PlayStation increases prices of Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone on PC months after release

PlayStation has increased the prices of Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone PC ports on Steam and the Epic Games Store in India and other countries more than a year after their releases.

Aside from the PlayStation family of consoles, the gaming division of Sony is known for its amazing first-party titles. While the first-party games are exclusive to its consoles, they have recently made their way to PC via releases on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

It was recently discovered that the prices of two of its earliest first-party titles, Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone, were increased on PC in India and other associating countries with regional pricing.

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Price increases of PlayStation titles more than a year after launch signify major anti-consumer practice

While a publisher generally reduces the price of a game over time to incentivize more people to give it a try, PlayStation seems to be headed in an opposite, anti-consumer direction.

One of the first PlayStation first-party titles to make their way to PC was Guerrilla Games’ 2017 hit, Horizon Zero Dawn. It launched on August 7, 2020, for $49.99. However, with regional pricing that adjusts game prices according to a region’s economy, the title was priced at ₹1099 in India.

Over the last two years, Horizon Zero Dawn has also been available for ₹549 during sales, with the most recent one being the Lunar Sale in January 2022.

However, that seems to have changed, as Horizon Zero Dawn is priced at ₹3299, which is more than triple the launch price and over five times the sale price.

Horizon Zero Dawn pricing changes on Steam in India (Image via Steamdb.info)

It’s a similar, though not as drastic, case with Bend Studio’s Days Gone, released on May 18, 2021, for ₹2999, dipping to ₹1799 during sales. The title is now priced at ₹3299, on par with Horizon Zero Dawn and the recently released God of War.

Days Gone price changes on Steam in India (Image vis Steamdb.info)

The prices hikes are consistent for both the Steam and Epic Games Store versions and affect other areas with regional pricing. While it is most likely due to regional pricing, Sony India is yet to address the issue.

However, from a consumer perspective, it is incredibly frustrating to pay a premium over the launch price, especially more than a year-and-a-half after launch, in the case of one game.