Microsoft’s poster racing franchise will see its first-ever PlayStation release with Forza Horizon 5. Unlike the digital-first ecosystem Microsoft is pushing itself toward, Sony hasn’t cast aside physical media. Plenty of players still prefer physical over digital and if any game deserves a spot on your shelf, it’s Forza Horizon 5.
Sure, it’s not the first Xbox title to launch on PlayStation, but seeing one of team green’s defining franchises in the blue box? That’s proper museum material and a big enough reason to look for a physical copy rather than a digital one.
The track record for a physical release for previous Xbox ports on PlayStation isn’t good, however. Sea of Thieves has no plans for one, and we have no clue about Hi-Fi Rush’s physical release — it has been well over a year since the announcement that the game is getting one. Here’s whether all that’s changed for Forza Horizon 5.
Will Forza Horizon 5 Get A Physical Edition For PlayStation 5?
No, Forza Horizon 5 will not have a physical edition for PlayStation 5. The game does have a physical Standard Edition for Xbox One and Series X|S. That won’t likely be the case with PlayStation 5 as the developers themselves have shut down any potential release.
On X (formerly Twitter), the official Forza Horizon account replied “Nothing planned” when asked about physical release.
We can cope and read between the lines here by taking a physical “disc” in the tweet as a possibility for a physical release with a “game code” inside. But let’s be honest, that’d still be no good and it is baffling how code inside a box exists and is considered physical at all.
If we put our thinking hats on and guess why Forza Horizon 5 physical release will never happen, we can guess three reasons. One is the tweet we mentioned above itself.
Second is the track record of Microsoft with all four Xbox releases on PlayStation not receiving a physical release (Pentiment, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves). Some Xbox titles such as Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are getting a physical version for PlayStation. It has been a no-no for any other title, though.
Third is the fact that Forza Horizon 6 is super close and has a high chance of being released either this year or next year. We’re not implying Forza Horizon 6 will be released on PlayStation on day one. But Microsoft putting that much effort into printing discs for PlayStation 5 when a sequel is looming sounds a little uncharacteristic.
Microsoft ditched physical media a long time ago, and has outright started acting like a “publisher” rather than a console manufacturer, putting all of its eggs into Game Pass. Perhaps it has hit a point of no return as most store shelves these days appear blue and red with little to no green representation.
One reason why a physical disc release for a game like Forza is important is the fact it’ll be delisted eventually. Of course, the game can be played for those who bought it before the de-listing, but it will no longer be available for purchase for new players. You’ll be down to disc hunting then which unfortunately won’t be possible for future Forza Horizon 5 buyers on PlayStation 5.
You don’t have to panic about the delisting thing right now, though. Most Forza titles were delisted 2-3 years past the sequel’s release. With Horizon 5 being launched just this year on PlayStation 5, we expect the timeframe to be longer for the game, or so we hope.
That’s everything about Forza Horizon 5’s release on PlayStation 5. Want to gear yourself for the release? Check out our guides on the best drag cars, rarest cars, fastest cars, and how to make money quickly.
Published: Mar 3, 2025 3:13 PM UTC