Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 Requires a Microsoft Account, as Other Xbox Games on Sony’s Consoles Do

Forza Horizon 5 on the PlayStation 5 requires players to have a Microsoft account in addition to their PSN account, as confirmed by the game's support FAQ: “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 that have been released on Sony's platform, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

This decision has sparked some controversy, notably from groups like Does it play?, which focuses on ensuring the accessibility and preservation of games. They expressed concerns on Twitter, stating that the mandatory Microsoft account link "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5." The worry stems from the possibility that if Microsoft discontinues the account linking process in the future, the game could become unplayable, even for those who have purchased it. Furthermore, if players lose access to their Microsoft account, they might be unable to play Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. The digital-only release of Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 adds to these preservation concerns, as there will be no physical disc version available.

The backlash against such account-linking policies isn't new. Sony faced similar criticism when they initially required PC players of Helldivers 2 to link a PSN account, though this requirement was later reversed due to community backlash. In a similar vein, Sony announced that some of its PC games no longer require a PSN account link, although players who do link their accounts receive additional bonuses.

The response from the PS5 community to the Forza Horizon 5 Microsoft account requirement has been varied. Many players are curious about whether the game supports cross-progression, given the mandatory Microsoft account link. However, the FAQ clarifies that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression with Xbox or PC versions; save files are not transferable. Microsoft noted that this is consistent with the behavior between Xbox and Steam versions, where game files remain separate and unsynchronized.

While user-generated content (UGC) can be published on one platform and downloaded for play on another, editing UGC is only possible on the original platform where it was created. Some online statistics, such as leaderboard scores, do synchronize across platforms if players log in with the same Microsoft account.

Forza Horizon 5 marks another step in Microsoft's multiplatform strategy, bringing Xbox games to rival consoles. This trend is expected to continue, with more Xbox titles likely to be released on other platforms in the coming months.