Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 requires players to have a Microsoft account in addition to their PSN account, as confirmed by the game's support FAQ. The process of linking these accounts is initiated the first time you launch the game on your PS5 console. This requirement aligns with the approach taken by other Xbox titles released on Sony's platform, 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 and preservation of games and hardware, expressed concerns on social media. They argue that this policy could jeopardize the long-term playability of Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. If Microsoft were to discontinue the account linking process in the future without updating the game, players might find themselves unable to access their purchased game. Additionally, there's worry about the game becoming unplayable if a player loses access to their Microsoft account. These concerns are heightened by the fact that Forza Horizon 5 will be available only digitally on PS5, with no physical disc version planned.
The reaction within the PS5 community to this news has been varied, with many players curious about 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 versions will not carry over. This is consistent with the game's behavior between Xbox and Steam versions, where game files remain separate and unsynchronized.
However, players can publish user-generated content (UGC) on one platform and download it to play on another. Editing this content, though, is only possible on the original platform where it was created. Some online statistics, like leaderboard scores, are synchronized across platforms if you use 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.
