"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 through an FAQ on the Forza support website. The statement reads, "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 policy for other Xbox games released on Sony's console, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

This decision has sparked some controversy, notably from the group Does it play?, which focuses on ensuring game and hardware accessibility. They expressed concern on Twitter, stating that this policy "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5." The worry stems from the possibility 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 concern that players might lose access to their game if they are unable to access their linked Microsoft account. The situation is compounded by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 will be released digitally on PS5 with no plans for a physical disc version.

The reaction within the PS5 community to the mandatory Microsoft account linking has been varied, with many players curious about cross-progression capabilities. According to the FAQ, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression with Xbox or PC versions; save files do not transfer between these platforms. This is consistent with the game's behavior between Xbox and Steam versions, where game files remain separate and unsynchronized. However, user-generated content (UGC) can be published on one platform and downloaded to play on another, although it can only be edited on the original creation profile. Some online statistics, like leaderboard scores, are synchronized if you log in with the same Microsoft account.

Forza Horizon 5's launch on PS5 is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to expand its multiplatform presence. This move signals more Xbox titles could be coming to rival consoles in the future.