PS5 Forza Horizon 5 Requires Microsoft Account

Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 will require players to have a Microsoft account, the company has officially confirmed.

This requirement was detailed in a FAQ on the official Forza support website: "Yes, you'll need to link a Microsoft account to your PSN account to play Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. This linking process begins when you first launch the game on your console."

This approach mirrors other Xbox-published titles available on PlayStation systems, including Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

Preservation Concerns Arise

The announcement has sparked some controversy within the gaming community. The preservation group Does It Play? expressed concern that this requirement "effectively compromises long-term preservation of the PS5 version" of Forza Horizon 5.

These concerns stem from potential future scenarios where players might lose access:

• If Microsoft discontinues the account linking service without patching the game
• If players lose access to their Microsoft accounts

These worries are compounded by Microsoft's decision to release Forza Horizon 5 exclusively as a digital download for PS5, with no physical disc version planned.

Cross-Platform Play Limited

The gaming community's response has been divided, with many PlayStation players questioning whether this mandatory account linking enables cross-progression between platforms.

According to Microsoft's FAQ, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 won't support cross-saves with Xbox or PC versions. The company clarified that this reflects the same limitations between Xbox and Steam versions, where save files remain separate.

Partial Cross-Platform Features

Some limited cross-platform functionality will be available:

• User-generated content can be published on one platform and downloaded on another
• Leaderboard scores and certain online stats will sync when using the same Microsoft account

This PS5 release represents Microsoft's latest expansion into multiplatform publishing, with more Xbox titles expected to follow suit in coming months.