Is Master Collection Vol.2 worth $49.99?
No launch discount, day one, and $49.99 is real money. But the math here isn't "$50 for one old game" — it's two full games, one of which is MGS4 on PC after an 18-year wait. Short version: yes for most Metal Gear people, and the Peace Walker half is a bigger deal than it looks.
What the $49.99 actually buys
- MGS4, off the PS3 for the first time. That alone is the headline — an 18-year-old meme finally resolved. Achievements, trading cards, cloud saves, controller support on top.
- Peace Walker in its HD version. This is the sleeper value. It's widely considered one of the best-playing Metal Gear games — short missions, base building, and online co-op for up to 6 players. On Steam, online co-op in a Metal Gear game might as well be a new genre.
- Ghost Babel as a bonus, plus the MGS4 Database, Screenplay and Master Books for both games, and the Digital Soundtrack Vol.2.
Run the numbers differently: $49.99 across two games is $25 each — and on top of the games you get Ghost Babel, the MGS4 Database, Screenplay and Master Books for both titles, and the Digital Soundtrack Vol.2. The extras are effectively free.
The $20 question: bundle vs separate purchases
Here's the math that matters: MGS4 standalone is $29.99, Peace Walker standalone is $19.99 — buy them apart and you're at $49.98. The Vol.2 bundle is $49.99. So the bundle isn't really a discount; it's the same money, but you also get Ghost Babel, the database, the soundtrack and both sets of books, all in one install. The real question is just: do you want the extras or not?
If you've played Peace Walker and never want to again, skip the bundle, take standalone MGS4 at $29.99 and pocket $20. If you haven't, the decision is easy — this is the cheapest way to add the game that bridges MGS3 to MGS5, and it's the only Metal Gear on Steam with online co-op.
What to check before buying
- Windows 11 only. The official minimum spec requires Windows 11 64-bit. Windows 10 isn't on the list — verify your OS before checkout.
- Day-one port risk. No credible benchmarks exist yet for either game. Classic KONAMI ports have shipped with quirks before, so if you're sensitive to jank, a 48-hour wait for early reviews costs nothing.
- Vol.1 ownership unlocks Gold Camouflage (MGS4) and a gold uniform (Peace Walker) — small, but it's there if you have both.
No launch discount as of Aug 27, 2026. MGS4 standalone: $29.99.
The honest verdict
Buy now if: you're a Metal Gear fan who never owned a PS3, you want MGS4's ending on modern hardware, or you've got 1-3 friends for Peace Walker co-op. Eighteen years of waiting outweighs the lack of a day-one discount.
Wait instead if: you're on Windows 10, you already played both games back in the day and only want MGS4 again (then $29.99), or you're not sure the port is clean — KONAMI reissues go on sale within months, not years.