Sony Is Giving Away Horizon Zero Dawn For Free
"Aloy, Aloy", what's going on here then? While we sit twiddling our controllers and wait to draw back our bow with Horizon Forbidden West, Sony is taking us back to the start of the story and gifting patient players Horizon Zero Dawn - for free. The world might be returning to some form of normality as COVID-19 restrictions start to lift, but even as we leave our armchairs in favour of a drink down the pub, Sony is championing its Play at Home initiative.
Although the race between next-gen consoles tightens and Xbox adds to its library of first-party exclusives, Sony's catalogue is still bulging at the seam. Alongside Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War, and The Last of Us, the release of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017 saw it cement itself as a first-party juggernaut. Even though it's since made the move to Microsoft Windows, it was a massive hit for Sony Interactive Entertainment.
With huge sales and critical acclaim, it's no surprise the studio quickly gave Forbidden West the green light. We know the next game is coming out at some point this year, but in the run-up, you can play the OG in all its dystopian glory.
How can you download Horizon Zero Dawn for free?
The official PlayStation Blog confirmed Horizon Zero Dawn is available to download now. Better yet, it won't cost you a penny. Sid Shuman, Senior Director for SIE Content Communications, wrote, "I also mentioned that Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition is coming to PlayStation fans for free as part of Play at Home 2021. Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition is available to download free between April 19 8:00pm PT / April 20 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST and May 14 8:00pm Pacific Time / May 15 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST".
As this free copy is the Complete Edition of Zero Dawn, it includes the Frozen Wilds expansion that gave the game a wintery makeover. If that wasn't enough, you also get all post-release content, including Carja Storm Ranger Outfit and Carja Mighty Bow, Carja Trader Pack, Banuk Trailblazer Outfit and Banuk Culling Bow, Banuk Traveller Pack, Nora Keeper Pack, Digital art book, and PS4 theme. Considering the game is available on both PS4 and PS5, we're not sure if there will also be a PS5 theme.
Is Sony giving away more free games?
A free copy of Zero Dawn isn't all you're getting. Sony confirmed the rest of its Play at Home games are coming back for a limited time only. The whole idea of Play at Home was to release some fan-favourite games for a short time. It means that if you didn't download in that short window, the game was gone. Thankfully, they're all back in action (again, for a limited time). Shuman confirmed you can download "this amazing selection of PS4 games and PS VR games will be available for free download until April 22 8:00pm PT / April 23 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST". So, you'd better be quick!
Finally, Shuman teased more games could be on the way. He concluded the post by writing, "Thanks again to the community — and stay tuned, we’ll have another Play at Home update to share soon". If Zero Dawn doesn't float your boat, the idea that more major titles will land on Play at Home is a big one. Only last month, you could nab 2016's Ratchet & Clank for free.
PlayStation 5 owners have been able to enjoy the PlayStation Plus Collection and AAA games including 2018's God of War, Batman: Arkham Knight, and The Last of Us Remastered. It's entirely plausible that Sony could make these available to PS4 owners as part of Play at Home.
Sony first ran Play at Home in April 2020 with the release of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, but after a tough year and release of a next-gen console, it's back and bigger than ever. As we jump into action as Aloy and chart a 31st Century Earth populated by giant robots, it's great to know Play at Home has our backs.
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