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Forza Horizon 5 is Playground Games' 2021 open-world racing game set in Mexico, out Nov 9, 2021 and on PS5 since Apr 29, 2025. It is the game before Forza Horizon 6, still on sale, with two expansions and "nearly 900" cars by January 2025.
Forza Horizon 5 is Playground Games' open-world racing game set in Mexico, released Nov 9, 2021 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC, day one on Game Pass, and on PS5 since Apr 29, 2025. It is the game before Forza Horizon 6 and, unlike the four before it, still on sale as of Nov 3, 2026. It scored 92 on Metacritic on Xbox Series X and PS5, had two expansions, Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure, and grew to "nearly 900" cars. Its PS5 port, by Panic Button, is the model Forza Horizon 6 is following to PS5 in January 2027.
Quick facts
| Released | Nov 9, 2021 (Premium early access Nov 5) |
| Setting | Mexico, 11 biomes |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Store, Steam), PS5 from Apr 29, 2025 |
| Developer | Playground Games (PS5 port by Panic Button) |
| Cars | "Nearly 900" by Jan 2025 |
| Expansions | Hot Wheels (Jul 19, 2022), Rally Adventure (Mar 29, 2023) |
| Metacritic | 92 Xbox Series X, 91 PC, 92 PS5 |
| Players | More than 45 million by April 2025 (reported) |
| Steam peak | 81,096 (reported May 26, 2026) |
Sources: Xbox Wire, Nov 8, 2021; Xbox Wire on biomes, Jul 26, 2021; Playground on Steam, Jan 30, 2025; Metacritic, read Nov 3, 2026; VGChartz, Apr 2025; 80 Level, May 26, 2026.
Mexico
Forza Horizon 5's Mexico is split into 11 biomes, and its map is about one and a half times Forza Horizon 4's. Creative director Mike Brown called Mexico "almost like the whole world in one country". Don Arceta was its art director, as he is on Forza Horizon 6. Its city of Guanajuato is what Playground uses as the yardstick for Forza Horizon 6's Tokyo City: five times larger.
Players and sales
Microsoft counted 4.5 million players by launch day, including Premium early access, and 10 million in the first week, which it called the biggest launch in Xbox and Game Pass history. Press counts of the in-game total reached more than 40 million by July 2024 and more than 45 million before the PS5 launch. These are players, many through Game Pass, not copies sold. On Steam its highest count was 81,096 at once; Forza Horizon 6 reached 302,645 (see Player Count and Sales). The clip is Skill Up's May 19, 2026 review, which gives Microsoft's later figure of more than 50 million players.
Expansions
Hot Wheels (Jul 19, 2022) put a Hot Wheels Park above the clouds, with 10 cars including the 2021 Hennessey Venom F5 and the 2000 Hot Wheels Deora II. Playground later said that expansion helped it build Tokyo City's elevated roads in Forza Horizon 6. Rally Adventure (Mar 29, 2023, $19.99) added Sierra Nueva with about 38 miles (61 km) of new roads, 10 cars including the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, a career with three rally teams, launch control and anti-lag. By January 2025 it had also had more than 40 themed updates.
Forza Horizon 5 on PS5
Playground announced the PS5 version on Jan 30, 2025, "developed by Panic Button in partnership with Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games", with the same content as on Xbox and PC and cross-play from day one. Premium early access began Apr 25, 2025 and every edition opened Apr 29, 2025, with Horizon Realms, a free update for every platform, alongside. It scored 92 on PS5 from 31 critics, the same as on Xbox.
Forza Horizon 6 is taking the same road, faster: Panic Button again, a free update for everyone with the PS5 launch, and Expansion 1 on the same day as PS5 early access. Forza Horizon 5 reached PS5 3 years 5 months after its Xbox launch; Forza Horizon 6 reaches it 8 months after, on Jan 26, 2027.
Forza Horizon 5 vs Forza Horizon 6
| Forza Horizon 5 | Forza Horizon 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | Nov 9, 2021 | May 19, 2026 |
| Setting | Mexico | Japan |
| Map | About 1.5 times Forza Horizon 4's | "Bigger" than Mexico, no official area |
| City | Guanajuato | Tokyo City, five times larger |
| Cars | "Hundreds" at launch, "nearly 900" by Jan 2025 | More than 550 at launch, 667 on Playground's list as of Nov 3, 2026 |
| Platforms | Also Xbox One; PS5 since Apr 29, 2025 | No Xbox One; PS5 from Jan 26, 2027 |
| Start of the story | Arrive as a champion | Arrive as a tourist |
| Metacritic (Xbox) | 92 | 90 |
| Steam peak | 81,096 | 302,645 |
Sources for the table: Xbox Wire, Jun 13, 2021; Xbox Wire on biomes; GamesRadar+ on the Japan map, Sep 25, 2025; Playground on Steam, Jan 22, 2026; Earn Your Gold Wristband, Feb 23, 2026; forza.net/fh6cars; Metacritic; 80 Level, May 26, 2026.
Critics split on the change of scene. TechRadar wrote that Forza Horizon 6 fixes Forza Horizon 5's "uninteresting map" and "samey events", while PC Gamer found Japan's biomes "less varied and dramatic" than Mexico's. Japan and its seasons are on Japan Map and Seasons and Weather. In the clip, Skill Up's May 19, 2026 review finds Mexico's colors limited and its land flat beside Japan's.
Should you play Forza Horizon 5 or 6?
On Xbox and PC, Forza Horizon 6 is the newer game, with monthly series still coming and both expansions ahead; Forza Horizon 5 has more cars and years of finished content. Both reward each other's owners: owning Forza Horizon 5 unlocks a 2021 Mercedes-AMG ONE in Forza Horizon 6 (see Free Cars and Loyalty Rewards), and Forza Horizon 5 liveries can be imported, up to 252 vinyls (see Customization and Liveries). Otherwise Forza Horizon 6 begins its own story, with "None of that past fame" carried over. On PS5, Forza Horizon 5 is the only one until Jan 26, 2027.
Frequently asked questions
When did Forza Horizon 5 come out? Forza Horizon 5 came out on Nov 9, 2021 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC, with Premium early access from Nov 5. It reached PS5 on Apr 29, 2025.
Is Forza Horizon 5 on PS5? Yes. Forza Horizon 5 came to PS5 on Apr 29, 2025, ported by Panic Button with Turn 10 and Playground. Forza Horizon 6 follows on PS5 on Jan 26, 2027.
Is Forza Horizon 6 better than Forza Horizon 5? Critics scored Forza Horizon 6 slightly lower on Metacritic (90 against 92 on Xbox, as of Nov 3, 2026), but its Steam peak of 302,645 players is far above Forza Horizon 5's 81,096. Reviewers praised Japan's density, and some missed Mexico's variety.
Does Forza Horizon 5 progress carry over to Forza Horizon 6? Forza Horizon 6 begins a new story with the player as a tourist, but owning Forza Horizon 5 unlocks a 2021 Mercedes-AMG ONE loyalty car, and up to 252 vinyls can be imported from Forza Horizon 5.
How many cars does Forza Horizon 5 have compared with Forza Horizon 6? Forza Horizon 5 had "nearly 900" cars by January 2025 after more than three years of updates. Forza Horizon 6 launched with more than 550, and Playground's list shows 667 as of Nov 3, 2026.
Sources
- Forza Horizon 5 Is Now Available For PC, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Wire, Nov 8, 2021
- Exploring the Biomes and Seasons of Forza Horizon 5, Xbox Wire, Jul 26, 2021
- Xbox Unveils its Biggest Exclusive Games Lineup Ever, Xbox Wire, Jun 13, 2021
- Xbox says Forza Horizon 5 was its 'biggest launch ever', VGC, Nov 2021
- Forza Horizon 5 crosses 10 million players, Windows Central, Nov 2021
- Forza Horizon 5 still growing as Playground Games hits impressive new player count, Pure Xbox, Jul 2024
- Forza Horizon 5 Tops 45 Million Players Ahead of PS5 Launch, VGChartz, Apr 2025
- Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is Now Available, Xbox Wire, Mar 29, 2023
- Forza Horizon 5 Comes to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025, Playground Games, Jan 30, 2025
- Forza Horizon 5 Comes to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025, Playground Games on Steam, Jan 30, 2025
- Forza Horizon 5 is Out Now on PlayStation 5, Playground Games, Apr 29, 2025
- Forza Horizon 5, Metacritic
- Forza Horizon 6 Has Reached Over 300K Concurrent Players on Steam, 80 Level (Emma Collins), May 26, 2026
- Forza Horizon 6: Answering the Big Questions About That Japan Setting, Xbox Wire (Joe Skrebels), Sep 25, 2025
- Forza Horizon 6's Japan is even bigger than Forza Horizon 5's map, GamesRadar+ (Kaan Serin), Sep 25, 2025
- Forza Horizon 6 Releases May 19 on Xbox Series X|S and PC, Playground Games on Steam, Jan 22, 2026
- Earn Your Gold Wristband and Become a Horizon Legend in Japan, Playground Games on Steam, Feb 23, 2026
- Turn up Your Airwaves with the Horizon Festival's Biggest Line-Up Yet, Playground Games on Steam, May 4, 2026
- Forza Horizon 6 review, TechRadar, May 14, 2026
- Forza Horizon 6 review, PC Gamer (Phil Savage), May 14, 2026
- Forza Horizon 6 Car List, Playground Games, updated November 2026
- Forza Horizon 6 Known Issues, Forza Support, updated Oct 28, 2026
- I recommend: Forza Horizon 6 (Review), Skill Up, May 19, 2026 (video)
- PS5 Pre-Order Trailer | Forza Horizon 6, Forza, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
Moments
I recommend: Forza Horizon 6 (Review)
Skill Up
PS5 Pre-Order Trailer | Forza Horizon 6
Forza
Related
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Forza Horizon 1 to 3The first three Forza Horizon games were set in Colorado (Forza Horizon, Oct 23, 2012), southern France and northern Italy (Forza Horizon 2, Sep 30, 2014) and Australia (Forza Horizon 3, 2016). All three are delisted; Forza Horizon 6 rewards their owners with a loyalty car.
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Forza Horizon 4Forza Horizon 4 is Playground Games' 2018 open-world racing game set in Britain, released Oct 2, 2018, best known for its four changing seasons. It was delisted from sale on Dec 15, 2024, though owners can still play it online, and Forza Horizon 6 brought its seasons to Japan.
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Forza Horizon Games in OrderThere are six Forza Horizon games, all by Playground Games: Forza Horizon (2012, Colorado), Forza Horizon 2 (2014, southern Europe), Forza Horizon 3 (2016, Australia), Forza Horizon 4 (2018, Britain), Forza Horizon 5 (2021, Mexico) and Forza Horizon 6 (2026, Japan).
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Playground GamesPlayground Games made Forza Horizon 6. The British studio was established in 2010 in Leamington Spa, England, has made every Forza Horizon game with Turn 10 Studios, was bought by Microsoft in 2018 and is also making Fable, due Feb 23, 2027.
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Why JapanForza Horizon 6 is set in Japan because it was one of the Forza Horizon community's most requested locations, Playground Games says, and because the studio felt its technology could finally do Japan justice. The setting was revealed at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show broadcast on Sep 25, 2025.
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Aftermarket CarsAftermarket Cars in Forza Horizon 6 are secondhand cars parked on driveways and roadsides across Japan, often discounted and sometimes modified or rare, that can be test driven and bought on the spot. A dealership by the Horizon Stadium in Shimanoyama changes its stock with each series.
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Barn FindsForza Horizon 6 has 15 Barn Finds, by PC Gamer's count, unlocked as rumors when players earn Discover Japan Stamps in the Collection Journal, mostly two per Stamp rank, from a Honda NSX-R GT to the Mazda 787B.
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Best CarsThere is no official best car in Forza Horizon 6; the published picks are opinions. Dexerto's tier list puts cars such as the GR GT Prototype, Koenigsegg Jesko, Pagani Huayra R and Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition in its top tier, and names the 1989 Nissan Silvia K's the best starter car.
See also
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- Player Count and SalesForza Horizon 6 passed 6 million players within days of its May 19, 2026 launch, Playground said, counting Game Pass. On Steam it peaked at 302,645 concurrent players over the first weekend, almost four times Forza Horizon 5's 81,096. Microsoft has announced no copies-sold figure.
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Expansion 1Forza Horizon 6 Expansion 1 comes out Jan 21, 2027 on Xbox Series X|S, PC and PS5 at the same time, with a new location, new gameplay and more cars. Its name, setting and price alone are not announced as of Nov 3, 2026; it is in the Premium Edition, Premium Upgrade and the $49.99 Expansions Bundle.
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PS5 Release DateForza Horizon 6 comes to PS5 on Jan 26, 2027, with Premium Edition early access from Jan 21, 2027, as Playground Games announced on Oct 8, 2026. It costs the same as on Xbox and PC and has cross-play and cross-save with them.
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