A Horizon Zero Dawn Remake or Remaster Is Allegedly Happening

If this is real, then fans have to wonder if Sony and PlayStation Studios are fresh out of ideas

Horizon Zero Dawn screenshot - Aloy

It seems that Sony Interactive Entertainment and their PlayStation Studios may be fresh out of ideas if the recent report by MP1ST is to be believed. The website claims that a remake or remaster of 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn is currently being made.

MP1ST doesn’t cite any specific source only that their “source” revealed that a remake or remaster is in development for PS5.

It is claimed that the remake or remaster will feature improved lighting, overhauled textures, better animations and new character models to match those found in the sequel Horizon Forbidden West.

Apart from the improvement on the graphical front, it is also claimed that this alleged remake or remaster will include accessibility options introduced in Forbidden West. As well as different graphic modes.

Last year Horizon Zero Dawn got a PS5 performance patch that unlocked the framerate to 60 FPS when running the game on PS5. Horizon Zero Dawn was also released on PC in 2020. This too saw many performance improvements but used the same assets as the PS4 version.

What PlayStation Fans Think About A Horizon Zero Dawn Remake/Remaster

Similar to the announcement of The Last of Us remake, this rumour has split the community. Many fans are wondering why Sony would spend time, money and effort remaking or remastering a game that is only five years old. And one that runs perfectly fine on the current-gen PS5.

Fans are hungry for new games and new IPs. With new characters and new worlds and universes to explore. I honestly don’t think there are many PlayStation Fans who just want remakes and remasters over and over again. As one Redditor put it: what is the point of backwards compatibility if the PS5’s catalogue is just going to consist of remasters of the PS4’s catalogue?

Needless to say, the r/PS5 discussion thread on this subject is full of mixed feelings and opinions. But one thing does seem to be clear, most fans don’t want remakes or remasters, they want new games. Or, if it must be a remaster or remake, then let it be something that fans are crying out for. Like Bloodborne, or Resistance for example.

It’s just a rumour, for now

I would place this report firmly in the rumour pile for the time being. Until it’s officially confirmed by Sony or a reputable journalist like Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, I would take this with a massive dose of salt.

But there are some fans who “wouldn’t put it past” Sony if they did release a remaster or remake of Horizon Zero Dawn. In this PS5 generation, which is only two years old, Sony has already released several remasters of remakes. Some of the games are actually newer than Horizon Zero Dawn. There’s the Spider-Man remaster, Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut, although that did come with new content still a remaster nonetheless. Death Stranding Directors Cut, Uncharted Legacy of Thieves and of course The Last of Us Part I.

If this trend continues we will see far more remakes and remasters than we will new and exciting IP.

If the Horizon Zero Dawn remake is somehow real, then we have to ask why? It could be because there is a Horizon TV show in development. And like The Last of Us Part I, they want to release the remastered game to tie in with the TV show. Or, it could be that Sony is planning to include the remaster with the upcoming Horizon Call of the Mountain. This would make sense, as there will probably be a lot of PC VR players buying the PS VR2. And perhaps this would be a good way of getting them into the entire PlayStation ecosystem as opposed to just the PS VR2 part of it.

Right now this story is firmly in the rumour category. But if this does turn out to be true, and as great as Horizon Zero Dawn is, this would be the most pointless and needless remake or remaster ever.

Game Info

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn PS4 Cover
March 1, 2017