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Horizon Zero Dawn launches for PC on August 7, specs revealed

Aaron Mamiit
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Horizon Zero Dawn, one of the most popular PlayStation 4 exclusives of all time, will launch for the PC on August 7 with several enhancements in tow.

The PC version of Horizon Zero Dawn was announced in March, after months of rumors that the game was dropping PlayStation 4 exclusivity. Sony’s head of worldwide studios Hermen Hulst, who previously served as studio director for the title’s developer Guerilla Games, confirmed the platform jump in a PlayStation Blog interview.

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Guerilla Games has released a new trailer for Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition for the PC, revealing an August 7 release date on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for PC – PC Features Trailer

The trailer is not just about the game’s release date, though, as it also showed several improvements coming to Horizon Zero Dawn for its arrival on PC.

On July 29, Steam revealed the minimum and recommended specs for running the game, and what will be included with the purchase. The game requires a 64-bit processor and operating system to run regardless of setup.

Minimum specs:

  • OS: Windows 10 64-bits
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K at 3.3GHz or AMD FX 6300 at 3.5GHz
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 (3GB) or AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB)
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 100GB available space

Recommended specs:

  • OS: Windows 10 64-bits
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K at 3.5GHz or Ryzen 5 1500X at 3.5GHz
  • Memory: 16GB RAM
  • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 100GB available space

The game also includes:

  • The Frozen Wilds expansion
  • Carja Storm Ranger Outfit and Carja Mighty Bow
  • Carja Trader Pack
  • Banuk Trailblazer Outfit and Banuk Culling Bow
  • Banuk Traveller Pack
  • Nora Keeper Pack
  • A digital artbook

Horizon Zero Dawn will support unlocked frame rates and ultra-wide monitors upon launch, and will also feature graphical customization and controller options. The trailer touted dynamic foliage and improved reflections as examples of the game’s visual improvements, as well as a benchmarking tool to assess the player’s PC. Digital Trends has reached out to Guerilla Games for information on any other upgrades, and we will update this article as soon as we hear back.

Horizon Zero Dawn was built on Guerilla Games’ Decima Engine, which was also used by Kojima Productions for Death Stranding. The excellent performance of the latter’s PC port, which will roll out on July 14, bodes well for Aloy’s adventures as she switches platforms.

Meanwhile, Guerilla Games is already working on the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, which will launch on the PlayStation 5. Details on the upcoming title remain scarce, but it appears to be taking place shortly after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. There are also a few games like Horizon Zero Dawn worth looking into if you haven’t already.

Update July 29: Specs and other included materials revealed.

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