The rumours you might've heard months ago were true: Horizon Zero Dawn is heading to PC. Developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Horizon Zero Dawn is an action RPG that originally released in 2017 and was clearly singled out as a PS4 exclusive at launch.
But now, over two years on from the release of Horizon Zero Dawn, Sony has opted to remove that exclusivity and allow the game to launch on PC. This kind of move often incurs strong reactions from vocal sections of the internet, and Sony has decided to get out in front of the naysayers by explaining the thinking behind this decision.
The official PlayStation blog has published an interview with Hermen Hulst, the former managing director of Guerrilla Games who is now head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios. Having worked at the developer and the publisher of Horizon Zero Dawn, he's in a unique position to comment on the situation.
Hulst, in fact, broke the news himself: "Yes, I can confirm that Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to PC this summer," he said. "There will be more information coming from Guerrilla, from the new studio directors [Michiel van der Leeuw, JB van Beek, and Angie Smets] pretty soon."
Asked what he would say to PlayStation fans about this situation and what this decision means for the future, Hulst offered this considered response: "I think it’s important that we stay open to new ideas of how to introduce more people to PlayStation, and show people maybe what they’ve been missing out on." That's a nice way of putting it - years on from the launch of Horizon Zero Dawn, PC gamers can now see what all of the fuss was about. That's why Sony has done this.
"And to maybe put a few minds at ease," Hulst added, "releasing one first-party AAA title to PC doesn’t necessarily mean that every game now will come to PC. In my mind, Horizon Zero Dawn was just a great fit in this particular instance. We don’t have plans for day and date [PC releases], and we remain 100% committed to dedicated hardware."
As we inch towards the launch of the PS5, the last part of that quote will be particularly well-received among PlayStation fanatics - even though Sony is opting to broaden the reach of Horizon Zero Dawn, that doesn't mean that all future PlayStation exclusives will come to PC.
It doesn't sound like a precedent is being set here, but still, this isn't an isolated incident. Microsoft has done similar things in the past, like releasing Ori And The Blind Forest on Nintendo Switch long after it was heralded as an Xbox One exclusive. As we edge into the future of gaming, we wouldn't be surprised to hear more stories like this, and we'll be sure to keep you posted if we do...