April 25 marks the early access debut of marquee Xbox franchise to arrive on PlayStation, and both fans of the franchise and PlayStation owners who haven't yet been able to experience it can gain from the expanded player base. Forza Horizon 5 is not only one of the best Xbox games ever made but one of the greatest racing games of all time, up there with Mario Kart 8

However, there are issues with the PS5 release of Forza Horizon 5. The Microsoft requirement is one concern, but it's not the biggest problem. Despite the game releasing in several editions (of which only the Edition grants the April 25 early access), Forza Horizon 5 doesn't have any physical release on PS5.

Forza Horizon 5 Is A Digital-Only PS5 Game

A Baffling Decision

Xbox already has a bad track record regarding its for physical media, as highlighted by Indiana Jones and The Great Circle's physical release not having the full game on the disc on PS5. However, Xbox has reached a new low bar with one of its biggest gaming franchises. Despite Forza being a huge franchise and Horizon 5 winning multiple GOTY awards, there's no physical release for this landmark debut on PlayStation 5.

Indiana Jones received a physical disc copy that required a , so there's no reason that Forza Horizon 5 couldn't take the same approach.

For such a major and shocking debut — a Forza game on PlayStation — the lack of a physical release is incredibly odd. If titles like Halo: The Master Chief Collection eventually arrive on PS5, I'm now worried that they'll also lack physical releases. Sure, Forza Horizon 5 is over 100 GB, which is the maximum capacity for an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, but I think the market is there for a physical release, given that the game is such a high-profile, critically acclaimed Xbox title.

At the very least, Indiana Jones received a physical disc copy that required a , so there's no reason that Forza Horizon 5 couldn't take the same approach. Even the Xbox version received a physical release, albeit one with the same requirement issue. This situation is even worse for a franchise like Forza due to licensing issues.

Forza Games Tend To Get Delisted Over Time

These Games Don't Last Forever

Forza newcomers jumping into Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation might not realize that Forza games always get delisted years down the road. These games have real-life licensed cars, music, and more, and those licenses don't last forever. Last year, Forza Horizon 4 was delisted from digital marketplaces. These delistings can be frustrating, and Xbox gave free copies to certain players who bought DLC but only played through Game . Nonetheless, it seems likely that the same could eventually happen to Forza Horizon 5.

The same thing will inevitably happen to Forza Horizon 5, and with the game originally releasing in 2021, it'll happen soon, like a couple of years. If a person didn't buy a digital copy of previous Forza games, only physical copies could be purchased after delistings, showing why physical media is important. This isn't a situation like Ubisoft's The Crew, as one can still enjoy single-player in these old titles today.

Having the full game on the disc is important, but in situations like these, where the games are taken off digital storefronts, these -required discs are many people's only option to play these classics. The PlayStation 5 port of Forza Horizon 5, specifically the PS5 Pro version, is undoubtedly the best version of the game, and it'll be inaccessible to many in just a handful of years if there's no physical version.

Not Having A Physical Release Is Bad From All Angles

This Decision Hurts Everyone

Not only is the lack of a physical release for Forza Horizon 5 bad from a preservation standpoint and for the consumer long-term, but it seems like the wrong choice for Microsoft's bottom line. Xbox may not have expected Forza Horizon 5 to be a huge PS5 release, but it's surreal for many to see Forza on PlayStation, which has been a staple Xbox franchise for decades. It was even a running tradition at E3 back in the day to have a Forza car on stage every year for Xbox's presentation.

People would have bought a physical release for Forza Horizon 5 just for the novelty of having this marquee Xbox game in an actual PS5 case. Even if it was a disc that required a , that's still useful when the game gets delisted. Looking at the physical prices for other delisted games like Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time highlights just how crucial physical copies become, and I'm certainly glad I got that one when it was still cheap.

With Forza Horizon 5 not seeing a physical release, I wonder if other rumored Xbox exclusives will get the same treatment. If Xbox releases games like Halo on PS5 anywhere down the line, ignoring the benefits of physical releases and the sales they could generate would be hard to justify.

Source: PlayStation/YouTube