Why There Are So Many Unnecessary PS5 Remasters for Games That Don't Need Them | Push Square

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Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered hasn’t been announced for PS5 and PC just yet, but it’s already gone down about as well as a Tallneck with an arrow to its ankle. Less than 18% of Push Square readers said they were interested in buying the re-release, which is already perfectly playable on Sony’s new-gen system through backwards compatibility – and running at a slick 60 frames-per-second to boot. [Update: A Days Gone remaster has been rumoured since we wrote this article earlier today.]

This will go down well

After 57% said they don't want Horizon Zero Dawn

Social media has not been kind to PlayStation lately: the company is being criticised for extorting enthusiast users with its admittedly optional $700 PS5 Pro – and many feel it doesn’t have the software to justify its pricey new hardware. Arguably unnecessary remasters like Horizon Zero Dawn aren’t helping the perception that Sony has nothing new to offer – even if it did launch the acclaimed Astro Bot less than two weeks ago.

It should be noted that Sony isn’t the only manufacturer adopting a remaster strategy. Nintendo has infamously repurposed a large portion of the Wii U’s library for the Switch, and still has more ports on the way; Donkey Kong Country Returns, the Retro Studios platformer from 2010, is getting a second barebones re-release as late as next year (it’s already been ported once to the 3DS).

Those defending the House of Mario would perhaps argue there’s no backwards compatibility available on the Switch so the circumstances are different, but the philosophy of re-selling old software at a significant mark-up is clearly not a new one. So why does this keep happening, and why is the Japanese giant “wasting” resources on remasters that fans haven’t been asking for?

Well, it’s important to remember that, while you may want a Bloodborne or Dark Cloud re-release, this wouldn’t necessarily be tackled by the team behind the Horizon Zero Dawn remaster. Resources are finite, yes, but they can’t be applied