Forza Horizon 5 PS5: Why a Microsoft Account Is Required

By Nathalie Gaming News
10 March 2025 no comments

Forza Horizon 5 speeds onto PS5 on April 25! Microsoft account required, but no cross-save support between PlayStation and other platforms.

Forza Horizon 5, one of the best open-world racing games of all time, originally launched in November 2021 for Xbox and PC. Since then, it has remained an Xbox console exclusive, leaving PlayStation fans on the sidelines.

Now, after years of anticipation, the wait is finally over. Forza Horizon 5 is officially coming to PlayStation 5 on April 25, 2025. This marks a major moment in gaming, as one of Microsoft’s biggest franchises makes its way to Sony’s console.

PlayStation racing fans can finally experience the thrill of Horizon Festival, but there’s a catch, a Microsoft account is required to play.

Forza Horizon 5 PS5 Require A Microsoft Account

Although Forza Horizon 5 will be fully playable on PlayStation 5, a Microsoft account is required in addition to a PSN account. This was confirmed in the game’s FAQs where it was stated that players will be required to link a Microsoft account the first time they launch the game on PS5.

When you start up Forza Horizon 5 on PS5, you will be prompted to sign in with your Microsoft account. This account will then be linked to your PSN account permanently, meaning that once an account is linked, it cannot be changed or replaced with another Microsoft account. Players do have the option to unlink their Microsoft account, but if they decide to relink, they will only be able to do so with the originally linked Microsoft account. It is important to note though that this is a title-by-title basis.

New drivers will be joining us at the Horizon Festival this April with #ForzaHorizon5 on PlayStation 5! Got questions about the PS5 version? Check out our FAQ for details on pre-orders, hardware support, account linking, cross-platform support and more: https://t.co/jsINR3Bf7F

— Forza Support (@forza_support) March 6, 2025

This kind of requirement is becoming a growing trend in the gaming industry. One of the biggest recent examples was Helldivers 2 which required a PSN account even for PC players, leading to some controversy. Microsoft seems to be taking a similar approach with Forza Horizon 5, ensuring that players, regardless of platform, remain within their ecosystem in some form.

What confuses many players is the fact that there is no cross-platform save feature. This means that your progress on Xbox or PC will not carry over to PlayStation, making the Microsoft account requirement feel unnecessary to some. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this strategy. When Sea of Thieves and Grounded made their way to PlayStation, they also required Microsoft accounts. It’s clear that, while Microsoft is willing to expand its games to other platforms, it still wants to retain some level of exclusivity and control over their exclusives.

Forza Horizon 5 is an open-world racing masterpiece featuring stunning landscapes, dynamic weather, and a vast collection of cars to customize and race. With its PS5 debut on April 25, 2025, PlayStation users will finally get to experience the thrill of the Horizon Festival. While the Microsoft account requirement may not be ideal for everyone, it’s a small trade-off for the chance to play one of the best racing games of the generation.

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Nathalie

Sending some gaming news your way from a surfing paradise island. Loves creating content, and researching informative facts and useless trivia. A novice in the gaming industry but a veteran in communications and publication.