Horizon Zero Dawn is not even 10 years old and already Sony is releasing a remastered version. Announced during Sony's State of Play today, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will launch on October 31, 2024, for PlayStation 5 and PC.
In a post on a PlayStation Blog, Jan-Bart van Beek, Studio Director and Studio Art & Animation Director at developer Guerilla cited the leaps in technology over the past seven years as one of the main reasons behind the decision to remaster the original game.
"7 years is a long time in the world of computer graphics; technology improves," Jan-Bart van Beek said. "As time moved on, we really wished that new players who join Aloy on her origin story can do it with a version that is worthy of their PS5 or compatible PC. And so, we are thrilled to announce that the game has been remastered by our talented friends at Nixxes."
While the original Horizon Zero Dawn is already playable on the PlayStation 5, the remaster features numerous improvements made possible by new technology. Players can expect over 10 hours of re-recorded conversation, mocap and graphical improvements, and a game world brought to life i stunning 4K. Traveling between settlements is also said to be "lightning-fast." The character models have also been upgraded to be more in line "with current generation advances in character models and rendering."
Guerilla noted that the audio experience has been significantly enhanced. They've revamped the sound mix and it now supports PS5 Tempest 3D Audio Tech2 for higher-order ambisonics and Atmos rendering "for an immersive soundscape."
It's not just the visuals and audio that see an improvement. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered also takes full advantage of the DualSense controller's features, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
"We’ve integrated custom haptics for the DualSense controller throughout the game, providing tactile feedback that heightens immersion," Guerilla explained. "Additionally, we’ve introduced a new optional accessibility feature that utilizes sound and haptic feedback to notify players of interactable elements, such as pickups, that were previously only indicated visually."
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered also comes with native support for PlayStation 5 Pro. They didn't get too specific, only stating that this includes "a range of graphical features that have been improved to make use of the power of the PS5 Pro, while also delivering ultra-high fidelity at blazing fast framerates."
The PC version comes with its own set of features, including support for ultra-wide resolutions and the latest performance-enhancing technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.1 with frame generation. A PlayStation overlay with Trophy support is also included.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is set to launch for PS5 and PC on October 31, 2024. It is priced at $49.99 on the PlayStation Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Pre-orders will begin on October 3. Those who already own Horizon Zero Dawn on PS4 and PC or the Complete Edition can upgrade to the digital version of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99 on both PS5 and PC.