Can you change your horse in Ghost of Tsushima?

On the surface, Ghost of Tsushima looks like a linear action-adventure game akin to other PlayStation first-party story-driven titles like The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Marvel's Spider-Man. However, underneath its linear quest design and open-world-exploration segments is a very well-fleshed-out RPG system, which gives you plenty of options to customize your gameplay experience.

With the game finally arriving on PC in the next couple of weeks, some players might be wondering whether you can change your horse in Ghost of Tsushima. Unfortunately, you cannot. However, after a certain point in the story, you do get a new one.

Note: This article contains minor story spoilers.

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Is it possible to customize your horse in Ghost of Tsushima?

Unlike other open-world role-playing games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Ghost of Tsushima doesn't allow you to change your horse. However, you can still customize your mount with different saddles to match Jin's armor sets. The game has plenty of horse armor that you can unlock by exploring the open world or completing side quests.

However, unlike other RPGs that allow you to switch your mount without any rhyme or reason, there's a narrative reason Ghost of Tsushima doesn't allow you to do so. The reason you don't get to change your horse in the game is that it helps strengthen your bond with him.

However, in the Battle of Komoda Beach (one of the late-game missions) when Jin tries to escape the Shogun, his mount is severely wounded by arrows fired at the protagonist. These projectiles eventually end up killing it.

The horse's death is meant to be one of the turning points in the game's story. Although Jin eventually gets a new one after he ends up accepting his new identity as the "Ghost" in his mind, it doesn't really replace his first horse.

The emotional conflict between the protagonist and his new horse is also showcased via gameplay, where the new mount is initially a bit difficult to control. However, as you progress through the final act of Ghost of Tsushima's story, you will end up gaining the trust of your new steady, and it gets much easier to control him.

As for customization, you can use your previous horse's armor on the new one and also unlock a few additional armor pieces in the Iki Island DLC.