It is honestly kind of tragic. You want to blast through the Australian Outback in a Lamborghini Centenario, the sun is hitting the windshield just right, and the radio is playing some mid-2010s synth-pop. You head to the Microsoft Store or Steam to grab Forza Horizon 3 for PC, and... nothing. It’s gone. It’s like the game never existed in the digital world.
That’s the "delisting" curse.
If you weren't around in September 2020, you might have missed the memo. Turn 10 and Playground Games reached the end of their licensing agreements for the hundreds of cars and music tracks that make Horizon what it is. Because these licenses are finite, the game was wiped from digital storefronts. You can’t buy it directly anymore. Period. It sucks, especially because many fans (myself included) argue that the Australian map in Horizon 3 is actually way more diverse and interesting than the ones we got in the UK or Mexico in the later sequels.
The Performance Reality of Forza Horizon 3 for PC
Let's get real about how this game actually runs. If you managed to snag a copy back in the day, or if you're looking to hunt down a gray-market key, you need to know that the PC port was—and still is—a bit of a mess.
When it launched in 2016, it was the first "Horizon" game to hit Windows. Before that, it was Xbox-only. It basically pioneered the Xbox Play Anywhere program. But man, the optimization was rough. Even on modern hardware in 2026, you’ll see weird stutters. It’s a CPU-heavy beast. While Forza Horizon 5 can run on a potato if you turn the settings down, Forza Horizon 3 for PC has this annoying habit of tying certain physics calculations to your frame rate, which can lead to "micro-stuttering" even if your FPS counter says 100.
I’ve seen people with RTX 4090s complain about hitches in Surfers Paradise. The city area is notorious. The high-rise buildings and dense traffic just eat through threads.
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What You Need to Run It (Effectively)
Don't look at the 2016 "Recommended Specs." They are lies. If you want a smooth experience today:
- A fast SSD is mandatory. Do not even try to run this on an old mechanical drive. The map streaming will fail, and you'll fall through the world.
- 16GB of RAM is the bare minimum. The game has a memory leak issue that was never fully patched out.
- Turn off MSAA. Just do it. Use FXAA or just deal with some jaggies. MSAA in this specific engine build is a frame-rate killer.
How to Get the Game in 2026
Since it's delisted, you have exactly two "official" ways to get Forza Horizon 3 for PC onto your hard drive.
First, there are digital keys. Sites like CDKeys or Eneba sometimes have leftover stock of the "Ultimate Edition" or the base game. But be warned: the prices are climbing. Since supply is fixed and demand from collectors is high, you're going to pay a premium. Make sure the key is for "Xbox/Windows 10" because that’s the version that grants you the PC license.
Second: Physical Xbox One discs. Wait, what?
Yes. If you have an Xbox console, you can buy the disc. But that won't help you on PC. Unlike digital copies, the physical disc does not grant you a Windows 10/11 version. You are stuck. If you want it on PC, it is digital key or nothing.
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The DLC Problem
This is the part that really hurts. Even if you find a base game key, the DLC—like the legendary Blizzard Mountain or the Hot Wheels expansion—is virtually impossible to find. These expansions were arguably better than the main game. The Hot Wheels tracks in Horizon 3 were way more "wild" than the ones they brought back for Horizon 5. If you didn't buy them before September 2020, you're basically locked out of that content unless you find an "Ultimate Edition" key that specifically includes the Expansion Pass.
Technical Hurdles on Windows 11
Running Forza Horizon 3 for PC on Windows 11 introduces some specific headaches. The game was built for Windows 10's early UWP (Universal Windows Platform) architecture.
Sometimes, the game just won't launch. It'll show the splash screen and then vanish. This is usually a permissions issue with the Windows Store or a conflict with your microphone settings (oddly enough). If the game crashes on startup, try disabling your microphone in the Windows privacy settings. It sounds fake, but it's a known fix that has existed for years.
Another thing is the "Threaded Optimization" in the Nvidia Control Panel. For some reason, forcing this to "Off" can actually stabilize the frame delivery in the Outback.
Why People Still Obsess Over This Version
You might wonder why anyone bothers. Why not just play Horizon 5?
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It’s the vibe. Australia in Horizon 3 feels vast. You have the rainforest, the desert, and the beach. The "Horizon Festival" actually felt like a festival back then. You were the boss. You chose where to expand the sites. There was a sense of progression that the newer games have sort of traded away for "instant gratification."
In Horizon 5, they give you a supercar in the first ten minutes. In Forza Horizon 3 for PC, you had to earn those credits. You had to drive through the Yarra Valley and actually win races to upgrade your festival hubs. It felt like you were building something.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you are determined to get this running today, here is the path forward.
- Check your library first. Many people bought this years ago and forgot. If you own it on Xbox digitally, it’s already in your Windows "My Library" section in the Microsoft Store.
- Scout reputable key sellers. Look for "Global" or your specific region's keys. Avoid "Account Sales" (where someone sells you a login)—those are scams and will get banned.
- Optimize the Windows Game Mode. Turn it ON. Usually, I say keep it off for older games, but Horizon 3 needs all the priority it can get from the OS scheduler.
- Set a Frame Cap. Don't let the FPS run wild. Use RivaTuner or your GPU software to lock it at 60 or 90. The engine is much happier when it isn't swinging between 40 and 120 FPS.
- Fix the "Grey Screen" crash. If you install and it won't open, reset the app via: Settings > Apps > Forza Horizon 3 > Advanced Options > Reset.
The window to experience this game is closing as keys dry up. If you find a copy, grab it. There won't be another racing game that captures the Australian landscape quite like this one did.