When I initially reviewed Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox Series X back in 2021, I called it one of the year’s best games and arguably one of the greatest racing games of all time. I’ve put at least 300 hours into this behemoth of a racer since then, trading and selling cars, competing in weekly events, and building a reputation around Mexico as a ruthless collector of classy vehicles with more supercars than a Saudi prince. Playing it all over again on PS5 Pro was a breath of fresh air, not just because I got to restart my career knowing the edges quite well going in, but because of what PlayStation’s high-end console does for the experience overall.

This isn’t necessarily a repeated review of the game (you can read my 2021 review right here), mainly based on impressions of around 20 hours of playtime between both a standard PS5 and PS5 Pro. However, I’ll be talking much more about the PS5 Pro as that’s where I think the strengths of Forza Horizon 5’s impressive technical power really comes into play.



If you’ve played a Forza Horizon game before, you already know what to expect going on. Seeing as this is the first time that the series is gracing PlayStation – and many PS5 players will be experiencing it for the first time - let me just start by saying that you’re in for the pinnacle of arcade racing games. Set in Mexico, the familiar Horizon festival is kicking off once again. This means you get you create a customisable character (with fairly limited customisation options that gradually open up as you progress), choose a starter car and jump into a series of high-octane races across the sandy landscapes of the country, sandstorms and all.

Seeing as this is the first time that the series is gracing PlayStation – and many PS5 players will be experiencing it for the first time - let me just start by saying that you’re in for the pinnacle of arcade racing games.

Right off the bat, PS5 Pro users are going to have a handful of options to tinker with, from performance to visuals and everything in-between. Before we jump into that, it’s worth noting that there’s no cross-save between platforms despite having to log into an active Microsoft account before playing on Sony’s console. This is kind of a bummer for players hoping to port all of their Xbox progress over to the PS5 version, meaning you’ll have to restart the game from scratch. This won’t be a train smash for new players but returning veterans who want to continue their adventures have to start from the bottom again. With cross-play support enabled, though, it's now easier than ever to play across platforms with friends.



Playground Games also says that content such as weekly events and new cars that were previously added to the Xbox version will be brought over to the PS5 version too, though the cycle will start over. However, as far as content goes, the PS5 package includes every bit of new content added to the game over the years (which, trust me, is a lot). In fact, it's a bit overwhelming at first with its various new menus and icons on screen, reminding me that I missed out on tons of new stuff while I rested my steering wheel for a while. It's easy to get back into the swing of things, to be fair.

Getting into the technical grit, the PS5 Pro version is arguably the most impressive that Forza Horizon 5 has ever looked and played on a console, counting the Xbox Series X. The extra power of Sony’s high-end machine means you get to experience the game at a crisp 4K resolution in Quality mode and it looks absolutely phenomenal with ray tracing. Switching to Performance mode, the quality drops but runs at a rock-solid 60FPS without any dips whatsoever in my playtime thus far. It’s an absolute joy to experience the game at its best – and even weirder considering that ‘best’ is on a PlayStation.



Panic Button, the studio largely responsible for the port, has left no stone unturned when refining the game’s visuals. Admittedly, some character animations are still wonky – and my character is stuck with an awkward grin on their face all the time - but the cars all look fantastic and so do the stunning desert environments. Rest assured, you’re getting a graphical powerhouse on the PS5 Pro, and as far as open-world racing games go, Forza Horizon 5 is still the best-looking one we’ve seen to date.

On PS5 Pro, this is arguably the most impressive that Forza Horizon 5 has ever looked and played on a console, counting the Xbox Series X.

I’ve already sung Forza Horizon 5’s praises enough over the years but I’m glad that more players get to experience the game on another platform. Bouncing from one race type to another as you dash across the wonderfully detailed map of Mexico is a memory I’m so glad I got to relive today, in some cases as if I was playing it for the first time thanks to the Pro’s improvements. One minor but nonetheless important addition is DualSense support which complements the game well with its haptic feedback as you feel the tension on the triggers while stepping on the accelerator or slamming on brakes at high speeds.



Of course, you also have to temper your expectations when going into Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. While the technical improvements are welcomed and certainly felt on the Pro, the Xbox Series X version isn't too far off from the mark and you’re not getting a lesser experience on other platforms. This is merely a port and not a significant remaster – but hey, that’s a very good thing. It’s still a visually stunning, immersive game that prioritises the fun factor over everything else, delivering an arcade racer that’s set a very high bar for the rest of the industry to follow.

Forza Horizon 5 is a terrific PS5 port, but it’s beastly on PS5 Pro. The small tweaks and improvements made by Panic Button to refine the visuals and performance are commendable; simply delivering what could be the quintessential way to experience the game on modern hardware – yes, even counting the Xbox Series X. The lack of cross-save options is a bit disappointing but for newcomers to the game, which I assume will be a fairly large majority of PlayStation owners, you’re about to play one of the all-time great racing titles of our generation.

*PS5 Review code provided by Xbox Game Studios