Forza Horizon 5 is a racing video game set in an open world environment based in a fictional representation of Mexico. The game has the largest map in the entire Forza Horizon series, being 50% larger than its predeccesor, Forza Horizon 4 while also having the highest point in the Horizon series. The map was described by creative director Mike Brown as one of the most diverse Forza Horizon maps the team has built. The map contains an active caldera volcano, jungles and beaches, ancient Mayan temples, and towns and cities such as Guanajuato. Players can explore the open world freely, though they can also compete in multiplayer races and complete the campaign mode. Both the cars featured in the game and the player character can be extensively customised.
Players are able to create custom liveries and tunes for cars, and perform engine swaps, drivetrain swaps, or install body kits on certain vehicles. The game is the first in the franchise to support ray tracing on cars . However, the Forza Horizon 5 is on a different level on the Xbox Series X, and it's one of the few games where I prefer the 30fps quality mode over its 60fps equivalent. The rise in fidelity and the more graceful LOD transitions combined with the upgraded images elevates it significantly beyond the state of performance. True, it's not 60 fps, but the motion blur is the best I've seen in bridging the distance.
Of course, it's possible to play this game at full frame rate with Series X's mix of high, ultra and extreme settings – and this is where the PC version comes into play. Crucially, there are benefits to playing Forza Horizon 5 on Series consoles, which are not just about graphics or frame rate. Hosting the game on SSD provides a more streamlined experience on Series consoles – and it's noticeable right from the start of the experience. The intro drive is a playground, a spectacular preview of the upcoming action. It's a glorious, seamless, load-free experience on Xbox Series machines, but Xbox One consoles simply can't deliver data for each new step on time, leading to second pauses from one segment to the next. It looks a lot, but the charging delays interrupt the flow and do not leave the best impression.
Although these transitions are actually instantaneous on the new consoles, there is still loading in the main game, but it is much faster than last generation console equivalents – about 3x for the better in my tests. Forza Horizon 5 has fallen prey to the same faults that plague many online multiplayer games with prevalent server and online matchmaking issues since launch. Online stability has continued to improve with every patch and hotfix since launch, but players who enjoy online multiplayer should be aware that the experience is still far from perfect. Forza Horizon 5's fictionalised Mexico setting is one and a half times larger than Forza Horizon 4's Great Britain setting, and it is full of content to explore. But that isn't the only thing that's bigger and better in Forza Horizon 5 compared to its predecessor, as the game will also come with a total of 528 cars at launch.
This is 68 more than what was included with the launch of Forza Horizon 4, so across the board, Forza players will have a lot more to keep them entertained. The release of Forza Horizon 5 looks set to be a big day for both Xbox and Game Pass during a busy period for both. However, Forza Horizon 5 is on another level on Xbox Series X and it's one of the few games where I prefer the 30fps quality mode to its 60fps equivalent. The increase in fidelity and the more graceful LOD transitions combined with the upgraded visuals elevate it significantly beyond performance mode.
True, it's not 60fps but the motion blur is the best I've seen in bridging the gap. Of course, it is possible to play this game at full frame-rate with Series X's mixture of high, ultra and extreme settings - and that's where the PC version comes into play. Just like Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5 is a cross-gen game that is also being released on Xbox One consoles, but it's still a big leap forward for the open-world racing franchise. It's definitely one of the best-looking games you can play on Xbox Series X|S consoles today, featuring the largest open world ever seen in a Forza game. It's also an excellent casual game for players who aren't really into racing games, and it remains far more accessible than the pretty demanding Forza Motorsport series.
Ultimately, Playground has delivered an excellent game for all Xbox systems. The surprise package for me was the Xbox One X – detail level pop-in and longer loading are stains, but maybe that's only because these areas of the game are so dramatically improved on the series' hardware. Graphically, it's a treat, and Scorpio Engine continues to amaze in its ability to service a 4K display.
Judging on its own merits, it is a good version of the game and a worthy successor. The fact that it retains Forza's signature 1080p 4x MSAA image quality and a consistent 30fps helps tremendously to mitigate some of the clearer cuts – it adds tremendously to the overall polishing. Quality mode looks great, performance mode is locked at 60 fps, and for those still playing on 1080p screens, I can not foresee any complaints.
Forza Horizon 5 is also an impressive test case for Microsoft's cross-generational hardware strategy. I played the game for several hours on my Xbox One X, and it doesn't feel compromised compared to anything else on the console. It's still a better-looking game than 3 and 4, and it looks more or less the same as the Series X version's 60fps mode — just running at half the frame rate. The One X is generally a machine designed for 4K/30fps games, and that's what you get here with Forza Horizon 5. Would the Series X game have looked even better if it didn't have to run on Xbox One consoles? Maybe, but it's hard to complain about the performance on either platform.
Forza Horizon 5 doesn't change the basic structure, and there's still a huge amount of stuff dotting the Mexican map. But it does do a better job of easing you into its mountain of content. You're able to choose which specific types of events to unlock as you progress, so, for example, I preferred to focus on closed-track road races early on before delving into cross-country rallies. I feel like if I stopped playing the game and came back to it weeks later, I'd have a much better sense of what I'd been doing and where would be best for me to spend the next couple of hours.
In turn, that makes me feel better about simply driving around the landscape in search of whatever esoteric quest I might come across. Unlike with 4, I've never felt like I'm wasting my time in Forza Horizon 5, as I always have more of a sense of what I could be working toward. But sometimes a game can be so pretty that it helps you appreciate an experience that you would normally feel mild about.
When I do enjoy a racer, it's usually a more arcadey experience like Ridge Racer Type 4 or the more recent Cruis'n Blast. Developer Playground Games has quite the track record when it comes to optimizing its games, and the latest Forza Horizon installment is no exception. As expected, there are graphical and performance differences between the platforms with the PC version running the game on maximum settings on an NVIDIA RTX 3080. Interestingly, however, is that the Xbox Series X matches the highest PC settings in the game's quality mode (4K@30FPS). The Series X also supports a performance mode that runs the game in 4K resolution at 60FPS – this mode decreases the quality of reflections, ambient occlusion, shadows texturing, and vegetation in order to maintain a steady framerate.
On Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, loading times are almost instantaneous, which is really convenient when you want to use the map to teleport yourself to another location. Compared to Forza Horizon 4, the game's menus have also been simplified and it's now easier to browse your car collection or check your progression in the game. It's also easier to see the other online players on your server, though you can still opt for the "Horizon Solo" experience and play the game offline. If you're an arcade racing game purist, Burnout Paradise has a lot to answer for. Ever since, virtually all big-budget arcade racing games have been made in the shadow of Paradise, with most tracks consisting of lines drawn across vast, explorable maps.
While FH5 is one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, you're not always guaranteed a faultless experience. The game has dropped with an extensive list of bugs and launch issues across all platforms, including some you might frequently encounter during your time in Mexico. We've rounded up the top bugs and known issues impacting the title right now, alongside the updates Playground has released to improve and evolve the experience. Some will prefer the expanded frame rate and see that as a necessary trade-off, but we have to say that the 30fps quality mode still plays very well indeed and you get the maximum visual effect, to boot.
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest entry into the Forza Horizon series, set to release on November 9. While it isn't out yet, it's available to pre-load via Game Pass right now, which is handy because of Forza Horizon 5's massive file size. Forza Horizon 5's download size is over 100GB, which was expected given the sheer size of Forza Horizon maps, but gamers may want to take up the pre-load option if they're to play the game on day one.
Can Forza Horizon 5 Be Played On Xbox One When gamers jump into Forza Horizon 5, they'll have plenty to explore, with the series' newest location generating a lot of interest at this year's Xbox E3 conference. The Forza Horizon series is very popular, which may be in large part down to its beautifully rendered environments and vehicles. The Forza Horizon series is renowned for its graphics, and gamers are always eager to learn of the newest locations to be featured in Forza Horizon titles. But this isn't the sole reason behind the series' success, with its unique take on racing gameplay providing something different to other options out there. In order to progress in the game, players can do essentially whatever they want to gain enough points to qualify for seasons and compete for rewards. Forza Horizon offers racing fans a lot of freedom in how they approach and play the game, which makes it stand out as a game to just relax on and enjoy some driving.
Won 3 game of the year award which shows why it should have been nominated for the game of the year. Reason why is the combination of incredible visuals, stunning open world experience which allows players to explore many different types of environments, an insane amount of cars with new ones being added weekly, and much much more. With 10 million players less than 10 days since launch, FH5 demonstrates how racing games are not a niche genre and should not be disregarded for being a contender for game of the year. Although there's still no local multiplayer, the online mode is quite seamless and can be toggled via the main menu. When playing online, you'll see other players driving around the map just as in the previous title.
When joining an event with online players, the experience remains mostly seamless and avoids bogging you down in menus as it instead has you drive from one location to the next which helps maintain the feeling of realism. Fans of racing games will get everything they want and more from Forza Horizon 5's stunningly realistic open world. Players are treated to unlimited gameplay opportunities thanks to the intricately detailed user customization and accessibility options. Despite this, Forza Horizon 5 has pushed the capabilities of the new Xbox consoles to its limits, offering the most stunning and varied racing experience yet. In my tests, I found that – generally speaking – there are three levels of graphics fidelity on the consoles.
The Xbox One is at the bottom of the pile, as you might expect, but still gets the job done. Xbox One X's dynamic 4K graphics profile is broadly similar to the series machines in their 60fps modes – but each version has its own pluses and minuses. Series X performance mode matches One X's 1600p-2160p DRS Plus profile – however, I want to emphasize again that resolution changes are hard to track with the eye.
It's also almost impossible to find any drop from the 60fps target in the Series console's performance modes. This consists of a series of mini-multiplayer games strewn across the map. One of these mini-multiplayer games is called "Piñata pop" where the Horizon Festival's cargo plane drops piñatas. The goal is to pop as many piñatas as they can with the help of other players. It also introduces the "EventLab", a toolset in which players can create custom games, races, and more depending on their personal preference. According to Brown, it is an AI assistant that tracks the current statuses of players, helping them to link with other players online and play together.
Forza Link can also link players' GPS systems if they accept the invitation from another player. Being the fifth instalment in the series, Playground Games has taken huge steps to make the driving experience more immersive. Starting with the map size, which is 50 per cent larger than Forza Horizon 4, the game features countless locations such as an active volcano, jungles, beaches, ancient Mayan temples, and the narrow, colourful streets of Guanajuato. Besides the standard campaign mode, players can take part in online multiplayer races and explore the open world with no restrictions. Forza Horizon 5 has taken to the roads of Mexico, presenting what's shaping up as one of the best racing games to bless Xbox consoles and PC.
Developer Playground Games has delivered an expansive open world brimming with miles of roads to explore across jungle, plains, deserts, canyons, and more. It also introduces hundreds of vehicles, high-speed events and races, and mountains of content geared for virtual petrolheads. It's already been 3 years since the release of Forza Horizon 4; a game that I couldn't put down as I was constantly impressed by its awesome scenery, changing seasons, variety of events, and massive world. Forza Horizon 5 has now been launched for us racing fans to dive into and it definitely doesn't disappoint.
For starters, the map is 50% larger than the one in Forza Horizon 4 with an increased assortment of locations to race in such as a desert, jungle, swamp, town, beach, and ruins. Each of these areas is quite distinct in not just their visuals but also weather effects, their affinity to certain types of vehicles, and unique landmarks to enjoy. It's all presented beautifully with great detail such as groups of people hanging out in the city as the sun sets or that you must dodge lightning strikes as you work your way through a tropical storm. Firstly, there is the choice between the standard edition of the game and the premium one, which offers a plethora of early game unlocks and promised expansion packs, but costs almost twice the price. Whether you're struggling to find the rare cars hidden in various barns across the map, or you want the latest kooky sounding horn or wacky emote, Forza Horizon 5 has the in-game shop for you. Many can be unlocked via gameplay and chance, but you're certainly encouraged to pay upfront to unlock your favorite in-game items.
Pop-in can also be noticeable, at least when playing on performance mode (and if you're like me and need 60 fps, you'll be playing on performance mode). It's not an obnoxious issue, and it's well within the norm for open-world games, but it does become more noticeable with games like this getting so close to looking like the real thing. Create your own expressions of fun with the powerful new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts, and entirely new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever before with new options such as the ability open and close convertible tops, paint brake calipers, and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community. Forza Horizon 5 is the best game in the series and another essential release from PlayGround Games, and it sets a pretty high bar for the upcoming Forza Motorsport 8 from Turn 10 Studios.
In many ways, Forza Horizon 5 can feel like more of the same, but the graphics are truly stunning on Xbox Series X and the gameplay is still just as addictive as ever. Playground Games has definitely cemented its place as one of the best studios Microsoft acquired in recent years, though we'd love to see the studio try something a bit different and take more risks with its future games. Some Forza Horizon 5 players have reported crashes when playing on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The closed nature of the Xbox console family makes it harder to find potential causes, with no official workarounds detailed at this time. We recommend ensuring Forza Horizon 5 is installed on your internal hard drive for the best possible results and otherwise keeping an eye on official support channels for future updates. Post-launch hotfixes and patches have claimed to fix a number of crashing issues, but crashes can still occur even after these more recent releases.
The game still gets its graphical intent across, but the LOD scaling really shows this console's age. As you race through jungles, you'll notice that the tree foliage stays in its blobby low level of detail until you're almost right up against it, at which point you will have whizzed on by. At times it feels like the game engine shouldn't bother trying to pull in those higher detail assets.
The gameplay still holds up though, and a steady frame rate in this situation is going to be the most important aspect. Switch from 30fps to the 60fps 'Performance' mode and you'll immediately feel the difference. Playground state that this is still running at a maximum 4K resolution, but that "additional graphics settings adjusted to maintain target framerate". In practical terms motion blur is reduced significantly giving it a much more gamey feel and pop-in is now noticeable, . However, it's also just that much more responsive feeling when you play the game and, after a short time at 60fps, a switch back to 30fps feels like daggers in your eyes.
Forza Horizon 5 has finally hit consoles and computers for all users , so racers ready for the latest racing experience can enjoy some truly impressive graphics and customization options. One of the things we love about Forza is how friendly its various Tours and racing matches are, from trying out different competitive modes to joining a team and making your way through a world tour together. Keep in mind thatHorizon 5 also includes Kudos and Gift Drops to share with the community, so teamplay is a core aspect for many gaming modes. Highlights here include the accessibility menu, offering subtitling and colorblind-friendly gameplay, and a wide range of difficulty options that allow you to adjust everything to your preference. There are even extensive tuning options for every vehicle, so you can get them to drive just the way you want them to.
Outside of the menus, you're spoilt for choice – to open up cross-country tracks, or road-racing, to finish story missions or excel on one type of track; it's all down to you. Allowing you to explore fictionalised Mexican landscapes by car, users can drive hundreds of the world's greatest vehicles with complete freedom. Whether undergoing challenges, embarking on an expedition or racing other players, you can enjoy customising your races, stunts, cars and more. This racing wonderland version of Mexico is charming, thrilling, and fun to explore. With locations that include volcanic mountains, vibrant towns, and glittering oceans, each square mile of this open playground offers amazing sights. I played Forza Horizon 5 on both my Xbox Series X and Series S consoles over the past week, and I'm happy to report that performance is excellent on both consoles.
Players get to choose between Quality and Performance modes, and I think that Forza Horizon 5 is one of the rare racing games that don't feel too uncomfortable playing at 30FPS. Despite the name and the hundreds of accurately modeled real-world cars, Forza Horizon has little in common with Turn 10 Studios' Forza Motorsport series, which is more of a serious racing simulator. While Horizon isn't exactly a Ridge Racer-style arcade game, it's certainly on the more accessible side of things. The physics feel somewhat grounded in reality, and you'll notice big differences in how various cars handle, but the driving model is very forgiving, and it's easy for anyone to pick up and play. While Forza Horizon 5 has launched directly into the Microsoft Store and Steam alongside its Xbox console debut, some players have faced frequent crashes across various PC setups. Reports indicate crashing occurs throughout the Forza Horizon 5 introduction, which sees players introduced to various vehicles and environments.
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