By Sagar V. Mankar 
Players excited about Forza Horizon 5 coming to PlayStation 5 will need to take an extra step before racing through Mexico’s vibrant landscapes. When the game launches on PS5 this April, you’ll need both a PlayStation Network account and a Microsoft account to play.
The official Forza website explains that linking these accounts happens on a “title-by-title basis and is permanent.” You can unlink them later, but you can only reconnect to that same Microsoft account.
This isn’t Microsoft’s first rodeo with account requirements on PlayStation. As XboxEra noted, other Xbox games like Sea of Thieves and Minecraft Dungeons already ask PlayStation gamers to sign in with Microsoft accounts.
The popular racing game speeds onto PS5 on April 25, 2025, with a $70 price tag. It first launched back in 2021 for Xbox and PC, earning praise from gamers.
You’ll need PlayStation Plus for multiplayer features, though you can still enjoy solo adventures without it. One disappointing note: your save files from Xbox or PC won’t carry over to the PlayStation version.
Some industry watchers see this as Microsoft playing the long game. Jez Gordon noted that by getting PlayStation users to create Microsoft accounts, they’re opening a door to introduce these players to other services like Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft Rewards, and OneDrive.
This release is just one part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to bring formerly Xbox-exclusive titles to PlayStation. Games like Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Hi-Fi Rush have already made the jump, with more titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle planning to follow suit.
Xbox head Phil Spencer said that the company wants Xbox hardware to compete through “differentiation and unique features” rather than exclusive games.
Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 5 is reportedly racing up the PS5 pre-order charts, showing that PlayStation fans are eager to try the acclaimed racing series despite needing to create another account.
Don’t have a Microsoft account yet? You can create one for free, and existing accounts for Outlook, OneDrive, Office, Windows, or Xbox all work just fine for getting you behind the wheel in Forza Horizon 5.