The ninth generation of gaming is well underway with the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in late 2020. A legion of impressive new next-gen games like Returnal and Forza Horizon 5 has launched just this year alone, promising a stellar future ahead for fans of all things video games. Horizon: Forbidden West is one of the next big games in line, due for release in February 2022, positioned as the first grand-scale PS5 game of next year. Based on the stunning graphics in the reveal trailer and the PS5 being Sony's main focus, PS4 owners who have yet to secure a PS5 may have felt left out from playing Aloy's next adventure.
However, a few months ago it was confirmed that Horizon: Forbidden West would additionally be coming to the PS4 alongside the PS5, making it a cross-generation release. While great news for PS4 owners, there was a concern for just how well the older technology could run a game as massive and gorgeous as Horizon: Forbidden West. Thankfully, recent PS4 screenshots of the game from Guerilla Games have put to rest any worries, as it looks like a perfectly fine version of the game all things considered. In fact, the impressive visuals in these screenshots also indicate that Sony's previous console still has plenty of life left in it over the coming years.
The PS4 - Old, Not Obsolete
Generally speaking, a console's prime lasts about six to seven years. The PS2 was Sony's main focus from 2000-2006, then the PS3 from 2006 to 2013, and so on. While these platforms did receive support in the years that followed, the quality clearly began to dwindle as time went on, with the lineup of games slowly devolving into ports and the standard multiplatform releases. A large reason for this is that the technology in the older consoles no longer becomes sustainable to continue having the biggest games being produced. There is no way that the PS2 could run Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, nor could the PS3 handle Infamous: Second Son, and so on.
While this is once again the case between the PS4 and PS5, this gap doesn't seem to be as immediately apparent as it was in prior console transitions. For a console released all the way back in 2013, the PS4 has proven to have a considerable amount of power-packed inside of it. 2020 titles such as The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima look just as good as anything available on next-gen platforms. Additionally, third-party releases like Assassin's Creed: Valhalla can look almost as stunning on the older hardware as it does with the added visuals flourishes on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Horizon is a Good Sign For Future PS4 Games
Huge leaps and bounds were made during the PS4's generation in terms of graphics and technical performance, delivering some of the most jaw-dropping experiences around such as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and The Last of Us 2. These advancements have shortened the gap usually seen by the leaps in new console technology, as it is going to take some time for developers to truly take advantage of next-gen machines. This is not to suggest that games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart aren't gorgeous and clearly a step above what is possible on PS4, but it does indicate that the PS4 isn't quite ready to hang up its coat and call it a day.
The aforementioned PS4 screenshots of Horizon: Forbidden West, while obviously not as pretty as the PS5 counterpart, are still hugely impressive in their own right. The level of detail in the locations shows that the PS4 version is a perfectly serviceable option for users that have yet to make the jump to next-gen consoles, and also hints that future cross-generation games will perform just as admirably on Sony's older machine. God of War: Ragnarok and Gran Turismo 7 were both confirmed for the PS4 as well, and since both of these games are also first-party PlayStation titles, it seems likely they will get the same love and care that Horizon: Forbidden West has displayed.
Horizon: Forbidden West launches February 18, 2022 on PS4 and PS5.
