With such a vast array of modern racing games now available at the touch of a button, it can be quite overwhelming at first to choose what game might suit your style. One of the pioneers of AAA racing games at the moment is Playground Games, and their franchise, Forza.

The Forza games split into two branches: the Forza Motorsport series (with a new game coming out later this year) and the Forza Horizon games, with the last one published in November 2021.

As an entry point for any gearhead looking at getting into the virtual car world, the Horizon games are some of the best out there. From extensive car lists to great open-world environments, here’s everything you need to know about how to play the newest installment in the Forza series: Forza Horizon 5.

Related: These Are The 10 Fastest Cars In Forza Horizon 5

What is Forza Horizon 5?

Volkswagen Beetle in FH5
Via: Static 207 / Flickr

Forza Horizon 5 is an open-world racing game set in a fictional version of Mexico. You play as the owner of the ‘Horizon Festival’ – a prestigious car racing festival set over all of Mexico. Your aim is to win races, complete stories, and objectives, and expand your collection of cars in order to upgrade festival locations and unlock new special events and rides.

In Horizon 5, you can customize both your characters and cars to suit your style and upgrade your rides with engine, chassis, body, transmission, and brake parts in order to help you get the edge on your rivals.

With so many race types such as dirt, off-road, drag, road racing, and street racing, there’s so much to explore in the vibrant world of Horizon Mexico, making it a game every gearhead should play.

How Can I Play Forza Horizon 5?

A Land Rover Defender in FH5
Via: Enot91 / Flickr

There are many ways to play Forza Horizon 5: If you’d like to own the base game forever, it is available in stores for Xbox One and Xbox Series X for around $60, and in the Xbox online store for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC again for about $60.

However, if you are an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Owner (the equivalent of a Netflix subscription for Xbox), you can play the game at no extra cost on any of the above consoles and PC.

Additionally, with Game Pass Ultimate you can also stream the game to any device using the cloud gaming app and an Xbox Bluetooth-compatible controller, allowing you to play the game on any mobile device or laptop.

Related: 10 Car Brands You Didn't Realize Are Missing From Forza Horizon 5

Is Forza Horizon 5 Worth It?

A silver Porsche 911 GT3 in Forza Horizon 5
Via: Enot91 / Flickr

Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best open-world racing games of the last few years, and while a price tag of $60 may seem a little steep to anyone new to the racing game world, that tag is unfortunately pretty standard.

You can always pick up Horizon 5 on one of the countless sales throughout the year on the Xbox Store, or check your local retailer to see if they have a discount themselves.

If you’re more of a hardcore sim racing fan who isn’t a fan of anything that isn’t 100% realism at all times, then no, maybe Horizon 5 isn’t the game for you. But, if you want to have some of the most fun a game can offer and mess around with your friends exploring the heart of Mexico, then look no further than the latest release from Playground Games.