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Xbox’s Forza Horizon 5 Coming to PlayStation This Spring

The acclaimed open-world racing game will soon arrive on PS5

Forza Horizon 5 screenshot
  • This will mark the first time an entry in Microsoft’s Forza franchise will be compatible with a PlayStation console.
  • The PS5 debut represents a major shift away from Microsoft’s one-time dedication to console exclusivity.
  • New hardware could mean VR support for the first time in a Forza game.

Playground Games announced today that its 2021 release, Forza Horizon 5, will launch on PlayStation 5 this spring. Published by Xbox Game Studios, the open-world racing series was previously exclusive to Microsoft platforms — Xbox consoles and PC.

The game is the latest release in the Forza Horizon saga, a spinoff of the Forza Motorsport series and the dominant open-world driving game of the last decade. Horizon 5 takes place in a condensed, fictionalized Mexico full of winding mountain roads, active volcanoes, dramatic beaches, ancient ruins and muddy jungles. It was named IGN’s Game of the Year in 2021 for its breadth of available cars (900+), gorgeous scenery, engaging online play and endless mission variety.

Horizon 5’s arrival on Playstation hardware will be the first time any mainline Forza game has been playable on a rival Sony console in the series’ 20-year history. This is like if Honda suddenly started building the RAV4. Although the console wars have been at times decided by exclusive game franchises like Halo (Microsoft), Gran Turismo (Sony), Super Mario (Nintendo) and even Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega), Xbox boss Phil Spencer seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

Forza Horizon 5 screenshot

“It’s really game first, not platform first,” Spencer said last week on the Gamertag Radio podcast, hinting at more cross-platform releases moving forward. That indicates other Xbox Game Studios titles, including Forza Motorsport, could be headed to PlayStation in the future. Although we don’t expect to see these titles on the Nintendo Switch due to hardware constraints, the Forza series could make an appearance on the more powerful upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.

The Playstation 5 port will be developed by Panic Button with help from original developer Playground Games. Panic Button is best known for its work porting more demanding console games to Nintendo Switch, but it also partnered with Sony in 2018 to bring a PC-exclusive virtual reality title to PlayStation VR. No word yet on whether the PlayStation 5 port of Forza Horizon 5 will include support for PlayStation VR2, but considering the game’s existing available first-person mode, we wouldn’t rule it out.

Playground has confirmed cross-play will be available across Xbox, PC and PS5, so players will be able to link up with friends no matter where they play. All previously released car packs and expansions will be available for purchase.

This change could make the PlayStation 5 the best console for car enthusiasts, considering it will be the only way to play Gran Turismo and Forza — among countless other excellent racers including Assetto Corsa, WRC Generations, F1 24 and Hot Wheels Unleashed 2. It’s a good day for gamers.