Summary
- Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 brings graphical and framerate settings identical to the game's Series X version, albeit with slightly more frequent resolution drops.
- The PS5 Pro port of Forza Horizon 5 features enhanced visual settings and ray-traced self-reflections, making it the best console version of the game.
- There are minor issues like crashes in certain scenarios on PS5 Pro and large save file sizes, but overall, Forza Horizon 5 appears well-optimized for PlayStation consoles.
Forza Horizon 5 is days away from launching on PS5 and PS5 Pro, and a recent performance analysis spells good news for PlayStation users looking forward to the critically-acclaimed Xbox first-party game. In fact, the PS5 Pro version in particular is being hailed as the best way to play Forza Horizon 5 on any console.
Launched in November 2021 for Xbox Series X/S and PC, Forza Horizon 5 is widely regarded as one of the most visually stunning and content-rich racing games to have launched this generation. Forza Horizon 5 allows players to blaze through the gorgeous and diverse vistas of Mexico in cars of all shapes and sizes, and now, the action is heading to PlayStation platforms for the very first time as part of Xbox's growing multiplatform efforts. Developer Playground Games has teamed up with veteran porting studio Panic Button to bring Forza Horizon 5 to PS5 and PS5 Pro, and early impressions hint at impressive technical caliber.
Forza Horizon 5 Platinum Trophy Won't Be as Difficult as Expected
New reports point out that the Platinum Trophy will not be as hard to achieve as previously expected in the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5.
Digital Foundry recently put Forza Horizon 5's PS5 Pro and PS5 versions under the microscope, and found that the port retains the core presentation and features of the Series X version. Two main graphical presets are on offer, namely a 60fps performance mode and a 30fps quality mode. On base PS5, Forza Horizon 5's visual fidelity closely mirrors that of the Series X, including near-identical foliage, terrain, and lighting. Resolution holds at 4K on PS5 in most scenarios, but occasional dynamic resolution scaling dips down to 1872p are slightly more frequent than in Series X, and framerates are also smooth and consistent in both modes. However, the PS5 Pro is where things get truly impressive.
Forza Horizon 5 Offers the Best Console Gameplay Experience on PS5 Pro
The PS5 Pro's beefier hardware allows for far denser foliage, sharper textures, and improved draw distances in Forza Horizon 5's performance mode, putting it nearly on par with the vanilla PS5's quality mode but without sacrificing the smooth 60fps gameplay. In quality mode, Forza Horizon 5 players on PS5 Pro get the added benefit of ray-traced self-reflections on their cars during gameplay, which is not present on any other console version of Forza Horizon 5 outside the photo mode or showroom. Digital Foundry did note some minor issues with Forza Horizon 5's PlayStation port, such as a crash when activating photo mode during races in quality mode on the PS5 Pro, and oddly large save file sizes (over 2GB).
Minor wrinkles aside, Forza Horizon 5's PS5 and PS5 Pro ports seem to be well-optimized and every bit as visually impressive as other platforms, if not more. Forza Horizon 5 is set for an April 29 launch on PS5 and PS5 Pro - just under a week from now - and will mark the seventh Xbox first-party title to launch on PlayStation systems since Microsoft's pivot to multiplatform releases last year. Given how much success Forza Horizon 5 accrued on Xbox and PC, it has the potential to be Microsoft's best commercial performer on PS5.
Forza Horizon 5
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- November 9, 2021
- ESRB
- E for Everyone // In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Playground Games
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
This is Your Horizon Adventure: Lead breathtaking expeditions across the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
This is a Diverse Open World: Explore a world of striking contrast and beauty. Discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons and a towering snow-capped volcano.
This is an Adventurous Open World: Immerse yourself in a deep campaign with hundreds of challenges that reward you for engaging in the activities you love. Meet new characters and choose the outcomes of their Horizon Story missions.
This is an Evolving Open World: Take on awe-inspiring weather events such as towering dust storms and intense tropical storms as Mexico’s unique, dynamic seasons change the world every week. Keep coming back for new events, challenges, collectibles, and rewards, and new areas to explore. No two seasons will ever be the same.
This is Your Open World: Create your own expressions of fun with the powerful new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts, and entirely new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever before with new options such as the ability open and close convertible tops, paint brake calipers, and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community.
- Engine
- Forza Tech
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Franchise
- Forza Horizon
- PC Release Date
- November 9, 2021
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 9, 2021
- PS5 Release Date
- April 29, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 134 GB (November 2023)
