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 necessity of a Microsoft account has sparked some controversy. The organization Does it play?, dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of games and hardware, expressed concerns on Twitter, stating that this requirement "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 a risk that players could lose access to the game if they are unable to access their Microsoft account. This concern is heightened 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 this news has been mixed, with many players questioning whether the game supports cross-progression due to the mandatory Microsoft account link. Unfortunately, the FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression; save files from Xbox or PC cannot be transferred. Microsoft noted that this is consistent with the behavior between the Xbox and Steam versions of the game, where game files remain separate and unsynchronized.

While user-generated content (UGC) can be published on one platform and downloaded to play on another, editing is only possible on the original platform where the content 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 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.