Exactly as it did with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Microsoft is taking full advantage of the PS5 Pro with its Xbox game ports, and Forza Horizon 5 is the latest. Digital Foundry has done its technical deep dive into the PS5 version, and it highlights how the open world racer is at its best on PS5 Pro.
You can watch the complete video from the outlet above, or receive a round up via the Eurogamer article. In the latter, it is stated that the differences between the base PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are nigh-on impossible to spot. On the PS5 Pro, however, it's the Performance Mode that represents the biggest improvement.
It's explained that foliage displays as it would in Quality Mode, but you get the better frame rates of Performance Mode to go along with it. "It's likely the base console could have achieved something similar with a hit to resolution, but this is essentially a compromise-free experience that still typically runs at a full 4K."
Forza Horizon 5 is a great open world racer too, as we highlighted in our PS5 review published today. We said: "Forza Horizon 5 might be a few years old, but its vast amount of activities, robust feature set, and superb driving model mean it's still out in front. It isn't perfect — it can feel bloated and overwhelming, the AI is frustrating at times, and the characters and dialogue are a constant weakness. However, behind the wheel, tackling its myriad events and exploring the beautiful open world, it's hard to not be convinced by its optimistic personality and sense of fun."
Available next Tuesday on 29th April 2025, will you be playing Forza Horizon 5 on PS5? Let us know in the comments below.
[source eurogamer.net]





Comments 46
So the ps5 Pro is the most powerful console currently on the market and it has the best version of forza horizon 5...wow who'd have thought..
Very impressed. Motorfest has finally got some competition 🔥. Will definitely grab this at some point. PRO is coming seriously good 😁
This seems a good advancement and looks well for future Xbox titles coming over.
Shall see what DOOM comes like on the Pro.
Performance mode running basically Quality mode settings is a huge win. Again good on MS for allowing Pro enhancements on their games.
Welcome to 2021
Until a Switch or Switch 2 port, that is.
@Glorioso Oh right was it released on ps5 in 2021 ? Smart ar@e
@Glorioso You played this on PS5 Pro in 2021? Do tell us more...
Quick skim of your profile shows you're a Microsoft troll. Welcome to being 12 again...
@MrPeanutbutterz Please refrain from feeding the trolls 😅 Pointing it out just gives them what they want.
I mean, one would hope, right? I get that it's a bit surprising given the publisher, but they already set this as the precedent. So, one would hope the newer $700 console runs games better than the other 4 year old (?) one.
@nhSnork "Until a Switch or Switch 2 port, that is."
Huh? Do you mean because it would be portable? This isn't an RPG, games like this and Gran Turismo should be played in as big of a screen as possible with the smoothest framerates (and a wheel if possible).
@nhSnork When has a downgrade ever been a better version? ;-D
@Nexozi Seriously! Playing an expansive, environmental game like this on a small screen with tinny speakers kind of defeats the purpose...
@Northern_munkey right!!! I mean who would have thought a $700 dollar console made in 2024 would be more powerful than the one made in 2020 for $500. Sure glad we got this sorted out.
@DennisReynolds @OldGamer999 it’s a requirement to support Pro with new games coming out is my understanding. So all games going forward likely have some sort of Pro mode. Otherwise Sony would never be able to build up enough games to make it worthwhile. Like PSVR2
@Lysterao Ain't that the truth. Good point.
@ButterySmooth30FPS You've just summed up why I have a borderline distaste for portable consoles. Give me my 65" OLED or give me a book. I'll play the game when I'm back in front of the quality screen.
@ButterySmooth30FPS 100% The game is stunning and playing it on some think like a mobile phone screen is a waste. I'm kinda tempted to get this on sale sometime just to see the difference for myself and also use the PS5 controllers features.
@MrPeanutbutterz OLED is king! As Will Smith might say: Keep your switch level graphics off my OLED!
@Juanalf my Gran Turismo PSP, Most Wanted 2012, Grid Autosport, Wreckfest, Lego 2K Drive and Burnout Paradise playthroughs (as well as Deck-facilitated Payback) beg to differ. Heck, even Porche Unleashed on GBA was legit fun. There's nary a genre that doesn't benefit from portability, and in the hybrid family's case, you could opt to make some racing progress on a big screen anyway... the progress you wouldn't have to leave behind for another week or four afterwards.
@Nexozi right? I ask myself the same thing every time a Switch release gets a later PS4 or PS5 port.😜 As for screens... Xenoblade series boasts some of the most stunning worlds in the video game history, and the first of those was a jaw weight even on 3DS. But then again, I suppose that if ophthalmology factors in...
Watched the DF video earlier - they seemed pretty impressed with the pro enhancement. A little bit more so than the enhancement of Indy, which whilst they found it was clearly a decent improvement, could have been improved a bit more given the hardware.
Biggest issue with this game is the cost, after 3.5 years. At least I played it on PC with Gamepass way back when. But seeing it arrive now with this high price is pretty wild.
@Juanalf superior portable version already exists on handheld PC's that switch 2 will never reach.
@Arkz it is old to people on Xbox and PC but to anyone on PS5 it is a new release. The graphics are not dated and it plays really well. It is not a old game.
@BleedingDreamer It's still a 3.5 year old game. The price on all official stores is still too high. £55 on the PS store is crazy when I can buy a steam key for £25.
Real shocker.
It's almost like 800€ console is more powerful than 500€ console lol.
It's hilarious to read these types of articles. It's like if Pure Xbox wrote under every DF analysis "Xbox Series X version is more better than Xbox Series S version." Like, no ***** Sherlock
@Arkz Price is exact same as on Xbox Store currently. So I don't understand complaining tbh.
@Arkz Why are you being so deliberately obtuse? Will that Steam key work on my PS5? No? Okay then.
@Godot25 Right, it's overpriced on their store too, but it's on gamepass so you can play it for dirt cheap, no such option on PS5.
@MrPeanutbutterz That's kinda the point there kiddo. PC and Xbox have gamepass which lets you play it dirt cheap, or cheap steam keys. PS5 has no other option.
@Arkz Sooo..play it on Xbox or PC through Game Pass lol... You don't even need a console to play it thanks to cloud gaming.
Do you really expect Microsoft to treat PS gamers like "special breed" just because they don't have Game Pass?
I mean. The entire point of Xbox ecosystem after Microsoft went multiplat is value of Game Pass. You hardly want to undermine that by somehow giving PS users a discount.
Full game is priced exactly as on Xbox Store. If you complain about "but Game Pass," then play it through Game Pass.
@Godot25 I have played it through gamepass, many times. That's the point, there's no cheaper path of entry with the PS5 version, and that sucks. Pointing that out doesn't mean you need to get all whiny about it.
@Arkz No, "kiddo", it's not. It's a new release to the PlayStation ecosystem, ergo it's priced like a new game within that ecosystem. Just like how PlayStation games are when they hit PC.
As a PlayStation owner who wanted to play this game in 2021 at release, it didn't cost me €25 - or €70 - it cost me around €550 because I had to (checks notes) buy a Series X to have a way to play it, and also pay for a way to access the game.
So which is the cheaper way for the majority of the PlayStation audience in 2025 to play this game - buy a whole new console and take out a perpetual subscription, or just pay the "new" game tax and buy it for the console you already own and prefer?
@Arkz I'm not whiny about it. I'm just baffled tbh.
You have a choice. Either play games like FH5, Indy, DOOM: TDA, Oblivion Remaster etc. inside Xbox ecosystem through Game Pass or buy every game for 50-80€ on PlayStation. Fact that people are choosing second option and then are complaining about "high price" is just baffling. Because they made their choice. Nobody forced them.
It's like buying console instead of gaming PC and then complaining that PC has free multiplayer and console do not. Like...you knew that before you bought the console, right?
@MrPeanutbutterz New to playstation =/= a new game. Where do you draw the line? If they put Forza Horizon 4 on PS5 I suppose you'd be fine with that being full priced cause it's new to PS5 owners, right?
@Godot25 You're baffled why someone would be surprised that after 3.5 years this game is still £55? I mean with Xbox they probably keep it high as they want people to be on a sub instead of buying. But for PS5 I'd expect it to at least be a bit lower to lure people in.
@Arkz No, because as I said, game has exact same price on Xbox Store. So no, I haven't expected that base PS5 version would cost 50€ when Xbox Store version cost 70€. I mean. That's a common logic. Why on Earth would Microsoft price THEIR game lower on PlayStation Store than on Xbox Store? It makes no sense.
and argument "to lure people in" is pretty hilarious, since FH5 is best seller in "preorder" category. They literally have 3 editions of the game all in TOP 6. So they will get full price from people at launch and then will "lure other people in" with discounts. Like every other game on the market.
It's a fantastic game and well worth buying for anyone who hasn't already played it.
I'm just glad I'll also be able to play 1 - 4 on Xbox as well. It's a shame they're likely to never be available on PlayStation.
@Godot25 Yes same price on Xbox store, but with an option to play it for dirt cheap with gamepass. And yeah a lot of the people that have been wanting it for years will jump on, but a bunch of others won't when they see it still costs that much after all this time, and there's no other cheaper way for PS owners. It's never gonna come to game catalogue.
The Xbox version is still £55 which is crazy, but it's been in multiple Xbox sales over the years. Since 2023 it's popped up for £27.49 in about 14 different sales. It's been £24.99 in multiple steam sales too.
I reckon if it is in a PS sale, it won't be any time soon.
The fact that it's in the charts shows how desperate PS owners were for a game like this, since the existing PS ones like The Crew Motorfest and TDU Solar Crown are kinda crappy.
Pity they didn't bring FH4 to the PS5, it's the better game.
@SMJ It's a shame 1 and 2 never came to PC. At least you can play 1 in 4k on Series X and One X, but only in 30fps. But FH2 being stuck in 1080p30 purgatory just sucks. Probably had my favourite map of any of them with the winding mountain roads of Italy and France. And yet no res boost or fps boost on Series X, and no PC version. Just sucks.
@Arkz Okay so you are in fact being deliberately obtuse. Cool.
@MrPeanutbutterz Okay so you are in fact being deliberately argumentative. Cool.
@Arkz I'm not. I (and other people) have presented you with the facts of what's happening and you've chosen to go "la la la, can't hear you".
@MrPeanutbutterz How so? I've said I'm surprised it still costs this much after 3.5 years, and a bunch of you have tried to defend the high price. That's not presenting facts when the topic at hand is my opinion on the price, that's just repeatedly stating it's high priced.
@Arkz No one is defending the high price, rather we're explaining why the price is high.
It's a new game, in a new ecosystem, ergo it's priced as a new game. Those are facts. You saying "but old!" and "but GamePass!" doesn't change any of those facts.
@MrPeanutbutterz its a new release of an old game, that's a fact. I'm not asking why the price is high, I'm simply saying I'm disappointed that it still is this much for the standard price after all this time.
You conveniently left out the "in a new ecosystem" part.
Well if you don't want to engage with people regarding the price being high, then don't tell us you think the price is high.
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