Sony has finally launched the Horizon Forbidden West PS5 bundle in the US, the first official PS5 bundle in fact, but some fans are angry about the package for two things: the price point and the digital game key. Both the standard PS5 and PS5 Digital Editions of the bundle are available through PS Direct, the first US retailer to list the item for purchase.
Why fans are frustrated with the Horizon Forbidden West PS5 bundle
hopefully Sony doesn't ask for that $20 back in the future.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) May 24, 2022
As noted by multiple users replying to Wario64’s announcement on Twitter that the bundle will cost $549.99 for the PS5 version and $449.99 for the PS5 Digital version, some are shocked that the price only amounts to $20 in savings. That calculation comes after you add the retail price for Horizon Forbidden West at $69.99 to the retail price of the PS5 at $499.99/$399.99 for the disc/digital versions.
Worse yet, the bundle only includes a voucher for the digital version of Horizon Forbidden West. This makes sense of course for the PS5 Digital bundle, but that it’s also included in the PS5 Disc bundle is an odd choice, to say the least.
If you’re still looking for the bundle, you’ll need to register for the opportunity to buy it from PS5 Direct and most likely stand in a queue when it becomes available, hoping that it won’t be sold out by the time your turn comes around. Getting invited to the PlayStation Direct store does not guarantee that you’ll get the bundle, or the standalone PS5 console for that matter.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, Horizon Forbidden West has returned to the number one spot on the UK boxed charts primarily due to the bundle being available in the region several weeks earlier. Sales of the game “rose 94% week-on-week following the release of a new official PS5 hardware bundle,” pushing Nintendo Switch Sports into second place on the charts. Both Gran Turismo 7 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also received a boost in sales “with the arrival of more PS5 stock.”
In other news, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum release date has been revealed, and Sony has quietly removed the ability to transfer games from PS3 to Vita.