Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 is a reliable port and absolutely still worth playing.

      Subscribe to The Drive's daily newsletter

      As a millennial who experienced the intense rivalry of the console wars, launching Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 and seeing the "Xbox Game Studios" logo flash on the screen while holding a PS5 controller is quite surreal. It’s akin to witnessing Coca-Cola being poured from a Pepsi can, using iOS on a Samsung device, or Lewis Hamilton driving a Ferrari—this corporate irony of seeing one of Microsoft's flagship games make its way to Sony's console is significant for anyone who once dedicated entire days to watch something known as "E3."

      While it's not the first Xbox exclusive to transition to PlayStation, it is certainly the most substantial one to date—and it's a racing game. Specifically, it ranks among the best racing games available. If you're interested in a more conventional review of the gameplay experience, I previously shared my thoughts when it first launched on Xbox almost four years ago. This review will instead examine the familiar and unique aspects of racing once again through a virtual Mexico on the PS5.

      Return to Mexico

      After overcoming the novelty of seeing Xbox branding on a PlayStation, I was quickly reminded why Microsoft, based solely on its offerings, remains my least favorite major tech corporation. At least in the state I tested it, FH5 compels you to link or create a dedicated Microsoft account, which is always frustrating. The game provides a QR code to scan that directs you to the necessary website (requiring another device, like your phone). True to Microsoft’s track record, the website proved malfunctioning and wouldn’t allow me to input data in one of the fields. (Pro tip: Use Safari, not Chrome, if you attempt this on an iPhone.)

      Despite this obligatory login requirement, you cannot use or transfer any existing game saves from playing Horizon 5 on Xbox or PC. You must begin your musical festival journey anew. (To be fair, even if that capability existed, it’s difficult to fathom the technical hurdles, unresolved glitches, and exhaustive presentations that would be necessary for that to function correctly. It might honestly be faster to replay the game from scratch.)

      Once you navigate past those initial hurdles, the gameplay is fundamentally identical to what was released in 2021. In my previous Xbox review, I referred to it not only as “the best arcade racing game of all time” but also as “the most enjoyable software published by the Microsoft Corporation.” The core, engaging gameplay loop endures. You'll participate in races and driving missions while exploring a beautifully diverse digital version of Mexico.

      Microsoft

      At launch, the car count was reported to be over 500, but according to the game’s Wiki, that total is approaching 900 due to ongoing DLC releases and updates. Granted, many vehicles are only attainable as gameplay rewards or by finding them with varying levels of rarity, but Playground Games (and whoever manages licensing) deserves recognition for consistently expanding and updating Horizon 5’s available cars.

      We can't discuss Forza's arrival on PlayStation without mentioning Sony's in-house racing title. While Forza’s vehicle models may not match the polygon and material accuracy of those in Gran Turismo 7, Forza's overall presentation—especially in the open-world Horizon spin-offs—is far less sterile. It's more vibrant and dynamic. Elements like mud, water, dust, grime, rain, snow, and sunlight demonstrate a curated realism that seems absent in GT, making the game visually more engaging and lively.

      In contrast to GT’s cars, many vehicles in Forza allow you to pop the hoods and open the doors. Additionally, Forza's car roster is arguably stronger, featuring newer models like the Ferrari 296 and BMW M5 CS. There’s also new event and location content since my last playthrough. Defying gravity by soaring through Hot Wheels loops in a rally-prepped F-150 Lightning is undeniably thrilling, as is racing through the new Rally expansion in Colin McRae’s No. 4 Focus RS, which crackles with excitement.

      Old Game, New System

      One question that gamers have pondered since the announcement of Forza's arrival on PlayStation is how it performs. The answer? Quite well, actually.

      Similar to the Xbox versions, Horizon 5 on PS5 offers two graphics modes. While I lack the resources and expertise for a Digital Foundry-style technical breakdown of Forza's debut on PlayStation, I suspect the resolutions and frame rates of both modes reflect those of the Xbox Series X version: the 30-frame-per-second Quality mode runs at a locked, native 2160p (full 4K) with high visual fidelity, while the 60-frame-per-second Performance mode features reduced detail and targets 2160p, dynamically lowering the resolution to 1600p in the worst-case scenarios, as noted by DF.

      In my experience, the fidelity difference between Quality and Performance modes was minimal on my monitor, so I highly recommend opting for the latter