Forza Horizon 5 PS5: Microsoft Account Required

Playing Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 requires a Microsoft account, as confirmed by Microsoft. This is detailed in a Forza support FAQ: "Yes, in addition to a PSN account, you’ll need to link a Microsoft account to play Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. This process starts when you first launch the game." This aligns with the account linking requirement for other Xbox games on PlayStation, including Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

This policy has sparked some controversy. Concerns exist regarding long-term game accessibility. Does it play?, an organization focused on game preservation, tweeted that this requirement "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5," citing potential future unplayability if Microsoft discontinues account linking without a corresponding game update. Further concern stems from the digital-only release of Forza Horizon 5 on PS5; loss of Microsoft account access could render the game unplayable.

This situation echoes the backlash against Sony's requirement for PSN account linking to play Helldivers 2 on PC, a policy later reversed. While Sony subsequently announced that PSN account linking would no longer be mandatory for some PC games, incentives remain for players who choose to link accounts.

Reaction to the Forza Horizon 5 Microsoft account requirement on PS5 is mixed. Many players are questioning cross-progression. The FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does *not* support save file transfers from Xbox or PC versions. This mirrors the separate save file structure between Xbox and Steam versions. While user-generated content (UGC) can be shared between platforms, editing is only possible on the original save profile. However, some online statistics, such as leaderboard scores, are synchronized if the same Microsoft account is used.

Forza Horizon 5's PS5 release is another step in Microsoft's multi-platform strategy. More such releases are anticipated in the coming months.