Forza Horizon 5 är äntligen på PS5, och det känns konstigt perfekt

I never thought I’d say this: I played Forza Horizon 5 on a PlayStation, and it didn’t feel wrong. After years of being locked down as one of Xbox’s prized exclusives, the sheer fact that Horizon 5 is now spinning tires on Sony’s turf feels like a crack in the console wall. And yeah, it’s a big deal — not just for racing fans, but for the whole multiformat debate that’s been heating up.

If you’ve never touched a Forza Horizon game, imagine Gran Turismo’s super serious cousin going on spring break in a V12 Lamborghini. Horizon 5 is the party version of racing. It’s about off-roading through jungles, smashing speed signs, and doing barrel rolls off ancient temples. It’s also got 500+ cars, a map of Mexico that’s nature porn, and enough race types to make The Crew cry in the corner.

“Forza Horizon 5 is a joyous, brightly coloured extravaganza of motoring,” says Nick Gillett in his review for Metro, and yeah — he’s not wrong. This is car culture turned up to 11, minus the gatekeeping. What’s more surprising is how little is different here from the Xbox version. Performance is on par with Series X, the DualSense haptics are decent (but not mind-blowing), and yes, the dreaded microtransactions are still hanging around like an unpaid speeding ticket.

But this isn’t about frame rates or controller vibrations — it’s about what this port means. This isn’t a leftover port from 2021 either. Microsoft chose to let this thing roam free. For a company that used to wave the "only on Xbox" banner like a war flag, seeing Forza Horizon on a PlayStation dashboard is wild. It’s the gaming version of Mario showing up on Netflix.

The actual driving is still ridiculously good. Open world racers often lose steam between events (The Crew 2 and Solar Crown, I’m looking at you), but Horizon keeps throwing XP, bonuses, and fun little side activities at you non-stop. You’ll be drifting around cacti, smashing billboards, doing impromptu drag races, and unlocking roads you didn’t even realize were roads. It’s pure dopamine for car nerds and casual players alike.

Also, Chichen Itza is now a tourist attraction. Yep, in Horizon Mexico, ancient ruins are fair game for drifting, jumping, and leaderboard flexing. Maybe don’t tell UNESCO. The new PS5 version also brings back 12 Horizon Realms — wild, one-off stunt zones that are now permanent fixtures instead of timed events. That’s a W for everyone, not just PlayStation players.

“It’s no better or worse than on Xbox Series X,” Gillett points out — and he’s spot-on. You’re getting the same top-tier experience whether you play on Xbox or PlayStation, minus the ecosystem stuff like Game Pass. On PS5 Pro, you get a resolution bump. On a standard PS5, you still get buttery frame rates and beautiful scenery.

We previously described the specifics of obtaining the platinum trophy in Forza Horizon 5; that material contains everything you need to know about the game.

Downsides? Yeah, the microtransactions are annoying, and the in-game banter sounds like it was written by someone who thinks Fast & Furious is Oscar material. Also, no Forza Motorsport on PS5 (yet), so sim-racing fans will still lean on Gran Turismo 7, which, frankly, beats Horizon in the haptics and realism department.

But here’s the kicker: for the first time ever, PlayStation owners can genuinely say they have access to both of the best driving games of this generation. Horizon 5 for chaotic fun, GT7 for precision and depth. That’s a combo Microsoft users can’t even pull off unless they’ve got a racing rig and a second console.

So what does it all mean? In 2025, platform boundaries are melting. Microsoft isn’t just letting old IPs go multiplatform; they’re letting flagship franchises cross over. That’s no small move. It’s not about “losing” exclusives — it’s about growing your audience. Whether it’s a test run or the start of a bigger shift, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 sets the tone.

If you’re a PS5 owner and you like fast cars, this one’s a no-brainer. Yeah, the whole thing might feel a bit uncanny at first, like bumping into your ex at a wedding, but once the engine revs and the horizon opens up, you’re right at home.

Want a breakdown of how Horizon 5 compares to GT7 in 2025? Or curious about other Xbox games possibly headed to PS5? Let me know, and I’ll dive in.