Confirmed: Forza Horizon 5 is the next title to make the leap from Xbox to PlayStation

[Windows Central]

Further to Microsoft's pledge to make Xbox more profitable, one of their biggest franchises is arriving on PlayStation soon.

Confirmed: Forza Horizon 5 is the next title to make the leap from Xbox to PlayStation : Read more

 

[Papictu]

Xbox Series is almost dead, in a year or two I imagine support for the system will cease and users will no longer have the confidence to use the Xbox Store. It's been a terrible generation for Xbox, they are seeding an impossible scenario for a next console to stand a chance.

I've been playing on Xbox for 20 years, I hope that before it disappears they get some agreement with Steam or Playstation to be able to export our profiles to these systems and continue there, it would be very sad to see how the profiles, hours of gameplay and achievements unlocked are lost.

 

[RagingTyga]

I disagree, these past few years have been the best it's been to be an xbox user. There's been nothing but absolutely BANGERS available on GP, and they keep coming and it's very hard to keep up. Indiana Jones, Call of Duty BO6,Flinlock, Palworld, Ninja Gaiden Black 2, and games I never made it to, like Octopath Traveler 1&2 etc...Then you got Doom, Avowed, it's nuts.

The only thing Microsoft is doing, is releasing these games on other platforms, which brings in revenue which helps cover the cost of putting them on Gamepass...which is genius in my opinion. Playstation and PC gamers are literally subsidizing the games that come out on Gamepass. The benefit is Microsoft doesn't have to worry about the Hardware sales, and they can focus on making the next gen hardware better when that comes, instead of just "good enough". Plus, it's helping them learn and gain ideas from what's happening in the market, especially now with Gaming handhelds

 

[fatpunkslim]

What is less clear is how the degraded status of "Xbox console exclusives," particularly among its most iconic games, will impact hardware sales going forward

Forza Horizon 5 was released in 2021, 4 years later on playstation. Do you think a player is willing to wait 4 years to play a game? Basically like SOT, another GAAS, After reaching its full potential.

What is the purpose of an exclusive game? To attract players to its ecosystem (gamepass or consoles or both, ....)! For it to work, this exclusivity period must be frustrating enough to push a player to go to your ecosystem. I think that from 1 to 2 years, it's sufficiently frustrating to push a player who wants to play this game to go to your ecosystem.

So, a long enough temporary exclusivity has the same positive effect (or almost) as a permanent exclusivity.

But does a permanent exclusivity exist? Who can today, on this industry situation, say that an exclusivity will be permanent? Even PlayStation can't, especially given the direction they are taking.

It's fine that Forza Horizon 5 comes out on PlayStation. The game has reached its potential and has done its job of attracting players to Xbox.

I think we won't have to wait long to hear about the release of Forza Horizon 6. And that would be very smart:

• The new revenues from Forza Horizon 5 will help amortize the development costs of Forza Horizon 6.
• It will help introduce the franchise to PlayStation players and make them want to play the sequel, knowing that FH6 won't be released on other platforms right away. It would create frustration and push players towards the Xbox ecosystem (Game Pass on PC and/or Xbox consoles).
  
  So it's a very good move ! (Moreover, all the buzz around an Xbox game going to PlayStation will only boost sales, it's really well played)

 

[fjtorres5591]

Forza Horizon 5 was released in 2021, 4 years later on playstation. Do you think a player is willing to wait 4 years to play a game? Basically like SOT, another GAAS, After reaching its full potential.

What is the purpose of an exclusive game? To attract players to its ecosystem (gamepass or consoles or both, ....)! For it to work, this exclusivity period must be frustrating enough to push a player to go to your ecosystem. I think that from 1 to 2 years, it's sufficiently frustrating to push a player who wants to play this game to go to your ecosystem.

So, a long enough temporary exclusivity has the same positive effect (or almost) as a permanent exclusivity.

But does a permanent exclusivity exist? Who can today, on this industry situation, say that an exclusivity will be permanent? Even PlayStation can't, especially given the direction they are taking.

It's fine that Forza Horizon 5 comes out on PlayStation. The game has reached its potential and has done its job of attracting players to Xbox.

I think we won't have to wait long to hear about the release of Forza Horizon 6. And that would be very smart:

• The new revenues from Forza Horizon 5 will help amortize the development costs of Forza Horizon 6.
• It will help introduce the franchise to PlayStation players and make them want to play the sequel, knowing that FH6 won't be released on other platforms right away. It would create frustration and push players towards the Xbox ecosystem (Game Pass on PC and/or Xbox consoles).
  
  So it's a very good move ! (Moreover, all the buzz around an Xbox game going to PlayStation will only boost sales, it's really well played)

You realize logic is wasted on the fen, right?

It's HORIZON not MOTORSPORT.
4 YEARS OLD and a live service time sink; yet another way to eat into Sony's customers' money bags to fund the NextBox which now has another reason to come in 2026.

No date set yet for PS5 INDIANA JONES, right?
My guess was June. Right after the big XBOX summer event, when XBOX gamers have moved on.

 

[CadErik]

This could revive the game and the multiplayer experience, esp since it is a 4+ year old game. This is one of my favorite racing games, from the intro, to the landscapes and some of the iconic locations - everybody wins having this one on PS5.

 

[Hsg]

Forza Horizon 5 was released in 2021, 4 years later on playstation. Do you think a player is willing to wait 4 years to play a game? Basically like SOT, another GAAS, After reaching its full potential.

What is the purpose of an exclusive game? To attract players to its ecosystem (gamepass or consoles or both, ....)! For it to work, this exclusivity period must be frustrating enough to push a player to go to your ecosystem. I think that from 1 to 2 years, it's sufficiently frustrating to push a player who wants to play this game to go to your ecosystem.

So, a long enough temporary exclusivity has the same positive effect (or almost) as a permanent exclusivity.

But does a permanent exclusivity exist? Who can today, on this industry situation, say that an exclusivity will be permanent? Even PlayStation can't, especially given the direction they are taking.

It's fine that Forza Horizon 5 comes out on PlayStation. The game has reached its potential and has done its job of attracting players to Xbox.

I think we won't have to wait long to hear about the release of Forza Horizon 6. And that would be very smart:

• The new revenues from Forza Horizon 5 will help amortize the development costs of Forza Horizon 6.
• It will help introduce the franchise to PlayStation players and make them want to play the sequel, knowing that FH6 won't be released on other platforms right away. It would create frustration and push players towards the Xbox ecosystem (Game Pass on PC and/or Xbox consoles).
  
  So it's a very good move ! (Moreover, all the buzz around an Xbox game going to PlayStation will only boost sales, it's really well played)

I have my doubts about Forza Horizon 6 being a timed exclusive. Games like The Outer Worlds 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 are coming to PS day one. It seems that the newest Xbox games will also be like that.

 

[fatpunkslim]

I have my doubts about Forza Horizon 6 being a timed exclusive. Games like The Outer Worlds 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 are coming to PS day one. It seems that the newest Xbox games will also be like that.

Doubts based on what? FH5 follows the same logic as Sea of Thieves, it's an old GAAS game that has reached its full potential.

The Outer Worlds has always been multiplatform, so it has no relevance, and Ninja Gaiden 4 is not an Xbox first-party game, so that's also off-topic.

@CadErik: exactly, Win Win

 

[fjtorres5591]

I have my doubts about Forza Horizon 6 being a timed exclusive. Games like The Outer Worlds 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 are coming to PS day one. It seems that the newest Xbox games will also be like that.

Four years delay on HORIZON 5.
That makes it timed.

Consider that NINJA GAIDEN is second party, not an inhouse studio game.
Not comparable.

And OUTER WORLDS was multiplatform before MS bought OBSIDIAN. Spencer long ago said they were not looking to take games away from anybody. So yes, OUTER WORLDS 2 will go everywhere the first went, just like COD, DOOM, MINECRAFT, et al.

Is the distinction that hard to follow?

"Case by case."

Seriously, what does it matter to XBOX gsmers if a four year old *live service* shows up elsewhere? Live service games benefit from a broad reach. What's the loss? Bragging rights? "Nyah-nyah, we got Forza Horizon!" Why does it matter that EXPEDITION 33 is multiplatform if you get it day one on game pass and "they" have to pay $70? If you need to brag, brag about that.

Here's two hypotheticals: how old is the MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION? Or what about free to play, live service HALO INFINITY?

What do you buy XBOX consoles for? To play games or to thumb your nose at the rest of the kids? Live and let die. And take Spencer at his word: Some XBOX games will go to other boxes, some will stay exclusive.

And, FWIW, the FORZA that matters to XBOX is the FORZA MOTORSPORT series, the serious driving simulator, not the "lite" live service game. Fun, yes, but people don't spend hundreds of bucks in accessories for HORIZON.

 

[HeyCori]

The ever decreasing number of exclusives puts me in a very peculiar situation. My favorite games for the past several years have been either multi-plat or Xbox exclusive. I don't have a PS4 or 5 because I'm not big on Sony's exclusives. In fact, out of the three PS exclusives that I wanted to play, I played them on PC. Days Gone (mediocre), Horizon Zero Dawn (kind of dull), and Final Fantasy 7 Remake (meh). So I'm in no rush to get a PlayStation 5 for their exclusives. But it's definitely more tempting knowing that Microsoft will (likely) bring more of their titles, even newer titles, to PlayStation at a faster pace.

The logical thing to do is get a PC, PS5, and call it a day. Buuuuuut the PS5 doesn't have Game Pass. GP is pretty much how I play all my games nowadays. And even when I do buy a game, I can very easily wait until it's on a deep sale because I already got plenty on GP to pass the time. Technically, I can use my GP sub to play games on PC... I just don't want to. There was a time in my life when building and playing PC games was super neat. Now I spend 8+ hours solving computer hardware problems, and when I get home, I grab my Surface Pro and revel in its simplicity. I have a gaming laptop, and I will occasionally dip in if I have to. Otherwise, I prefer consoles.

So just stick with Xbox hardware, right? Well, Microsoft can hee and haw all they want about how they're not getting out of the hardware business, but we've seen this playbook before. They'll swear up and down that they won't do a thing before eventually doing that exact thing. I could see Microsoft staying in the hardware business just long enough to fulfill existing contractual obligations to manufacturers. Or only doing handhelds, or only Series S style consoles. Or giving up on competing on hardware entirely. Pretty much any damn thing can happen with Xbox hardware, but rest assured, something will happen in response to constantly declining sales. Because if MS gets out of the hardware business, then all their games will be PC and PS5. After all, Microsoft isn't Nintendo. Even when Nintendo was suffering horrific console sales, they never ported their games to a competitor's system. Not only has Microsoft started to, they're deep in it.

I'm pondering if I should stay the course and hope the other shoe doesn't drop? Learn to love PC gaming again? Buy a PS5? As the saying goes, time will tell.