Horizon Forbidden West has nine confusing PS4 and PS5 editions

More at PlayStation blog today, Sony has detailed the many different versions of Horizon forbidden to the west now available for pre-order. Which version you order depends on several factors. Do you need PS4, PS5 or both? Do you want a physical disk? How about a $ 260 box with both versions, no disc and a statue of a robot mammoth? You would think they could make things a little less complicated.

Let’s start with the most basic versions of the game. There are two different basic digital editions, one for the PlayStation 4 and one for the PlayStation 5. The PS4 version costs $ 60 and the PS5 costs $ 70. If you buy the PS4 versions, there is no upgrade path to the PS5 version, or at least not yet.

The basic commercial version of Horizon forbidden to the west is called the launch edition. There is one for the PS4 and one for the PS5, respectively $ 60 and $ 70. For an additional $ 10, there’s the Special Edition for the PS4 or PS5, which comes packaged in a steelbook with a mini art book and a voucher for the game’s digital pre-order bonuses.

Note that the six different editions we’ve looked at so far are platform specific. And you can play the PS4 version of Horizon forbidden to the west on the PS5 via backward compatibility, but not the other way around.

The purchase of both versions begins with the Digital Deluxe version at $ 80. It comes with PS4 and PS5 games, plus a bunch of digital goodies like a downloadable soundtrack and a digital art book. I imagine that means there could be a $ 20 upgrade from PS4 to PS5 somewhere down the line, but nothing has been announced yet. (Update 02/09/2021 1:27 PM ET: I was reminded that Sony specifically promised such upgrades. Hmm.)

Now we are getting fanciful. The $ 200 Collector’s Edition is the version for you if you need a giant mammoth statue. It comes with a Steelbook case, the aforementioned mini art book and mammoth, as well as a host of digital goodies. The Collector’s Edition comes with vouchers for the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game, but no discs. Why is there a steel case if there is no disc? Who knows?

Finally, we have the most expensive version of them all, the $ 260 Regalia Edition. It comes with not only a mammoth statue, but a mammoth statue which is different from the other mammoth statue. There are also a few art cards, physical strike pieces from the Sunwing and Clawstrider machines, a canvas card, and a Focus replica (Aloy’s ear) with stand. The Regalia edition of Horizon forbidden to the west Also includes digital downloads for the PS4 and PS5, as well as a steelbook for the disc that does not come with it.

Let’s review. To get a game disc, you need to choose PS4 or PS5. If you want both versions digitally, you have to either get the digital deluxe edition or one of the two very expensive versions. If you want both versions on disk, you will need to purchase two copies. And if you absolutely need both versions of the Robot Mammoth Statue, God have mercy on your soul.