Bloody Hell! Forza Horizon 5 is Ruling the PS5 Charts? Someone Check If the World's Upside Down.
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Forza Horizon 5, a former Xbox exclusive, is somehow the best-selling PS5 game of the year according to analysts, leading to questions about platform exclusivity and the ever-changing landscape of gaming. Did someone accidentally cast a 'console-swap' spell, or is this just Microsoft playing 4D chess?
Right, so here's a curveball I didn't see coming. According to Alinea Analytics (big shout out to Eurogamer for spotting this!), *Forza Horizon 5*, once the darling of the Xbox crowd, is currently the best-selling game on the PS5 this year. Yeah, you read that right. It's like finding out your cat's been secretly moonlighting as a lion tamer. Fair dinkum!
We're talking over 3 million copies shifted on Sony's console *since its April release*, surpassing even *Astro Bot* (which, let's be honest, is adorable but not exactly a system seller on the scale of a Forza title). Now, before the Xbox faithful start sharpening their pitchforks, remember Forza's been kicking around since 2021, racking up a colossal 45.5 million players on Xbox One and Series X/S (mostly thanks to the sneaky Game Pass subscription, mind you) and another 6.5 million on Steam. So, it's not exactly a small fish in a big pond.
But what *does* this mean? Well, it certainly reinforces Microsoft's play of releasing their games on PlayStation. Gotta hand it to them, they're not afraid to shake things up. And let's be real, more people getting to experience the open-world racing mayhem of Forza can't be a bad thing, can it? Unless you're really, *really* attached to console tribalism. (C'mon, mate, we're gamers, not politicians!).
And the plot thickens! Apparently, *Monster Hunter Wilds* is hot on Forza's tail with 2.9 million copies sold on PS5. Plus, it generated *more* revenue due to its higher price point. And PC gamers seem to be lapping up Monster Hunter with 6.2 million copies sold on Steam.
Elsewhere on the PS5 charts, *Assassin's Creed Shadows* is lurking in third place with about 2 million copies sold, while *Elden Ring*'s spin-off *Nightreign* has snagged 1.4 million sales on PlayStation (although it's crushing it on Steam with 2.7 million sales. Take that as you will.) Closing out the top five is *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, also sitting pretty at 1.4 million copies on PS5.
Even *Death Stranding 2*, a proper PS5 exclusive, has managed a cool million in its first 25 days. Not too shabby, eh?
So, is this the beginning of the end for console exclusives? Probably not. But it definitely highlights a shift in strategy. Microsoft's clearly playing the long game, and if it means more folks get to experience the joy of slamming a virtual supercar through a virtual Mexican landscape, then I reckon that's a win for everyone involved. (Except maybe Sony's marketing team, who are probably having a bit of a head-scratcher right now.)
Massive props to Eurogamer for initially reporting on Alinea Analytic's findings. You can read more about it here.
Tags: Forza Horizon 5, PS5, Xbox, Game Sales, Gaming Industry
Original article: Eurogamer