Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 Needs Microsoft Account, Like Other Xbox Games on Sony Consoles

Microsoft has officially announced that playing Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 requires not just a PSN account, but also a linked Microsoft account. This information was detailed in an FAQ 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 Microsoft's approach for other Xbox titles on Sony’s console, such as Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

The announcement has stirred some controversy, especially among preservation advocates. The group Does it play? highlighted concerns on Twitter, stating that this policy "basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5." The fear is that if Microsoft were to discontinue the account linking feature in the future without updating the game, Forza Horizon 5 could become unplayable, even for those who have purchased it. Additionally, there's worry that players might lose access to the game if they can't access their Microsoft account. These concerns are amplified by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 will only be available digitally, with no physical disc version planned.

This situation echoes a recent controversy with Sony's requirement for PC players of Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 to link a PSN account, a policy that was reversed following significant online backlash. In January, Sony revised its policy, making PSN account linking optional for some of its PC games, though it still offered incentives for those who chose to link their accounts.

The response from the PS5 community to the Forza Horizon 5 Microsoft account requirement has been mixed, with many players curious about whether the game supports cross-progression. According to the FAQ, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 does not support cross-progression; save files from Xbox or PC cannot be transferred to PS5. Microsoft clarified that this is consistent with the game's behavior between Xbox and Steam versions, where save files are kept separate and not synchronized.

However, user-generated content (UGC) can be shared across platforms; you can publish UGC on one platform and download it on another, but editing it requires playing on the same profile it was created with. Some online statistics, like leaderboard scores, are synchronized if you log in with the same Microsoft account, Microsoft noted.

Forza Horizon 5 marks another step in Microsoft's strategy to expand its game offerings across multiple platforms, a trend we can expect to continue in the coming months.