Forza Horizon 5, the latest instalment of Xbox Game Studios' racing game, is set to release on Sony's PlayStation in Spring 2025, reflecting Xbox's emerging strategy of bringing previous platform exclusives to more platforms.

Xbox's decision is another step in its broader strategy to increase revenue from software and services, rather than relying solely on hardware exclusivity. Similar to Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush, this move expands Forza Horizon's audience beyond the Xbox ecosystem.

Forza Horizon has dominated the open-world arcade racing genre for the past decade with few direct competitors on PlayStation. The Gran Turismo series remains a strong simulation-focused alternative, but Sony has lacked a first-party open-world arcade racer since Driveclub (2014) and MotorStorm (2006-2012).

Given the gap in PlayStation’s portfolio, an open-world racer matters: Sony’s first-party racing efforts have largely centred on simulation (Gran Turismo), while third-party titles (The Crew, Need for Speed) have filled the arcade racing void. However, these titles do not offer the same long-term engagement as Forza Horizon 5, which benefits from live-service updates, seasonal events, and strong player retention.