Forza Horizon 5 PS5 Launch In April, Alongside Horizon Realms And New JDM Car Pack

After years as a Microsoft exclusive, the once-unthinkable is becoming a reality – Forza Horizon 5 will finally be available on PlayStation 5 in April 2025.

Forza Horizon 5 Confirmed PS5 Release Dates

PlayStation 5 owners can mark their calendars for April 29, 2025, when the Standard ($59.99) and Deluxe Edition ($79.99) hit the PlayStation Store.

However, those willing to fork out for the Premium Edition ($99.99) will get a head start with early access beginning April 25, four days before the standard release.

The price tags are a little higher than most PlayStation fans would’ve hoped for. (Up to) a hundred bucks for a game released in 2021 does feel a little cheeky, especially when Xbox players can access it through Game Pass!

It is worth noting that today’s version includes nearly double the content compared to launch – nearly 900 cars versus the original 534.

I guess this is the price you need to accept to snatch one of Microsoft’s flagship franchises. After all, this once seemed impossible, and the hype is seemingly there for them to warrant charging premium prices.

We expect the price to drop once Forza Horizon 6 has been released, so it might be worth holding out. Whether FH6 will also be coming to PlayStation is yet to be confirmed.

---

What You’ll Get With Each PlayStation Edition

Here’s a breakdown of exactly what you’ll get with the three PS5 packages:

• Premium Edition ($99.99) includes:
  • Early access (April 25)
  • Base game
  • Car Pass (with 42 additional vehicles)
  • Hot Wheels expansion
  • Rally Adventure expansion
  • Welcome Pack
  • VIP Membership
• Deluxe Edition ($79.99) includes:
  • Standard access (April 29)
  • Base game
  • Car Pass
• Standard Edition ($59.99) includes:
  • Base game

Pre-ordering any edition provides a welcome bundle featuring the Mercedes-AMG One, 5,000 Forzathon Points, and 5 Backstage Passes for rare cars.

What To Expect From The PS5 Port

While Playground Games created the original Forza Horizon 5, port specialist Panic Button is responsible for bringing the game to PS5 consoles.

They’ve earned a solid reputation by successfully porting titles like DOOM Eternal and Wolfenstein II to various platforms. They also previously worked on Forza Horizon, porting Horizon 4 from Xbox One to Series X/S.

PS5 players can choose between Performance Mode (60fps) or Quality Mode (30fps with enhanced visuals).

PS5 Pro owners get additional perks with improved visuals in Performance Mode and ray-traced car reflections in Quality Mode for both Races and Free Roam.

In addition, FH5 will feature full cross-platform multiplayer at launch, allowing PS5 players to join Xbox and PC users. However, it’s missing one significant feature—cross-progression. This means PlayStation players won’t be able to transfer their progress from Xbox or PC versions.

Cross-save functionality is only supported between Xbox consoles and Windows PC via the Microsoft Store (through Xbox Play Anywhere), but not with Steam or PlayStation versions. This is an important consideration for players who already own the game on other platforms and are considering purchasing it again on PS5.

This means PlayStation fans will have to catch up on the four years of earnings they’ve been missing out on!

---

Horizon Realms Is Coming To All Platforms

Alongside the PS5 release, the “Horizon Realms” update will also drop on April 25 across all platforms.

The substantial update brings back 11 fan-favorite locations that were previously limited-time “Evolving World” areas.

Returning locations:

• Stunt Park
• Ice Rink
• Oval Track
• Summer Party
• Neon Airstrip
• Día de Muertos
• Winter Wonderland
• Lunar Drift Arena
• Retrowave Highway
• Cars and Coffee
• Stadium Maze

In addition, there’s a brand-new Stadium Circuit, bringing a permanent new race route to the game with its own map icon and dedicated Rivals leaderboard. It can be used for races, time trials, and custom EventLab creations.

Realms can be experienced in two ways:

• Skill Mode – Compete for leaderboard positions and unlock special badges
• Free Mode – Cruise around solo or with friends while earning older badges and Forzathon points

There’s also a new “Accolades Tab” exclusive to Horizon Realms, featuring over 60 (mostly) new accolades.

Since the game’s launch, this is the largest single addition of permanent playable areas, with Playground Games describing it as “one of its biggest updates.”

New Horizon Realms Cars And Content

Completing the accolades mentioned above will unlock four new reward cars:

• 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto
• 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato
• 2022 Hennessey Mammoth 6×6
• 2018 Lotus Exige Cup 430

PlayStation players will also find platform-specific Trophies to earn over 60 new accolades with rewards, including Forzathon Points. Some in-game achievements will now directly unlock cars rather than just awarding points.

---

There’s Also A New “JDM” Car Pack

The “Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack,” which will launch alongside the PS5 game, is also available separately for $4.99 and is included (free) for owners of the “Ultimate DLC Bundle.”

You might be surprised we’ve left this til last. It sounds pretty exciting, huh?! After all, the JDM Jewels pack brought a couple of cool additions, and surely you can’t go wrong with having more JDM rides in the game.

Well, unfortunately, they’ve done an amazing job of delivering the most underwhelming Nissan selection imaginable (for us, at least) with these four quirky “Pike” series cars:

• 1987 Nissan Be-1
• 1991 Nissan Figaro
• 1989 Nissan Pao
• 1989 Nissan S-Cargo

If you’re unaware of “Pike” cars (we’d forgive you for not knowing!), they’re retro-styled microcars based on the March/Micra from Nissan’s experimental period in the late 80s/early 90s.

While they might appeal to die-hard JDM enthusiasts looking for something different, they’re hardly the typical legends you’d expect from a “JDM pack.”

You’ll get these cars for free if you have the Ultimate Bundle. Even then, we’re not entirely sure whether they’d be worth the hard drive space, let alone the extra price!

---

What Does This Mean For Forza Horizon 6?

Following the Fable 4 delay this week, the case for an upcoming Forza Horizon 6 announcement in 2025 looks stronger than ever – perhaps even pointing to a 2025 release. (We can hope, right?!)

With Fable now pushed to 2026, Microsoft has a golden opportunity to fill its 2025 release schedule with another major title – Forza Horizon 6 is the obvious candidate.

While the “Horizon Realms” update brings some fresh interest to FH5, it’s more of a “greatest hits” package rather than truly new content.

The (underwhelming) Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack further proves the game isn’t getting the same level of exciting DLC it once did, either.

The PlayStation 5 release creates a perfect marketing runway for them to announce Horizon 6 shortly after. Summer Game Fest in June 2025 is ideal timing, aligning with Horizon’s past announcement patterns while leveraging the PS5 release buzz.

With Grand Theft Auto VI supposedly looming in Fall 2025 (with rumors of delays), Microsoft likely wants to position Forza Horizon 6 before GTA VI or push it to 2026 (or beyond).

The Fable delay suggests Microsoft is already rearranging its release schedule to avoid competing with Rockstar’s industry-shaking release.

Right now, all signs point to Summer Game Fest 2025 being the venue for the Forza Horizon 6 announcement (hopefully with a location confirmation, too), with a potential release later in the year before GTA VI arrives.

If not, we might be in for a long wait!

---