Forza Horizon 5 Surges to Top PS5 Downloads, Microsoft Games Dominate April Charts

Forza Horizon 5, previously an Xbox exclusive, surged to the top of the PlayStation Store download charts in Europe following its PS5 debut in April 2025, and also performed strongly in the US. This marks a notable shift as Xbox-published games, including Minecraft and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, dominated the top three PS5 downloads, reflecting Microsoft’s growing strategy of bringing its first-party titles to PlayStation. The PS5 port of Forza Horizon 5, developed by Panic Button in collaboration with Playground Games and Turn 10, has been praised for its quality and attracted hundreds of thousands of new players. While the game has earned critical acclaim among PlayStation gamers, no physical release has been announced yet. Microsoft is expected to continue this trend, with the Gears of War: Reloaded remaster already slated for a PS5 release later in 2025. This development highlights a significant blurring of traditional platform exclusivity lines in the gaming industry.