Forza Horizon 5 on the PlayStation 5 necessitates a Microsoft account, as confirmed by the company. This requirement is detailed in a FAQ on the Forza support website, stating, "Yes, in addition to a PSN account you’ll need to link to a Microsoft account in order to play Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. This process begins the first time you start up the game on your console."
This approach aligns with other Xbox titles that have made their way to Sony’s platform, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves. Despite this, the policy has sparked some controversy. The organization Does it play?, dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of games and hardware, tweeted that this requirement "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5." This reflects worries that if Microsoft were to discontinue its account linking service without updating the game, Forza Horizon 5 might become unplayable for PS5 owners. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the game's playability if a user loses access to their Microsoft account. These concerns are heightened by Microsoft's decision to release Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 solely as a digital download, with no physical disc version planned.
The reaction within the PS5 community to this Microsoft account requirement has been varied, with many questioning whether the game supports cross-progression. However, the FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support save file transfers from Xbox or PC. Microsoft has noted that this is consistent with the behavior between the Xbox and Steam versions of the game, where game files remain separate and unsynchronized.
While user-generated content (UGC) can be shared across platforms and played on another, it cannot be edited unless accessed on the original profile where it was created. Some online statistics, such as leaderboard scores, are synchronized across platforms when logged in with the same Microsoft account.
Forza Horizon 5 marks another Xbox title expanding to a rival console as part of Microsoft's broader multiplatform strategy, with more titles expected to follow suit in the coming months.
