It looks like Sony hasn’t learnt their lesson, as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, a single-player game, will require PC players to sign up for a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to play the game on Steam.
As listed on the platform, the game will follow in the footsteps of other PlayStation Studios games like God of War Ragnarok and Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, requiring a PSN account to access the title.
To make matters worse, the original release of the game on PC, Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition, was quietly removed from Steam and the Epic Games Store in early October. This means the only way to play the game henceforth is to purchase the remaster.
Understandably, fans are not pleased and have voiced their dismay on the game’s discussion page, spawning threads such as “Forced PSN, Anti-Steam Consumer” and “PSN account required? Skip”. One thread notably states, “So you want me to give you money – to give you my information… for what a tiny bit of updated graphics. You can keep your remaster.”
The latest uproar follows the backlash that arose back in May following the announcement that Helldivers 2 would require a PSN account for Steam players. So severe was the reaction from the community that Sony eventually backtracked on its decision, with both Community Manager Spitz and studio CEO Johan Pilestedt issuing statements on X/Twitter addressing the issue.
It remains to be seen whether Sony will reconsider their decision – although judging from its other single-player titles currently available on steam, probably not. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is set to launch on 1 November 2024 on Steam.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Natalie
Edwin Teo
