Experiencing 'Forza Horizon 5' on PlayStation 5 Leaves me Pondering the Choices Made
In the olden days, you were either a Sega kid or a Nintendo kid, my friend, and that was that. It was all about Master System or NES, Genesis or SNES, and sweaty carry-overs from Mortal Kombat or E for Everyone. There was no middle ground, because no one I knew owned both consoles, and on the playground, you had no options but to pick a side. The console war was as real as blowing into cartridges or renting games from Blockbuster on Fridays, and we were its willing, passionate soldiers.
Fast-forward to 1995, and I'd added a PlayStation to my collection. School debates about which console reigned supreme were par for the course – my acquaintance once boasted his 3DO, but we all know how that ended. Yes, the 3DO had Gex as a timely exclusive, and who could forget the classic Plumbers Don't Wear Ties?
But the tribalism didn't stop there – just like before, gamers divided themselves along platform lines. Platform tribalism has been part of the gaming scene as long as I've known it, and as much as some may argue about its merits, it's just human nature to turn everything into competition, to make other humans feel like the outsiders.
Microsoft has decided to end the endless console war for good with a declaration of peace, if you will. Is it out of altruism? Of course not. It's about survival.
Recently, Xbox games have made their way onto competitor consoles – PlayStation 4, PS5, and beyond. Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Doom: The Dark Ages, Oblivion Remastered, Forza Horizon 5 – the list goes on. South of Midnight hasn't hit PS5 yet, but it's sure to follow, given Microsoft's no-holds-barred approach to "This is an Xbox" publishing. And Gears of War: Reloaded, a remastered port of the 2006 game, is coming to PS5 in late summer. Halo, arguably Xbox's most iconic IP, can't be far behind.
The shift towards platform neutrality is an exciting development in my book. I've been playing Forza Horizon 5 on PS5, and it felt like a long-overdue moment when I logged into my Microsoft account through the PlayStation Network. The day we can play the same games on any console is a beautiful thing.
Enrichment Insight:- In 2025, Xbox is breaking traditional console exclusivity barriers by releasing its first-party titles on PlayStation and PC, supported by a robust Game Pass ecosystem.
With controller preference being the only remaining debate, the days of console wars seem numbered, and thankfully so. Sure, the hardware itself will still play a vital role, but the true battles will be fought on the merits of the games themselves. And that's how it should be.
In a decade, we'll look back on console exclusivity and walled-garden platforms as antiquated relics of the past. I already have, in most respects. So the fact that Xbox games are now free to land on any platform may mark the start of a new future for gaming.
If you haven't played Forza Horizon 5 yet (and you own a PlayStation), now's the time to check out a fantastic game. The visuals are top-notch, the open-world map enormous, and the soundtrack is solid, with tracks from Beastie Boys, The Killers, The Struts, and even The Offspring. Just know that, when you play, you're partaking in the evolution of an industry that continues to push boundaries and break down exclusionary barriers.
- The advancement in technology and gaming has led to a significant shift, as Xbox titles like Forza Horizon 5 are now available on PlayStation consoles, signifying a move towards platform neutrality.
- Beyond the debate over controller preference, the era of traditional console wars appears to be waning, thanks to the breakdown of exclusivity barriers by companies such as Xbox, which now releases its games on platforms like PlayStation, expanding the realm of entertainment beyond gadget allegiances.
