Microsoft is having a very good week. Prior to the game’s official release day, Forza Horizon 5 managed to amass a million players through the Premium Edition early-access perk. With many players already calling it the greatest racing game ever made period, it was clear that release day would see even more ridiculous numbers. Only one day after its debut, Forza Horizon 5 has become the biggest launch for an Xbox Game Studio title to date. This record spans across Xbox, PC, and cloud games, as 4.5 million players stepped into the driver’s seat on November 9. The game’s concurrent player count was also over three times more than Forza Horizon 4 back in 2018.
Since the first videos of Forza Horizon 5’s gameplay started hitting the web, it was clear that the super-realistic racing game would be a smash hit. Tee game’s release strategy was also smart, not locked to only one console, but hitting Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC simultaneously. As easy as it was for anyone to pick up the game, Microsoft was also able to show off their newest consoles, and those with PCs have been thrilled to push their graphics cards to the limit. The company is often left in the dust when it comes to promoting Xbox Game Studio as a viable brand, but this is one title that’s helping move things forward. Next month’s Halo Infinite is also (obviously) gearing up to be a smash hit, and this Christmas might see Xbox reign supreme.
The newest installment of the Forza series takes place in Mexico, chosen by the development team for its diverse landscape. Across social media, Forza Horizon 5 has seen praise for its accessibility features including colorblind mode, subtitles, game speed modifications, and upcoming ASL and BSL sign language support.
Forza Horizon 5 was released November 9, 2021, on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
