Forza Horizon 5 was undoubtedly one of the highlights of Microsoft's Xbox & Bethesda E3 2021 showcase. The new installment of the open world racing game franchise by Playground Games, set in Mexico, will launch on November 9th.
Following the unveiling, the developers shared some new information about the game on the official Forza website. It seems like Forza Horizon 5 is quite demanding, as the resolution and frame rate targets are 4K@30 FPS on the Xbox Series X and 1080p@30FPS on Xbox Series S. Additionally, while ray tracing was namedropped during the E3 2021 showcase, it'll actually only be available while browsing cars in Forzavista.
You can also expect powerful, all-new graphical features like HDR captures of the vibrant Mexican sky, sweeping vistas, and an unparalleled attention to detail. Available in 4K 30 FPS on the Xbox Series X (1080p 30 FPS on Xbox Series S) with an optional 60 FPS performance mode, and ray tracing added to cars in Forzavista, you will be immersed in the open world of Horizon like never before.
Of course, Forza Horizon 5 looked great even without ray traced effects, as exemplified by the direct feed screenshots we've embedded in the gallery below. That said, it is odd that Microsoft, the maker of the DirectX Raytracing API, isn't really pushing that much to incorporate ray tracing in its first-party games.
Here's an overview of Forza Horizon 5, straight from the official fact sheet.
- A Diverse Open World – Lead breathtaking expeditions across a world of striking contrast and beauty. Discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and a towering snow-capped volcano.
- An Adventurous Open World – Immerse yourself in a deep campaign with hundreds of challenges that reward you for engaging in the activities you love. Meet new character and choose the outcomes of their Horizon Story missions.
- An Evolving Open World – Take on awe-inspiring weather events such as towering dust storms and intense tropical storms as Mexico’s unique, dynamic seasons change the world every week. Keep coming back to Forza Horizon 5 for new events, challenges, collectibles, and rewards, and new areas to explore. No two seasons will ever be the same.
- A Social Open World – Team up with other players and enter the Horizon Arcade for a continuing series of fun, over-the-top challenges that keep you and your friends in the action with no menus, loading screens or lobbies. Meet new friends in Horizon Open and Tours and share your creations with new community gift sharing.
- Your Open World – Create your own expressions of fun with the powerful new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts, and entirely new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever before with new body kits, wheels, paint options and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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