If you’ve spent any time looking at racing games lately, you’ve probably seen the name pop up a thousand times. But what is Forza Horizon 5 about, really? Is it just a shiny car simulator, or is there something else going on under the hood?
Honestly, it’s basically a massive, playable summer vacation.
Think about the last time you felt like just getting in a car and driving without a destination. That's the core vibe here. It’s developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, and while it launched back in late 2021, it has evolved into a juggernaut that recently cleared 50 million players as of August 2025.
So, What is Forza Horizon 5 About?
At its simplest, the game is an open-world racing sandbox set in a fictionalized version of Mexico. You aren't just some nameless driver; you are the "Superstar" of the Horizon Festival. This festival is a weird, wonderful hybrid of Coachella and a Gumball 3000 rally.
The Map is the Real Hero
The world is huge. Like, 50% larger than the UK map in its predecessor. But size isn't the point; diversity is. You’ve got 11 distinct biomes, and they don't just look different—they feel different.
- The Volcano: La Gran Caldera is the highest point in any Horizon game. If you drive up there in the "Dry Season," it's a rocky climb. In the "Winter," it’s the only place you’ll find snow.
- The Jungles: Dense, misty, and full of hidden Mayan temples.
- Guanajuato: An urban sprawl of colorful buildings and twisty underground tunnels that make your car's engine echo like crazy.
- The Deserts: You have "living" deserts with cacti and sand deserts with dunes perfect for off-roading.
It’s not just static scenery. The weather system is localized. You might be basking in the sun on a tropical beach while looking across the map at a massive, towering dust storm (haboob) swallowing the desert.
What Do You Actually Do?
You drive. A lot. But the game doesn't force you into a linear path.
The "Horizon Adventure" campaign uses a system called Accolades. These are basically thousands of mini-achievements. You want to unlock a new festival site? Earn Accolades. You get them by winning races, sure, but also by taking photos of rare cars, discovering "Barn Finds" (rusty old classics hidden in sheds), or just jumping off a massive cliff and seeing how far you fly.
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The Massive 2025/2026 Shift
If you’re asking about this game now, you’re likely seeing the ripple effects of its massive expansion. For years, this was the crown jewel of Xbox. Then, in early 2025, everything changed.
Forza Horizon 5 hit the PlayStation 5.
Microsoft brought the game to the PS5 in Spring 2025, bringing in millions of new players. They even added cross-play. Now, the community is a mix of Xbox veterans, PC enthusiasts, and PS5 newcomers. This injection of new life kept the "Festival Playlist" alive way longer than anyone expected.
The Playlist is a weekly set of challenges that changes with the seasons. Every Thursday, the season flips (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring), and the world changes. A lake in the "Arid Hills" might dry up in the winter, revealing a shortcut or a hidden chest you couldn't reach before.
Why People Keep Playing
It's the cars. There are over 800 of them now. We're talking everything from a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle to the Mercedes-AMG One. You can tune them, paint them, or swap the engines until a boring family sedan is outrunning a Bugatti.
The game uses "granular synthesis" for the audio. Essentially, they recorded real cars on dynos to make sure a V12 sounds like a V12 and not a generic vacuum cleaner.
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Is it a Simulation or an Arcade Game?
This is where people get confused. It’s a "sim-cade."
If you want to play it like a serious simulator, you can turn off all the assists, plug in a steering wheel, and struggle to keep a rear-wheel-drive muscle car on the road. If you just want to relax after work, you can turn on braking assists and "rewind" time whenever you hit a tree. It’s incredibly forgiving.
The Multiplayer Madness
Beyond the racing, there’s The Eliminator. It’s a battle royale, but with cars. You start in a slow car and have to challenge other players to head-to-head races across open terrain to "steal" their better cars.
Then there’s EventLab. This is where the community gets weird. People build entire bowling alleys, parkour tracks, and neon-drenched synthwave cities using the in-game tools. You're never really "done" with the game because there's always a new custom map to try.
What Most People Get Wrong
A common misconception is that the game is "dead" because Forza Horizon 6 is rumored for a late 2026 release.
That couldn't be further from the truth.
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The player count on Steam alone usually hovers between 10,000 and 30,000 daily players, and that’s a tiny fraction of the total when you add Game Pass and PlayStation. The "Horizon Backstage" feature was recently updated to make sure new players can still get rare cars from years ago.
It’s a complete package now. You have the base game, the Hot Wheels expansion (which is literally orange tracks in the clouds), and the Rally Adventure expansion.
How to Get Started Right Now
If you’re jumping in for the first time, don't get overwhelmed by the icons on the map. It's a mess of colorful circles.
- Follow the Accolades: Focus on the "Horizon Adventure" tab in the menu. It’ll tell you exactly what you need to do to unlock the next big "Expedition."
- Buy a House: Some houses give you permanent perks. For example, buying the "Buenas Vistas" property allows you to fast travel to any road on the map instantly.
- Don't Buy Cars Immediately: The game throws cars at you like candy through "Wheelspins." Save your credits for upgrades or that one dream car you absolutely have to have.
- Check the Playlist: Even if you're a solo player, the weekly challenges often give you "Exclusive" cars that you can't buy in the normal shop.
You've basically got two years of polished content waiting for you. Whether you’re on a Series X, a high-end PC, or a PS5, it remains the gold standard for open-world driving.
Next Steps for You: Download the base game through Game Pass if you're on Xbox/PC to try it for free. If you're on PS5, look for the "Premium Edition" during a sale—it includes both the Hot Wheels and Rally expansions, which are essential if you want the full experience of what the game has become in 2026.