It was bound to happen (Xbox Game Studios)
The next Xbox game to be ported to PlayStation 5 will be racing game Forza Horizon 5, with rumours of Halo: The Master Chief Collection to follow.
The inevitable has happened and Microsoft has confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 will be coming to the PlayStation 5 this spring, although there’s no exact date yet.
Originally released in 2021, the acclaimed arcade racing game is set in Mexico and is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best Xbox Series X/S console exclusives, with the Forza series in general being arguably the most consistently high quality first party franchise from Xbox.
The PlayStation 5 version will be handled by American studio Panic Button, who primarily work on ports of existing games, including the Xbox Series X/S version of Forza Horizon 4. Original developer, British studio Playground Games, is currently working on the reboot of Fable.
As of time of writing there is no mention of the news on Xbox Wire, just a single tweet and Instagram post from the official Forza Horizon channels – but nothing from Xbox in general.
It’s not hard to imagine why Microsoft would be reticent to promote games on rival formats but if they’re going all in on multiformat releases they’re going to need to be more proactive than this.
There’s nothing on the PlayStation Blog either, or their YouTube channel, but they did retweet the original annoucement. So, it seems as if the embarrassment of working with a former rival goes both ways.
The Forza website does have some additional information though, confirming that the PlayStation 5 version will feature nearly 900 cars, more than 40 game updates (including all car packs), and two expansions (Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure).
New content for all versions – the game is also available on PC and Xbox One – will also be released called Horizon Realms, which will involve a curated collection of previously released Evolving Worlds and ‘other surprises’.
When will Forza Horizon 6 be announced?
Each new Forza Horizon game is set in a different region or country, including Colorado, Southern France and Northern Italy, Australia, Great Britain, and Forza Horizon 5’s version of Mexico. Despite the series’ popularity it remains unclear when a sixth entry might appear, even though it seems inevitable.
Clearly that’s because Playground Games is busy with Fable, but the most common rumours suggest that the next game will be based in Asia, either in China or Japan.
Job listings last year suggested that, despite their focus on Fable, the game was being worked on by Playground Games, who at close to 400 staff are a very large studio, despite not being particularly prolific.
Since there’s no date yet, it’s unknown whether Forza Horizon 5 will come out before or after Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, which is also due to arrive on PlayStation 5 this spring.
After that, it’s unclear what other games Microsoft will port to PlayStation 5 but the full unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2, during a Nintendo Direct scheduled for April 2, is almost certain to include a number of Xbox products.
Forza Horizon 5 going multiformat had been widely rumoured before now and as soon as the official annoucement was made leaker extas1s implied it would also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2.
At the same time Windows Central writer Jez Corden indicated that Halo: The Master Chief Collection would also be coming to PlayStation 5, as the next of Xbox’s ‘big three’ (Forza, Halo, and Gears of War) to go multiformat. Although he suggested ‘not any time imminently’.
Especially given their reticence to discuss the issue in public, it’s impossible to guess when Microsoft will announce their next multiformat release but it’s certain that Forza Horizon 5 will not be the last Xbox title to arrive on PlayStation 5.
Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 won’t be short of content (Xbox Game Studios)
Microsoft announce Forza Horizon 5 for PS5 – Switch 2 also rumoured