Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 Requires a Microsoft Account, as Other Xbox Games on Sony’s Consoles Do

Forza Horizon 5's arrival on PlayStation 5 brings a new requirement: players must link a Microsoft account to their PSN account to enjoy the game. This information was confirmed through an FAQ on the Forza support website, which states, "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 Microsoft's strategy seen in other Xbox titles released on Sony's platform, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves. However, the necessity of a Microsoft account has sparked some controversy. The organization Does it play?, dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of games and hardware, voiced their concerns on Twitter, stating that this policy "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5."

The concern arises from the possibility that Forza Horizon 5 could become unplayable on PS5 if Microsoft were to discontinue the account linking feature without updating the game to bypass this requirement. Additionally, there's worry about the game's playability if a user loses access to their Microsoft account. This situation is compounded by Microsoft's decision to release Forza Horizon 5 exclusively as a digital download on PS5, with no physical disc version available.

The requirement to link a Microsoft account has drawn comparisons to Sony's recent policy with Helldivers 2, where a similar PSN account linkage was initially required for PC players but was later reversed due to backlash. In contrast, Sony has since adjusted its policy to allow PC gamers to play certain titles without a mandatory PSN link, though offering incentives for those who do connect their accounts.

The PS5 community's response to Forza Horizon 5's Microsoft account requirement has been varied, with many curious about cross-progression. Unfortunately, the FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support save file transfers from Xbox or PC, mirroring the separation seen between the Xbox and Steam versions of the game. While user-generated content (UGC) can be shared across platforms, it can only be edited on the platform it was originally created on. However, some online statistics, like leaderboard scores, will sync across platforms if the same Microsoft account is used.

Forza Horizon 5 represents the latest in Microsoft's broader effort to bring Xbox titles to competing consoles, a trend that is set to continue with more multiplatform releases in the coming months.