It would have been unthinkable five or ten years ago, but Forza Horizon 5 will be released on PS5 in Spring 2025. And cross-play will allow PlayStation 5 racers to join existing Xbox and PC racers as the Forza franchise appears on a Sony console for the first time.
The decision is part of a new Microsoft strategy for games, with former Xbox exlusives like Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush already available for the PS5, and The Outer Worlds 2 due to be released across all platforms in 2025. And Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has started publicly that there are no red lines stopping any Xbox game being released on PlayStation and Nintendo hardware.
Development of the PS5 version is being handled by Panic Button in partnership with Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games, and all of the previously released expansions and car packs will be available for PlayStation 5 owners to purchase.
Along with the PS5 version, there’s also going to be a new free content update named Horizon Realms, which will allow you to explore a curated collection of some of the community favourite Evolving Worlds and ‘some other surprises’.
It’s hard to say whether the strategy is right for both Xbox and the Forza franchise. Obviously it’s great in the short term for PlayStation owners to be able to enjoy Forza Horizon 5, and the game will get a nice player boost almost four years after release. It’s also looking increasingly likely that we may get an announcement regarding Forza Horizon 6 in the near future, with Forza Horizon 4 delisted in December 2024, the recent release of the Forza Horizon 5 Ultimate Car Pack, and the current Season 43, Midnight Muscle, being the final new festival playlist before older ones will be brought back in rotation.
Personally, as someone who owns both Xbox and PlayStation consoles dating back to the originals of each, it makes it harder to choose an Xbox Series X|S over a PlayStation 5. It’s close, but I think objectively Gran Turismo 7 offers slightly more than the latest Forza Motorsport title, so purely on the racing titles available on each platform, the PS5 will edge it once Forza Horizon 5 is available. Especially as a rumoured PC port of GT7 has been officially dismissed in the past, and recent suggestions that it might still happen are now saying that it’s been cancelled.
And if FH5 makes money on the PlayStation 5, could we even see Forza Motorsport follow it? And will Forza Horizon 6 be a time-limited exclusive, or just come to all platforms at launch?
Racing titles are often less newsworthy than the big-budget shooters and triple-AAA titles, but the PlayStation version of Forza Horizon 5 could make history if it’s marks the end of console hardware wars.
Console and computer rivalries have been a constant part of my life, whether it was the Spectrum vs Commodore 64, Nintendo vs Sega, Amiga vs Atari ST, or PlayStation vs Sega and then Xbox. So it’s strange to think that time may be coming to an end. Especially when most serious sim racers will end up mainly using a PC for racing titles, with a console only required for platform exclusives.
No price or exact release date has been revealed for Forza Horizon 5 on the PS5, but you can wishlist it now via the PlayStation Store. Obviously you can already buy it for the Xbox and PC via the Microsoft Store, or for the PC via Steam. Keep up to date with the latest Forza Horizon 5 news, updates and DLC, here. And take a look at all the latest cars released for the game in our Forza Horizon 5 car list.
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