Forza Horizon 5 Will Require a Microsoft Account to Play on PS5, Raising Preservation Problems 1
Image: Push Square

As perhaps expected, you’ll need a Microsoft account to play Forza Horizon 5 on the PS5. This has been a pretty consistent feature across all of Xbox’s multiformat ports, and doesn’t appear to be changing with the anticipated open world racer.

An FAQ explains: “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.”

It continues: “On launch of the game, you will be asked to sign-in with your Microsoft account – sometimes referred to as the Xbox Live services that are a part of your Microsoft account – and link it to the PSN account you are currently logged into the PS5 console.”

The FAQ adds that linking Microsoft accounts to PSN accounts is performed on a “title-by-title” basis, meaning if you’ve already completed this process in, say, Sea of Thieves, you’ll have to do it again in Forza Horizon 5.

“Players have the ability to unlink the Microsoft account to that PSN account for Forza Horizon 5, but will be constrained to relinking to only that specific and originally linked Microsoft account,” the correspondence concludes.

Of course, the Microsoft account is mandatory in this instance to enable crossplay, which will allow you to compete against players regardless of platform.

However, it has raised questions about preservation, as should the account linking feature ever be disabled, the game would ultimately cease to function. Pair that with Xbox’s decision not to release a physical Blu-ray version, and there are legitimate concerns here.

Still, at least the Redmond firm has been upfront about this from the start. Sony attracted intense criticism from the PC community when it suddenly added PSN requirements to Helldivers 2 last year, forcing it to reverse the decision and revise its entire strategy.

[source support.forzamotorsport.net, via x.com]