Forza Horizon 5 on the PlayStation 5 requires players to have a Microsoft account in addition to their PSN account. This was officially confirmed through a FAQ section on the Forza support website, which 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 the policies of other Xbox titles released on Sony's console, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves. However, the decision has sparked some controversy. The organization "Does it play?" expressed concerns about game preservation, tweeting that the mandatory Microsoft account link "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5."
The concern stems from the possibility that Forza Horizon 5 may become unplayable if Microsoft discontinues its account linking process in the future without providing an alternative way to play the game. Additionally, there are worries about the game's accessibility if a player loses access to their Microsoft account. This issue is compounded by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 will only be available digitally on PS5, with no physical disc version planned.
The reaction among the PS5 community has been mixed, with many players questioning whether the game supports cross-progression due to the mandatory Microsoft account link. Unfortunately, according to the FAQ, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression with Xbox or PC versions. Microsoft clarified that, similar to the relationship between the Xbox and Steam versions, game files remain separate and are not synchronized across platforms.
However, users can publish user-generated content (UGC) on one platform and download it on another, though editing is restricted to the original profile where the UGC was created. Some online statistics, like leaderboard scores, are synchronized if players log into the game using the same Microsoft account.
Forza Horizon 5 marks another step in Microsoft's strategy to expand its games to rival consoles, part of a broader multiplatform initiative that is expected to continue with more titles in the coming months.
