Summary
ReleasingForza Horizon 5on the PS5 made Xbox millions, according to a new report. TheForzafranchise was an Xbox exclusive for much of its history, but Microsoft decided to bring it to its chief competitor’s hardware earlier in 2025 as part of a broader shift away from console exclusivity. It seems like that decision was a smart one, too, asForza Horizon 5on PS5 has been a huge success.
PS5 users were already a core piece of Microsoft’s audience beforeForzacame to Sony consoles. A staggering64% of spending on Microsoft games came from PlayStationusers in December 2024, the same month that the Xbox-maker became the world’s biggest game publisher. While most of those sales came from Microsoft-acquired franchises that already had PlayStation releases, the same strategy has proved effective with the company’s former exclusives.
AJune 4 report from Alinea Analyticsrevealed thatForza Horizon 5was the top-selling game on PlayStation in May 2025. That may not be a huge surprise, given thatForza Horizon 5drew nearly 700,000 new playersupon its PS5 release, but the Alinea report also highlighted even bigger news. Since April,Forzahas sold more than 2.2 million copies on PS5, which Alinea says “easily” exceeds $100 million in revenue. In May alone, it sold 1.3 million copies. For context,Elden Ring Nightreigncame in second place for the month and sold 752,000 copies, less than two-thirds the amountForzasold.
Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 Made Over $100 Million for Xbox
Forza Horizon 5isn’t the only Microsoft title to break the top five in PS5 sales for May.Minecraftcame in fifth place at 491,000 copies sold. That’s largely to be expected, considering howMinecraftis the best-selling game of all timeand was available on multiple platforms long before Microsoft acquired Mojang. Still, it’s another example of how PlayStation users present a promising market for Xbox Game Studios and other Microsoft subsidiaries.
The success ofForza Horizon 5on PS5 could foreshadow things to come. It’s rumored thatHalowill make its way to PS5, and another once-Xbox-exclusive franchise,Gears of War, is getting a PS5 release later this year. Seeing as howForzasold so well on Sony consoles, it could give Xbox all the convincing it needs to give other first-party series the same treatment, though it remains unclear if the company will do the same with all of its exclusives.
