Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 Needs Microsoft Account, Like Other Xbox Games on Sony Consoles

Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 requires players to have a Microsoft account, a policy that has been officially confirmed by the company. According to a FAQ on the Forza support website, "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 requirement aligns with the approach taken for other Xbox games released on Sony’s console, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

The announcement has sparked some controversy, particularly among preservation advocates. The group Does it play? expressed concerns on Twitter, stating that the news "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5." Their statement highlights fears that the game could become unplayable if Microsoft discontinues the account linking process in the future without updating the game to function independently. Additionally, there's worry that players might lose access to the game if they can no longer use their linked Microsoft account. These concerns are heightened by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 will be released digitally on PS5, with no physical disc version planned.

The requirement for a Microsoft account has led to mixed reactions within the PS5 community, with many players questioning whether the game supports cross-progression. Unfortunately, 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, where game files remain separate and unsynchronized.

While user-generated content (UGC) can be published on one platform and downloaded on another, editing is only possible on the original creation profile. Some online statistics, such as leaderboard scores, are synchronized across platforms if players log in with the same Microsoft account.

Forza Horizon 5 marks another step in Microsoft's strategy to bring Xbox games to rival consoles, a trend that is expected to continue in the coming months.