Sony no longer delivers free upgrades from PS4 to PS5
Sony is making a U-turn: «Horizon Forbidden West» will get a free next-gen upgrade after all. However, it will be the last game that’s upgraded for free.
This isn’t the first time that Sony has stumbled over its own upgrade policy. Confusing installation options on the PS5 are followed by the next misstep with «Horizon Forbidden West». Early last week, Sony communicated the various ways to pre-order Aloy's next adventure. This includes nine versions. Only the most expensive ones include both the PS4 and PS5 versions. A free upgrade from the PS4 to the PS5 version isn’t planned. This contradicts earlier statements from Sony CEO Jim Ryan, in which he assured that next-gen upgrades would be free.
After criticism from all sides, Sony is now backtracking and will offer free next-gen upgrades to buyers of the PS4 version of «Horizon Forbidden West». However, as he said, this is an exception. In the future, such upgrades will cost ten dollars. This means, there’s no way to upgrade «Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut» from the PS4 to the PS5 version without paying extra. The next-gen versions are also more expensive than the last-gen versions in terms of purchase price.
This only affects Sony's first-party games such as «God of War» and «Gran Turismo». How do other manufacturers handle this? We don’t know yet. Microsoft is much more generous: the Xbox Series S/X doesn’t only automatically install the correct version, it also offers free next-gen upgrades.
As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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