Forza Horizon 6 has officially gone gold in its run-up to the big May 19 launch, and Playground Games has come in hot with some pretty killer rewards to show their gratitude to players.

If you've played any of the previous Forza Horizon games, right back to the original, or the rebooted Forza Motorsport from 2023, you'll be starting Forza Horizon 6 with some much better wheels in your garage.

Here's what you can get:

These aren't just some throwaway cars; each of these is something you'd want to race and will definitely add some prestige to your starting garage.

So, how do you get them? Assuming you've played any of the games in the table above with the Gamertag associated with Forza Horizon 6, they'll be awarded once you've completed the introduction race with Mei.

"The Forza community spans decades of games, and to show our appreciation to those who have been with us all the way, we have created a set of Loyalty Rewards for players of our previous games. Check out the list of games and cars below – if your Xbox Gamertag has played the game listed, you will receive its associated car in Forza Horizon 6 once you complete the Tokyo City introductory race with Mei."

I played the Forza Horizon 6 preview build, and while the starting cars are perfectly fine, they're not on the same level as this little gaggle of goodies.

The Forza Horizon 6 car list is promised to be at 550 cars for launch, and these are but six of them. But they're also six prestige cars you won't have to spend your in-game credits on. Who doesn't love free stuff?

It's a nice touch, too, from Playground Games, to recognize the devotion that many have to the franchise. I've played every one to date, as well as Forza Motorsport, so I'll be getting the full allowance. How many are you getting?

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Forza Horizon 6 arrives on Xbox and PC on May 19, 2026, but ahead of that players have questions about whether or not their custom creations can be carried forward.

Whether those are vinyls, decals, liveries, EventLab creations, or custom tuning setups, we do have an answer directly from Forza Support. It's not all good news, but there is some. If you have custom creations in Forza Horizon 5 that you're hoping to carry into Forza Horizon 6, here's the state of play.

Forza Horizon 6 transfer guide: What car content carries over

Can you transfer custom creations from Forza Horizon 5 to Forza Horizon 6?

Quick Answer: Yes, you can transfer vinyls and decals to Forza Horizon 6, but liveries, tuning setups, and EventLab creations will not carry over.

What you can transfer from Forza Horizon 5 into Forza Horizon 6 are vinyls and decals. Exactly how this will be done is as yet unknown, with Forza Support simply confirming that instructions will come at a later date.

It's also discussed as "previous Forza games," so we could be looking at more than just Forza Horizon 5 creations transferring over. When the process is detailed, this article will be updated to reflect it.

So what about everything else?

EventLab creations cannot be transferred because Forza Horizon 6 uses a different map to Forza Horizon 5. Easy enough.

Custom tuning setups cannot be transferred, even if the same car is present in Forza Horizon 6. This is due to the developers wanting to "rebalance all car classes."

Finally, custom liveries also cannot be transferred to Forza Horizon 6, again, even if the same car is present in the new game. This is down to a number of technical changes on the cars, including the new feature in Forza Horizon 6 where custom liveries can be applied (finally) to the windows.

However, the folks over on the ForzaLiveryHub subreddit have suggested the genius workaround of chopping liveries up into vinyl groups to avoid having to completely start from scratch. Save one for each section of the car, import it into Forza Horizon 6 (when the feature is live), and fit it to the relevant car in the new game.

So there we have it. Not the news that some would have been hoping for, but all told, pretty good reasons as to why we'll have to start many creations from scratch.

Forza Horizon 6 launches on Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on May 19, 2026.

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The numbers are in, and Microsoft's experimental and... controversial (to say the least) 'Project Latitude' — the initiative to bring first-party Xbox titles to rival platforms — seems to have found its clear success story.

According to a recent update on the website of co-developer Virtuo, the open-world racing game Forza Horizon 5 has surpassed a whopping 5 million copies sold on PlayStation 5.

This milestone, first spotted by industry trackers like HazzadorGamin represents quite an impressive achievement for a title that spent four years as a flagship Xbox exclusive. Since its PS5 debut in April 2025, the game has reportedly generated over $300 million in revenue. Proving that there is an appetite for Xbox games on Sony's hardware.

A mixed bag of success for Xbox

Virtuos say in their success story piece that "Forza Horizon 5 was one of the best-selling titles on PlayStation 5 in 2025, surpassing 5 million copies sold on the platform and earning widespread acclaim with a 92 Metacritic score."

While the Forza numbers are encouraging, the performance of Xbox's wider catalog on PlayStation is still under the microscope, and not all of it has been good news. Forza Horizon 5 leads the pack at 5 million sales, followed closely by Sea of Thieves, which has maintained a strong presence with roughly 1.8 million copies sold on PS5 at last count.

On the other hand, Starfield has had a middling start on the platform, with recent reports estimating just 140,000 copies sold in its first week on PS5. Analysts suggest the delay between the original launch and the port may have quelled the appetite for it, but also, it's clear from the pattern here that multiplayer and/or live service games are the play and make sense to go to as many platforms as possible.

Gears of War: Reloaded and Indiana Jones seem to sit somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. The former hit 1 million players, and Indiana Jones sold much faster on PS5 than on Xbox (but has Xbox Game Pass to thank for that).

Exclusive or everywhere?

Xbox under Asha Sharma's reign has been making a number of positive changes recently; the price drop to Xbox Game Pass, the return of Xbox Fanfest and the shot through the heart to the unpopular 'This is an Xbox' marketing.'

With this new era comes renewed interest in the conversation around exclusives, as fans have been interpreting some of Sharma's recent quotes to indicate a return to this for first-party titles: "The plan is the plan until it's not the plan."

The community has been divided on whether the move to multi-platform will erode the value of Xbox hardware, but the financial reality, at least in the case of Forza Horizon 5, is hard to ignore.

The success of Forza suggests that at least for the right title, the PlayStation audience is willing to pay and Microsoft won't want to leave that money on the table. Even if it means continuing to weather the storm of a frustrated fan base who want to see some reciprocation from PlayStation (Helldivers 2 alone isn't going to cut it!)

Forza Horizon 6 arrives on Xbox May 19. 2026 as confirmed in the January Xbox Developer Direct, but PlayStation fans will have to wait a little longer for a port later in the year. Will they show up in their millions again?

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During the Xbox Partner Preview presentation on Thursday, developer IO Interactive showed up with another look at 007 First Light, its upcoming James Bond game that tells a new origin story for the titular spy.

Aston Martin cars are as synonymous with James Bond as martinis (shaken, not stirred) and skimpily-dressed femme fatales, and that legacy is continuing in this game.

In a brief new trailer, James Bond is shown a customized Aston Martin Valhalla, a supercar that actually first appeared in the 2021 Bond film, No Time to Die. Daniel Craig's James Bond didn't actually get to drive it though, but players will have access to it in this game.

There's a few special features setting this Valhalla apart from its real-world counterpart however, with 7.62 machine guns that can dispose of fleeing targets with ease.

If you can't wait for 2026, drive the Valhalla around in Forza Horizon 5

Of course, if you really want to go give the Aston Martin Valhalla a spin, it's available in Playground Games' Forza Horizon 5 as a 2019 concept variant.

Forza Horizon 5 is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC (through Steam and Xbox on PC) and even came to PlayStation 5 earlier this year. Naturally, it's also available on Xbox Game Pass.

Now, to be fair, you'll have to forgo all the customizations that set Bond's version of the car apart. Still, considering the Aston Martin Valhalla is limited to just 999 models ever produced, this is almost certainly the only way you or I will be driving it before 007 First Light launches.

That is, unless you happen to be a multi-millionaire, in which case hey, let's talk some time!

Bond is set to arrive next year

Everything the developers have shown of 007 First Light has looked great so far. The team at IO Interactive is clearly evolving the formula it developed for the Hitman games, but with some new elements that help Bond stand out. 007 First Light is even being developed using a new version of the same Glacier engine that IO Interactive used for the Hitman games.

Previous trailers for the game have shown off a mixture of combat and espionage, with Bond forced to tackle problems creatively, but also being ready and willing to go guns-blazing from time to time.

Right now, 007 First Light is one of my most anticipated games for 2026, and I'm eagerly looking forward to learning more.

007 First Light is slated to launch on March 27, 2026.

FAQ

Forza Horizon 5 is rapidly approaching its fourth birthday, and the open-world racing game has already enjoyed quite the journey... but Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios are surely working on what comes next, right?

Fans have been waiting for news of Forza Horizon 6 for ages now, and we even got a tease from Xbox's Phil Spencer that we may see the hotly anticipated sequel in 2026. Now, we have reason to believe we may actually see FH6 even sooner than that.

By "we," I mean Windows Central; here's the scoop.

Forza Horizon 6 could be announced this year

Reddit threads like this one have sparked new discussions of Forza Horizon 6 following a now-deleted Instagram post from an Australian car import company showing a Playground Games member digitally scanning a Kei (a class of ultra-compact Japanese vehicles) for FH6.

As Kei vehicles are rarely seen outside of Japan, the post revitalized hope that the Forza Horizon series will finally head to Japan for its next setting, a location that has been requested for practically every entry since the first game.

A lot of people and even websites have run with this, but the "leak" is admittedly weak; there's no concrete evidence that Forza Horizon 6 is set in Japan, only that it'll likely feature more Japanese vehicles. Of course, Windows Central has more to add to the story, thanks to our sources.

We've seen official, widely circulated documents strongly suggesting that Forza Horizon 6 is actually planned to be announced during 2025's Tokyo Game Show, an annual gaming-focused conference kicking off in Japan toward the end of September.

This year's TGS is set to be the largest in the event's history, and Xbox has already confirmed it'll be attending — and announcing. With the Tokyo Game Show focused on the Japanese gaming market, choosing to reveal Forza Horizon 6 here rather than at events like Gamescom only makes sense if the game is, in fact, set in Japan.

As always, these are still rumors and should be taken with a grain of salt — but it's definitely more solid than just a wayward Instagram post.

What can we expect from Forza Horizon 6?

Forza Horizon 5 has seen immense success since its launch in 2021, and has even been one of 2025's best-selling games after its fated arrival on PlayStation. The Forza Horizon 5 car list also numbers well over 800 unique vehicles, although that number has now stopped growing.

Yes, I knew Forza Horizon 5 was destined for greatness from the moment I reviewed it, but the signs have been here for months that Xbox is preparing to begin a new era of Forza. Forza Horizon 5 is no longer receiving new content, instead recycling its years of constant monthly updates as whatever comes next cooks in the background.

Now that we're reasonably certain FH6 will be announced sooner rather than later (likely with a 2026 release window), we can talk about what to expect. The obvious? Forza Horizon 6 will be built on the same, upgraded ForzaTech engine powering Forza Motorsport (2023) and the upcoming Fable reboot, so we can expect major visual upgrades.

I'm most excited for enhancements to the driving physics, though, as Forza Horizon 6 should be the deepest and most detailed Forza Horizon game yet.

The Forza Motorsport simulation racing franchise may be effectively dead after heavy layoffs at developer Turn 10 Studios, but we also know the remainder of Turn 10 is now focused on supporting Playground with Forza Horizon, so we can expect this game to be ambitious in scale and scope.

If FH6 really is set in Japan (and we're pretty confident at this point that it is), that'll hopefully fix one of the biggest issues many people have with the current entry. Forza Horizon 5 is the biggest and most beautiful Forza Horizon game of all time, but many racers claim the map (which is set in Mexico) is bland and boring.

A Japanese setting will hopefully result in a more engaging and interesting map for long-time play, and Japan has a thriving car culture that's just perfect for the Horizon Festival... but there is another change I really want to see.

Forza Horizon 5 enjoyed longer support than previous titles, but it also highlighted the weaknesses of the monthly updates centered around the Festival Playlist.

FH5's live service elements quickly grew repetitive, with the majority of updates feeling inconsequential apart from the addition of a handful of new cars. I'd like to see FH6 adapt a new approach to post-launch support with more varied and meaningful updates — even if they don't arrive as frequently.

Finally, what about platform support? Forza Horizon 6 is absolutely coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass on day one, but will PlayStation players get the chance to play?

Considering how successful FH5 has been on Sony's platform, there's zero chance its sequel won't also come to PlayStation consoles... I just don't expect it to be on day one. I expect we'll see Forza Horizon 6 arrive on PlayStation six months to a year after the initial launch (hopefully with actual cross-save support this time).

Hopefully, we'll get the answers to all of these questions and more when Forza Horizon 6 is (probably) announced at Tokyo Game Show 2025 in around a month.

One of the biggest draws — arguably the biggest draw — for getting Sony's PlayStation 5 console over Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S systems is its catalog of acclaimed AAA exclusive titles like God of War Ragnarök and The Last of Us.

Notably, though, it's come out that the latest of these exclusives has actually been outsold on PS5 by a game that originally launched on and is published by Xbox itself.

That game is none other than Playground Games' and Xbox Game Studios' popular 2021 open-world multiplayer racer Forza Horizon 5, and the PS5 exclusive it's outperformed is Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

According to a report from the widely relied on game performance tracker Alinea Analytics, Forza Horizon 5 sold 2 million copies on PS5 in the 25 days after its April 29 launch on the platform, while Kojima Productions' new title has moved 1 million units in the same amount of time.

"While it’s been a HUGE hit among critics, DS2’s eccentricity means its sales have come in below other PlayStation Studios titles — including Astro Bot," writes Alinea Analytics' head of market analysis Rhys Elliott.

"Still, it’s one of those franchises that has a long tail — it will continue to sell well over time, boosted by the PC port (likely Q3 2026), which will pull in a lot of Chinese players."

Indeed, the overall weirdness of Death Stranding gives it less widespread appeal and makes it harder to market to the masses, and as Elliott says, many of its sales are expected to trickle in over a long-term period.

In contrast, Forza Horizon 5 is an approachable and accessible arcade racer brimming with content, and there's not much else on the PlayStation Store that compares to its level of quality (Grand Turismo 7 is more of a realistic sim title).

Even so, though, it's impressive to see a four-year-old Xbox game sell double the copies on PS5 that a new PlayStation exclusive has in the same amount of time.

As of last week, it's also officially passed 3 million units sold on the console, putting it ahead of 2024's Game of the Year-winning Astro Bot; Alinea Analytics expects Team Asobi's platformer to hit that milestone "by the end of the summer."

It's worth noting a portion of Forza Horizon 5's recent sales performance has been attributed to a recent discount that brought its $59.99 price tag down 25% to $45. Something to keep in mind, though, is that you can actually get the Deluxe Edition that includes the Car Pass on Xbox and Xbox PC for even less — $42.19 at CDKeys, to be specific.

Some other interesting insights from the report are that the second best-selling PS5 game this year is Monster Hunter Wilds with 2.9 million units moved, followed by Assassin's Creed Shadows at 2 million, Elden Ring Nightreign at 1.4 million, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with 1.4 million as well.

Monster Hunter Wilds has also sold 6.2 million copies on Steam, making its PC version in particular a massive success for Capcom despite scathing criticism from fans about its gameplay and performance.

Elden Ring Nightreign also sold 2.7 million on Valve's platform, indicating that FromSoftware's biggest IP is thriving, while Expedition 33's performance across all its platforms has been considered exemplary as well.

The success of Xbox games on PlayStation continues

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Microsoft's business strategy with Xbox has increasingly emphasized multiplatform releases and features, with the "This is an Xbox" ad campaign, the upcoming Xbox Ally handhelds, a renewed focus on Xbox Play Anywhere, the growth of Xbox Cloud Gaming, and, of course, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate all coming to mind.

As it goes all-in with that direction, it's also begun to bring select Xbox games to PlayStation. This first began with Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Pentiment going to PS5 last year, and was followed by Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and then Forza Horizon 5 this spring (Gears of War: Reloaded is also coming to PS5 when it launches on Xbox and PC in late August).

Though the overall performance of all of these games on PS5 was mixed, Sea of Thieves and Grounded were quite successful; the former sold 2 million copies on the platform as of late March, with Grounded achieving 432,200, leading to Microsoft briefly taking over the PlayStation Store.

Forza Horizon 5 rising to even greater heights on PS5, then, is a clear sign that Microsoft is continuing to enjoy great success with its PlayStation ports of multiplayer Xbox games — something Sony has no doubt taken notice of, given that it shocked the industry by announcing an Xbox version of Helldivers 2 earlier this month.

As a result of this, it's very likely that we'll continue to see community-driven multiplayer titles from Xbox make their way to PlayStation either at launch or at some point down the line. And while I don't ever expect PS5 games to hit Xbox on day one, I do think we'll see more of what's happening with Helldivers 2, too. Even Sony wants a piece of the multiplatform pie, as evidenced by PlayStation Studios titles continuously coming to PC.

It really has been a tough week for Xbox, naturally, worst for those affected personally by the raft of layoffs, cancellations, and closures.

Amid all of the bad news, it's reported that as much as 50% of the Turn 10 team was hit by the layoffs. Turn 10 is one half of the Forza gang at Xbox, taking charge of Forza Motorsport, as well as having been behind the ForzaTech engine upon which the games are built.

Now, we're starting to hear more about what it all might mean for the future of Forza Motorsport, and it's not the best news.

It starts with a former member of the Turn 10 team, Fred Russell, who has posted on Facebook (via Eurogamer) that Forza Motorsport has been "shuttered." Though it should be said, Russell isn't a member of the team that has been affected by these layoffs, rather someone who has worked there previously.

In a follow-up, Russell has further claimed that Forza Horizon will continue, and that Turn 10 will be pivoting to act as support for Playground Games that makes the Horizon franchise.

Windows Central's own sources, who remained anonymous due to lack of authorization to speak on the matter publicly, have said that there's currently no definitive "cancellation" of the series. It's understood it could return some day, but that Turn 10 for now will indeed focus on Forza Horizon.

Forza Motorsport was only rebooted in 2023, but even without this report, we weren't expecting a new title any time soon. In the alternating release cycle, we always expected a new Forza Horizon next, and Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, has already teased this for 2026 in the recent Xbox Showcase.

I don't have any true idea on what the player count is like for Forza Motorsport these days, but it's fair to say Horizon is overall orders of magnitude more popular. Upon its release on PlayStation 5 earlier this year, it was a top 3 seller on the PlayStation Store.

The Horizon series has a wider appeal than Forza Motorsport, despite the latter having arrived first. Its open world 'Car-PG' gameplay and more arcade-racer feel is more appealing to the less serious racing game enthusiasts.

And I speak from the heart here, but it's more fun than Forza Motorsport in the current day. I love Forza Motorsport, but I love Horizon more.

If indeed all this pans out as being accurate, it also raises a question of what's going to happen to the Forza Motorsport game already out in the wild. It's not even two years old at this point, but if Turn 10 is shifting focus, is that it for any future content and support?

I've reached out to Microsoft for comment on just that, and will update accordingly if I receive a response.

It's a sad day in a sad week, though. Our thoughts are always with the people affected, first and foremost. My personal gratitude will always go out to anyone, past and present, associated with Turn 10, for creating games that I've poured more enjoyable hours into than I could count.

Whether it's goodbye, or just see you later, the legacy will always remain.

It's been four years since Forza Horizon 5 launched, and given the pattern of its predecessors, fans were hopeful of having at least seen mention of the next instalment by now.

Ah, the Xbox Games Showcase! Surely that's as good a chance as any to show off Forza Horizon 6?

No. It was not. There is no Forza Horizon 6. At least, not in 2025, there isn't. But Microsoft Gaming's head honcho, Phil Spencer, teased that it could be on the slate for 2026.

"I'm excited to share that players will get to celebrate 25 years of Xbox with a new Fable, the Next Forza, Gears of War E-Day, and the return of a classic that's been with us since the beginning."

There's plenty to digest from that single quote, but specific to Forza, there are two important points. One, the last game was Forza Motorsport, so it would stand to reason the next would be in the Horizon series.

Second, Xbox's 25th anniversary is in 2026. That's next year.

The bad part, of course, is that it means another year of Forza Horizon 5 (not that we don't love playing it). But I'm also choosing to add extra anticipation, well aware that's the best way to be disappointed.

The 25th anniversary of Xbox is going to be a HUGE deal for Microsoft, and it stands to reason that it would want 2026 to be an absolutely bananas year for first-party games. Playground Games, of Forza Horizon fame, is also making Fable, so those folks are definitely going to be busy.

It's a shame fans don't have anything new to celebrate, but next year isn't that far away, right?

Developer Playground Games introduced a new car look for Forza Horizon 5 on Monday, revealing a special green-and-blue livery designed to celebrate Xbox and PlayStation players enjoying the game across platforms.

Forza Horizon 5 first launched on Xbox and Windows PC back in 2021, with the game being ported to PlayStation 5 in April earlier this year as part of Microsoft's efforts to launch Xbox games across additional platforms.

Players everywhere can now grab the Lamborghini Revuelto Forza Horizon 5 Special Livery, which is clearly themed around Xbox green and PlayStation blue.

If you want to take a ride with this cross-platform celebration, you'll need to go through these steps:

1. Launch Horizon Realms
2. Win the Horizon Stadium Circuit race, obtaining the car.
3. Head to an outpost or house.
4. Open the Garage tab.
5. Select Designs & Paint, then Find New Designs.
6. Enter this Share Code: 687 884 132

Personally, I think this design is pretty fun, and I'll be sure to boot up Forza Horizon 5 in order to grab this livery. It would've been easy for the concept to look a bit cheesy, but the teams involved pulled it off.

As Xbox games go to other platforms, Xbox is taking over the PlayStation Store

Forza Horizon 5 isn't the only Xbox game to head over to PlayStation recently, with Bethesda Softworks' Indiana Jones also receiving a port in April, while The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered launched on PlayStation at the same time as Xbox and PC.

That strategy saw Xbox take over the PlayStation Store in April 2025, with Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5 taking the first, second, and third-place spots in the U.S, respectively.

Looking ahead, the onslaught of game launches is continuing, with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 and Gears of War: Reloaded slated to arrive in July and August, respectively.

Forza Horizon 5 is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC (via Steam and the Xbox app), and PlayStation 5. As an Xbox first-party game, it's also included in Xbox Game Pass.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5, some of Xbox Series X|S's most popular titles, have been topping the sales charts on its competitor, the PlayStation 5.

This news comes from Sony itself, which has announced that the top three best-selling games for the PlayStation 5 during April were Oblivion Remastered at No.1, Minecraft at No.2, and Forza Horizon 5 at No.3 in the US.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Forza Horizon 5 is at No.1, Oblivion Remastered is at No.2, and Minecraft is at No.3 on the PlayStation 5 games sales chart.

It's easy to see why these games have been selling out like crazy, as they are all high-quality titles that have proven themselves worthy of this accolade.

Oblivion Remastered is an expertly polished remaster of Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion that has breathed new life into this classic RPG with gorgeous graphical upgrades, welcome quality-of-life features, and gameplay refinements to make it more enjoyable than ever.

Oblivion Remastered's been getting glowing reviews across the internet, and it's even earned a 4.5/5 review score from us here at Windows Central.

Forza Horizon 5 is the latest entry in Playground's award-winning racing series that was originally an Xbox and PC exclusive. However, Forza Horizon 5 has recently been released on PlayStation 5 Pro, making it the first title in the series to be featured on a PlayStation console.

As seen in the sales charts, PlayStation fans have been buying Forza Horizon 5 in droves as it's one of the best entries in the whole series. We even gave this game a perfect 5/5 review score for its insanely detailed graphics, top-notch performance, massive world to race in, multiple modes of online play, and its gigantic roster of customizable cars to drive.

Minecraft, of course, needs no introduction. It's one of the most popular videogame franchises on the planet that has captured the hearts of kids and adults around the world for its creative survival/crafting gameplay, cute retro-style graphics, and boundless ways to craft whatever you want.

Minecraft was released on PlayStation 5 in October 2024. However, the sales for Minecraft have been going crazy, no doubt due to the release of the Minecraft Movie, which has introduced millions of new fans to this iconic franchise.

While the Minecraft Movie has been getting less than favorable reviews from movie critics, it's been a box office hit, grossing over $816 million worldwide.

Xbox titles are topping the sales charts on its rival console.

Some Xbox fans have been critical of Microsoft releasing Xbox games on Nintendo and PlayStation consoles, questioning the viability of investing in the platform, especially since Xbox hardware sales have been devastated as a result.

However, going multi-platform seems to be working out for Microsoft financially, according to Sony's PlayStation 5 April sales. That's on top of the previous reports that Microsoft's gaming revenue has increased by 5% year-over-year, and that PC Game Pass grew by 45% on PlayStation, a feat which helped Microsoft become the "biggest publisher" on PlayStation.

With this in mind, Microsoft is no doubt going to continue releasing more games on PlayStation 5. It's even announced that the recently revealed Gears of War: Reloaded is going to be released on PlayStation 5, bringing Xbox's iconic Gears of War franchise to the PlayStation for the first time. Doubtless that will hit hard on the PS5 charts as well.

However, will this strategy pay off in the long-run for Microsoft? Especially in these strange times of rising costs of consoles and games, tariff wars, and other economic uncertainties where anything can happen? Only time will tell.

Forza Horizon 5 is about to introduce a whole new audience to the franchise over on PlayStation, and they're going to be eating well.

Nobody needs to tell us how good this game is, but it looks like in the porting process, the new best console version of the game will no longer belong to Xbox.

The boffins over at Digital Foundry have put Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation through its paces and found, perhaps not totally surprisingly, the PS5 Pro is now the place to be.

It's not some mega improvement that will suddenly make Xbox Series X owners weep, but it is still an improvement nevertheless. But even this version can't compare to the kind of performance you're able to get from PC, so we'll still cling to the overall win!

Digital Foundry has, of course, put the game through its paces on the regular PS5 as well as the Pro, and it's only really the latter that stands out:

"PS5 Pro actually offers some pretty interesting enhancements over the base console, which are most compelling in the game's performance mode. There's a huge difference in the game's foliage. Note the denser and more vibrant greenery in these shots, with bushes and grasses and ferns that just aren't present on the base machine. Plus, further into the distance, the foliage that is rendered often shows a higher-detail variant relative to the base console, with less visible pop-in."

It's not necessarily something you'd even notice at first, especially if you can't compare side-by-side. But I'm more pleased that Microsoft hasn't half-assed this port and it's going to PlayStation and being the absolute best it can be.

The summed up version seems to be that in performance mode on the PS5 Pro, players are able to enjoy some quality mode level visuals while still getting the higher frame rate.

The full comparison is as detailed as you would expect from the geniuses at Digital Foundry, and I encourage you to give it a full read (or watch). Whatever your personal opinions on Xbox first-party games going to PlayStation, it's being done properly.

Obviously, the end result is to get more players spending more money, but those players are getting to experience these incredible games at their best. No less than Forza Horizon 5, especially, deserves.

Forza Horizon 5 launches on PS5 on April 28, with early access beginning on April 25 for those who buy the Premium Edition.

File this under S for "Shocking," but it turns out that Forza Horizon 5 has a Microsoft Account requirement on PlayStation 5.

A few weeks ago, we revealed that Forza Horizon 5 was set to be the next Xbox exclusive making the jump to PlayStation, joining Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Age of Empires, Sea of Thieves, and various others. I've detailed how going forward, Xbox console exclusives will be the exception rather than the rule, with even games like Halo and Gears of War set for a PS5 version in the future.

Xbox fans continue to debate what this means for Xbox console hardware (and I should have something on that next week ...), but how can Xbox sustain its hardware and its audience footprint for developers without its own exclusive games? Xbox lead Phil Spencer says he wants Xbox hardware to win on differentiation, with unique features, such as things like Xbox Game Pass and, doubtless, some form of Xbox AI integration next gen. Whether or not that strategy wins out remains to be seen, but one strategy that doubtless will win out is how Xbox is handling games like Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5.

As of writing, Forza Horizon 5 is one of the most pre-ordered games on PS5, as Sony fans line up to take the world's most popular and iconic racing franchise to the next level. Beyond the sheer masses of cash PlayStation fans are about to send to Microsoft, a potentially more intriguing long-term strategy is coalescing for Xbox here.

The Microsoft Account trojan horse

As spotted by our friends (except Nick) at XboxEra, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 has an Xbox / Microsoft Account requirement. Microsoft's north star with its gaming operation is engagement above all right now, following Tencent's free-to-play heavy model. Forza Horizon 5 is, of course, not the first Xbox game on PlayStation to require a Microsoft Account. Sea of Thieves was one, and other titles like Minecraft Dungeons also lit up additional features by linking an Xbox account.

The thought process here is that, by simple virtue of having a Microsoft account, it should produce a halo effect over Microsoft's engagement goals. Simply having an account functions as a "foot in the door" to other Microsoft services, including Xbox and PC Game Pass, but even over to things like Microsoft Rewards, Bing, Edge, OneDrive, and more. You can expect Microsoft to wield its account requirement as a "trojan horse" of sorts in a bid to truly transform PlayStation into an Xbox with blue branding. The vast majority of users probably already have a Microsoft account anyway, given that Windows 10 and 11 don't exactly make it easy to use without having one.

"Do I need a Microsoft account to play Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5?" the official Forza Horizon 5 FAQ reads, "Yes," it answers. "In addition to a PSN account you’ll need to link to a Microsoft account in order to play Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. This process begins the first time you start up the game on your console." However, despite linking accounts, it seems you won't be able to access your save files from PC or Xbox on PlayStation. The goal here is new users, in essence, rather than simply giving existing users an additional place to play. Although it's plenty likely that Forza Horizon 6 could launch on PS5, Xbox, and Windows PC out of the gate complete with cross-progression.

What's also probably likely is how Microsoft expands its account profiling system across properties it purchased with Activision-Blizzard. It's not a stretch to imagine that, eventually, Battle.net accounts for WoW and Diablo, and Activision accounts for Call of Duty, will eventually merge into Microsoft accounts. Microsoft did the same with Minecraft a few years ago, merging Minecraft accounts more closely into the Microsoft ecosystem.

More accounts under one umbrella creates more opportunities to convert those players into users of other Microsoft services — which underpins Microsoft's high level strategy. Where all of this leaves Xbox's existing hardware platform, though, remains to be seen.

Forza Horizon 5 launches on PlayStation 5 on April 25, 2025 for $70. You can create a Microsoft account for free here, although existing Outlook.com accounts, Onedrive accounts, Office accounts, Windows accounts, or indeed, Xbox accounts, all count as a "Microsoft account" you can use for Forza.

Xbox's evolving multiplatform strategy just shifted again with the imminent arrival of Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 and 5 Pro. Considering the Forza franchise has been an Xbox console exclusive since its inception in 2005, that's a big deal.

Honestly, I'm not here to complain about FH5 abandoning its Xbox exclusivity or even to open up that particular can of worms. Forza Horizon 5 is a mature, popular open-world racing game with a massive online community, and it can only benefit from an entirely new potential player base.

The problem is that Forza Horizon 5 is missing something that should be the standard for any true multiplatform game, especially when you're a publisher who has to prove itself, like Microsoft. FH5 doesn't support cross-progression of any kind on PlayStation.

Cross-play but no cross-save, what does that mean for FH5?

Through your Microsoft Account, Forza Horizon 5 does support online cross-play between Xbox and Windows PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam, and PS5 will be seamlessly added to the pool when the game launches there in April.

That means you can race your friends around Mexico regardless of where they play. That's how it should be, and most modern multiplayer games embrace that mentality without issue.

FH5 also supports cross-progression, too, but only with the Xbox Play Anywhere version that spans Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC via the Microsoft Store.

With Xbox cloud saves, you can bring all of your progress from device to device, so you can play wherever and however you want without worry. Unfortunately, Steam has already been left out of the conversation there, although Microsoft is starting to turn things around with games like Avowed.

If you play Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox and then buy a Steam Deck handheld for mobile gaming, you're out of luck. You've probably already guessed considering this article, you know, exists, but PlayStation players are also drawing the short straw here.

It doesn't matter how many hundreds of hours you've poured into FH5, how much money you've spent, or how large your car collection has become — if you also want to play on PS5, complete with the platform-specific enhancements and feature support, none of your progress will come with you.

Brand-new players need not apply, but multi-device gamers should beware

If you only game on PlayStation and you're new to Forza Horizon 5, this doesn't matter to you... At least right now. After all, you're starting from the beginning anyway.

If you do ever decide to purchase a gaming handheld or level up your setup with a powerful gaming PC, though, everything you've accomplished on PS5 will remain trapped on Sony's platform.

Those are the players that are being hurt by FH5 lacking cross-save support. I'm one of them; I mostly game on my Xbox Series X, but I also have a powerful desktop PC and an ASUS ROG Ally X gaming handheld.

I love the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative because it guarantees my library and all my save files will travel between those devices, so I can choose if I want the comfort of Xbox, the visual fidelity of desktop, or the portability of handheld without worrying about anything else.

There are many thousands of gamers who are in a similar boat as I, but you can swap out the Xbox for a PlayStation. If they've already fallen in love with Forza on other platforms, it makes total sense why they'd be interested in playing again on PS5 — especially if they enjoy hunting trophies.

It just won't work like that, though, even if the precedent has already been set.

Other multiplatform Xbox games already support cross-save

You may believe I'm being unreasonable in demanding a feature that isn't possible, but it is and Xbox has already proven it.

Both Grounded and Sea of Thieves fully support cross-progression across all platforms, and that means Xbox, Windows PC (even Steam), PS5, and even the Nintendo Switch in Grounded's case.

The foundation is there thanks to Microsoft's account system, and multiple developers have already proven it can be done. Why is Forza Horizon 5 different?

FH5 has a lot of DLC, isn't that why there's no cross-save support?

Forza Horizon 5 isn't just a game, there's also countless DLC add-ons, expansions, and car packs. It's a massive game, and aside from the Xbox Play Anywhere version on the Microsoft Store, your purchases don't sync, either.

What if someone owns the full FH5 collection on Windows PC, and then only buys the base game on PlayStation? How would cross-save work then? Simple: you keep your progress, stats, and existing cars, but lose access to any content or persistent bonuses you don't own on that platform.

For example, you'd still own all the vehicles you earned from playing Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure, but wouldn't be able to access the Rally Adventure map on PlayStation without buying the expansion. You'd still get the special VIP Membership cars, house, and cosmetics, but not the increased rewards or daily wheelspins.

I'm not asking for cross-purchases, as nice as that would be in an ideal world. Players should just be able to keep what they've earned, especially if they're willing to buy the game on multiple platforms just to play the way they want.

Rant aside, FH5 comes to PlayStation in a few weeks

I won't breakdown the whole ordeal because we already have a dedicated news article detailing Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation (including preorder information), but I'll provide the quick synopsis.

FH5 is now available to preorder on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, with three available editions. Those who preorder the Premium Edition will be able to play as early as Apr. 25, 2025, while the rest of us will have to wait until Apr. 29, 2025.

It's not a simple port, either, as FH5 will be optimized for the PlayStation platform. There will be two modes from which to choose, with "Performance" targeting 60 frames-per-second and "Quality" targeting 30 FPS.

Those with the latest and greatest PS5 Pro will be able to enjoy increased visual fidelity and even in-game ray tracing.

Alongside FH5's PlayStation debut, all platforms will get the Horizon Realms update, which does feel a bit final for this live service behemoth. New challenges, more ways to play, and even new cars to collect will all be a part of the update. On top of that, Nissan fans will have a fresh car pack DLC to purchase if they want.

Original article: A full month after developer Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios announced that its critically acclaimed open-world racer Forza Horizon 5 would be coming to PlayStation 5 this year, the studio has revealed its specific release date. Additionally, it's also gone over the free Horizon Realms update launching for everyone at the same time in more detail.

Forza Horizon 5 is officially scheduled to drive onto PS5 on April 29, 2025, with April 25 Early Access available to folks who preorder the more expensive $99.99 Premium Edition of the game. Preorders are available now on the PlayStation Store; you have the option between the $59.99 base game, the $79.99 Deluxe Edition that adds 42 cars to your garage from the Car Pass, or the Premium Edition that also includes access to the title's two DLC expansions and some additional benefits like a VIP membership.

Regardless of which version of Forza Horizon 5 you preorder on PS5, you'll get some cool preorder bonuses. Playground is throwing the 2021 Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG ONE — the car on the game's cover — in with every early purchase, along with 5,000 Forzathon points (used for buying cars and cosmetic items) and five Backstage Passes you can spend on rare Backstage Shop cars.

Coinciding with Forza Horizon 5's PS5 arrival on April 25 is the launch of the Horizon Realms patch, a major update that will add a new Horizon Stadium Circuit track while also bringing back the following 11 fan-favorite locations from previous Evolving World releases:

• Stunt Park 
• Ice Rink 
• Oval Track 
• Summer Party 
• Neon Airstrip
• Día de Muertos 
• Winter Wonderland 
• Lunar Drift Arena 
• Retrowave Highway 
• Cars and Coffee 
• Stadium Maze

You'll be able to earn new accolades as you race through all of these iconic vehicular playgrounds, and unlock four new reward cars coming to the colossal Forza Horizon 5 car list when you do: the 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto, the 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, the 2018 Lotus Exige Cup 430, and the 2022 Hennessey Mammoth 6x6.

Throughout all of Horizon Realms, you'll have the option to play in Skill Mode or Free Mode. The former is more competitively focused and features Skill Score leaderboards and earnable player badges, while the latter is more casual and lets you explore each returning location with friends while earning older player badges and Forzathon points. For full details from Playground, check out its blog post.

Playground Games has also announced a Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack DLC that'll be separate from Horizon Realms. It's coming at the same time as the update and the PS5 release, and will include four classic Nissan cars for $4.99: the 1989 Nissan Pao, 1991 Nissan Figaro, 1989 Nissan Scargo, and the 1987 Nissan Be-1. Notably, you'll automatically get this pack if you've purchased the Ultimate Car Pack Collection.

Forza Horizon 5 is finishing strong

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Forza Horizon 5 has been a massive success for Microsoft and Xbox, but with 2021 game now several years old and Playground Games undoubtedly working on a full-fledged sequel, it seems that support for the title is now winding down. Still, the popular open-world racer is enjoying a strong finish.

Horizon Realms and its collection of returning locales is a major celebration of Forza Horizon 5 and the series as a whole, while the game's imminent arrival on PS5 means that countless gamers will have a chance to enjoy one of the best Xbox games and best PC games made this decade.

Some will criticize Microsoft for porting another Xbox exclusive to PlayStation here, but given that the firm wants to make Xbox a more profitable business, bringing a game that's likely not selling much on Xbox consoles anymore to a new market makes sense.

If you've never played Forza Horizon 5 before, this upcoming PS5 launch is one way you now can; alternatively, you can also access it through Xbox Game Pass on Xbox, PC, and mobile (with Ultimate and Xbox Cloud Gaming). Notably, the base version of the game on Xbox and PC is just $36.69 at CDKeys, which is an excellent deal given its usual $59.99 MSRP.

The next Xbox game being ported over to PlayStation 5 is Playground Games' Forza Horizon 5, the Xbox teams revealed on Thursday.

Over the past year, Microsoft has made no secret of its plan to begin launching more and more games on the PlayStation ecosystem. Sea of Thieves was among the first, then Indiana Jones was announced, and now, Microsoft is going even further.

Forza Horizon 5 is one of Microsoft's most successful games in history, serving tens of millions of players. The flagship racing game is the gold standard for the genre, and is a multi-award winner. It's also a huge money maker for Microsoft, owing to its live service nature, on-going updates, and in-app purchases. Forza Horizon 5 first launched back on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Windows PC in November 21. The game was a roaring success, rapidly reaching over 20 million players and, like its predecessors, achieving critical acclaim.

Shared with us via sources initially, and then confirmed by Microsoft on Forza Horizon 5's website, developer Playground Games discussed its partnership with Panic Button, and a new update coming dubbed "Realms."

"The PlayStation 5 version of Forza Horizon 5, developed by Panic Button Studios in partnership with Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games, will have the same content as the Xbox and PC releases of the game. Previously released Car Packs, as well as the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions, will also be available for purchase.

We are excited to see the Forza Horizon 5 community grow with new players on PS5, and we can't wait to see the creativity and skill these new creators, builders, and racers will bring to our vibrant community.

In addition to bringing Forza Horizon 5 to PS5, we’re working on a special new free content update for all platforms, Horizon Realms. Realms will give players the chance to explore a curated collection of some of the community’s favorite previously released Evolving Worlds, alongside some other surprises. Stay tuned to our channels for more details soon."

RELATED: Best racing wheels for Forza Horizon 5

Only yesterday, Microsoft talked to investors about the desire to turn Xbox into a business with higher profit margins, and one way to do that is to sell games. Forza Horizon 5 has likely done all it can do on Xbox Series X|S and PC at this point, so porting it to PlayStation is a sure-fire way to guarantee additional revenue and prestige for the franchise. What is less clear is how the degraded status of "Xbox console exclusives," particularly among its most iconic games, will impact hardware sales going forward. Already, Microsoft has seen decline after decline quarter over quarter with Xbox Series X|S hardware sales, and reducing the reasons to buy a console could potentially only further exacerbate that situation.

Regardless, Microsoft says it's all-in on next-gen Xbox console hardware, though, with Xbox CEO Phil Spencer describing a goal to win on hardware differentiation, rather than exclusive games.

Expect Xbox to expand more games across more platforms

While Xbox has technically been a third-party publisher to some extent since the Microsoft bought Minecraft developer Mojang in 2014, the company's third-party publishing plans have ramped up significantly in the past year. As noted, in 2024, Microsoft brought four previously console-exclusive Xbox games to PlayStation and Nintendo, including Rare's massive pirate simulator Sea of Thieves. The company also confirmed plans to bring Bethesda Softworks and Machine Games' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PlayStation 5 in 2025, a few months after its initial launch on Xbox and PC. We've also reported via our own sources that Xbox icon itself, Halo, is gearing up for a PlayStation debut. Forza is one of the "big three" iconic Xbox franchises, including Gears of War and Halo. With Forza heading across, it should shed all doubts that Xbox truly does have no red lines over what games will eventually move away from Xbox towards PlayStation.

RELATED: Inside the risky strategy that will define Xbox's next decade

Looking ahead, several (but not all) of the upcoming games in the Xbox first-party roster are planned to launch across PlayStation 5, including DOOM: The Dark Ages, The Outer Worlds 2, and Ninja Gaiden 4.

Xbox fans stand to benefit from Xbox Game Pass, however, which will save them potentially hundreds of dollars over time if they plan to play any game from the Xbox first party roster. Games like Avowed (launching in February), Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, State of Decay 3, and many more as-of-yet unannounced games will also hit Xbox Game Pass day and date — which remains best on Xbox console hardware arguably.

Xbox reportedly became the world's biggest publisher as of last month, so the strategy is doubtless paying dividends for shareholders. Whether or not it keeps Xbox's digital software store viable long term remains to be seen. What is confirmed is that Forza Horizon 5 is a certified banger, and it'll most likely find a huge new audience on the massive PlayStation ecosystem.

Forza Horizon 5 closed out the year with a double update, giving the team some time to return and prepare for the new year with more content. Well, it seems the plan may not be entirely what the community expected, as Forza Horizon 5's first update of 2025 may signal a shift in direction for the popular, long-running open-world racing game.

Forza Horizon 5's Midnight Muscle update brings back fan-favorite neon-lit content from a past Festival Playlist alongside two new cars, but it also debuts a different approach to future Festival Playlists. Now, players will vote on one of two past Festival Playlists to replay each month, suggesting that FH5 support is finally winding down as Playground Games turns to what's next. Of course, the studio has stated that there's still more content coming to Forza Horizon 5 in the future, so it's not totally done.

Quite possible the final full update for Forza Horizon 5

If you're expecting an ambitious changelog packed with new features, quality-of-life improvements, and more additions to the ridiculously large Forza Horizon 5 car list, I'm afraid the Midnight Muscle update is destined to disappoint you.

In fact, there's honestly not enough here to even do the bulleted list I usually do, so I'll skip that. First, the Midnight Muscle Festival Playlist brings back the extended night and neon-lit Evolving World features we saw in previous FH5 updates, with no new features to call its own. You're also looking at only two new vehicles to collect in the powerful 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R and 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock.

Outside of that, Playground Games has added two new features, with the latter clearly marking a downturn in official support for FH5 moving forward. Firstly, players will now be able to choose their own start screen cinematic from past events and Forza Horizon titles, with a shuffle option for those who'd rather be surprised each time they start the game. Secondly, future Festival Playlists won't come as surprises from Playground — instead, the community will now vote on one of two past Festival Playlists to return the following month.

The first vote will be between the Forza Horizon 5 High Performance and Forza Horizon 5 Italian Automotive updates, with voting opening in week 1 of Midnight Muscle and closing in week 4 (and the process will repeat each month). Playground will tweak each Festival Playlist as needed to reflect how the game has evolved over its life, but the intent behind this feature is obvious; Forza Horizon 5 support is winding down.

You can read more about the Forza Horizon 5 "Midnight Muscle" update on Forza.net, which arrives on Jan. 28 (with the Festival Playlist kicking off on Jan. 30).

It's not completely over yet

To be clear, Playground Games does state that "there's still more content coming to Forza Horizon 5," but it's not immediately clear what that'll look like. All we can say for certain is, with the community now voting each month for a past Festival Playlist to return (you can read more about this feature on Forza.net), FH5 isn't going to get the same monthly updates it has since its launch over three years ago.

Forza Horizon 5 may not get any new cars or features, instead treading down memory lane until it wanders so far into the past that only a brand-new Forza Horizon game can bring us back. It had to happen immediately, though, as Playground Games is undoubtedly working on a mysterious sequel powered by the same engine underneath Forza Motorsport (2023). Hopefully, we'll hear more about those plans later this year.

In case you missed it, Forza Horizon 4 also ended an era of its own, with the title becoming permanently delisted from digital storefronts as its licenses expired. It's probably safe to say that Forza Horizon 5 is still many years away from this happening, even if it won't enjoy the same healthy update cycle anymore.

What you need to know

• The end of 2024 is rapidly approaching, but Forza Horizon 5 still isn't slowing down.
• Today, Playground Games released the final update of the year for FH5, and it's actually a two-in-one.
• For December, Holiday Mix-Ups will bring two wintery stadiums and five new cars to collect.
• In January, players will get another new car, a fresh stunt park, and more ways to build in EventLab.

It has now been over three years since Forza Horizon 5 was released across Xbox and PC, and it doesn't seem like the game is going to stop getting new content and features any time soon. As we enter the final month of 2024, Playground Games has released the last update of the year for Forza Horizon 5. Horizon Holiday Mix-Up is now available to download on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.

This isn't quite like normal content updates, though, because the Forza developers deserve their own break over the holidays just like the rest of us. So, Holiday Mix-Up is actually two updates in one, spanning all of December and January. The first half focuses on holiday festivities and some exciting new cars, while the more modest "Extreme Horizon" half in January will bring one new car and some other interesting features.

While I'm here, I also want to remind all of you that Forza Horizon 4 goes end-of-life on Dec. 15, 2024, meaning you have less than two weeks to buy the game and all its DLC before they permanently disappear from digital storefronts. One of the best ways to do that is to pick up Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition (Xbox & PC) for $19.99 at Amazon, which includes a huge amount of content.

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A total of six new cars across two months of wintery fun

With December being dedicated to "Horizon Holiday Mix-Up" and January to "Extreme Horizon," you'd expect a ton of new content — but this list isn't going to be terribly long.

• Five new cars with Horizon Holiday Mix-Up. First, Forza Horizon 5 is getting five new cars in December, with four being Festival Playlist reward cars and the fifth being a reward for completing a limited-time event between Dec. 5-12.
  • 2006 Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Wagon
  • 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
  • 2021 Bentley Flying Spur
  • 2024 Nissan Z Nismo
  • 2022 BMW M5 CS
• One more car with Extreme Horizon. In January, FH5 players will be able to collect one more new car as part of the Festival Playlist.
  • 1965 DeBerti Design Chevrolet C10 "Slayer"
• A whole lot of Stadium makeovers. During December, the Horizon Stadium will alternate between two festive themes, with the first and third weeks being the Winter Wonderland Stadium and the second and fourth weeks being the popular Ice Rink. In January, players will get to explore the Stunt Park once again.
• More EventLab content. Creators rejoice, the EventLab is getting four new build stubs permanently added to the Forza Horizon 5 map with the arrival of Extreme Horizon, giving you more locations to build your masterpieces.

Playground Games also teased Feb. 2025's content update, Midnight Muscle, which will bring back the extended nighttime, add new reward cars and events, and let players customize their start screen experience.

I'll never say no to more themed Festival Playlists and new cars, but Holiday Mix-Up does feel pretty tame for being a dual update. I hope that the Playground Games team gets a ton of rest through the holidays and kicks it into high gear for 2025, as Forza Horizon 5 updates have felt pretty familiar from month to month lately (new cars, new Festival Playlist, new Stadium, new EventLab props). Although, I'll admit getting some Halo content in FH5 was pretty cool.

Whatever happens next year, the Forza Horizon 5 car list is already easily one of the most impressive vehicle rosters of any racing game you can play today (or have ever been able to play, honestly), and it does seem like it will continue to get bigger in the future. In the meantime, Forza Horizon 5: Horizon Holiday Mix-Up is now available to download for all players, and you can check out the full changelog at Forza.net.

Also, here's your final reminder that Forza Horizon 4 is set to be permanently delisted from digital storefronts on Dec. 15, 2024, and that includes being removed from Xbox Game Pass. If you want to keep the game to play forever, you'll want to buy it before then, like getting Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition (Xbox & PC) for $19.99 at Amazon.

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What you need to know

• The next Forza Horizon 5 update may be called "Track Day," but there's an awful lot of Halo going on here.
• Playground Games has detailed what's coming in this update, and it includes the biggest single drop of new EventLab props in FH5 history.
• Players will be able to design their own Halo themed racetracks and maps, and three Halo songs are also joining the soundtrack.
• If you need to know more than just "there's Halo now," this update also drops four modern Porsches into the Festival Playlist.

I suppose it was too much to ask for Playground Games to reveal the spooky-themed Forza Horizon 5 update one day after Halloween already ended, but I'll take this. Forza Horizon 5: Track Day is official and starting next week, and this update may be the most spartan yet. No, I don't mean basic and simple — I mean actual Spartans.

The next Forza Horizon 5 update boasts the largest single EventLab prop drop in the game's history, and it's all Halo. Of course, a new Festival Playlist is also arriving with four new reward cards (spoiler, they're all modern Porsches), and the Oval Track is returning to the Stadium once again. Let's dive into it all, shall we?

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Did you ever want to race a Porsche down a Forerunner highway? Now you can.

I won't waste any more of your time. Here's everything coming in the Forza Horizon 5: Track Day update next week.

• Four new cars. The Festival Playlist is securing four new reward cars this update, and they all hail from the same manufacturer. There's no Car Pack DLC this time, but the community should be pretty happy with these additions.
  • 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 R
  • 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
  • 2023 Porsche 911 Rallye
  • 2023 Porsche 911 Turbo S
• Brand-new Halo props. The Xbox Game Studios family has come together again with another great collaboration. This time around, Playground Games has added the largest-ever EventLab prop pack to Forza Horizon 5, and every single prop is Halo-themed. There are 71 Halo props in total, letting players design their very own Halo racetracks and maps.
• A few new songs. The Halo fun doesn't end there. The Forza Horizon 5 soundtrack is securing three official Halo songs with Halo Theme Gungnir Mix (feat. Steve Vai), Installation 04, and The Trails.
• The return of the Oval Track. The Stadium is enjoying another Evolving World makeover, and this time the popular Oval Track is returning for another round of high-octane asphalt racing.
• A new Festival Playlist. As always, Forza Horizon 5: Track Day also features a new, themed Festival Playlist with a ton of rewards, including all four of the Porsches added in this update.

We're not getting a massive pile of new vehicles to add to our garage, but that's not a bad list for an update.

It'll be really interesting to see what the many talented FH5 community designers are able to accomplish with all the new Halo props. The EventLab is about to be filled with unique new racetracks and maps that we've never seen in Forza before, and it should be a lot of fun.

While the arriving cars only number four in total, they're all brand-new Porsches. That should make a lot of FH5 players happy, who are often asking for more modern cars, and Porsche has been a long-time staple of the Forza franchise. All-in-all, the Forza Horizon 5: Track Day update does seem pretty solid, and players will still be able to take advantage of the Horizon Backstage feature added in the last FH5 update.

Forza Horizon 5: Track Day is likely dropping on Tuesday, Nov. 5 for Xbox and Windows PC, but the actual Festival Playlist won't kick off until that Thursday.

What you need to know

• Playground Games has revealed the 'Back to the 90s' update for Forza Horizon 5.
• This update features four classics from the 90s, but also a new feature for car collectors.
• Horizon Backstage is returning, allowing you to add previous exclusive Festival Playlist reward cars to your garage.
• There are also plenty of fixes and some new achievements for the Hide and Seek game mode.

Playground Games has announced the plan for 2024's spooky season, and it's sadly not a horror-themed update for Forza Horizon 5 (maybe we'll see it at the end of the month). Still, we do have news on what the next release will be for FHD, and it's dubbed 'Back to the 90s.' Yup, it's another nostalgia-filled update, but how exciting this release is will depend on who you ask.

The update news comes courtesy of the latest Forza Let's Go! stream from Playground Games, and lets us know that a variety of fixes and improvements, four new 90s-era cars, and a returning feature that car collectors will love are all heading to Forza Horizon 5 across Xbox and PC in the near future.

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A way to catch up on what you missed

Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the meat of today's announcement. Here's what's coming in the Forza Horizon 5 'Back to the 90s' update.

• Four new reward cars. As always, four new cars are joining the Forza Horizon 5 car list, and they all share a common theme. Can you guess what it is?
  • 1990 Aston Martin Lagonda
  • 1996 Subaru SVX
  • 1997 Toyota Soarer 2.5 GT-T
  • 1998 Mitsubishi FTO GP Version R
• Horizon Backstage. A fan-favorite feature is also returning with Horizon Backstage coming to Forza Horizon 5. This feature will allow players to claim previous Festival Playlist exclusive reward cars they missed and add them to their collection.
  • The Horizon Backstage rotates on a weekly basis, normally showcasing two cars
  • The community will vote on one of two pairs each week to be featured
  • At first, though, six cars will be available through the Horizon Backstage shop
  • Players will need Backstage Passes, a new in-game currency, to purchase these cars
  • One Backstage Pass will be offered as a Seasonal Reward each week, and players can also purchase one other Pass for 1,000 Forzathon Points each week
• New achievements. Forza Horizon 5 recently got a Hide and Seek mode, and in addition to a bevy of fixes and other changes Playground Games is adding five new achievements (worth a combined 130 Gamerscore) related to the game mode.
• A new Festival Playlist and more. The Festival Playlist is, of course, getting a makeover with the Back to the 90s update, with a ton of themed challenges, events, and races.
  • Players will also be able to hunt down the new VHS Collectible, unlock the 90s Cosmetic Outfit, and earn up to three new Badges

That's it! The Back to the 90s update joins the more modest releases we've seen for Forza Horizon 5 recently, and there's no new Car Pack DLC to add even more vehicles to the car list. Hopefully, we'll see some more exciting updates for FH5 in the future, but this will still be a great update moving forward for those eager to fill out their collection with all the cars they missed.

It also gives the community some more control over the Festival Playlist Seasonal reward cars, since the one that was normally a "random" car will now be a Backstage Pass for the cars the community votes on. I'm glad there are now achievements for the Hide and Seek mode, too, as it felt odd when none were added alongside the new game mode. In any case, the Forza Horizon 5 'Back to the 90s' update will be dropping soon, and its Festival Playlist will be kicking off soon after.

If you're curious what's coming next, Playground Games teased the 'Horizon Track Day' update coming next month, which will feature new cars, cosmetics, collectibles, and EventLab props.

What you need to know

• Playground Games recently teased a new Hide & Seek game mode for Forza Horizon 5, and it's coming very soon.
• The next update, arriving early next week, includes the interesting new way to play with fellow racers as well as four new cars.
• Three of the four new cars come from Japanese manufacturers, which is a popular category for many players.
• The Stadium is also enjoying a fresh round of Evolving World goodness, and is becoming a maze for the duration of the next Festival Playlist.

During Gamescom 2024, one of the smaller announcements stashed alongside the deluge of major reveals and updates was a short teaser for Forza Horizon 5's newest game mode: Hide & Seek. Exactly as the name suggests, this pits five Seekers against one player who has to hide and elude their hunters for the duration of the match. It's an interesting addition to the Forza Horizon 5 formula, and it's coming alongside the next major content update.

I'm not alone in that I already tend to do my fair share of hiding from the world in real life, and now I can do it as a car.

You can check out the latest Let's Go! stream above for all the information, but I'll summarize for those who don't have time to sit through an hour-long stream. The next content update is known as Forza Horizon 5: Hidden Horizons, and brings four new reward cars to the refreshed and thematic Festival Playlist, the Hide & Seek game mode, and more.

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Survive long enough to reach the End Zone, if you can

The 'Hidden Horizons' update is definitely on the modest size, largely riding on the back of the new Hide & Seek mode. It's still an exciting addition, though, giving players a completely new way to enjoy FH5's multiplayer. There are also a couple of other changes and new features, too, so let's dive in.

• Hide & Seek mode. In Forza Horizon 5's new game mode, five players will spread across an area as Seekers, while one player will do their best to avoid the Seekers as the Hider. The Seekers win by filling up their detection meters by staying close to the Hider, while the Hider wins by evading the Seekers until the End Zone is revealed and making it to that End Zone.
  • The Hide & Seek mode has its own progression system with unique Accolades for players to earn
  • Seekers and hiders will have different pools of cars from which to pull, giving seekers distinct performance advantages if they should discover where the hider is
• Four new cars. As always, the Forza Horizon 5 car list is expanding once again with four new cars, which will be exclusively rewarded through the new Hidden Horizons Festival Playlist.
  • 1991 Toyota Chaser GT Twin Turbo
  • 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR
  • 2013 Volvo C30 Polestar
  • 2022 Subaru WRX
• Exclusive gift car. All players who sign into Forza Horizon 5 following the release of the Hidden Horizons update will also receive an exclusive car through the Message Center, being the custom 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Jordan Luka 3 Motorsport Edition.
• Horizon Stadium Maze. Forza Horizon 5's Evolving World is affecting the Stadium in a brand-new way, this time transforming it into a vertical maze with plenty of hiding places, ramps and platforms, and awesome photo opps.
• A new Festival Playlist. It should come as no surprise that the Festival Playlist is getting updated with an all-new series of themed challenges, races, and events, this time centered around the new Hide & Seek game mode or Maze. Players will also have the chance to hunt for the new Detective Tank Collectible (which is being added to the EventLab) and earn a new outfit.

These new features are accompanied by a fresh batch of car model fixes and bug squashing, but there's nothing particularly exciting in the changelog. The Forza Horizon 5: Hidden Horizons update officially releases for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Xbox and PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming on Sept. 10, 2024, with the Hidden Horizons Festival Playlist kicking off on Sept. 12, 2024.

Playground Games also teased the next FH5 update, which will be dubbed "Back to the 90s" and feature new cars, Badges, Accolades, and more. We'll have to wait until next month to know what the future holds for Xbox's best racing game, although the new Hide & Seek game mode may keep you busy until then.

What you need to know

• It's that time again — Xbox's flagship open-world racing game, Forza Horizon 5, is getting another update with new content.
• The "High-Performance Dailies" update focuses on new cars everyday people can actually own and drive, but can still dominate the track.
• Four new asphalt race routes are also being permanently added to the game with this update.
• It's a more minor content update, but it's available starting today with the Festival Playlist kicking off later this week.

A new month, a new Forza Horizon 5 update. Playground Games has dropped everything we need to know about High-Performance Dailies, the latest content update injecting fresh cars into everyone's favorite open-world racing game on Xbox and PC. As the name suggests, this update doesn't feature any supercars or unobtainable legends. Instead, FH5 is adding modern cars that everyday people can actually buy, drive, and race.

You can check out the latest Let's Go! stream from Playground Games to get a walkthrough, but I'll include all the information you could possibly need on Forza Horizon 5: High-Performance Dailies below so you don't miss a thing. What should you expect? New cars, new races, new Festival Playlist challenges.

• Four new cars. As always, let's start with the newest additions to the ever-growing Forza Horizon 5 car list. The new arrivals are modest this time around, as there's just four Festival Playlist reward cars and no new Car Packs or DLC. Still, all of these cars are modern and driven by thousands of people in the real world.
  • 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
  • 2022 Ford Focus ST
  • 2023 Ford Fiesta ST
  • 2023 Toyota Camry TRD
• Four new race routes. Forza Horizon 5 is giving players new ways to test their latest rides with four permanent race route additions to the game. These are all asphalt sprints, and will be available in Horizon Open and Horizon Rivals from Aug. 13 and in the open world from Aug. 15.
  • Cloverleaf Sprint
  • San Juan Sprint
  • Rocosa Sprint
  • Valle del Rio Sprint
• Another Collectible and Outfit. The list of extras is short in this update, but it's not nonexistent. We're getting:
  • The Business Suit Tank Collectible to discover and smash in the open world
  • The new Artist Outfit to unlock through the Festival Playlist
• A refreshed Festival Playlist. It should come as no surprise that the High-Performance Dailies update also comes with a new Festival Playlist complete with matching challenges and races, including some for the Back to School season. It's here you'll earn your new cars.

Playground Games is also including a fresh batch of bug fixes and improvements, but there's not much here to write home about unless there's a specific car fix you've been waiting for. You can check out the full changelog at Forza.net for that small list.

Even better, the Forza Horizon 5: High-Performance Dailies update is rolling out today for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

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An update for the regular people with awesome cars

Look, I love being able to sit behind the wheel of a multi-million dollar supercar and race across Mexico at 200+ MPH, but I also fully understand the hordes of people that desperately want more "regular" cars in Forza. This update is people for those players, as it includes four cars that aren't only new (as in, released in the last few years), but are also reasonably obtainable by ordinary people.

They don't sacrifice on performance, however. These are the high-performance variants of these cars, including the sweet new 2023 Toyota Camry TRD sports sedan with a 3.5L V6, improved suspension, and lots of aero. I know plenty of people will jump on customizing a new Ford Focus St for rally racing, too, and the Dodge Durango SRT is a ton of fun when transformed into a ridiculous off-roading monster.

It's a good follow-up to the last Forza Horizon 5 update that added a coffee shop for car meets, and continues FH5's trend of being one of the best Xbox racing games you can play.

Playground Games finished things off by teasing the next Forza Horizon 5 update, Hidden Horizons. There will be a new game mode, more reward cars, an update to the Evolving World with the Stadium Maze, and the return of Pathfinder. Look forward to it!

What you need to know

• Right on schedule, Playground Games has revealed all the details for Forza Horizon 5's next big content update.
• Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee is dropping soon with nine new cars and... A coffee shop.
• The Evolving World Coffee Shop is the perfect place for car meets, but you can also roleplay as a cup of coffee if you want.
• As far as new cars are concerned, there's a good mixture included in this update, as well as the new JDM Jewels Car Pack DLC.

Update, July 16, 2024 — Updated now that Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee is officially rolling out to players.

The long, long wait (of one day) is finally over, as the Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee update is now officially available across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. It may take some time for the update to fully percolate to all players, but everyone will be ready to visit the coffee shop before too long.

Ahead of the Festival Playlist kicking off, players can already add four new cars to their garage with the Forza Horizon 5 JDM Jewels Car Pack DLC, which is now available for $4.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox & PC). No, this Car Pack is not included in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition or Car Pass (and I'm not sure why people keep expecting that, absolutely everything promised in both has long been delivered).

You can also check out a quick breakdown of the Cars & Coffee update's new features and changes in the image above, but you'll probably have way more fun checking out our original article down below... 

Have you ever wanted to go hang out with all your friends at the local coffee shop and talk about cool cars? Well, soon you'll be able to... In Forza Horizon 5. The legendary open-world racing game's next content update is a creative one, with Playground Games using the Evolving World feature to build a photogenic coffee shop in Mexico.

Sure, you'll be able to add up to nine new cars to your collection and enjoy a new Festival Playlist with more challenges, races, and rewards, or you can set up car meets at the local coffee shop and take photos of gorgeous cars, build custom tracks and events with coffee-themed props, and even dress up as a coffee cup yourself.

The Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee update officially releases on Tuesday, July 16, 2025 alongside a new Car Pack DLC, with the accompanying Festival Playlist kicking off on Thursday, July 18. You can check out the Let's Go! stream for the update below, or keep scrolling for all the information you need.

Here's everything you need to know about the Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee update:

• Five new cars. As always, the massive Forza Horizon 5 cars list is expanding once again with new Festival Playlist rewards vehicles. There are five additions this time around, with no real theme to be spoken of.
  • 1973 Volkswagen Thing
  • 1976 Volkswagen SP-2
  • 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupé
  • 2021 Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae
  • 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
• JDM Jewels Car Pack DLC. Another four cars are also coming in the Cars & Coffee update, although you'll have to spend a little cash to get them. The JDM Jewels Car Pack features four vehicles that were exclusive to the Japanese market and beloved by car customizers.
  • 1991 Toyota Sera
  • 1993 Autozam AZ-1
  • 1997 Mitsubishi Montero Evolution
  • 1997 Nissan Stagea RS Four V
• All the coffee bits. As the name implies, the Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee update features a lot of, well, coffee. That includes a new Evolving World location with four dedicated areas for photoshoots (three of which being great for groups).
  • The Coffee Shop, which is adorned with murals and is perfect for car meets and photoshoots
  • The Cars & Coffee drone show, which occurs every in-game night
  • Six new EventLab props from the new Coffee Shop and surrounding area
  • A new smashable coffee cup collectible
  • The Coffee Cup Outfit, which will be available as a reward during the first week of the Festival Playlist

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Aside from all the coffee themed additions, the addition that stands out the most to me on this list is the Volkswagen Thing. I know nothing about this car and have honestly never heard of it either, but it's hilarious to me that there's actually a vehicle out there just called "Thing," and you can drive it now in Forza Horizon 5.

The Cars & Coffee update will also feature the usual array of bug fixes, including general performance and stability improvements and patches targeting content from the last Forza Horizon 5 update.

Playground Games finally spilled the beans, and Forza Horizon 5: Cars & Coffee isn't drowning in new content, but it's still a sweet release and it's coming in hot. It must've been hard for Playground to keep the lid on this update, considering all the excellent new cars coming to energize our day. Okay, I'll stop with the coffee puns.

Well, maybe one more. The Forza Horizon 5 team gave us the tea on the next FH5 update, which will be known as High-Performance Dailies. This will likely focus on fast and powerful cars that don't fall under the "hyper" or "super" categories; we know there will be four Festival Playlist reward cars, new races and EventLab props, and more.

Finally, you can't forget about the new JDM Jewels Car Pack. This premium DLC isn't included in any FH5 edition or previously released DLC like the Car Packs that came before it, and includes four exclusive new vehicles brand-new to the Forza franchise. It's an apt name, too, as all four of these were exclusive to the Japanese automobile market, making them a very unique addition to the Mexico-set Forza Horizon 5.

It's no surprise that Forza Horizon 5 is still one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, and it only continues to get better with each successive update. There's literally over 800 vehicles in FH5 today, and you can drive them all on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass today. Speaking of Xbox Game Pass, now is a great time to stockpile on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to save a ton of money and avoid the price increase coming later this year.

There's no new open world racer coming from Microsoft this year, so Forza Horizon 5 fans are consigned to playing the existing game a while longer. Or are they? A famous old franchise is being revived later this year, and it's the perfect alternative for fans. Better yet, on PC, there's already an insane preorder deal, where you can secure a copy of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown for just $26.89 right now, a discount of 47%. 

One of this year's biggest sleeper hits 

Racing games are my jam, so naturally I've been tracking Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown since it was first announced. But I can't help but feel it's going under the radar, and that needs to change. Forza Horizon 5 is a great game, and I still love playing it, but there's always an itch for something new. This is that something new. 

In my preview of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown based entirely on the Steam Next Fest demo, to say I was impressed would be underselling it. The sprawling Hong Kong map is beautiful and engaging, the cars are breathtaking, and there are so many little touches that take the RPG element a little further. Details like choosing your own interior trim, being able to get out of the car and walk around the dealerships while you hunt for your next ride. It's about as immersive as any game I've seen of this type. 

The lack of a new Forza Horizon game this year also gives Solar Crown a chance to really shine. It's a racer that rewards skill, and is clearly something that's going to offer a lot of hours of fun. The fact you can snag a copy on PC right now at such a discounted price is the icing on the cake. So go ahead, I really don't think you'll be disappointed. 

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 shows no signs of stopping its live service train, and Playground Games has just detailed the next update.
• Modern Horizons releases tomorrow (June 18, 2024), with its accompanying Festival Playlist kicking off later in the week.
• Players can expect five new modern cars released in the last few years, including the brand-new 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
• There's also a new Universal Icons Car Pack, which includes legendary vehicles from Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and even Knight Rider.

Forza Horizon 5 may have gone full retro in its last update, but it's heading back to the present with the latest release — for the most part. The next Forza Horizon 5 update is dubbed 'Modern Horizons,' and it includes up to 10 new cars for players to add to their garage alongside the usual bevy of other content additions and improvements. As always, we also got a tease for what's coming next for the ongoing live service racing game.

Playground Games detailed the Forza Horizon 5: Modern Horizon update in the Let's Go! stream below, but I'll be including everything you need to know in this article. As always, the update is dropping on a Tuesday (June 18, 2024 to be specific) with the new Modern Horizons Festival Playlist kicking off on the following Thursday (which would be June 20).

Here's everything you need to know about the Forza Horizon 5: Modern Horizons update.

• Five new cars. The Modern Horizons update is all about — you guessed it — modern cars. The five new cars included as Festival Playlist reward vehicles were released in the last few years, and there's even a highly-requested new addition with the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
  • 2021 Toyota GR Yaris
  • 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N
  • 2023 Kia EV6 GT
  • 2023 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S
  • 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
• Universal Icons Car Pack. There's also a brand-new Car Pack, perfect for the fans of Universal Studios' legendary 80s and 90s franchises like Jurassic Park, Knight Rider, and Back to the Future. The Universal Icons Car Pack will be available from June 18, 2024 for $9.99.
  • 1982 DMC DeLorean "Time Machine from Back to the Future"
  • 1982 DMC DeLorean "Time Machine from Back to the Future Part II"
  • 1982 DMC DeLorean "Time Machine from Back to the Future Part III"
  • 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am "K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider"
  • 1992 Jeep Wrangler Sahara "Jurassic Park"
• New EventLab props. Perfect for testing out your new modern powerhouses, Playground Games is also adding brand-new EventLab props. This time around, it's a ton of different highway pieces so that players can design their own highways for EventLab creations.
• Other additions. Elsewhere, Modern Horizons is a pretty modest update. We're getting a new Shark Outfit cosmetic item, as well as a sleek and shiny Robot Collectible that you can discover in the world as part of the Festival Playlist.

There are some excellent new cars for the Forza Horizon 5 car list in the Modern Horizons update, like the Dark Horse Mustang, Toyota's fan-favorite GR Yaris, and some choice electric vehicles from Hyundai. For many, though, the highlight of this update will be the Universal Icons Car Pack, which includes some sweet vehicles from legendary franchises.

The distinct red lights on K.I.T.T. are fully functional, and all three of the Time Machines will have unique and accurate audio when reaching 88 MPH. There's a lot of attention to detail here that should make the relatively steep price of $9.99 more than worth it for fans. The Universal Icons Car Pack will be available for one of the best Xbox racing games from June 18, 2024.

Playground Games also teased the next Forza Horizon 5 update, which will apparently feature a Coffee Shop as part of the Evolving World. I have no idea what that entails, but it'll be interesting to find out.

What you need to know

• Maverick Games, founded by ex-Forza Horizon team members that have since departed Playground Games, has signed a deal with Amazon for its first title. 
• The currently unnannounced game will be a "narrative-led, open-world driving game" 
• The Amazon published title will be headed to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. 

It's always sad to see talent leave Xbox first-party studios, but it's also exciting to see where they go next. That's exactly what we're looking at here, with news that Maverick Games has signed a deal with Amazon Games to publish its first game. 

Maverick Games, who are they? The UK-based studio was founded by a number of ex-Playground Games team members, including the Forza Horizon 5 Creative Director, Mike Brown. Yeah, now you see why I'm excited. 

The pedigree of the Maverick Games team is clear for all to see, and with the backing of Amazon it'll be bringing its first title to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. 

What makes it all the more interesting is that it sounds as though the team is sticking with what it knows best. Forza Horizon is one of my all-time favorite franchises, and with that kind of experience building this new open-world racer driving game, the chances are already pretty high that it's going to blow the doors off. 

In a further interview with Amazon Games, studio head Mike Brown lays out the vision of the new title, and it doesn't sound like we'll simply be getting a Forza Horizon 5 clone. 

I'm really interested in all this. Let's face it, Forza Horizon has never been about its story, if you can even really call it a story. There are narrative elements, and some modes are more geared to this than others, but mostly it's been about fast cars, close racing, and glorious settings. 

Ubisoft also tried the narrative open-world racer with the now discontinued title, The Crew. This had more of a storyline to it than Forza Horizon games have enjoyed, but it wasn't great, and it certainly wasn't why people fell in love with the game. 

To back up this desire for a narrative-led game, Maverick has tapped up the talents of Jamie Brittain, a BAFTA award winner best known for the TV show, Skins. 

There's no word yet on when we can expect to hear more about this unnamed title, but it's already starting to sound like something that I really want to play. 

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 is getting hit with a neon-soaked blast from the past, grabbing new futuristic cars, and rocking you with nearly two dozen new songs.
• Horizon Retrowave is the latest content update for Xbox's flagship open-world racing game.
• A new radio station, Horizon Wave, boasts 21 new tracks to blast while cruising the Neon Highway.
• Five new cars are also included in this update, as well as some Minecraft cosmetics to celebrate that game's 15-year anniversary.

Right on schedule, the "Horizon Retrowave" Festival Playlist is kicking off tomorrow in Forza Horizon 5, and the update is already available to download. That means a brand-new radio station with lots of music, some sweet neon decorations in the world, and the chance to score the new Lamborghini Countach this week if you complete enough challenges or events. It also means you should check your Message Center, as you may find some Minecraft-themed gifts waiting for you there.

Our original article continues below.

Forza Horizon 5 simply refuses to stop racing forward, and Playground Games has now revealed everything we need to know about the epic racing game's next major content update. Horizon Retrowave is kicking off next week, and it'll take you straight to the 1980s with endless neon, pulsing new songs, and awesome car additions. This update is dripping with style, giving Forza Horizon 5 players more ways to party in Mexico.

Playground Games showed off the update in a new Let's Go! livestream you can check out below, but I'll go through everything coming in the Horizon Retrowave update so you don't have to sit through it all.

Without further ado, here are all the details you could possibly need on Forza Horizon 5's 'Horizon Retrowave' update, including the new cars, songs, props, and more. There's even a surprise appearance from Minecraft!

• Five new cars. As part of the new Festival Playlist, the Forza Horizon 5 car list is once again expanding with five new vehicles for players to collect. These cars are either 80s classics or inspired by them, fitting the Retrowave theme.
  • 1980 Lotus Esprit Turbo
  • 1986 BMW M635CSi
  • 1986 Citroen BX 4TC
  • 2021 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4
  • 2022 Hyundai N Vision 74
• Horizon Wave radio station. FH5 players are in for a treat, as a brand-new radio station to fill your head with tunes while you drive is coming with Horizon Retrowave. This radio station features a new DJ, Isabel Moss, and is themed around pulsing synthwave music. There are 21 tracks on the radio station, including some new streaming friendly songs.
• Neon decorations. The Evolving World strikes again, as Forza Horizon 5 gets a little bit of a neon makeover. Most of it is centered around the legendary Highway, which is getting decked out in gorgeous and bright neon lights, complete with a neon drone show in the distance. Oh, but there's a lot more than that.
  • Neon decorations on the Highway actually sync to the music you're currently listening to
  • Nights are going to be longer for the duration of the update, too, giving players more time to enjoy the neon lights
  • Races that featured neon decorations during the Midnight at Horizon series are making a comeback
• New EventLab props. The EventLab is getting a sizeable injection of new props, and I can already see the potential for creators. There are 20 new neon props, and all but two of those props will sync to the music currently being played for a dynamic light show. Players can also choose between three light pattern variations.
• More cosmetics, including from Minecraft. Players are getting more ways to show off their style in Horizon Retrowave. There's a brand-new full-body suit complete with neon pants and a leather jacket, for one, but there's more beyond that.
  • Forza Horizon 5 is celebrating Minecraft's 15-year anniversary with two new hats modeled after the Creeper and Enderman from the iconic survival-crafting series. Players can redeem the hats for free from the Message Center
  • There will also be six new retro-themed car horns for players to earn in various ways

You can check above for a few images from the Horizon Retrowave update, including a list of all the new songs on the Horizon Wave radio station. Overall, I love FH5 updates that firmly stand behind their theme, and this update definitely qualifies. The neon decorations look great, and the possibilities for the new EventLab props are exciting. I'm also a huge fan of the new cars, especially the 2022 Hyundai N Vision 74 (I think it looks incredible).

If you're already impatient for what's next for the best Xbox racing game, though, Playground Games did offer a tease. 'Modern Horizons' is the next Forza Horizon 5 content update, and it'll apparently add a car that the FH5 community has been requesting for a long time. I'm not sure what car that could be, but I'm excited to find out.

What you need to know

• The next Forza Horizon 5 content update is Apex AllStars, and it's now rolling out to all players across Xbox and Windows PC.
• The update celebrates high-performance GT road racing with 12 new cars (five of which will be available for free through the Festival Playlist).
• The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is also permanently joining the Autoshow, letting anyone with the Credits pick it up.
• Finally, Playground Games is improving its EventLab creations spotlight, and adding plenty of new road racing props.

Forza Horizon 5 is getting a taste of Forza Motorsport, and it's awesome. Playground Games is now rolling out the Apex AllStars content update to all players as of Apr. 23, 2024, and it's packed with new cars, new ways to create, and new ways to race in Forza Horizon 5. This time around, the focus is largely on high-performance GT-class race cars, giving players a chance to merge legendary track racing with the open beauty of Mexico.

You can check out the full Let's Go! stream below for all the details, but I'll give you all the information you need to know.

Depending on your perspective, the Apex AllStars update adds up to 13 new cars to the Forza Horizon 5 car list. Five are being offered for free through the newest Festival Playlist, seven are in a new GT racing Car Pack DLC, and one drops its tight exclusivity to become widely available in the Autoshow. That's not all in this update, of course. Let's get started.

• Five new Festival Playlist cars. No point in beating around the bush — here are the five cars you'll be able to add to your garage by participating in the Apex AllStars Festival Playlist, either by hitting seasonal or series milestones, or completing challenges.
  • 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Sierra Enterprises Time Attack #1
  • 2013 Chevrolet Camaro Summit Racing Pro Stock
  • 2016 Ford GT GTLM Le Mans #66
  • 2017 Porsche 911 RSR GT Team #92
  • 2021 Hyundai Elantra N Bryan Herta Autosport #98
• New Car Pack DLC. Seven more cars are coming to Forza Horizon for the first time, but only through the Apex AllStars Car Pack DLC, which is an optional purchase for interested players. It's an excellent value compared to other Car Packs, though, offering all seven cars for just $4.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox & PC).
  • 2015 Cadillac ATS-V.R Cadillac Racing #3
  • 2018 BMW M8 GTE M Motorsport #1
  • 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT3
  • 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 R
  • 2019 Ferrari 488 GTE Risi Competizione #62
  • 2020 Chevrolet C8.R Corvette Racing #3
  • 2020 Lexus RC F GT3 VASSER SULLIVAN #14
• The Corvette E-Ray returns. Previously, the 2024 Corvette E-Ray was only available as a reward for Forza Horizon 5 players who also played Forza Motorsport (2023). Now, that exclusivity period is ending, as the E-Ray is widely and permanently available to all players via the Autoshow, for 181,000 Credits.
• New EventLab props. The EventLab 2.0 creation toolkit is getting a grand total of 23 new props in this update, spread across 8 new Asphalt Road props and 15 Elevated Road props. This will give players a lot more options for making custom, high-speed asphalt races.
• Updated Editor's Choice tab. Playground Games is making finding awesome community creations easier with the updated Editor's Choice tab, which now sorts by recently added and shows featured creations permanently as the Playground team selects them.
• New Festival Playlist. As always, the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is being updated with all-new challenges and events, this time focused around high-performance asphalt racing. Highlights include:
  • The new Podium Tank Collectible
  • Earning the Corvette E-Ray through a Showcase event
  • A new Traffic Cone outfit for completing a Photo challenge

There you have it! Obviously, the focus of this race is entirely on the cars. 12 brand-new cars and one that's now a lot easier to earn will undoubtedly excite car collectors all over the world. Asphalt racing continues to be a fan favorite, too, so it's good to see Playground highlight the high-speed format with tailored events as well as cars.

Forza Horizon 5 persists as the best Xbox racing game you can play, and it's still available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Apex AllStars content update is available to download now, but the Festival Playlist doesn't begin until Apr. 25, 2024. You can buy the Apex AllStars Car Pack for $4.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox & PC) if you're interested in adding those cars to your garage.

As always, Playground Games teased the next FH5 content update, which will be known as Horizon Retrowave. The update will seemingly take players back into the past, and will add a brand-new radio station to the game.

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5's evolving world continues to do just that with the latest free content update.
• The Race-Off update is already available and kicks off tomorrow with two community-wide challenges.
• Players can work together to meet racing goals, with up to six brand-new cars on the line.
• New EventLab props, collectibles, and even another optional Car Pack are also included in this update.

Blue vs. Orange. It's a battle as old as video games itself, and it's continuing today in the form of a new Forza Horizon 5 content update. This time, however, blue and orange aren't opposing teams — they're parallel goals, challenging the Forza community to race their hearts out and earn the exclusive reward cars before time runs out.

The Forza Horizon 5 Race-Off is just about to kick off, and the accompanying update is already available for Xbox and Windows PC players to download. We're getting a new Festival Playlist, 10 brand-new cars, and more EventLab props and collectibles. Let's strap in and race through the details, revealed at Forza.net.

You can check out the above YouTube Let's Go! or the blog post above that for the complete and total rundown, but I'll cut back the unnecessary details and just give you the meat of the Forza Horizon 5 Race-Off update.

• 4 Festival Playlist cars. Let's start with what everyone is really here for — the cars. The Forza Horizon 5 Race-Off Festival Playlist is offering four new reward cars to players that complete enough challenges, including:
  • 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
  • 2020 Audio TT RS Coupé
  • 2020 Jaguar F-Type SVR
  • 2023 McLaren Altura
• 2 community challenge cars. Completing asphalt races or off-road races in Forza Horizon 5 (not Stories, exhibitions, or other special events), will contribute to the respective community challenge. Players will have the duration of the Race-Off Festival Playlist to contribute to the community goal; if the FH5 community succeeds, everyone will get the corresponding reward car in their Message Box for free. See if you can guess which reward car is for the asphalt community challenge and which is for the off-roading community challenge.
  • 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R
  • 2024 Ford Mustang GT
• 4 DLC cars. The Forza Horizon 5 car list is expanding in another way, too, with another optional Car Pack DLC now available to purchase for $4.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox & PC). The Acceleration Car Pack features four unique, heavily stylized or custom vehicles, including:
  • 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500
  • 2019 Ginetta G10 RM
  • 2021 McLaren Sabre
  • 2022 Ford SuperVan 4
• New moving outpost and other features. Forza Horizon 5 players can now search for a new Horizon Race-Off Outpost, which will move every week and let players see the progress of the community goals. Apart from that, expect new Race-Off outfits and smashable collectibles.
• New EventLab props. EventLab is once again getting a little better, with over a dozen new racing themed props giving players more tools to design their dream racetrack. Signs, flags, walls, and outpost pieces are all here, as well as the two new collectible piñatas.

Like usual, Playground also teased the next Forza Horizon 5 update. Apex All-Stars will be landing in around a month with new reward cars and EventLab props, so look out for that! In the meantime, though, you can keep busy and have fun with the Race-Off challenges, which begin tomorrow. You can already start enjoying some of the new features now, though, including the Acceleration Car Pack DLC.

Forza Horizon 5 is hands-down one of the best Xbox racing games. This may not be one of the most exciting updates we've seen for the open-world simularcade racing game, but there are certainly some exciting vehicles from Ford, McLaren, and more here. Many will undoubtedly be especially excited for the two Mustangs included in this update.

What you need to know

• The next Forza Horizon 5 content update has been announced, and it's bringing 12 new cars from European automotive manufacturers.
• You'll be able to earn cars from Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and more in addition to a new four-car DLC pack.
• All routes from the Rally Adventure DLC is being opened to all car classes, too.
• Finally, EventLab is getting a massive injection of new props, including terrain pieces, lots of shapes, and even giant dinosaurs.

Update, Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m. CT — Playground Games has now released the Forza Horizon 5: European Automotive content update across Xbox and Windows PC platforms. New bug fixes, EventLab props, and DLC cars will be available immediately, but players will have to wait until Thursday for the European Automotive Festival Playlist to kick off. You can read the official changelog at Forza.net.

The Forza Horizon 5 European Automotive Car Pack DLC is also now available for $4.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox & PC).

Our original article continues below.

Right on schedule, Playground Games has announced the details of the next Forza Horizon 5 content update, which lands tomorrow alongside a new Car Pack DLC and ahead of the new Festival Playlist later this week. Players can look forward to 12 new cars, a lot of new options to create custom events, and even some dinosaurs. Let's get into exactly what's coming to Forza Horizon 5 this week.

• New Festival Playlist cars. Of course Forza Horizon 5: European Automotive includes a brand-new themed Festival Playlist with more challenges, races, and events to tackle, and eight new cars from European manufacturers are up for grabs as reward cars.
  • 1966 Volkswagen Double Cab Pick-up
  • 1968 Lancia Fulvia Coupé Rallye 1.6 HF
  • 1975 Citroën DS 23
  • 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500 E
  • 2002 Lotus Esprit V8
  • 2021 Mercedes-AMG SL 63
  • 2021 Volkswagen ID.4
  • 2022 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro
• European Automotive Car Pack DLC. In addition to the free cars coming to the Festival Playlist, the Forza Horizon 5 car list is being expanded with yet another optional Car Pack DLC. The Forza Horizon 5 European Automotive Car Pack is launching on Feb. 27, 2024 with the following four cars.
  • 1987 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer Wagon
  • 2019 Jaguar XE SV Project 8
  • 2020 Automobili Pininfarina Battista
  • 2021 Bentley Continental GT Convertible
• New EventLab props. Forza Horizon 5's EventLab is expanding yet again with a ton of new props that players can use to design custom events, including:
  • 25 new ramps and platforms spread across five different terrain types
  • 40 different geometric shapes in various sizes and materials
  • Six giant dinosaur models
  • A giant golden star trophy
• More Rally Adventure races. Finally, Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is becoming a little more open, with all races opening up to cars of any performance class. Players can now set lap times in any rally race with their favorite cars.

The usual batch of bug fixes and improvements accompany the new cars and features. Overall, this is a more modest content update for the best Xbox racing game, but a welcome one nonetheless (especially for those cars). The Forza Horizon 5: European Automotive update should be dropping on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 alongside the European Automotive Car Pack DLC, but the Festival Playlist won't kick off until Thursday, Feb. 29.

Playground Games also teased the next Forza Horizon 5 update, which will be called "Race-Off" and presumably focuses heavily on competitive racing. We'll learn more about that particular update near the end of the European Automotive Festival Playlist.

A new month, a new Forza Horizon 5 update. Everyone's favorite open-world racing game is celebrating the holidays with its latest content update, which is now rolling out to players across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and the various Xbox Game Pass services. Dubbed "Winter Wonderland," the update brings new and returning features, lots of new cars, and another optional car pack DLC to expand your garage.

Let's not waste any time. You can catch up on all the exact fixes and changes in this update at Forza.net, but I'll summarize all the biggest features you need to know about below.

• The return of Secret Santa. Forza Horizon 5 is embracing the spirit of the holidays with the return of Secret Santa, which encourages players to gift cars to each other. Starting today, every gifted car will count toward the community-wide gifting goal. There's a reward car up for grabs at the 50% and 100% goal milestones, with the latter remaining a mystery until that goal is met.
• A winter makeover. For the entirety of the Winter Wonderland Festival Playlist, all of Mexico will be overcast by winter. Unfortunately, this doesn't make much of a difference in FH5, since Mexico doesn't change all that much in the winter. The Stadium is getting a proper makeover, though, with holiday decorations and a new snowy racecourse.
  • Earn new Accolades by racing at the new winter-themed Stadium
  • There's also new Accolades (and a new Badge) for car collecting
  • Find new holiday decorations throughout the FH5 map
  • Witness the long-awaited return of the mighty Snowman collectible
• Forzathon Shop event. For the entirety of Winter Wonderland, the Forzathon Shop is expanding with exclusive deals on highly desirable vehicles, and players will be able to purchase one Forzathon Shop car a week to gift to another player.
• New EventLab props. Forza Horizon 5's constantly impressive EventLab 2.0 is expanding with more props, including new curbs, barriers, brake markers, and decorations. Holiday decorations are included, too.
• Various fixes and improvements. Of course, Playground Games took this opportunity to fix some issues with car audio and visuals, accessibility features, and performance.

Most people really just want to know about the new cars, and the Forza Horizon 5 car list is absolutely expanding by a fair amount with this update. Here are the 15 new cars coming to the game in the Winter Wonderland update, from four different sources.

Playground Games also revealed the 8 new cars being added to the game with the next Festival Playlist, "Community Choice," which seemingly is included in this update and won't have its own content update. The Community Choice Festival Playlist kicks off on Jan. 4, 2024.

• New Autoshow cars. In a surprise move, Playground Games is adding four new cars directly to the Autoshow, where players can purchase them with Credits. How nice.
  • 1953 Jaguar C-Type
  • 1958 Aston Martin DBR1
  • 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera 6
  • 1970 Ferrari 512 S
• Winter Wonderland Festival Playlist cars. As always, new cars are heading to players' garages via the Festival Playlist, which players can earn by completing weekly and monthly challenges, races, and events starting on Dec. 7, 2023.
  • 2000 Lotus 340R
  • 2009 Lotus 2-Eleven
  • 2019 Morgan Aero GT
  • 2022 Subaru BRZ
• Secret Santa reward cars. Secret Santa is returning for another year, rewarding players for gifting a ton of cars to their fellow players. There are two reward cars up for grabs this year, with the second reward (for completing 100% of Winter Wonderland's car gifting goal) remaining a mystery.
  • 2022 Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 (50% of goal)
  • Mystery car (100% of goal)
• Fast X Car Pack DLC. A new Car Pack DLC is joining the growing roster of paid options for players to obtain unique and premium vehicles. This time around, a collaboration with the Fast and Furious franchise sees the most iconic vehicles from the Fast X movie join Forza Horizon 5's car roster. The Forza Horizon 5 Fast X Car Pack is now available for $9.99 at Microsoft.
  • 1966 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport "Fast X"
  • 1970 Dodge Charger "Fast X"
  • 1973 Datsun 240Z "Fast X"
  • 2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody "Fast X"
  • 2022 Fast X Flip Car 2.0
• Community Choice Festival Playlist cars. Playground Games has already revealed the 8 new Festival Playlist reward cars players will be able to earn with the Community Choice Festival Playlist starting on Jan. 4, 2023.
  • 1967 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
  • 1969 FIAT Dino 2.0 Coupe
  • 2006 Koenigsegg CCX
  • 2008 Aston Martin DBS
  • 2011 McLaren 12C Coupé
  • 2012 Pagani Huayra
  • 2016 Spania GTA Spano
  • 2016 W Motors Lykhan Hypersport

Whoo, that's a lot! The Forza Horizon 5 Winter Wonderland update is just another stop in a long line of improvements for the best Xbox racing game you can play, and it's available now to download. The Winter Wonderland Festival Playlist starts on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, while the succeeding Community Choice Festival Playlist starts on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

Oh, yeah, Playground Games also revealed what's coming with that Festival Playlist. The studio asked FH5 players to vote on what they wanted to see return to the game from previous updates, so expect the return of Neon decorations in the world, 16 different PR stunts, community-chosen activities and events, and the addition of 10 cars to the Autoshow that were previously exclusive to a Festival Playlist.

What you need to know

• On Nov. 7, Forza Horizon 5 is getting its next content update, dubbed "American Automotive."
• Focusing on American-made vehicles, the update also includes plenty of accessibility improvements and bug fixes.
• Players can expect eight new cars in the Festival Playlist, as well as new rims, body kits, race tracks, Accolades, and the return of the Oval Track.
• Playground Games is also introducing more ways to spend real money, with new Forza bundles, the four-car American Automotive Car Pack, and paid Autoshow Car Vouchers.

UPDATE Nov. 7, 2023: The Forza Horizon 5: American Automotive update is now available to download across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. On Xbox Series X, at least, the content update measures ~13.51GB in size.

This update includes most of the new content and changes listed below, but the American Automotive Festival Playlist doesn't begin until Nov. 9, the American Automotive Car Pack should be available to purchase in the near future, the new Forza holiday bundles are coming on Nov. 16, and the optional Autoshow Car Vouchers aren't available yet. You can now see the full changelog for the update at Forza.net.

In case you missed it, Forza Motorsport (2023) is also getting its first major update with new cars, the Yas Marina track, and lots of fixes.

My original article continues below.

Forza Horizon 5 has two more updates planned to close out the year, and the second-to-last has been announced (and is basically already here). The American Automotive content update is releasing to FH5 players across Xbox and Windows PC on Nov. 7, 2023, with its accompanying Festival Playlist kicking off two days later on Nov. 9. As the name implies, this update is all about American-made vehicles.

I've already covered the 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire coming to Forza Horizon 5, but there's a lot more than that players can expect from the update. A new themed Festival Playlist, more races, improved accessibility, more customization options, and plenty of new cars are all here. Oh, and Playground Games is introducing more ways for you to spend your real money on the game, including new Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport (2023) holiday bundles, another paid Car Pack DLC, and even optional Autoshow Car Vouchers to let players skip the Credits grind.

Let's not waste any more time. Here's everything you can expect from Forza Horizon 5: American Automotive.

Everything new in the Forza Horizon 5: American Automotive update

• Eight new reward cars. Let's start with what everyone wants to know the most — the new additions to the Forza Horizon 5 car list. This time around, every reward car from the four-week Festival Playlist is a brand-new addition to Forza, including some very recent (and even upcoming) vehicle releases. Of course, there's also plenty of classic American muscle.
  • 1962 Lincoln Continental
  • 1964 Plymouth Belvedere
  • 1966 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport
  • 1968 Pontiac Firebird
  • 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
  • 2010 Rossion Q1
  • 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
  • 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire
• New race routes and tracks. Forza Horizon 5 is permanently getting four new race routes set on the classic Mexico-inspired map, and they are all Road Race Sprints. The Oval Track is making a return, too, taking over the Stadium and giving players another chance to earn an Accolade. Each of the four new race routes also provide Accolades for completing and/or winning each race.
• More ways to customize your cars. Playground Games has been steadily adding more ways to customize your cars in Forza Horizon 5, and the American Automotive update continues that. We're getting 20 new rims from HRE, and new widebody kits for:
  • 1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM GTA
  • 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R
  • 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
• A refreshed Festival Playlist. Starting on Nov. 9, the Festival Playlist is being taken over by American Automotive for four weeks, with a diverse array of themed races, challenges, and EventLab creations featuring American vehicles. There will also be a new Inflatable Football Collectible for players to find.
• Improved accessibility. I love to see it. Playground Games has added American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) support to every current Horizon Story in Forza Horizon 5 to date, making those miniature-campaigns more accessible to deaf players.
• Bug fixes and improvements. The American Automotive update of course includes the usual batch of fixes, including for EventLab. There are also a variety of cosmetic improvements for several cars.
• Teasing the next update. As always, Playground Games concluded its breakdown of the latest FHD content update by teasing the next one. The year is concluding with Forza Horizon 5: Winter Wonderland, dropping in December.
  • The Stadium will get another makeover
  • Secret Santa is making a comeback
  • New cars are being added

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The new ways to spend your real money on Forza

Forza Horizon 5 is a game-as-a-service, meaning it's updated into perpetuity with new content and features, but it lacks in-game microtransactions. Up until this point, Playground Games has relied on hard game purchases and optional DLCs to monetize FH5, but that's changing just a tad today with one addition.

Here are the three new ways you can spend your money on Forza.

• The American Automotive Car Pack. Releasing on Nov. 7 for $4.99, the American Automotive Car Pack adds four new American-made vehicles to Forza Horizon 5.
  • 1961 DeBerti Design Ford Econoline "Shop Rod"
  • 2017 Saleen S7 LM
  • 2020 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss
  • 2024 Czinger 21C
• New holiday Forza bundles. Starting on Nov. 16 and lasting until Nov. 30, players will be able to buy two unique Forza bundles.
  • The first bundle will feature Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition and Forza Motorsport (2023) Premium Edition, which includes both base games and all Premium Edition DLC for a discounted price
  • The second bundle will feature just the Premium Add-Ons DLC for both games, letting Xbox Game Pass subscribers or owners of the base game get all Premium Edition DLC for a discounted price
• Autoshow Car Vouchers. Finally, Playground Games is adding a way for players to spend real money to purchase any car they want from the Forza Horizon 5 Autoshow. Yeah, Tokens are back, basically. There are three ways players can purchase these new Autoshow Car Vouchers, which are entirely optional and only affect cars purchasable in the Autoshow (not Festival Playlist reward cars, challenge or collection cars, Message Center gifts, Auction House cars, or DLC cars).
  • 4 Autoshow Car Vouchers will cost $4.99
  • 10 Autoshow Car Vouchers will cost $9.99
  • 24 Autoshow Car Vouchers will cost $19.99

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Celebrating Forza Horizon 5's 2nd anniversary

Nov. 9, 2023 marks the 2nd Anniversary for Forza Horizon 5 (although that date has already passed if you count the five-day early access period for Premium Edition owners). To mark the occasion, Playground Games released the above graphic detailing all the changes and updates FH5 has seen in its bustling two years of live, including the addition of 255 cars, two DLC expansions, substantially larger garages and tune/livery libraries, a vastly improved Photo Mode, and so much more.

Forza Horizon 5 has undoubtedly changed quite a bit across its two years of life, but Playground Games teases that there's still a lot more to come for the open-world racing game. American Automotive and Winter Wonderland will close out 2023, but who knows what 2024 will bring?

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When does Forza Horizon 5: American Automotive release?

When can players expect the latest batch of content for the best Xbox racing game? Well, lets take this one item at a time. The free Forza Horizon 5: American Automotive content update will release on Nov. 7, 2023 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Xbox and PC Game Pass. At this point, players will be able to enjoy the latest quality-of-life improvements, accessibility features, bug fixes, and new content such as more vehicle customization options and four new race routes.

The American Automotive Festival Playlist will not kick off for two more days, on Nov. 9, 2023. At this point, players will be able to participate in a refreshed Festival Playlist for free, highlighting American-made vehicles, the new race routes and returning Oval Track, and more creations from EventLab 2.0. The eight new reward vehicles will also be offered through the four-week Festival Playlist.

The Forza Horizon 5: American Automotive Car Pack featuring four more American-made vehicles will release on Nov. 7, 2023 for Xbox and Windows PC. This is an optional Car Pack that will cost $4.99, and immediately add all four cars to your collection.

Playground Games doesn't actually state exactly when Autoshow Car Vouchers will be released, leading me to believe the optional microtransactions will arrive either on Nov. 7 alongside the American Automotive update or at some point in the future. Either way, the Autoshow Car Vouchers will work across Xbox and Windows PC. Autoshow Car Voucher bundles will range from $4.99 to $19.99 in price.

Finally, the new Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport bundles will be available across Xbox and Windows PC from Nov. 16, 2023 until Nov. 30, 2023. It's not clear if the bundles will disappear from storefronts permanently at the end of the month, but it seems that's likely the case. Pricing for these bundles have not been released yet.

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What you need to know

• The Forza Horizon 5 car list continues to expand at a rapid pace, encompassing all manner of cars from all over the world.
• The next FH5 update is all about American-made vehicles, though, and one such car is joining the ranks of high-performance vehicles in the game.
• The 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire is an all-electric luxury sports sedan with over 1,200 horsepower and a 0-60 of 1.89 seconds.
• The car will be available exclusively during the third week of the Forza Horizon 5 American Automotive Festival Playlist.

UPDATE Nov. 6, 2023: We have a complete (and very thorough) breakdown of everything coming to Forza Horizon 5 with the American Automotive update, including the seven new Festival Playlist reward cars being added alongside the Lucid Air Sapphire. Playground Games is also adding new paid DLC, bundles, and optional purchases.

My original article on the Lucid Air Sapphire coming to Forza Horizon 5 continues below.

Forza Horizon 5 is a nearly unbelievable size, and it's continuing to grow each month with new updates. The Día de Muertos celebration is coming to a close, and the next direction for the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is... American Automotive. FH5's latest content update will focus on American-made vehicles, celebrating the heritage of America's vibrant automobile history, from the deafening roars of muscle cars to the silent power of modern electric vehicles.

That's a good segue into one of the new cars coming to the Forza Horizon 5 car list, which already numbers over 700. Up and coming electric car manufacturer Lucid Air is officially joining the Forza franchise with the 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire, the pinnacle of the company's growing lineup and "the world's first electric luxury super-sports car."

The Lucid Air Sapphire prioritizes performance above all else, boasting a three-motor drivetrain split between two rear motors with torque vectoring paired with a third front-drive motor. Together, they deliver 1,234 horsepower — making the Lucid Air Sapphire the most powerful sedan in the world. Lucid Air incorporates its unique cooling and battery technologies to push those motors to the limit, with the Lucid Air Sapphire capable of going 0-60 mph in just 1.89 seconds, besting even the Tesla Model S Plaid. It's capable of 0-100 mph in less than four seconds, a standing quarter mile in less than nine seconds, and a top speed of over 200 mph, all with no modifications beyond the pre-production version.

What makes this car unique isn't just its performance, however. The Lucid Air Sapphire maintains the same focus on luxury as the non-performance model, with plenty of legroom, trunk space, cabin technologies and luxuries, and great battery efficiency. There's a lot more to say about this super-sports sedan; for one, it'll cost $249,000 to purchase in real life. Fortunately, you'll be able to drive this epic electric car in Forza Horizon 5 for much less than that.

The 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire will be available exclusively in Forza Horizon 5 from Nov. 23 to Nov. 30, 2023, as a reward car for Week 3 of the American Automotive Festival Playlist. I was told it'll compete with fan-favorite cars like the infamous Jesko, but I'll have to see it in the best Xbox racing game to believe it.

With all the attention Forza Horizon 5 gets it's easy to overlook Ubisoft's take on the open-world racer. But with a Prime Day discount like this on a brand-new release, there's no reason to look past it anymore. 

The Crew Motorfest is reduced right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, with $20 off each version. And you get a lot of game for that. 

The first two games in The Crew series were very different to each other, but both took place on a huge map that encompassed the entire United States. It's a little slimmed down for Motorfest, taking a more Forza Horizon approach to proceedings: 

"Get ready to experience the ultimate driving adventure on one of the world's most breathtaking islands: O'ahu, the jewel of the Hawaiian archipelago.

Do everything on your own or with other players: join high-speed street races through the bustling city of Honolulu, test your off-road skills on the ashy slopes of a volcano, master the perfect curve on the tracks. When you're ready to relax, kick back on the sunny beaches behind the wheel of your favorite supercar, or bring a buggy to explore the hidden paths of the luxurious rainforest."

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The map may be smaller this time, but there's still plenty to explore. Like Forza Horizon 5, there are more than just asphalt races to get your teeth into, taking advantage of every aspect of the world it takes place in. For sim racers, this is not, but for anyone who just wants to have a good time and drive some insane cars, it's a riot. Grab this hefty discount before the end of the day, because it'll be gone then. 

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 continues to improve month after month with a variety of post-launch updates.
• In October, FH5 is celebrating Mexico's most famous holiday, Día de Muertos, with a themed update and new content.
• The update brings five new cars to the Festival Playlist, including the Nissan Tsuru, Forza Horizon's most requested car of all time.
• There's also a new Car Pack bringing four more high-performance cars to the game.

UPDATE Oct. 10, 2023: The accompanying update for Forza Horizon 5's Día de Muertos celebration is now rolling out to all players across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Xbox and PC Game Pass. There are plenty of new features and improvements available now, such as new achievements, a drift camera, more EventLab props and enhancements, and more.

The Festival Playlist and its reward cars, including the highly anticipated Nissan Tsuru, kick off on Oct. 12. If you can't wait that long, the Tsuru is already available as a starter car in The Eliminator. There's also the new Super Speed Car Pack available to purchase with four additional high-performance vehicles.

You can find the full changelog for the Forza Horizon 5 Día de Muertos update on Forza's website. Our original article continues below.

The highly-anticipated launch of Forza Motorsport (2023) means little for Forza Horizon 5, which continues to enjoy healthy post-launch support. This month, players are getting a themed update celebrating Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, with a whole range of decorations and new content. Players are also finally getting the most requested car in Forza Horizon's history: the Nissan Tsuru.

This month, players can join in the Día de Muertos celebrations, earn new cars through the Festival Playlist, celebrate the release of Forza Motorsport, and increase their Gamerscore with a host of new achievements. Oh, and Forza Horizon 5 is getting yet another Car Pack DLC with four more additions to the Forza Horizon 5 car list... for those who are willing to pay for it.

You can check out the Forza Horizon 5 Let's Go! stream detailing the changes, or just scroll a little bit further to get my concise summary of the new features.

• Día de Muertos takes over Mulegé. During the entire duration of the Festival Playlist, players will be able to explore Mulegé adorned with a wide variety of decorations for Day of the Dead, including a drone show that will appear in the night sky above the city. The Festival Playlist will also celebrate the holiday with a ton of themed events, challenges, and rewards.
• New EventLab props. The newly upgraded EventLab 2.0 is enjoying a ton of new props for Día de Muertos, letting players create their events and races celebrating the holiday.
• More gifts. Players will receive three gifts through the Message Center during the Día de Muertos celebrations, all three being outfits. Two will be for Día de Muertos, but the third will come on Oct. 10 to celebrate the official launch of Forza Motorsport (2023).
• New achievements. 12 more achievements are joining the growing Forza Horizon 5 list, giving players another opportunity to increase their Gamerscore. The achievements are for completing recently added Horizon Stories, testing cars on the Horizon Test Track, or using the new Photo Mode features.
• New cars. Of course, Forza Horizon 5 is getting a fresh batch of brand-new vehicles, including the 2010 Nissan Tsuru. The Tsuru is well-known in Mexico, and is the most requested car from the community in Forza Horizon 5 history. The Tsuru will also be a new starter car for The Eliminator. The five cars coming to the Festival Playlist include:
  • 1951 Porsche 356 SL
  • 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
  • 2010 Nissan Tsuru
  • 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
  • 2023 Meyers Manx 2.0
• Super Speed Car Pack. Forza Horizon 5 is getting another Car Pack DLC, this time with more high-performance vehicles. The four cars included in the Super Speed Car Pack, which will be available from Oct. 10, includes:
  • 2019 Elemental RP1
  • 2020 KTM X-Bow GT2
  • 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
  • 2022 Volkswagen Golf R
• Quality-of-life improvements. As always, Forza Horizon 5 is getting more bug fixes and improvements in the upcoming update, mostly focused on EventLab 2.0. There's also going to be a brand-new drift camera, though, which players can configure in settings to offer an alternative perspective when drifting.

Forza Horizon 5: Día de Muertos will release as a free patch update on Oct. 10, 2023, with the accompanying Festival Playlist kicking off on Oct. 12. Players will be able to access most of the new content short of the Festival Playlist in the two-day interim, as well as purchase the Super Speed Car Pack to add those vehicles to their collection.

With these updates, Forza Horizon 5 maintains its position at the top of the best Xbox racing games, but it's obviously getting some competition from its younger sibling now. Forza Motorsport (2023) is now available on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC in early access, but officially launches to all players and on Xbox Game Pass on Oct. 10, 2023.

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 has enjoyed a ton of new content and vehicles since its launch.
• Its EventLab creation suite for players has also seen a lot of updates, but none as big as this one.
• The Horizon Creatives update will introduce EventLab 2.0 to FH5 creators with a ton of improvements.
• New props, tools, community sharing features, and a massive EventLab island with increased prop budget make EventLab far more powerful.
• Of course, the update also includes plenty of new cars and a fresh Festival Playlist.

UPDATE: This article was originally published on Sept. 8, 2023, and was updated on Sept. 12, 2023 with the information that the Horizon Creatives update is now available to download for Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. The update is approximately 15.67GB in size on Xbox Series X, and includes EventLab 2.0 and several new features/improvements right away. The Horizon Creatives Festival Playlist officially starts on Sept. 14, 2023. Our original article continues below.

Forza Horizon 5's post-launch life has been incredibly healthy, with Playground Games releasing regular updates with new vehicles, fresh content, and plenty of quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes. The latest update is an incredibly exciting one especially for creators, however, as it sees Forza Horizon 5's already-powerful EventLab become a whole lot better.

The Horizon Creatives update for Forza Horizon 5 is almost here, and it introduces EventLab 2.0, eight new cars, and new ways to customize your favorite cars. The completely free update rolls out to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass players on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The accompanying Festival Playlist refresh will begin on Sept. 14.

Here's a run down of everything you need to know about the Horizon Creatives update for Forza Horizon 5:

• EventLab 2.0. The headlining feature for this update is EventLab 2.0, a major update to the EventLab creation suite that will make it easier for the community to create custom content for the game. There are plenty of new features here, including:
  • The ability to save collections of props as Prefabs, which can be placed, duplicated, and manipulated as if they were single objects. Prefabs can be saved and shared with the community, and community Prefabs can be accessed straight from the builder.
  • The massive EventLab Island, a 2km x 2km concrete slab with a massively increased prop budget, which can be used to create far more intricate and complex EventLab creations than ever before.
  • A ton of new props, including pieces to create petrol stations, a plethora of basic shapes, and much more.
  • A ton of quality-of-life improvements, like custom flyers, a multi-selection tool, improved prop attachments and grid alignment, time-of-day and weather previews, and more.
• New cars. Eight new vehicles are being added to the Forza Horizon 5 car list, including multiple vehicles from BMW and new electric cars from Rivian. Here are seven of those eight cars:
  • 1995 BMW 850CSi
  • 2021 BMW M3 Competition Sedan
  • 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40
  • 2022 BMW iX xDrive50
  • 2022 Rivian R1S
  • 2022 Rivian R1T
  • 2023 BMW M2
• Forza Motorsport reward vehicle. All players who play Forza Motorsport (2023) will receive the brand-new 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray in Forza Horizon 5 for free. This car is one of the two cover cars for Turn 10 Studios' upcoming simulation racing game.
• New car customization. Forza Horizon 5 is getting 20 new rim options for all cars, as well as new body kit options for select BMW vehicles.
• Refreshed Festival Playlist. The Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is getting refreshed with the above rewards cars and a ton of featured EventLab creations, themed challenges and events, and more. In line with the Horizon Creatives theme, this Festival Playlist is all about community creations.
• Dia de Muertos tease. Spooky season is almost upon us, and Playground Games has teased that the next Forza Horizon 5 update will be themed after the Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos. On top of that, the studio has revealed that "Forza Horizon 5's most requested car" will be added in this update.

Forza Horizon 5 has dominated the list of best Xbox racing games for nearly two years now, and the expansive, open-world, live service racing game shows no signs of slowing down. The Horizon Creatives update looks to be an exciting new chapter for the game, and the reaction from the community has been immensely positive. Players will be able to download this update as soon as Sept. 12.

In the meantime, the next generation of Forza Motorsport is just around the corner. Stay tuned to Windows Central, as our official preview is coming on Monday, Sept. 11.

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 continues to expand with new content, cars, and features over time.
• On Tuesday, Playground Games released the "Italian Automotive" update to players across Xbox and PC.
• The major update brings 23 new cars from returning Italian manufacturers, spread across the Festival Playlist, Autoshow, and a new DLC.
• The update also doubles the Garage size from 1,000 cars to 2,000, and increases the number of Tune and Livery slots players have to 1,000.

Forza Horizon 5 has evolved by leaps and bounds since its eventful launch nearly two years ago, but one thing that has been notably absent from the game since day one is a number of Italian automotive manufacturers that were present in previous games. Finally, the situation is improving, with fan favorite cars from Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Abarth and more returning to Forza Horizon 5 with the "Italian Automotive" update.

The Forza Horizon 5 "Italian Automotive" update is now rolling out to all players across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, and includes a large number of new cars, features, and bug fixes for players to explore. Of course, you' re also getting a new Festival Playlist themed around the new Italian cars for Forza Horizon 5 players to explore and complete.

Here's an overview of all the biggest additions in this update:

• 23 new cars in total. You heard me right... There are 23 new cars in this update, and all hail from Italian manufacturers. The cars are spread across the Festival Playlist as reward cars, the Autoshow as purchasable cars, and the new Italian Exotics Car Pack DLC that plays can now buy.
• Festival Playlist cars. These are the eight cars players will be able to earn by completing the "Italian Automotives" Festival Playlist, which kicks off on Aug. 17, 2023 and will last for four weeks.
  • 1980 Abarth 131
  • 1982 Lancia 037
  • 1986 Lancia Delta S4
  • 1992 Alfa Romeo 155 Q4
  • 2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
  • 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C
  • 2016 Abarth 659
  • 2017 Abarth 124
• Autoshow cars. These are the eight cars players can now purchase from the Autoshow starting right now, with the release of the "Italian Automotives" update.
  • 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Stradale
  • 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ2
  • 1968 Abarth 595 Esseesse
  • 1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
  • 1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
  • 1980 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
  • 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo
  • 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde
• Italian Exotics Car Pack. Players can now purchase the Italian Exotics Car Pack DLC for $9.99 at Microsoft (Xbox & PC), which includes seven beautiful cars from high-end Italian companies.
  • 2018 Lamborghini Huracàn Super Trofeo #63 Squadra Corse 
  • 2019 Italdesign Davinci Concept
  • 2020 Ferrari Roma
  • 2020 Lamborghini Essenza SCV12
  • 2020 Lamborghini SC20
  • 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB
  • 2022 Lamborghini Huracàn Tecnica
• A lot more space for cars. Playground Games has been working for ages to overcome the various obstacles between it and the release of a feature fans have been requesting for ages... more Garage space. Here's what you need to know:
  • The reserved disk space for Forza Horizon 5 game saves is increasing to 2GB
  • The Autoshow, Car Select screen before races, Garage, and Auction House have been updated to support more cars and car thumbnails
  • Xbox and Playground Games servers have been updated to support more cars, liveries, and tunes
  • Now, max Garage count for every player has increased from 1,000 to 2,000 cars
  • Players can also have 1,000 of each liveries and tunes (up from 600 of each)
• Other new features. Here are some of the other great things includes in the "Italian Automotive" Forza Horizon 5 update that don't merit their own section, including:
  • New Italian Automotive Collector Accolade
  • Seven new EventLab props
  • A new themed Festival Playlist
  • Limited-time Italian automotive billboards and a new Boat Piñata collectible in the Evolving World
  • Plenty of bug fixes and performance improvements
  • The addition of the two Barbie vehicles to the Autoshow

You can go download the Forza Horizon 5 "Italian Automotive" update right now, and it measures approximately 14.33GB in size (at least on Xbox Series X). This is an important update for the game, as it both brings back fan-favorite cars and pushes the Forza Horizon 5 car list up over the 700 number, an incredibly impressive milestone that matches what Forza Horizon 4 was able to accomplish.

Forza Horizon 5 remains the best Xbox racing game you can play right now, but it's also just one of the best Xbox games in general. A lot has changed about the game since our Forza Horizon 5 review was released nearly two years ago. It's great to see Playground Games continue to add a ton of new cars. Now, we just have to wait for Forza Motorsport (2023) to release.

What you need to know

• Xbox has revealed a collaboration with Barbie to coincide with the release of the Barbie film.
• Forza Horizon 5 will feature two new vehicles; the 1956 Chevrolet Corvette EV Corvette and the 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup.
• You can win your own Barbie-themed Xbox faceplate or Xbox Series S.
• Get lucky, and you could hold one of ten Xbox-themed Barbie dolls with complete Xbox accessories.
• Meet the creators behind Forza Horizon 5, and learn some of their memories connected to Barbie.

Xbox has announced a new fabulous partnership with Barbie. Ranging from in-game content for Forza Horizon 5 to their own lineup of Barbie dolls. It looks like Barbie is meeting Xbox on the runway in numerous forms.

Their blog post announcing the content states, "This Barbie is a gamer! Together with Warner Bros. Pictures and Mattel, Xbox is excited to invite fans on a fun, fashionable, and inspirational ride this summer to celebrate the much-anticipated release of the new movie 'Barbie,”'premiering in theaters on July 21. Bringing Barbie’s signature flair to our gaming platform, we’re honoring all that there is to love about this iconic role model: her persevering optimism, wide-ranging career journey and never-ending capacity for self-discovery. Audiences of 'Barbie'will follow the heroine to the furthest reaches of Barbie Land and beyond, and now fans can follow in her high-heeled footsteps with exclusive Forza Horizon 5 in-game content, an inspiring video about careers in gaming with a Barbie touch, the first ever Xbox Barbie dolls, and our most stylish custom Xbox hardware yet."

Race like Barbie and Ken in Forza Horizon 5 

Both vehicles featured in the film will be freely available for download. These vehicles include a more classical 1956 Chevrolet Corvette EV Corvette and a modern 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup. Simply check the in-game messaging system; you should see both vehicles available.

“Racing at the intersection of style, speed and self-expression, “Barbie” fans new and old can find the inspiration to follow their own road and get in the game."

It's common for gamers to have figures related to their favorite games; how about a Barbie to match? Xbox also announced fans could win one of ten specially designed Barbie dolls featuring Xbox gear and accessories via international sweepstakes

"To celebrate our commitment to being a place for everyone, we’ve rounded up ten Barbie dolls that are reflective of the Barbie line, which is the most diverse doll line on the market. We outfitted them with the latest Xbox Gear fashion, as well as accessories including an Xbox Series S console, Wireless Controller and an Adaptive Controller. Fans can win the dolls as part of an international sweepstakes."

Dream Console, Meet Dreamhouse

In a separate sweepstake, starting July 10th, players can wager points on Microsoft Rewards to win exclusive faceplates and a Barbie-designed Xbox Series S console that "has been built into the glamorous Barbie DreamHouse." The controller faceplates were designed after Barbie and Ken’s distinct on-screen outfits.

From Xbox, "Young girls thrive when they have someone to look up to, and Barbie has exemplified their limitless potential for decades. With over 200 careers, Barbie continues to reflect new movements. Movie-going audiences will see themselves represented in the film’s Barbies, who are thriving in professional roles ranging from physicist to President. In collaboration, Xbox is spotlighting some of the dolls’ real-world counterparts in the gaming field with a video. Hear about the different careers in gaming as those who work on the Forza franchise speak about their own career journeys, motivations, and personal Barbie connections. Fans can also see the video debut as part of a very special livestream on July 14th from the World of Barbie, where fans can learn about “Barbie” and see our hosts race in Barbie and Ken rides from the movie, in Forza Horizon 5."

Xbox and Microsoft are no strangers to partnering with brands outside the Dorito ecosystem. One of which included an Oreo partnership that included ways to obtain free Oreo cookies. These collaborations are always fun, if not humorous, as things like Barbie are never expected. Here's to a hopeful collaboration with Heinz so our editor Jez can get some free beans.

What you need to know

• Donut Media, the popular automotive brand, is returning to Forza Horizon 5 in the latest Festival Playlist Series.
• Series 22 "Upgrade Heroes" brings a new dual-path Horizon Story, more rims, and lots of additional cars.
• Four Donut Media cars, five Festival Playlist rewards cars, and a new four-car DLC pack are all coming in this update.
• The Horizon Test Track is also returning without car restrictions, making it easy to modify and test your vehicles.

Another Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is winding to a close, so it's time to look forward to what comes next. According to Playground Games, Forza Horizon 5's Series 22 update sees the return of popular automotive entertainment brand Donut Media to the game (last seen in Series 14) with a focus around vehicle upgrading and a ton of new cars to collect.

Forza Horizon 5 can explore the Upgrade Heroes Festival Playlist with new and returning features, more content, and up to 13 new cars added to the expansive, constantly growing Forza Horizon 5 car list. While not the largest update we've seen for the game, there's enough here that should appease long-term FH5 players.

Here's quick rundown of all the new features in Forza Horizon 5 Series 22 "Upgrade Heroes."

• New "Hi-Lo" Horizon Story. Donut Media gets a new Horizon Story in the Upgrade Heroes update, with 12 chapters split into two paths. Players will be able to explore the capabilities of two heavily modified Nissan 350Zs, one with high-end parts and the other with budget parts. Up to four new cars are available as rewards during the story, as well as 20 new Accolades.
• Return of the Horizon Test Track. The Test Track from the first Donut Media appearance is back in Forza Horizon 5, except this time free from all car restrictions and easily accessible from the Horizon Mexico Festival Outpost. Players can modify their vehicles in real time and push the limits on the test track, either by themselves or with up to 12 players in a Convoy. There are 15 new Accolades and 5 new Badges associated with the Horizon Test Track.
• New rim options. Playground Games is adding another 27 brand-new rims to the massive Forza Horizon 5 catalog, which gives players even more ways to customize their vehicles and achieve the exact look they want. The rims come from Modulare, Fikse, and Rotiform.
• New collectibles, Car Horns, and more. As always, the latest Festival Playlist includes other, smaller goodies like a new smashable piñata collectible, three secret Donut Media merch stalls, and a ton of themed Car Horns.
• Plenty of bug fixes. Playground Games is constantly updating the game with new features, but the bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements are just as important. Fortunately, there are quite a few contained in Series 22 "Upgrade Heroes." One of the most interesting is a new and improved engine sound for the Nissan 350Z.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Forza Horizon 5 update without new cars. This time around, Playground Games is adding a staggering 13 cars, spread across three forms of access. Here are all of the new cars heading to Forza Horizon 5 with the Series 22 "Upgrade Heroes" update.

• Festival Playlist reward cars. Here are the five reward cars available through the Forza Horizon 5 Series 22 "Upgrade Heroes" Festival Playlist.
  • 1991 GMC Syclone
  • 1992 GMC Typhoon
  • 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series
  • 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
  • 2023 Formula Drift Nissan Z #64 Forsberg Racing
• Donut Media "Hi-Lo" cars. The Hi-Lo Horizon Story features four reward cars that can be earned by playing through every chapter.
  • 1994 Ford Supervan 3 "Donut Media Edition"
  • 1996 Formula Drift Nissan 240SX #51 Donut Media
  • 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z (350Z) "Donut Media Hi Car"
  • 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z (350Z) "Donut Media Lo Car"
• Forza Horizon 5 Racing Car Pack. A new, optional DLC car pack is coming to Forza Horizon 5 with four new-to-Forza vehicles, including highly requested cars like the 2023 Lotus Emira. The Racing Car Pack will be available from the Microsoft Store and Steam for $4.99, and is not included in any existing Forza Horizon 5 DLC or bundle.
  • 2020 Saleen Sportruck XR Black Label
  • 2021 Forsberg Racing Nissan "Altimaniac"
  • 2022 Pagani Huayra R
  • 2023 Lotus Emira

Forza Horizon 5 Series 22 "Upgrade Heroes" officially kicks off on Thursday, June 22, 2023, but the accompanying update should begin rolling out later today across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will, of course, get the update at the same time as everyone else, although the new Racing Car Pack is not included in Microsoft's gaming subscription service and can only be purchased individually.

Forza Horizon 5 remains one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, but later this year racing fans will be treated to the arrival of Forza Motorsport (2023), a true next-generation simulation racing game from Turn 10 Studios and Xbox Game Studios arriving on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass on Oct. 10, 2023. Stayed tuned into Windows Central for all the latest coverage on Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5.

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 Series 21 "Explore the Horizon" is the next content update for Playground Games' flagship racing title.
• The update brings a ton of new features to Photo Mode, six new-to-Forza vehicles, new Accolades and activities, and more.
• It also includes a decent number of additional bug fixes and improvements for Forza Horizon 5.
• Forza Horizon 5's Explore the Horizon update releases on Tuesday, May 23, while its accompanying Festival Playlist begins on Thursday, May 25.

Forza Horizon 5 may not be the newest video game on the block anymore, but it's still enjoying regular updates with new content and improvements. On Monday, Playground Games revealed the next big update for Forza Horizon 5, and it's right around the corner.

The next update heading to Forza Horizon 5 players sits under the "Explore the Horizon" title, and is the 21st Festival Playlist Series for the game. In a blog post and Forza Monthly livestream, Playground Games detailed what players can expect from the update, which is all about exploring the beauty of FH5's Mexico.

Here's what you need to know.

• Massive Photo Mode improvements. Forza Horizon 5 already boasts a full-featured Photo Mode (and the community has captured some truly impressive shots), but it's about to get a whole lot better with new features, including:
  • The ability to change the time of day
  • The ability to change the weather
  • The ability to change the tilt of your vehicle's wheels
  • The ability to position your character outside of the vehicle
  • The ability to use your character's emotes for poses
  • A way to enable different visual guidelines, including one to preview how a photo will look in portrait orientation
  • The ability to create and save Photo Presets to quickly access your favorite settings
• New cars. Like always, the latest Forza Horizon 5 update includes brand-new vehicles. This time around, there are six new-to-Forza cars coming to the Forza Horizon 5 car list — including two EVs!
  • 1972 Chevrolet K-10 Custom
  • 1986 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat
  • 2019 DeBerti Ford Super Duty F-250 Lariat "Transformer"
  • 2021 CUPRA Formentor VZ5
  • 2022 CUPRA Tavascan Concept
  • 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup
• New Pathfinder Challenges. A new kind of challenge is joining the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist with Pathfinder. Travel to a designated starting point and then follow the route by finding trail marker balloons, which will take you on a trip across Mexico.
  • There are a total of 12 Pathfinder Challenges in Forza Horizon 5 Series 21, with three each Season
  • Completing all three Pathfinder routes in a Season will reveal a nearby Treasure Chest to locate and smash
  • Completing all 12 Pathfinder routes will unlock a new Player Badge.
• New Accolades. Leaderboard climbers can complete new Accolade challenges, with well over two dozen Accolades surrounding the new Photo Mode features and Pathfinder Challenges.
• New vehicle modifications. The new "Overlanding" vehicle modification introduced in Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure exclusively for the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum is now coming to 16 additional trucks in Forza Horizon 5 "Explore the Horizon."
• More EventLab props. Once again, the growing EventLab catalog of props and items is expanding. This time, pieces of the Horizon Oval Circuit are being added to the "Racing" category.
• Lots of bug fixes. Playground Games has baked in a sizeable number of general bug fixes and improvements in this update, including improvements for crashes when editing saved projects in EventLab, various fixes for incorrect car models or customization options, missing mouse cursors on PC, and more.

Following a high-performance, asphalt-racing focused update, it makes sense that Playground Games would follow it with the "Explore the Horizon" update. Players will have new reasons to explore the gorgeous map of Mexico while adding a variety of brand-new cars to their garage. The 2022 HUMMER EV is likely to be particularly exciting for many players, as it combines overwhelming size with overwhelming speed and power.

Forza Horizon 5 is still going strong as one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With Forza Motorsport (2023) coming later this year, it's never been a better time to be an Xbox racing fan.

What you need to know

• The next Forza Horizon 5 update, Series 20, officially kicks off on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
• Ahead of its debut, Playground Games has detailed what players can expect from the "High Performance" update.
• Finally, Forza Horizon 5 is going to get a dedicated oval racetrack at the stadium.
• Four highly requested cars are also joining the car list, including the 2021 Porsche Mission R.

Update, April 25, 2023, at 12:20 p.m. CT: The Forza Horizon 5 Series 20 "High Performance" update is now available to install across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Window PC. The update is approximately 9.23GB in size on Xbox Series X, and includes all the features and changes listed below. You can view the full changelog at Playground Games for all the bug fixes and other improvements.

Forza Horizon 5 Series 20 doesn't officially kick off until Thursday, April 27, 2023. Our original article continues below.

Forza Horizon 5 is officially at a score of updates with the arrival of Series 20 "High Performance," which looks to be an exciting release for fans of high-speed road racing and high-end sports cars. The upcoming update features some great quality-of-life improvements in addition to some highly requested features and cars.

Let's not beat around the bush — Here's what's coming in the Forza Horizon 5 Series 20 "High Performance" update:

• A proper oval racetrack. Forza Horizon 5's Stadium at the center of the map is getting one of its biggest overhauls yet. Finally, FH5 players will be able to race around a legitimate oval racetrack in their fastest vehicles, competing against other players for the best lap times.
  • The Horizon Oval Circuit is the real deal, complete with stands and crowds
  • The oval racetrack will take over the Stadium for the entire duration of the Series in Freeroam
  • After the Series is over, the Stadium will return, but the Horizon Oval Circuit will be permanently added to the game as a Race Route
  • It'll also be useable as a starting point for EventLab Blueprints and Events
• New cars. Forza Horizon 5 Series 20 will feature four additions to the Forza Horizon 5 car list, with some highly requested vehicles, including:
  • 2019 Porsche Motorsport 935 #70
  • 2020 Lamborghini Huracán STO
  • 2021 Audi RS 6 Avant
  • 2021 Porsche Mission R
• A new Festival Playlist. Of course, as with every Forza Horizon 5 Series update, Series 20 comes with a new Festival Playlist. 6 Evolving World PR Stunts are returning during this Festival Playlist, there will be a new Piñata Helmet Collectible, and players will be able to earn new cosmetics and phrases throughout the Festival Playlist.
• New Accolades and Badges. Completionists can pursue 20 new Accolades centered around the Horizon Oval Circuit and Series 20, and can also add three new Badges centered around collecting as many unique vehicles as possible.
• Quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes. This update is packed with new improvements and general fixes for Forza Horizon 5, with some of these guaranteed to make a lot of players happy. One of these issues (regarding control mapping), was a concern I brought up in my Forza Horizon 5 review nearly a year and a half ago. Some of the highlights include:
  • Prosthetics and hearing aids can now automatically adapt to your character's skin tone
  • Requirements to bind ANNA and Forza LINK to the D-Pad with custom controller profiles have been removed
  • A bug causing roads to not appear as discovered on the map has been fixed
  • The HUD now better supports ultrawide displays on Xbox

Forza Horizon 5 players don't have to wait long to get their hands on the new features and content in Series 20 "High Performance." The Festival Playlist and Evolving World will begin on Thursday, April 27, 2023, but the accompanying update should arrive before then (usually the Tuesday before) on every platform. This does mean an end to the extended night times of Forza Horizon 5 Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon," but new content is right around the corner.

Forza Horizon 5 has long been one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, and it continues to get better with every update. In case you missed it, Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure recently released with a ton of fresh content for players to explore, fulfilling Playground Games' promise to release two DLC expansions for the game during its lifetime. FH5 isn't done, however, as it'll undoubtedly get a lot more iterative Series updates moving forward.

Windows Central's take

Forza Horizon 5 has been looking good with the last few updates, and Series 20 "High Performance" is no exception. The Horizon Oval Circuit, particularly, is something players have been requesting since the game launched, so it's great to finally see it added. I wish it could be made a permanent addition to the map, but that would mean sacrificing the Stadium and Playground Games may have other plans for it in the future. Still, at least it'll always be available as a racetrack, which should make players happy.

It'll be interesting to see how Forza Horizon 5 continues to keep players interested moving forward, now that both DLC expansions are released. How long will we continue to see new cars be added to the game? Either way, the game's post-launch support has been very strong, and the car list continues to expand at a healthy pace. It seems Forza Horizon 5 is in very good shape, right now.

There are plenty of awesome Xbox and PC controllers out there, but in most cases, they're all a variation of each other. Whether that's in design or features. Some have trigger stops, replaceable sticks, remappable buttons, and RGB, but essentially, it's been some time since anything truly unique came along. 

Thrustmaster, better known for its racing and flight sim hardware, has done just that, though. This licensed Forza Horizon 5 version of its eSwap Pro X controller has a module that's designed entirely for racing games. 

On the face of it, you could think it's a gimmick, something tossed in to fit better with the Forza Horizon 5 branding. But I'm here to tell you it's anything but. After a small learning curve, it's easily the best experience I've ever had playing a racing game with a controller. 

Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review unit provided by Thrustmaster. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.

Pricing and availability

The Thrustmaster eSwap XR Pro Forza Horizon 5 controller is available to buy now with a recommended price tag of $180. For that you get the controller, the wheel module, a tool to remove the D-Pad easily, a braided cable and a little carry bag. 

Alternatively, if you already have a compatible eSwap controller, the wheel module can be purchased on its own for just $30. In both cases, you can hit up your local Amazon store to buy.

A great design with pro features

The design of the controller is comparable to the regular eSwap save for a striking new paint job inspired by our favorite open-world racer. But while the paint job certainly catches the eye, it's definitely not all this controller has to offer. 

For those looking for a pro-grade controller, it ticks all the boxes. You get built-in trigger stops, replaceable grips, software control over remapping buttons and sensitivity, and, like the regular eSwap, a customizable layout. 

Aside from the ABXY buttons, the rest of the layout can be changed to suit your own personal tastes. If you want to have the analog sticks in the PlayStation (otherwise known as wrong) layout, you can. The modules just pop out and pop back in where you want them. 

It feels high-quality and comfortable to hold. The overall shape is reminiscent of the Xbox controller, and that's good. The rear buttons are located perfectly, too, so that even smaller hands like mine can hit them without issue. 

This is particularly important when using the wheel module, as the rear buttons can be used in place of the D-Pad which you've most likely replaced it with. 

A couple of minor flaws

Before getting into what this controller is really all about, I do want to address a couple of small things I'm less happy with. The first is that it still uses a micro USB cable and not USB-C. 

The cable that comes with the controller is high-quality and braided, so it'll stand up to some use. But it's still micro USB. And that standard should have died out by now. The eSwap has been available for some time, but I would still have hoped for a 2023 version to have been updated

Not just this, though, but it's also a cable you have to look after. It uses a first-party design to lock the cable into the controller, so if you lose it or it breaks, there's no guarantee that you can just use any old cable you may still have lying around. 

There's also the carry bag that comes with it. On one hand, I love to see this. But on the other, it isn't very big. It's just big enough to hold the controller, and you can squeeze your spare module inside. But it's not big enough to also hold onto that cable or the tool you need to extract the D-Pad module. So it seems a little poorly thought out. 

A wheel on a controller is a game changer

The real meat of this controller comes in the wheel module, though. Truthfully, you won't be looking at buying one of these if you don't play a lot of racing games, no matter how much you like the paint job. It's unashamedly targeted at digital racing, and that's OK. 

The decision to build a small wheel that fits into the modular design of the eSwap is something truly great. You can use it in any of the slots on the controller and the great part is that it just works. 

Here's how I had it set up. I kept the two analog sticks in the preferred offset configuration that we Xbox gamers love. Then I just replaced the D-Pad with the wheel. For me, that felt the most comfortable, as the wheel module only requires minimal rotation of the thumb, so I can just rest on it and rotate it as needed. 

Just working is a key part of this, too. You do have control over the controller settings in the ThrustmapperX application on Windows, but you can just slap it in and get going right away. Racing games will recognize it, and you simply use it in place of a stick. 

There is a learning curve, just as there is when you first try using a full racing wheel, having stepped up from a controller. Movements need to be more precise, but the level of control you have feels so much more natural than using an analog stick. And specific to Forza Horizon 5, drifting is so much better using this than just a regular analog stick. Not only does it feel more natural, but it's also more responsive to fine movements to keep those streaks going. 

The best part is that if you already have a compatible Thrustmaster eSwap controller, you don't need to part with a ton of cash to get in on this. The dedicated controller is awesome, as seen here, but the wheel module is available separately. too. So for a $30 outlay, you can upgrade your existing controller. 

Ultimately, it's a small, but incredibly worthwhile upgrade over the regular eSwap controllers unashamedly targeted at racing fans. There's nothing else like it right now. It is unique and brilliant.

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is finally here, fulfilling Playground Games' promise to deliver two full DLC expansions to the epic, open-world racing game. It took a while, but Rally Adventure brings an all-new area to the expanding FH5 world, plenty of new cars and content, and one fantastic new game mode that ties the entire expansion together.

When I reviewed Forza Horizon 5, I dubbed it the best racing game on Xbox, and I stand by those words. Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure isn't the departure from the core game that some players wanted, but it does offer hours of fun doing many of the same things that make the original game so amazing. Rally Adventure does stand apart in one way, and it makes the DLC a worthwhile addition to Forza Horizon 5, even if it's not the most exciting expansion we could've gotten.

Disclaimer: This article was made possible by early access provided by Xbox Game Studios. The company did not see the contents of this article before publishing.

The rundown of Rally Adventure

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure follows Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, which released on July 19, 2022. Like its predecessor, Rally Adventure brings a new map following the expansion's theme, a plethora of new vehicles, mountains of races, challenges, and events for players to tackle, and a unique campaign experience that can be played in single-player or with your friends.

Rally Adventure is set in Sierra Nueva, a diverse region populated by twisting rocky canyons, luscious palm tree forests, compact sandy dunes, and miles of fresh roads to explore. There are 28 races (24 normal tracks that each support two game modes, 3 Showcase-style events, and a Goliath race) to win, 20 PR Stunts to complete, 30 Bonus Boards (and endless Collectibles) to smash, and dozens of campaign missions spread across three unique chapters.

Of course, there are also eleven vehicle additions to the vast Forza Horizon 5 car list, with 10 of those vehicles being exclusively obtainable from Rally Adventure. The entire DLC expansion is themed after rally racing, but the races and events are split evenly between dirt and off-road, asphalt, and nighttime mixed surface races. Other quality-of-life improvements and new features are included in the free update now available to players as part of Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon."

The campaign sees you thrown into a friendly competition between returning Forza Horizon 5 characters Alejandra, Alex, and Ramiro, with each person defending their favorite type of racing and claiming to be the best rally driver. It's up to you to prove that all rally racing is amazing, but that you're the ultimate Horizon Rally Champion. It probably took me under 5 hours to reach the end of this campaign and explore all of Sierra Nueva, but there's at least twice as much content if you're aiming to 100% Rally Adventure and its Achievements and Accolades.

Sierra Nueva feels very familiar

The Hot Wheels expansion leaned fully into Forza Horizon's more arcade-like side, and was set on a ridiculously massive and impossibly gorgeous floating island interspersed with dozens of miles of suspended, life-size Hot Wheels tracks. Rally Adventure goes completely in the opposite direction, pushing more into the simulation-like side of Forza Horizon with a grounded (literally), realistic region centered around and inspired by real world rally racing.

This isn't a bad thing, as many players deigned to skip Hot Wheels because of its focus on silly fun rather than serious racing; I had a great time with Hot Wheels, but I digress. Playground Games' decision to return to Forza Horizon 5's roots, so to speak, has elicited a new kind of subjective problem — Sierra Nueva feels extremely familiar. In other words, nobody would bat an eye if Sierra Nueva had been just another region of Forza Horizon 5's map of Mexico.

Don't get me wrong, Sierra Nueva is beautiful. While it's a subtle improvement, this region does look a bit better than the base game, with more detailed background vistas, denser foliage and environments, and more. Still, there's nothing about it that makes it stand apart from Mexico. This is a new area, with diverse biomes and a unique set of roads traversing it, but after a few hours it begins to feel like you're back in the main game again. Whatever your feelings on Forza Horizon 5's previous expansion, that was never an issue with the Hot Wheels world.

I consider this more of a neutral observation than a negative complaint. Forza Horizon 5 is the greatest open-world racing game you can play, and a large part of that comes down to its incredible, vast map. Sierra Nueva encompasses everything that makes the original Mexico amazing, and it's still lots of fun to explore it. If all you wanted was more Forza Horizon 5, Sierra Nueva gives you that. Still, I can't help but wish Playground Games had thrown caution out the window to try something new instead of settling for the safe option.

At least we still have EventLab, which is giving players all the tools they need to unleash their creativity and build their own truly awesome experiences inside of Forza Horizon 5, including new props from Rally Adventure.

Redeemed by rally racing

The majority of the content in Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure follows the formula found in the main game, with one exception. As part of its rally theme, the DLC expansion introduces a new "Horizon Rally" game mode that applies to all 24 of its standard racetracks. The new game mode seems like a simple departure from Horizon's classic 12-vehicle races, but it's driven by an entirely different focus.

In Horizon Rally races, your goal is not to beat other drivers to the finish line, but instead to beat their times. All 24 of the new races are sprint-style tracks (not circuits), with checkpoints and split gates spread throughout. The character sponsoring the race (Alejandra, Alex, or Ramiro), will be in a helicopter flying ahead providing pace notes and calling out upcoming turns and hazards.

You'll race down the tracks by yourself, with no obstacle between you and a faster time other than your own skills. You don't have to consider how to get ahead of the vehicles ahead of you, nor do you have to worry about those same opponents attempting to do the same. Starting positions don't matter, either; all that's important is that you master every track to obtain the best possible time between each split gate. Learn the twists and curves of the road, find the optimal driving line, and race to the end in an effort to shave mere seconds off your time and come out on top. If you love Horizon's online Rivals mode, this feels a little like an expanded version of that.

All of these races can be completed in the classic "Horizon Race" mode as well, which pits you against 11 other drivers as you'd expect, but I genuinely enjoyed the Horizon Rally mode. It was refreshing to focus entirely on my own individual skills, and having pace notes called out with on-screen visuals helped me keep my eyes on the road rather than constantly refer to the minimap. It perfectly encompasses "rally," the theme of the entire expansion, and it's the saving grace for an otherwise mundane DLC that does little else to stand out.

To 100% the expansion, though, you'll need to revisit all 24 tracks and complete them in both Rally and Race modes, as well as use specific cars, accomplish certain tasks, and best opponents at potentially higher difficulties. These are just a few of the optional challenges in Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure (just completing the Rally races and PR Stunt challenges is enough to finish the campaign), which can grant you some sweet rewards, Xbox Achievements, and Accolades that contribute to your Hall of Fame standing.

Settling for the safe option

By practically any metric, Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is a fantastic DLC expansion. It's polished and utterly perfect in its execution, building on the fantastic foundation of the main game; it's brimming with new content for players to explore; it introduces new mechanics and quality-of-life improvements for all players regardless of if they own the expansion or not. Everyone wins, especially those players who love rally or off-road racing. From an objective standpoint, there's very little to criticize.

However, the Rally Adventure expansion is also the safe option. Playground Games didn't have to innovate or break expectations to deliver something truly unique and different for the franchise — Rally Adventure is Forza Horizon 5's version of Fortune Island (FH4) or Blizzard Mountain (FH3). It's an expansive new map with stunning natural landscapes, a lot of reasons to leave the asphalt behind, and one headlining feature to set it apart. That's all great and this is the best that has ever been, but were players wrong to hope for something outside that?

We could've gotten a huge city filled with neon and secrets, dedicated to tight, technical street racing, drifting, and proper car meetups where players could show off their proudest liveries or tunes. We could've gotten a ridiculous, high octane stunt island where players are challenged to accomplish the impossible with proper tricks, obstacle courses, and all the best parts of gymkhana. We could've gotten so many things, but instead we got more of what we already had in Forza Horizon 5. That is to say, we got more of the greatest open-world racing game ever made at its very best... So why am I a little disappointed?

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is now available to download and play on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs. It's included as part of Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition, the Premium Add-Ons Bundle DLC, the Expansions Bundle DLC, and as a standalone purchase for USD $19.99 (linked below). It is not included in Xbox or PC Game Pass like the base Forza Horizon 5 game, but subscribers do get a 10% discount.

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 is a live service, open-world racing game from Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios.
• On Monday, the studio announced Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon," the next Series update coming to the game.
• The update will bring four new cars, extended nighttime, plenty of night-related challenges and events, and much more.
• It begins right after the Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure DLC expansion releases to players.

Update, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. CT: A new content update is now available for all Forza Horizon 5 players across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs. The major update includes all the content included in both Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure (purchase necessary) and Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon" (free for everyone). Windows Central's original article detailing this new content continues below.

Forza Horizon 5 is a gorgeous game, but it's particularly stunning when seen at night. Playground Games has noticed the community's love for FH5 after the sun sets, so has cultivated an entire Festival Playlist centered around nighttime. Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon" is coming, and it's one of the most exciting FH5 updates to date.

Forza Horizon 5 Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon" brings an extended nighttime to Forza Horizon 5, giving players more time to speed through Mexico in the dark. Accompanying the longer nights are plenty of neon-themed decorations spread throughout races and the open world, ensuring that players aren't left entirely without a source of light. There's a good bit to discuss in this update, including:

• An Evolving World update. The world of Forza Horizon 5 is evolving once again, with a host of neon-themed decorations for races, events, and the open world. The Airfield is particularly influenced, with a stunning vista of neon sculptures, decals, barriers, and much more.
• A Festival Playlist, after dark. Of course, the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is joining in on the fun, with a plethora of challenges, races, and events inspired by the neon night descending on Mexico. The very first challenges for Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure are also included in this Playlist.
• Four new cars. Every Festival Playlist brings new cars to Forza Horizon 5's car list, and "Midnights at Horizon" is no exception. While only bringing a modest four cars versus the seven included in Forza Horizon 5 Series 18, players should be happy with the vehicles arriving in this update, including:
  • 2021 Lexus LC 500
  • 2021 Rimac Nevera
  • 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
  • 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
• New body kit upgrades. Playground Games has been adding new upgrades and options for vehicles in various Festival Playlist updates, and Series 19 is no exception. In addition to the available body kits and upgrades for new cars, three existing vehicles are getting new body kits options in this update, including:
  • 1997 BMW M3 (E36)
  • 2010 BMW M3 GTS (E92)
  • 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
• Other vehicle upgrades. Aside from sweet new body kits, the Midnights at Horizon update is bringing other vehicle upgrades to the game, including:
  • Anti-lag turbo options for various vehicles, which should improve the responsiveness (and therefore the performance) of those vehicles
  • New tire profile size options for 44 vehicles, including most of the major off-roading vehicles
• New EventLab props. The expansive EventLab creator is growing once again with a myriad of new props, this time from two different sources. Players can expect plenty of additional options from Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure and the Midnights at Horizon update, including new prop cars and buildings, decorations, neon lights, and much more.
• Other additions and fixes. With the Series 19 update, Forza Horizon 5 is gaining a bunch of new bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, and some nice new features. The two most notable additions include:
  • NVIDIA DLSS 3 support for RTX 40-Series GPUs, which enable up to 120Hz even with completely maxed out graphical settings
  • New steering wheel options for console players

While not strictly included as part of the Festival Playlist, the Midnights at Horizon update will also benefit from the Launch Control Assist available to all cars and the 15 songs included in the returning Epitaph radio station.

Forza Horizon 5 Series 19 "Midnights at Horizon" kicks off on Thursday, March 30, 2023, and is completely free for all players. The Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure expansion, a paid DLC, releases on Wednesday, March 29. There's a lot on the horizon for FH5 players, with hours of new content arriving for those itching to return to Mexico and take to the streets once more. Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best Xbox racing games for a reason.

The Xbox Series X can still be an elusive target for many would-be purchasers, but it's fortunately far easier to find in stock than it was at launch. If you're in the market for an Xbox Series X, this could be a great opportunity to score the console at retail price and get a free game in the box.

Dell is currently offering the Xbox Series X with a free copy of Forza Horizon 5, one of the best Xbox racing games and a brilliant way to explore a vast interpretation of Mexico behind the wheel of over 600 unique vehicles. It's unclear how much stock Dell has for this deal or how long it'll last, so if you're on the fence it's best to act fast.

It's worth mentioning that Dell does not mention on its site whether this is a discounted version of the Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle, which actually includes the Premium Edition of FH5 and all its corresponding DLC. This deal may just include the base game of FH5; if so, you can purchase the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons Bundle for all the same perks and still save money, making this a worthwhile deal no matter how you slice it. Of course, you can always search for the Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle itself, which is linked at the bottom of the article.

Want to know what you're getting into with this deal? Windows Central's Xbox Series X review breaks down the features and capabilities of Microsoft's most powerful console yet, and how it grants you access to the latest and greatest Xbox games. Our Forza Horizon 5 review details how Playground Games has crafted one of the greatest open-world racing games of all time.

What you need to know

• NVIDIA has just announced that DLSS 3 support is coming to Diablo 4, Forza Horizon 5 and Redfall.
• DLSS uses artificial intelligence to boost a game's framerate performance and graphic quality.
• For a limited time, buyers of the GeForce RTX 40 series cards will also receive a digital copy of Redfall Bite Back Edition at a $99 value.

Ahead of next week’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), NVIDIA today announced they are expanding their roster of games in the DLSS support family. To date over 270 games and apps use NVIDIA DLSS to enhance their performance, and now you can add Redfall, Diablo IV and Forza Horizon to that list. In addition to these blockbuster games being added to the roster, new adopters of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards will receive a digital copy of Redfall absolutely free!

What is DLSS 3 support? 

DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling technology developed by NVIDIA. In simple terms, DLSS uses artificial intelligence to make improvements to a game's framerate and image quality, by upscaling lower resolutions to higher ones. DLSS means your PC doesn't have to work up quite as much of a sweat to show you the game in it's full graphical glory. For Diablo 4, the required PC specifications are already pretty generous, but DLSS support will really help the graphics pop without too grueling a strain on your system.

DLSS 3 is the latest version of NVIDIA's AI-powered graphical technology, and soon you will be able to enjoy Diablo 4, Forza Horizon 5 and Redfall at their optimum graphical quality on PC.

For a limited time, GeForce RTX 40 cards will come with Redfall for free.

In a similar marketing bundle to what NVIDIA did with Hitman 3 and Marvel Midnight Suns, new buyers of the RTX 40 graphics card will receive a copy of Redfall, the Bite Back edition no less. The digital copy of Redfall Bite Back Edition sells currently for $99 and includes the following:

• A Steam copy of the game which releases on May 2nd
• Redfall Hero Pass with two future heroes
• Laser Beam Multi-Weapon Skin
• Tactical Knife Stake Weapon Attachment
• Northern Expedition Devinder Outfit
• Eyes in the Dark Jacob Outfit
• War Clothes Layla Outfit
• Engineer Volunteer Remi Outfit

Redfall is a first-person vampire shoot-em-up releasing from Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios in May, and while it's a Day One Game Pass release, the Bite Back edition being a free offering with RTX 40 cards represents amazing value for gamers wanting the premium extras. 

When will DLSS 3 support come to Diablo 4, Redfall and Forza Horizon 5?

Forza Horizon 5 which already supports raytracing, will update to DLSS 3 on March 28. Diablo 4 is released on June 6 2023 and will have DLSS 3 support from day one. Redfall releases on May 2 2023 and will also have DLSS 3 support from launch.

What you need to know

• The Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is continuing to evolve, and next up is the Horizon Wilds Takeover.
• Series 18 will bring seven new cars, an off-roading theme, and a Playlist-wide celebration of the life of Ken Block.
• There's a lot of exciting stuff in the update, including the Dinosaur Outfit Vanity Item and 20 new Accolades.
• The Horizon Wilds Takeover Festival Playlist leads into the Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure expansion launching next month.

Update, Feb. 28, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. CT: The patch update for Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 is now available to download on all platforms including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. The update arrives before the Horizon Wilds Takeover Festival Playlist kicks off on Thursday, March 2, and brings a handful of bug fixes and general improvements. You can check out those fixes in the link above, and get an extensive overview of all the new content in our original article below.

It's a big day for Forza news, with Playground Games revealed the Rally Adventure DLC expansion shortly before detailing everything to come with the Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover" content update. It's the perfect update to ease people into the hardcore rallying arriving with the upcoming expansion, with a plethora of new cars, themed events, and more.

The Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is continuing with Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover," which sees the Horizon Wilds Festival dominate with off-road and rally-themed race events, challenges, and rewards. As promised, the update also pays homage to racing icon Ken Block with a new Hoonigan vehicle, plenty of Hoonigan-related challenges and rewards, and more.

The most exciting addition for many, however, will be the seven new cars coming in Forza Horizon 5 Series 18, including two that are new to the Forza Horizon franchise. Here's everything you need to know about the Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover" update:

• Precursor to Rally Adventure. With a new DLC expansion on the horizon, it makes sense that the preceding Festival Playlist would prepare players. Series 18 is all about rally, cross-country, and off-road racing.
• Honoring the life of Ken Block. Legendary racer Ken Block sadly passed away, and Playground Games is celebrating his incredible life and career in several ways during Forza Horizon 5 Series 18, including:
  • A new "#43" Player Badge, which can be earned by driving any Hoonigan vehicle for 4.3 miles
  • 20 new Accolades involving Hoonigan vehicles, with one rewarding the Forza LINK message "Go Fast. Risk Everythang."
  • The return of an iconic Ken Block Hoonigan vehicle
  • Unique Hoonigan challenges and events throughout the Festival Playlist
• Seven new vehicles. The Forza Horizon 5 Car List is getting a sizeable expansion with the addition of seven new vehicles throughout the Festival Playlist. Two of these cars are also new to the Forza Horizon franchise.
  • 1980 Subaru BRAT GL
  • 1985 Nissan Safari Turbo
  • 1986 Audi Sport Quattro S1 #2
  • 2015 Honda Ridgeline Baja Trophy Truck
  • 2016 Hoonigan Ford Focus RS Gymkhana 9 RX
  • 2021 Polaris RZR Pro XP Ultimate
  • 2021 SIERRA Cars 700RX
• World updates and improvements. The world of Forza Horizon is being changed for the Festival Playlist, including:
  • The return of the Stunt Park in the Stadium, this time decked out in Horizon Wilds colors
  • Three new murals to discover throughout Mexico
  • The addition of the Piñatasaurus Collectible, with a matching challenge that rewards the Dinosaur Outfit Vanity Item

The Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover" content update arrives next week, with the actual Festival Playlist kicking off on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

In case you missed it, the Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure DLC expansion was officially announced, and arrives on March 29 with 10 new cars, six new biomes, an all-new rally career mode, and so much more. Forza Horizon 5 is already one of the best Xbox racing games, but it simply can't stop getting better.

What you need to know

• Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best Xbox racing games by itself, but it's being improved with two major DLC expansions.
• Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels is already available, and adds an all-new Hot Wheels-themed world and new cars.
• On Thursday, Playground Games finally announced the next Forza Horizon 5 expansion with Rally Adventure.
• Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure officially arrives on March 29, 2023, and is focused entirely on rally racing.

Forza Horizon 5 is one of the largest and most ambitious open-world racing games of all time, but Playground Games is insisting on making the game even larger over time. Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels brought a floating island sprawling with car-sized Hot Wheels tracks. On Thursday, the studio announced the next chapter for its flagship racing game with Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure, and it's coming soon.

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure features an all-new map area that focuses on frenetic, high-precision rally driving in a variety of new cars and an entire rally career mode. It's massive, and it's just around the corner. Here's what you need to know about the next addition to Forza Horizon 5.

• Sierra Nueva. Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is set in Sierra Nueva, an all-new area to the north of Forza Horizon 5's mainland map set in Mexico. Sierra Nueva is filled with new environments, locations, roads and tracks, and secrets to explore.
  • The Horizon Badlands Festival is the hub for rally racing in Sierra Nueva, and where players can go to upgrade their rally monsters
  • The Badlands Festival can be seen from a distance thanks to an always-present airborne drone show that shifts through various images
  • Sierra Nueva even includes six new biomes, like a forest that is entirely smashable, a gorgeous canyon, and a massive quarry
  • There are multiple towns, including one settled within a crater and another dubbed Pueblo Artza
  • Mexico features cave paintings, and three have been recreated in Sierra Nueva
  • Players will be able to see the full map of Sierra Nueva during the next Forza Monthly, which will be discussing Series 18 of the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist.
• Dedication to rally driving. Forza Horizon 5 is fully embracing the long-running history of rally racing, with challenging races featuring rally calls to help you anticipate the road ahead, split gates to help you gauge your skills against previous times and other drivers, and a dynamic rally helicopter that tracks your progress, and more difficult racing than what can be found in Forza Horizon 5 Mexico.
  • There's a wide variety of different races and ways to race, including asphalt, mixed-surface, and much more
• An expansive rally career mode. Of course, Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure also features a full-blown career mode separate from the main game and the Hot Wheels expansion, complete with new ways to progress, earn rewards, and unlock new content.
  • There are three teams in the Rally Adventure career, including Horizon Raptors with Alex, Apex Predators with Alejandra, and Grit Reapers with Ramiro, with each team focusing on a different aspect of rally racing
  • Each team features unique challenges and races to complete, with new cars, cosmetic items, and more up for grabs
  • Players earn reputation for completing these challenges, with the goal to max out the reputation and win every race for each team
  • Accomplishing this unlocks a unique race to challenge the ambassador for the team
  • Winning this ultimate race unlocks a new Goliath race event in Sierra Nueva
  • Rally Adventure features the largest number of races for any Forza Horizon expansion
• New car additions. Of course, Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure features plenty of new cars to the expanding Forza Horizon 5 car list, including:
  • 1973 Hoonigan Volkswagen Baja Beetle Class 5/1600 "Scumbug"
  • 2001 Ford Focus RS #4
  • 2019 Casey Currie Motorsports Ultra 4 #4402 "Trophy Jeep"
  • 2019 Jimco Fastball Racing Spec Trophy Truck #240
  • 2020 Jimco Hammerhead Class 1 #179
  • 2021 Alumi Craft Class 1 Buggy #122
  • 2021 Polaris RZR Pro XP Factory Racing Limited Edition
  • 2021 RJ Anderson Polaris RZR Pro 4 Truck #37
  • 2022 Alumi Craft Trick Truck #6165
  • 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum
• New upgrades and vehicle customizations. In order to create the ultimate rally vehicle, Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure includes new vehicle upgrades and customization options.
  • Many vehicles can now be upgraded with an anti-lag race turbo, which helps build up turbo for more responsive launches
  • Players can also enable launch control as an assist, which can manage traction, RPM, and clutch control to optimize your launch acceleration
  • This launch control is automatically done at the start of races, but can be done at any time in Free Roam by holding down the handbrake and then revving
• New music. Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure is adding new music to the expanding soundtrack, especially for the punk & rock Epitaph playlist. New tracks from artists like The Offspring, Bad Religion, and Architects are arriving with the expansion.
  • The new music is also coming to the base game, meaning all players will be able to enjoy it
• An expansion to normal racing. Of course, Rally Adventure is meant to be played in Rally Mode, which is the full, tailored rally racing experience Playground Games crafted for the expansion. However, every single race can also be played in Horizon Race mode, which is how all the races in Forza Horizon 5 Mexico are set up.
  • Cars also aren't restricted in any way. While Forza Horizon 5 will suggest vehicle types and performance classes for each race, players are free to use whatever they desire across all of Sierra Nueva.
• New EventLab props. Of course, Forza Horizon 5's creation suite is expanding the the release of Rally Adventure, with a vast arsenal of new props including branded barriers, flags, and even civilian vehicles. These props will be available to all players, including for the base game.
• Improved world. The world of Forza Horizon 5 is improving with Rally Adventure, with a number of enhancements to the overall experience, including:
  • Terrain will now react to and deform around vehicles more realistically, with a plethora of new effects
  • New crowds have been recorded to add an improved environment to rally races
  • New audio profiles have been recorded for vehicles around launch control and the new anti-lag turbos

The second DLC expansion for Forza Horizon 5 is included in several editions, including the Premium Edition, Premium Edition Add-Ons Bundle, the Expansions Bundle, and as a standalone purchase. Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure officially releases on March 29, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. If you're subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, you can enjoy a sweet discount on the DLC.

Forza Horizon 5 is hands-down one of the best Xbox racing games of all time, and the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion added hours of new content to it. Rally Adventure is obviously a very different expansion, but there's still plenty of exciting additions to come with FH5's second (and possibly last) major DLC. Regardless of how you race, there's something to be found in Sierra Nueva.

What you need to know

• Playground Games' Let's Go! streams are dedicated to showing the future of Forza Horizon 5.
• On Thursday, the company revealed the details of Series 17 "Japanese Automotive," which will celebrate Japanese made vehicles.
• There are four new Japanese cars up for grabs in the upcoming update, including the 2023 Nissan Z.
• Series 17 will also celebrate player creators and the EventLab with highlights and new prop additions.

The first Forza Horizon 5 Let's Go! stream of 2023 has concluded, with the Playground Games team firmly back in action for the new year. Series 16 has entered its final season, meaning it's time to look forward to what's next — Series 17 "Japanese Automotive," which will celebrate Japanese vehicles, including bringing a highly-requested car to FH5 players' garages.

The Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is about to begin a new era with the arrival of Series 17. Dubbed "Japanese Automotive," the entire Festival Playlist celebrates the illustrious history of cars and racing in Japan, with a number of Japanese vehicles featured throughout, both as Event requirements and as rewards. The Playlist will highlight two EventLab Events every week to celebrate the creativity of players, especially since many players love to create Japan-inspired races and locations.

The latest Let's Go! stream also included Forza Horizon 5's debut Golden Tanks Awards, which celebrates the creativity of the players in a variety of EventLab categories, including the Best Photo Location, Best Drift Event, Best Custom Ruleset, Best Race Event, and EventLab Creation of the Year. The winners of each respective category were announced throughout the show, with Playground Games intending to continue the Golden Tank Awards in the future.

Here's a quick rundown of everything you need to know about the Forza Horizon 5 Series 17 "Japanese Automotive" update:

• Cars list additions. To no surprise, the Forza Horizon 5 Series 17 update includes a number of new Japanese vehicles, including the highly requested 2023 Nissan Z and the absolutely adorable Toyota Sports 800. The full list of new cars includes:
  • 1965 Toyota Sports 800
  • 1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
  • 1995 Toyota MR2 GT
  • 2023 Nissan Z
• New wheel rims. Forza Horizon 5 Series 17 also includes a host of new rims options with which players can customize their vehicles. Four of the existing brands are getting bolstered with additional variants, with 23 new rims in total being added.
• New EventLab props and additions. With EventLab being another major focus of Forza Horizon 5 Series 17 "Japanese Automotive," it makes sense that the creative suite is being upgraded with plenty of new props. Playground Games is adding the "Car Park" props pack, which includes a ton of pre-made props inspired by car parks, including spiral pieces, speed bumps, buildings, decals, markers, and much more.
  • There are 57 unique pieces in the pack, and 33 of those props feature alternative color options
• Series 18 tease. We already know a little bit about what Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 will entail, as Playground Games recently revealed how it intends to honor legendary rally driver Ken Block in Forza Horizon 5. However, a tease of the "Coming soon" tab in Series 17 reveals that Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 will be "Horizon Wilds Takeover," with new cars, collectibles, decorations, and a stunt park.

Forza Horizon 5 remains one of the best Xbox racing games of all time, and there's frankly not a lot of competing titles vying for the spot at the moment. Playground Games' commitment to continual post-launch support is part of what makes Forza Horizon 5 so special, and the Series 17 update will shine a light on one of the most vibrant and passionate car cultures in the world.

In case you missed it, Forza Motorsport (2023) recently made an appearance during the Xbox Developer_Direct show, where it provided a fresh look at gameplay and revealed that the game will have over 500 cars and 20 unique environments at launch.

What you need to know

• Legendary rally driver Ken Block recently passed away in a snowmobile accident.
• Ken Block's famous Hoonigan vehicles feature prominently in Forza Horizon 5 and previous Horizon games.
• To honor the driver, Playground Games is gifting the 1965 Hoonigan Ford Mustang "Hoonicorn" and Ken Block's racing suit to all Forza Horizon 5 players.
• Additionally, the upcoming Series 18 update will also honor Ken Block with in-game content.

The passionate racing community was recently devastated by the news that Ken Block, proficient rally driver, YouTube star, and founder of the Hoonigan racing team, suddenly passed away in an unfortunate snowmobile accident. Ken Block and his Hoonigan vehicles were frequently featured in racing games, including the Forza Horizon series, and Playground Games is honoring the driver in the coming weeks.

Revealed in an in-game community message, all Forza Horizon 5 players are being gifted both a 1965 Hoonigan Ford Mustang "Hoonicorn" vehicle and the Ken Block Race Suit and Helmet Vanity Items, which can be redeemed immediately from the Gifts tab. Additionally, Series 18 of the Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist will honor Ken Block with exclusive in-game content and activities for players.

The unnamed Series 18 update, which should dominate most of March 2023, will include features like:

• A new "#43" Player Badge, paying homage to the racing number under which Ken Block spent his career
• New Accolades inspired by Ken Block's illustrious racing career
• A variety of Festival Playlist events featuring Hoonigan vehicles
• The new "Go Fast Risk Every Thang" Forza LINK message
• The 2016 Hoonigan Ford Focus RS Gymkhana 9 RX, offered as a reward car for a Seasonal Championship

The community response to Forza Horizon 5 honoring such a prominent figure in the industry has been positive, with players praising Playground Games for taking time to remember one of rally's most legendary drivers. Anyone can go and redeem their in-game gifts now, but the dedicated Ken Block content will have to wait until the arrival of Series 18.

Playground Games is hosting its next Let's Go! stream on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, which will go over the Series 17 update coming in the near future. Not much is known about the update coming before the Ken Block-inspired release, other than that it'll be themed after Japanese Automotives and will see the much-awaited arrival of the 2023 Nissan Z to the game. Playground Games is also working on creating a tribute video for Ken Block featuring clips and videos from the Forza Horizon community to be included in the next Forza Monthly stream.

Forza Horizon is one of Xbox's best racing games, owing in no small part to its vast collection of cars — including legendary racing vehicles, like from Ken Block's Hoonigan — and its constant stream of post-launch updates and additional content. It'll be interesting to see how the game continues to evolve into the future, especially as many wait for the release of Forza Motorsport (2023).

What you need to know

• The Xbox Series X is Microsoft's flagship current-gen console, and is in high demand.
• On Thursday, Microsoft announced a new bundle that includes the Xbox Series X and Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition.
• The bundle retails for USD $559.99, and is available from Microsoft and third-party retailers.
• With the Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle, players get the console, an Xbox Wireless Controller, Forza Horizon 5, and almost all its DLC and add-ons.

Millions of players already have an Xbox Series X in their living room, but there are countless more who haven't been able to find the Xbox Series X in stock and at its retail price, even over two years after the console's release. A new bundle from Microsoft may give some of those players a chance to acquire an Xbox Series X, along with one of its most critically-acclaimed and beloved games.

The Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle, announced by Microsoft on Thursday, is now available to preorder directly from Microsoft and is rolling out via third-party retailers such as Best Buy. The bundle retails for $559.99, a $60 increase over the cost of an Xbox Series X by itself, and includes a tantalizing amount of content for fans of one of Xbox's best racing games.

Here's what's included in the Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle:

• Standard Xbox Series X with 1TB of SSD storage
• Xbox Wireless Controller in the Carbon Black colorway
• A digital copy of Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition, which includes:
  • The base game of Forza Horizon 5
  • The Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels DLC expansion, with a new area, campaign, and vehicles
  • A second Forza Horizon 5 expansion, when it's released
  • The Forza Horizon 5 Car Pass, with 42 additional vehicles
  • The Forza Horizon 5 VIP Membership, with ongoing in-game perks and benefits
  • The Forza Horizon 5 Welcome Pack, with immediate perks like a Player House and exclusive vehicles

Normally, Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition runs for $99.99 on its own, meaning players are getting all the Premium Edition upgrades without the added premium (get it?), saving $40 with this bundle. It remains to be seen just how much stock will be available for the Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle, so interested buyers should act fast to get their hands on an Xbox Series X of their own. The Microsoft Store lists the bundle as officially releasing on Jan. 9, 2023.