Another major Xbox first party game is going multiformat, according to rumours, and there seems broad agreement on which one it is.
Ever since Microsoft confirmed that it was making some of its exclusive games multiformat there’s been great confusion over which ones, when they would appear, and if there was any consistent criteria as to which would and would not make the jump.
There’s still no clear answer on any of those issues and it’s not something Microsoft has talked about in detail since the beginning of the year, despite declining hardware sales of the Xbox Series X/S suggesting it is still their best route for the future.
But it’s Gamescom next week and rumours suggest that at least one ‘big’ Xbox game will be announced for PlayStation 5. The more obvious guesses are Starfield or Indiana Jones but apparently it’s neither of those and is instead… Forza Horizon 5.
Forza Horizon 5 is one of the most acclaimed exclusives on Xbox, so it coming to PlayStation 5 would definitely be a major event.
With new DLC arriving for Starfield and Indiana Jones launching later this year, they could be seen as more obvious choices but since Forza Horizon 5 launched in late 2021 this may indicate that Microsoft only wants to bring across older titles.
The rumour of a major multiformat game being announced at Gamescom was started by the usually reliable shinobi602 on ResetEra, which instantly led to much speculation.
Forza Horizon 5 was then hinted at by the generally reliable extas1s. He was less certain that it would be announced at Gamescom but insisted that it will be released on PlayStation ‘in the next few months.’
He also suggested there are currently no ‘active plans’ for a PlayStation 5 version of Starfield.
Insider Gaming also corroborated the idea that Forza Horizon 5 is coming to PlayStation 5, but it is also uncertain as to when exactly it will be announced.
However, while Jez Corden of Windows Central didn’t discount the idea that a major multiformat release would be announced next week he suggested it was not Forza Horizon 5, even though he suggested that would arrive on PlayStation 5 ‘some day.’
The only games that have so far been ported to PlayStation 5, and where possible Switch, are smaller titles Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush, as well as live service games Grounded and Sea Of Thieves.
Despite all the talk of Halo, Gears Of War, or Starfield there’s so far been no sign that Microsoft is willing to bring such high profile exclusives to PlayStation 5, with suggestions that there is intense disagreement over the matter amongst Xbox execs.
Forza Horizon 5 would continue to give the impression that they’re only interested in bringing older games across, although the fact that it’s the biggest game so far may have been influenced by the fact that its various car and music licences are running on a ticking clock.
Forza Horizon 4 will no longer be available on any format from December 15, so there’s no point porting that, and the same fate will inevitably befall Forza Horizon 5 in the next few years – just as it has most other serious driving games, including Gran Turismo.
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