a player knows for sure they'll have access to a PS5 with a disc drive.

Whether fans of "Horizon" eventually go for the upgrade or not, knowing that "Forbidden West" will be available on PS4 right out of the gate means a higher number of players will be able to jump into the action with Aloy.