Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 requires players to have a Microsoft account, a policy that has been confirmed by the company via an FAQ on the Forza support website. The FAQ states, "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 other Xbox titles like Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves, which also necessitate a Microsoft account on Sony's console.
However, this decision has sparked controversy within the gaming community. The organization Does it play?, dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of games and hardware, expressed concern via Twitter, suggesting 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 in the future if Microsoft discontinues its account linking process without updating the game to remove this dependency. Additionally, there's apprehension about the game's playability if a player loses access to their Microsoft account. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 will be released digitally on PS5, with no plans for a physical disc version.
The requirement for a Microsoft account has drawn comparisons to a recent controversy involving Sony's Helldivers 2, where PC players were initially required to link a PSN account, a policy that was reversed following significant backlash. In contrast, Sony announced in January that players would no longer need to link a PSN account to play some of its PC games, though incentives were offered to those who chose to do so.
The response from the PS5 community to the Forza Horizon 5 news has been mixed, with many players curious about cross-progression capabilities due to the mandatory Microsoft account link. Unfortunately, the FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression with Xbox or PC, mirroring the separation of game files between Xbox and Steam versions. While users can share user-generated content (UGC) across platforms, editing it is only possible on the original creation profile. However, some online statistics, like leaderboard scores, are synchronized if players log in using the same Microsoft account.
Forza Horizon 5's launch on PS5 marks another step in Microsoft's strategy to expand its multiplatform presence, with more Xbox titles expected to follow suit in the coming months.
