Latest news with #ForzaHorizon5
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Xbox games for Switch 2 'expected' soon ahead of rumoured Nintendo Direct
A report claims Microsoft is gearing up to announce more ports of Xbox games for the Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. Microsoft has repeatedly stated its intention to support the Nintendo Switch 2, most recently in April, but it still hasn't announced so much as a single game for the system. Various Xbox titles have made their way over to the original Switch, such as Ori And The Blind Forest and Grounded, but Microsoft is one of the few publishers who didn't have anything ready for the Switch 2's launch or confirmed for later. While it's unclear why – perhaps Nintendo didn't trust them with a devkit, given how many leaks emanate from Microsoft – a report claims Xbox execs will officially unveil Switch 2 support very soon. According to a report on The Game Business, discussing the success of Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5, 'Xbox is expected to announce more game ports to other platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5, in the coming weeks'. While it's unclear what exactly this might be referring to, the 'coming weeks' implies insider knowledge is at play. If true, the obvious place to announce Switch 2 ports would be the next Nintendo Direct, which is rumoured to take place sometime next week. A bunch of other third party titles look likely to be announced too, including a port of Assassin's Creed Shadows. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Unless Microsoft chooses to post these announcements randomly, another possibility is Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 19 or perhaps the Tokyo Game Show in September. Although in both cases a new Nintendo Direct is more likely. More Trending As for what ports could be announced, PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 versions of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator have been rumoured for some time. Starfield on PlayStation 5 feels inevitable too, considering how well Forza Horizon 5 has sold on the platform. We might see ports of Grounded 2 announced for both systems too, considering the first game came to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. At this point, with Microsoft's current strategy, nothing is off the table. Microsoft is set to launch Gears Of War: Reloaded across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC simultaneously on August 26. Before that, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will hit Sony's console on August 12, 2025. It's not clear why Gears Of War, in particular, has not been announced for Switch 2, as it's only a remaster. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Mario and Peach are just 'good friends' says Nintendo despite kissing for decades MORE: Star Wars Outlaws 2 cancelled by Ubisoft claims insider MORE: No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files review – the third eye
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo Switch 2 beats PS4 and PS5 as fastest-selling console ever
The Nintendo Switch 2 continues to break records around the world, as Xbox's Forza Horizon 5 makes a big splash on PS5. We already knew the Nintendo Switch 2 was the fastest-selling console ever worldwide, with 3.5 million units sold within its first four days, but we now have a better picture of its success in the US. According to Circana's Mat Piscatella, an analyst specialising in US video game sales, the Switch 2 debuted as the fastest-selling games hardwre in US history, leading to record high consumer spending for the month of June, across video game hardware and accessories. The Switch 2 sold 1.6 million units in June, following its launch on June 5, which is the highest launch month unit sales for a piece of video game hardware ever in the US. Despite the fact that June is usually a very quiet month for video game sales and a very unusual time to launch a new console. According to Piscatella, the record was previously held by Sony's PlayStation 4, which sold 1.1 million units when it launched in November 2013. However, the PlayStation 5 was reported to have beaten this figure when it launched in 2020, selling between 1.1 million and 1.3 million units, but either way, Sony has been knocked down a peg. Although, that's rookie numbers compared to Japan, where the Switch 2 outsold the Switch 1 by 300% and achieved the same record as in the US, of becoming the fastest-selling console ever, by beating the PlayStation 2. Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2 was the best-selling video game hardware in both units and dollar sales, in June in the US, but the PlayStation 5 is still the best-selling console of the year so far, across both measures. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. As for the June game charts, Elden Ring Nightreign maintained the top spot for a second month. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach was the highest new entry at number two, while Mario Kart World debuted at number three. It's worth noting that the latter is only physical sales and doesn't include digital sales or hardware bundles – so it is certainly number one in reality. Another notable point is the success of Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5, which is placed sixth behind Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Stellar Blade on the US sales chart (the latter received a bump following its PC launch). More Trending According to the Alinea Insight newsletter, which has tracked total sales between January 1 and July 21, 2025, Xbox title Forza Horizon 5 has surpassed three million copies sold on PlayStation 5 in less than three months, after its release in April. Within 25 days of its launch on PlayStation 5, Forza Horizon 5 sold a massive two million copies on the console. For comparison, it took Astro Bot roughly three months to hit the same figure, while Death Stranding 2 sold one million copies within 25 days. By crossing the three million mark, Forza Horizon 5 has surpassed Monster Hunter Wilds (2.9 million) as the best-selling new game on PlayStation 5 in 2025, which will probably come as a surprise to both Sony and Microsoft, especially as it originally came out nearly four years ago. This will likely only reinforce Microsoft's push to multiplatform releases, with Gears Of War: Reloaded set to launch August 26 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is also set to hit Sony's console on August 12, with rumours of Starfield and Halo jumping ship next. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: EA Sports FC 26 preview – rip it up and start again MORE: The Elder Scrolls creator Julian LeFay dies following battle with cancer MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows on Switch 2 all but confirmed for next Nintendo Direct
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Xbox's ‘Forza Horizon 5' top-selling new PS5 release in 2025 so far, says Alinea
The top-selling new PlayStation 5 (SONY) game in 2025 so far in terms of copies sold is Microsoft's (MSFT) 'Forza Horizon 5,' which originally launched on PC and Xbox consoles in 2021, according to Alinea Analytics' Rhys Elliott. Other top-selling games that released on PS5 this year include Capcom's (CCOEY) 'Monster Hunter Wilds,' Ubisoft's (UBSFY) 'Assassin's Creed Shadows,' Bandai Namco's (NCBDY) 'Elden Ring Nightreign,' and Kepler's 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.' Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence.
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Microsoft (MSFT) Scores a Win on Sony's PlayStation With Forza Horizon 5
Microsoft (MSFT) stock was on the move Monday after the tech company's Xbox division scored a win on Sony's (SONY) PlayStation 5. Xbox released Forza Horizon 5, previously an exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC, on the PS5 last month. Since then, the game has reportedly sold 2 million units. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Considering Forza Horizon 5 came out in 2021, it's impressive that Xbox was able to squeeze another 2 million sales out of it with a PS5 release. Additionally, Xbox benefits from the quick revenue boost from these sales, as compared to the long-running but lower revenue it generates from its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. This also cements the viability of Xbox's current business model. Rather than focus on the release of exclusive games on its consoles, the company has focused on offering its games across multiple consoles, even those of its direct rivals. Doing so generates game sales from consumers who were unlikely to purchase an Xbox console but were still interested in the company's games. What This Means for Xbox While Xbox hasn't performed the best this console generation, lagging behind Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's (NTDOF) Switch and Switch 2, there's still a space for it in the current video game market. Its desire to bring Xbox games to all platforms has benefited it through this period, as has its various purchases of large studios, such as Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. If Xbox can build loyalty to its IPs across rival consoles, it could set the company up to return to an exclusive strategy. This would incentivize consumers to purchase its consoles to play their favorite titles. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Microsoft is Strong Buy, based on 31 Buy and three Hold ratings over the past three months. With that comes an average MSFT stock price target of $533.70, representing a potential 6.11% upside for the shares.
Metro
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Need For Speed 'shelved' by EA as Forza Horizon 5 PS5 sales hit 2 million
EA's plans for Need For Speed seem to have been put in hold but Forza Horizon 5 has proven there's still a strong appetite for racing games. Arcade racing series Need For Speed was once a juggernaut franchise for EA, with its best-selling entry, 2005's Need For Speed: Most Wanted, selling over 16 million copies worldwide. The popularity of the Fast & Furious films, at around the same time, no doubt contributed to some degree, as the Need For Speed games pivoted from Hot Pursuit to street racing, with 2003's Need For Speed Underground debuting two years after the first film came out. However, while the Fast & Furious films continue to be box office juggernauts, Need For Speed's popularity has nosedived over the past decade. The last game was 2022's Need For Speed Unbound, developed by Criterion, which was a financial failure. There have been rumbles of another Need For Speed being in development at Criterion, most recently in February last year, but it seems EA has put those plans on hold. According to photojournalist Matthew Everingham, who was a contributor to an EA-backed car culture website called Speedhunters, the developer has pulled its funding for the site because it has 'shelved' Need For Speed. 'Speedhunters is on ice,' an Instagram post from Everingham reads. 'EA shelved Need For Speed, and that means no more funding for the site. Grateful for everything – the trips, the stories, the lifelong mates. I'm still shooting, just shifting gears into more video.' Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The Need For Speed IP is listed as an 'entertainment partner' on the Speedhunters website, which is described as an 'international collective of photographers, writers, and drivers with a shared passion for uncovering the world's most exciting car culture stories'. GameCentral has reached out to EA for comment. If Need For Speed has been shelved, this might be due to Criterion's commitments on the next Battlefield. Criterion is one of four studios working on EA's plans for a 'connected Battlefield universe', alongside DICE, Ripple Effect, and EA Motive. EA announced it had moved the 'majority' of Criterion staff onto Battlefield in 2023, but a blog post at the time claimed 'work will also continue on what's next for Need For Speed' at the developer. Earlier this year, EA laid off up to 400 staff across various studios, so it's possible Need For Speed has been caught in the crossfire as it prioritises Battlefield. It seems racing games in general have been knocked down EA's priority list, after the company ended its partnership with the World Rally Championship in May this year. 'For now, we are pausing development plans on future rally titles,' EA said at the time. Presumably EA feels racing games no longer attract the audience they once did, but there's no obvious reason why they shouldn't, as Microsoft has proven with the Forza Horizon franchise. More Trending Open world arcade racer Forza Horizon 5 has sold two million copies in one month on PlayStation 5, according to the LinkedIn profile of a former game designer at Turn 10 Studios (as spotted on ResetEra). This is particularly impressive considering the original game came out on Xbox Series X/S and PC almost four years ago, in November 2021. At the same time though, the more serious Forza Motorsport was a sales disappointment for Microsoft and developer Turn 10 was badly hit by company wide layoffs earlier this month. But Need For Speed has rarely been a serious racing game, so the problem here seems to be with EA, not changing consumer tastes. EA even has a back-up franchise to fall back on, in Criterion's Burnout series, but there seems even less chance of that returning in the short term. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Xbox handheld prices accidentally leaked by Asus and they're super expensive MORE: Games Inbox: What is the hardest game on PS5? MORE: Patapon 1+2 Replay review – a PSP classic comes to Nintendo Switch
