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PS5 will receive a Forza Horizon 6 port later this year, but Microsoft will likely be kicking itself for not having the version ready to make an even bigger splash during next month's initial launch.
This is because the success of the previous entry on PS5 has really been brought into focus with a sales update: Forza Horizon 5 sold over five million copies on PS5 alone in less than a year.
The statistic had been floating around previously, as per some reporting from Alinea Analytics, but a much more reliable source has now come forward: the official website of the game's support developer, Virtuos.
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Having provided engineering and art production assistance on the project, the Virtuos site says: "Forza Horizon 5 was one of the best-selling titles on PlayStation 5 in 2025, surpassing 5 million copies sold on the platform and earning widespread acclaim with a 92 Metacritic score.
With a Japanese setting and a considerable amount of excitement backing Forza Horizon 6 ahead of its initial 19th May 2026 launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC, a PS5 version day and date with other platforms would probably cause an even bigger splash.
Over 40 million people have played Forza Horizon 5 in some capacity, so the sixth instalment is expected to be just as big. The counterpoint Microsoft will be looking to is Forza Horizon 6 will receive a huge sales boost some months down the line as it arrives on PS5 later this year. Its post-launch expansions should arrive on PS5 day and date with Xbox and PC, so their sales stats will be combined.
As for why Forza Horizon 6 isn't releasing on PS5 on day one, while Fable — also from Playground Games — is, Xbox executives have picked up on the inconsistency and want to fix it going forward.
"We only have a certain amount of…ultimately, it all comes down to resources. Not everything is limitless. So we just want to do the best job, by each platform, by each game," said Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan.
Are you waiting for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 6 or jumping in next month on Xbox or PC? Tell us your plans in the comments below.
[source virtuosgames.com]
Comments 49
Yeah I mean they will surely loose some sales but at the end of the day exclusivity is really important isn't it?
Nothing beats that initial launch hype / FOMO for boosting sales. I wonder how much they will be missing out on here given the size of the PS userbase.
Its not even like they will see any benefit of a period of pre-announced / advertised exclusivity.
Those sales of FH5 were years after the day 1 release on Xbox. It seems playstation folks will get into Forza Horizon no matter the release date.
I mean if we go by how well Forza Horizon 5 did on PS5, waiting 6 or 12 months should do no harm at all.
People will wait for great games. PC players will wait and extra year or so for GTA6 because they know it will be worth it.
I prefer a late release: The worst bugs and balancing issues are solved, the release can be accompanied by a major content update, and with a bit of luck there is a physical release (of this matured version).
Hasn't it been reported a fair bit that the game was to far along in development to get the playstation release out the door at the same time as the Xbox release??
Either way if Forza horizon 5 launched on playstation years after the Xbox edition did going by that logic it won't make a lick of difference to sales??
Considering Microsoft is a trillion dollar company and Sony isn't, I'm sure they will manage. lol.
It'll still sell like hotcakes on PS5. And the PS5 sales won't cannibalise Xbox sales (or GamePass "engagement numbers").
If anything they're probably happy to do it this way.
FH5 is still fresh in my memory so I'm happy to wait for 6 and even better a sale at some point!
@Romans12 Microsoft is a trillion dollar company (is it?) because of great sales, not because they don’t care about the sales.
Omg someone who isn't Sony having timed exclusives, this will not stand, grab the pitch forks!
Is a shame but not the end of the world. I plan on streaming it at launch and until we get a firm date on the PS version. Thankfully they have cross save this time so won't be to bad of a wait hopefully
@Dodoo FH5 is still fresh in my head too, but I'd probably day one it when it comes out. It's already in my wishlist!
I think if Microsoft did not have so many games they intend to release this year, and of course with GTA 6 and other big third-party games still to come, then they would have delayed FH6 until the PS5 version was also ready.
I actually think that having this period of accidental exclusivity will hurt sales because many PlayStation gamers will choose to play FH6 via Game Pass instead of buying it outright on the PS5. In many ways, I think Microsoft will be kicking themselves that another game was not ready in time to take the place of FH6 this May...
They should have ported 4 too. Adore that game.
@Max_the_German in the case of Forza yes, but not Starfield it would seem.
@Waa-Laa true, I say I'll wait for a sale but the reality is I'll probably get it day. one when th hype kicks in haha
@nessisonett I'm secretly hoping they're saving 4 for a Switch 2 release as I'd love that on the move...
As seen with PlayStation 1st party games "underperforming" when they got released years later on PC, in case of Forza Horizon 6 it will also suffer from not launching the same day on PS5 as on Xbox and PC. But, I still think it will be well received on PS5 once it launches.
Why would they be kicking themselves? They released Forza 5 not that long ago even though its lifespan on Xbox was all but over and they’d milked it all they could there and THEN sold 5 million copies, they’d be stupid not to do the same. I’d be holding it off for a wee while and keeping it exclusive I know we don’t like common sense and taking a pragmatic approach to these topics but cmon it would be stupid to release on pa5 day one
@Dodoo it’s amazing on the steamdeck 4 and 5 I’m about 90 hours into 4 and 200 plus into 5 loads to do in 4 but I’ve dipped in and out of that one for now as 5 still had live elements. It’s a wonderful time for handheld gaming
Didn't seem to hurt Horizon 5 sales when it wasn't released back in the day. Horizon 6 will sell fine when it releases. Would be kinda funny though if Xbox did a complete 180 and stopped all the multiplatform releases (other than COD). Could u imagine the uproar?
FH5 has only been out on PS5 for a year, and the game has a lot of content. I don’t think another 6 months or so will hurt PS5 sales.
"We only have a certain amount of…ultimately, it all comes down to resources."
Reading that made this article worthwhile. Not sure if it would greatly improve performance, but hopefully they take advantage of PSSR.
Flight Simulator being released for the PS5 was also very nice, but Microsoft hasn't learned how to fully use the resources available. Saying "we're learning" would be less tone-deaf, even if it isn't true.
@GASEOUS it is when you stick to it!! Microsoft has broken that tie now.
When forza horizon 6 lands on the ps5 we will have the benefits of patches and fixes etc. I can wait whilst the xboxers and pc master racers beta test it for me.
@Alpine I mean Sony did the same and seems to trying to make "amends" about it, it's never too late, of course they will lose initial sales but other companies(Microsoft included) showed more than once that a quality of a game and its marketing/hype convert much more in better sales than initial FOMO.
@Nexozi Uproar from who really? Most of the releases don't appear to have really sold all that well at all. I don't think there'd be much fuss at all. I think every console maker should have exclusives anyways. Gives us a reason to buy multiple machines and usually first party games bring out the best on the systems.
I heard the PC pre orders for Forza 6 are off the charts I don't think they losing to much
@Kiltedhaggis Well, we have here an article complaining that Horizon 6 is not releasing on PS5 at the same time as Xbox and how MS must be kicking themselves. 5 million plus sales on a how many years old game? It's fair to say that Horizon 6 will sell well whenever it is released on PS5. So ppl that just have a PS5 will be upset if they played 5 and were looking forward to 6. I agree about exclusives, it def has been proven over the years. If MS are serious about selling their new console they need to have games to make people buy it. Being able to play steam games isn't going to make me buy it. When I can get the PS6 and play Sony and MS games it just wipes out a whole lot of people.
This is when i’ll resub to Game Pass Ultimate.
I can’t ynderstand why everyone buys Game Pass from Xbox??? I pay £16 for three months Game Pass Ultimate, 12 minths is £60.
This will be the first time i played my Series X since before Xmas!! I play Flight Sim on PS5 now.
@Nexozi Oh sure I agree with you about Horizon.Some people will be disappointed. They're great games. I don't think it'll matter much if they do go back on bringing games to PS for anything else they've released so far though. I have no interest in the next Xbox as I'm not interested in pc gaming and they're bringing games to PS as of now. If that changes then I may have to get an Xbox at some point to play the games I'll be missing out on again. Although if the price rumours prove accurate it'll be way down the line.
Really hoping they don't stick it on PS5 around Wolverine or GTA. Wonder when they'll provide a date.
@Kiltedhaggis Yes totally, the rest of the games MS has released haven't done massive numbers. Though the next lot that are scheduled probably will. The Halo remake, the new Gears of war and Fable. I think if MS made them console exclusive that would help the next console. Which currently who knows what games it'll release with as they're releasing all their big hitters this year. So they'll just advertise that they play better on the new console. I'm with u. I'll be keeping the series X for quite a while as I still have free GPU for a couple of years yet thanks to the reward points. So yea if they switch to exclusives then will get the new one at some stage.
surely this is the plan right... the launch will boost game pass subs, plus Xbox and PC sales... and from history we know that PS people will buy it later anyway... win win situation it looks like... just a shame for PS users
This is kind of weird since Sony Corp owns Crunchyroll.
"In a first‑ever partnership with the Forza Horizon (6) franchise, all current Crunchyroll members, and those who sign up during Ani‑May, will receive a Car Voucher allowing them to exchange it for any car available at the Autoshow to help them build their dream garage. Japan Awaits!"
@RiverGenie it's one of the rare games they do better than anything on Playstation. Not enough to fork over for an Xbox. But enough to simply wait our turn.
@Northern_munkey I mean Starfield launched 2 years ago on Xbox and still came to PS like *****, lol.
I'll wait. There are no shortage of games to play this summer anyways.
@For-Kier yeah but that's Bethesda. Playground games are a solid developer and you can't even compare them. They are a starfield apart.
Makes sense to me, ride that second wave.
I'm quite happy still playing Forza 5 on PS5 as I got the ultimate version so it's pretty content heavy
@GASEOUS Sonys approach was nowhere near what Microsoft did.
@Mad-Vampire it might boost Game Pass sales, which is a not going to really impact things that much, but it won’t sell many consoles. The PS5 folks will wait, and the other purchasers will be slim in comparison. The data over the past year dictated that.
Is Forza 6 Day One Game Pass?
@Archaeokaiser Yes
I'm sure they didn't want to drop it on PS5 right away because the sales of FH5 have been doing so well.
It's a no brainer, don't release the new car game to eat all of the sale of the other car game that has been out less than a year on said system.
@InfamousOrange that’s what I was wondering too. If Forza 5 is still killing it.
@Max_the_German Good luck with a physical version. And, even if there is, the game won't be on the disc (like pretty much all Xbox Game Studio games).
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