Sony PlayStation’s Remakes and Remasters Listed (Proving There’s an Epidemic of Zero Originality)

PlayStation’s strategy of continuing to invest in remasters is more active than ever, following yesterday’s State of Play confirmation of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.

This is just the latest in a long line of games that Sony has been remastering over the years. Titles like The Last of Us and Uncharted have already undergone this process, something the community has repeatedly made clear is not what they want.

However, it seems that the lack of original games means these updates to existing titles will keep appearing to fill the void. Here is a list of all the remasters and remakes the company has made in recent years.

The Last of Us Remastered

About six months after the official release of the PlayStation 4, Sony confirmed the first major remaster, which would serve as the starting point for this type of title.

The Last of Us originally launched in 2013, right before the PS4’s release. In July 2014, Sony released a remastered version of the game, even though it looked perfectly fine in its original form. Still, the studio and the company promoted it as having graphical tweaks and other adjustments.

This was the first unnecessary remaster, as The Last of Us was the culmination of all the developers’ experience on PlayStation. That’s why it’s considered one of the best games technically on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

With such little time between the original release and the remaster, this version was almost pointless. The PlayStation 4’s lack of backward compatibility was the sole reason for its release.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Another major game that received a remaster was Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, mostly due to the PlayStation 4’s lack of backward compatibility. The key point here is that when it launched, it wasn’t very expensive.

Plus, it served as a precursor to the eventual release of Uncharted 4 later in the generation. This series became a flagship for PlayStation, so it was important to have it available on the new console. This was not such a disastrous decision from the company.

Even though this title received several graphical updates and other improvements, there wasn’t much difference compared to the PlayStation 3 versions.

However, this remaster was necessary due to the lack of backward compatibility and to avoid having fewer Uncharted games on this generation’s consoles compared to the previous one. Additionally, PlayStation quickly gave this game away to users permanently.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

This particular game is difficult to classify as a remaster, but it shares many characteristics with one. To ensure its availability on the PlayStation 5 as an almost-launch title, the game received numerous graphical improvements and other additions.

As a PlayStation 4 exclusive released near the end of the console’s lifecycle, Sony didn’t wait long to make some adjustments so it could also be available on next-gen hardware.

Beyond the moderate graphical upgrades, there isn’t much difference from the PlayStation 4 version. Still, Sony added a few features to justify the price tag for its release on a different console.

Among the additions in Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut are the director’s commentary, all downloadable content from the base game, and a few more modes for players to enjoy. Later, PlayStation also decided to add this game to the roster of titles launched on PC.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

Capitalizing on the only two Uncharted games released during the PlayStation 4 generation, in 2022, Sony announced Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection.

This collection included Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, both fully revamped with updated graphics for modern times—something that was not that necessary. Sony also released this game on PC to expand its market.

The graphical updates to these two games were somewhat random, and it’s debatable whether they justified the price or the need to sell them as a collection. Unlike the first Uncharted collection, this one only included two games with less content, yet PlayStation didn’t hesitate to test its potential.

The updates included higher frame rates and reduced loading times. This also means that almost all the titles from this franchise received a remastered version.

The Last of Us Part I (Remake)

This became the second reworking of one of Sony’s most iconic games in less than 10 years. In this case, the company promoted a full remake of the first The Last of Us, now named Part I to align with Part II.

The 2013 game received a complete overhaul, with redesigned character models and other elements, making it a true remake. The studio completely redesigned all the visuals and scenarios, updating them to current graphics.

This was another strategy by Sony to bring the series to PC, as this game was also available on that platform aside from PlayStation 5. With less than 10 years between the original release, the PS4 remaster, and now a full remake for PS5, fans continue to question the necessity of such an extensive rework.

The studio could allocate this kind of time and resources to another, more significant, original project.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered

Less than a year after the release of The Last of Us Part I remake, PlayStation announced that it would also remaster Part II, originally released in 2019.

In January of this year, the game arrived at PlayStation 5 with enhanced graphics, improved frame rates, and other additions. Sony intended this title, along with many others, to be a part of its strategy to bring its major franchises to PC.

This marks the third remaster or graphical update for this franchise in less than 10 years, another example of how Sony is investing resources in unnecessary updates or remasters.

These games already look spectacular in their original form, and the updates seem designed solely to continue capitalizing on these titles. The graphical update was truly unnecessary in this case. The primary purpose of this remastered work was to support the PC launch.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Horizon Forbidden West is considered one of the most visually impressive games on PlayStation 5. Utilizing this same graphical power, the studio behind the franchise decided to remaster Horizon Zero Dawn, less than eight years after its original release.

This remaster was confirmed and announced at the latest State of Play, something that had already been leaked across social media and widely anticipated.

The update to the 2017 game will benefit from the same graphical power seen in Forbidden West and will be one of the first titles optimized for PlayStation Pro. In the trailer, Sony gave it the full treatment of a sequel, and the game looks visually stunning compared to the original.

Despite this, fans believe the remaster wasn’t necessary, as the original game still looked great. This will probably not be the last remastered project from PlayStation.

What are your thoughts on PlayStation’s remaster strategy? Let us know in the comments!