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, as confirmed by the company. This requirement was detailed in an FAQ section 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 games that have been released on Sony’s platform, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

However, this policy has sparked some controversy. The advocacy group Does it play?, focused on ensuring the accessibility of games and hardware, expressed concerns about game preservation. They tweeted that this requirement "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5." The concern stems from the potential that the game could become unplayable if Microsoft decides to discontinue its account linking process without updating the game. Additionally, there's worry that players might lose access to the game if they are unable to access their linked Microsoft account. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 will only be available digitally on PS5, with no physical disc version planned.

The requirement for a Microsoft account has drawn comparisons to a similar policy by Sony for Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 on PC, which required a PSN account link. After significant backlash, Sony reversed this decision. In contrast, the response from the PS5 community to Forza Horizon 5's Microsoft account requirement has been varied, with many players curious about whether the game supports cross-progression.

Unfortunately, the FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression with Xbox or PC versions. Microsoft noted that this is consistent with the behavior between the Xbox and Steam versions, where game saves are not synchronized across platforms. However, users can publish user-generated content (UGC) on one platform and download it to play on another, though editing is only possible on the original profile where it was created. Some online statistics, such as leaderboard scores, are synchronized across platforms if players log in with the same Microsoft account.

Forza Horizon 5's release on PlayStation 5 is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to expand its games to rival consoles. This multiplatform initiative is expected to continue with more Xbox titles in the coming months.