Hey friend! Have you heard about the newest entry in the insanely popular Forza Horizon open-world racing franchise? Forza Horizon 5 just launched in late 2021 as an Xbox console exclusive, and it‘s now available to install and play on PC at no cost through Microsoft‘s awesome Xbox Game Pass service!
In this epic 2000+ word guide, I‘ll show you multiple ways to download and play the full Forza Horizon 5 experience on your Windows PC without spending a dime. Whether you‘re a long-time Forza fan eager to continue the adventure in Mexico, or a newcomer looking to try out the series, using Xbox Game Pass deals can get you racing in FH5 for free right away.
Game Pass Lets You Install and Play FH5 on PC for Just $1
The release of Forza Horizon 5 for Xbox and PC is a huge event in the racing game world. The Forza Horizon series has skyrocketed to popularity since the first game launched back in 2012. Horizon beautifully blends realistic driving physics and graphics with an addictive open-world environment. FH5 is the pinnacle incorporating all Playground Games has learned making past Forza titles.
Set across a massive, ever-evolving landscape in vibrant Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 promises hundreds of cars to collect, near-limitless customization, and exciting racing action. Early reviews have praised just how fun and beautiful this new entry turned out. And the good news is Xbox Game Pass subscribers can install and play the full FH5 experience on PC for only $1!
Let‘s look at how the deals work:
- Normal price is $60 for the Standard Edition on Windows PC
- Xbox Game Pass for PC gives access for $10 per month
- Game Pass Ultimate works on PC and Xbox for $15 monthly
- But new subscribers can get their first month of Game Pass for only $1!
As long as you have an Xbox account, you can sign up for Game Pass through the Xbox app on Windows and get the first month for just $1. This lets you install and play FH5 in full for that whole month. If you decide to keep the membership after that, the normal $10-$15 monthly rates kick in. But with that initial $1 promotion, you get to play the brand new FH5 on launch day for virtually nothing!
Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading FH5 with Game Pass
Here is a full walkthrough of how to use the Xbox app to install and play Forza Horizon 5 on your Windows PC for just $1:
1. Install the Xbox App
First, you need the Xbox app for Windows 10 or 11 installed. If you don‘t already have it:
- Go to Microsoft Store and download the Xbox app
- Open the app once installed and sign in with your Xbox gamertag
2. Sign Up for Xbox Game Pass
Now it‘s time to begin the Game Pass membership:
- In the Xbox app, go to the Game Pass section
- For PC gaming, choose the Game Pass for PC option
- Or get Game Pass Ultimate to also play on Xbox consoles
- Click "Join" and go through the signup process
- Select the $1 for your first month discount when prompted
3. Redeem Discount Codes (Optional)
If you have any promo codes or gift cards for Game Pass, you can redeem them now to save even more:
- In the Xbox app, click on your profile icon
- Choose "Redeem Code" from the menu
- Enter the gift card code or promotion code
- This will add time to your membership for less than the monthly cost
For example, you can often find deals on 3-month Game Pass Ultimate codes for around $25 instead of $45 if you paid monthly. Stack discounts like that on top of the $1 first month deal to maximize savings!
4. Pre-Load Forza Horizon 5
Once you have an active Game Pass membership, go back to the Game Pass section of the Xbox app and find Forza Horizon 5 in the list of available titles.
If it‘s before FH5‘s official release date, you‘ll see a Pre-install option. Click this to download the full 103 GB game so it‘s ready to play the moment early access begins!
5. Play Forza Horizon 5 for $1!
After the release date hits, go back to the Game Pass section and you should now see a Play button for FH5. Click it to finally launch the game! You can now play the entire Forza Horizon 5 experience for your first month on Game Pass PC for just $1. Cruise around Mexico and have a blast!
Once the month is up, you can choose to continue with Game Pass and keep access to FH5 and 100+ other games for the regular $10 monthly fee. Or cancel anytime if you just wanted to try it out.
But for new subscribers on Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass really offers an awesome way to play a brand new release like Forza Horizon 5 for virtually free!
Game Pass Free Trial Also Lets You Test FH5
If you want to sample the Xbox Game Pass experience before committing to a paid membership, you can sign up for the 30 day free trial.
The steps are the same as described above. Just choose the "Try Game Pass free for 30 days" option when signing up through the Xbox app.
The free trial gives you full access to the Game Pass games catalog, including brand new titles like Forza Horizon 5. You still need to enter payment details when signing up, but you can cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged monthly fees.
This is a great way to test out FH5 specifically to see if you enjoy it before deciding whether Game Pass is worth the ongoing subscription cost.
Ensure Your PC Meets Minimum FH5 System Requirements
Since you‘ll be installing Forza Horizon 5 through the Xbox app on Windows PC, your system needs to meet certain minimum hardware specs to run the game properly. Let‘s take a look at what kind of PC you‘ll need:
Minimum System Requirements
Here are the minimum specs required to run FH5 on PC:
- OS: Windows 10 version 15063 or newer
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or Intel Core i5-4460
- RAM: 8 GB
- GPU: AMD RX 470 or Nvidia GTX 970
- VRAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 110 GB HDD
Matching these specs allows FH5 to run at 720p – 900p resolution and around 30 – 60 fps depending on graphics settings. You can tweak the visual quality to optimize performance.
Recommended System Requirements
For the best FH5 experience at 60fps+ on high settings at 1080p or higher resolution, aim for these optimal specs:
- OS: Windows 10 version 19041 or newer
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core i5-8400
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: AMD RX 590 or Nvidia GTX 1070
- VRAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 110 GB SSD
Exceeding the recommended requirements enables maximum visual fidelity and stable high framerates. Lower resolution on higher settings is also an option.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or Intel Core i5-4460 | AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core i5-8400 |
| GPU | AMD RX 470 or Nvidia GTX 970 | AMD RX 590 or Nvidia GTX 1070 |
| VRAM | 4GB | 8GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 110 GB HDD | 110 GB SSD |
| OS | Windows 10 15063 | Windows 10 19041 |
Table comparing minimum and recommended specs
Use tools like DirectX Diagnostic to view your exact hardware specs and compare to the requirements above. As long as your PC matches or beats the minimum specs, FH5 should run fine. But you‘ll need to meet or exceed recommended specs to maximize quality and performance.
Optimize Graphics Settings For Best Performance
If your PC is near the minimum hardware requirements, you can tweak these graphics settings to help optimize performance in Forza Horizon 5:
- Lower the display resolution below your monitor‘s native res
- Reduce environment texture quality and filtering
- Lower shadow quality and turn off motion blur
- Disable seasonal effects like rainfall or snow
- Turn off vertical sync and limit fps below your display‘s refresh rate
- Reduce draw distances and number of cars/objects displayed
Adjust the settings until you hit the sweet spot of visual quality and smooth FPS for your system. Other useful optimization tips:
- Close unused background apps when playing for minimal overhead
- Enable Windows Game Mode to prioritize resources
- Add more RAM if you only meet minimum requirements
- Overclock your GPU safely for extra performance
- Update graphics drivers and Windows to latest versions
With some testing and tweaking, you can enjoy FH5 on a wide range of PC setups thanks to scalable graphics options.
Mastering Keyboard & Mouse and Controller on PC
Forza Horizon 5 supports both keyboard & mouse and controller play when running on Windows PC.
For keyboard and mouse, you can open settings to rebind all the controls to keys that feel comfortable. Save your custom bindings as profiles to quickly switch between them. It takes time to get used to accelerating and braking without triggers, but practice makes perfect.
The game was primarily designed with controller support in mind. On PC, Xbox Wireless Controllers work seamlessly just like on Xbox consoles. Other brands like Sony DualShock and Switch Pro Controllers also work great with button prompts updating automatically.
To customize controller bindings:
- Go to Settings > Controls > Custom Controller Mapping
- Choose Preset and then click Modify
- Select a function and change the button or axis mapping
- Test and adjust until comfortable
- Save as a new custom preset
This allows rebinding any function to better suit your playstyle. Come up with multiple presets for different cars or race types.
For those with racing wheels and pedals, make sure PC drivers are installed so they are recognized. Then customize wheel settings like sensitivity, centering force, and degrees of rotation. Tweak FFB strength based on personal preference. There is deep controller support for those who want to take things to the next level!
Crossplay Lets You Race Friends on Xbox Consoles
A great benefit of the Xbox ecosystem is crossplay support across Xbox consoles and Windows PC.
Forza Horizon 5 utilizes this with full crossplay between:
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X|S
- Windows PC (Windows Store and Steam versions)
So once you have FH5 installed on PC through Game Pass, you can seamlessly race online against your friends who own it on Xbox! The core gameplay syncs between platforms for a unified experience.
Crossplay works through your free Xbox Live account. One gamertag links across both platforms. Just make sure you add friends on their Xbox gamertag, and you‘ll see them online whether they are playing on console or PC.
The crossplay environment makes it easy to squad up with others to explore Mexico together. Everyone can contribute to shared progression like Festival Playlist challenges. This unified community is part of what makes the Forza Horizon series so special as an evolving service with monthly updates spanning platforms.
Troubleshooting Tips to Fix Any Issues
Hopefully everything goes smooth when installing and running Forza Horizon 5 on your PC through Xbox Game Pass. But in case you run into troubles, try these common troubleshooting steps:
- Restart your PC and launch the Xbox app again
- Check Windows Update for any pending driver or OS updates
- Disable or close unnecessary background apps
- Temporarily turn off antivirus if it blocks apps
- Update graphics drivers to the latest stable version
- Reset the Microsoft Store cache if installation is stuck
- Reinstall the game if missing or corrupted files are suspected
- Adjust graphics settings if performance is suboptimal
- Ensure hardware is not overclocked unstable
- Double check game file permissions just in case
- Contact Forza Support if issues persist
Following standard troubleshooting methodology helps identify and fix the root cause in most cases. Reach out to the Forza fan community or Xbox Support for further assistance if needed.
Experience Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 on Windows PC for Free
Forza Horizon 5 brings legendary Playground Games open-world racing action to vibrant Mexico, and Xbox Game Pass provides a way to install and play the entire game for just $1 on your Windows PC!
Take advantage of the deals to get a month of unlimited access to FH5 for virtually free, so you can scoped out the latest addition to the addictive Horizon festival. Explore the massive open world at your own pace, take part in heart-pounding races, customize awesome cars, and just have fun with the realistic driving mechanics Forza is known for.
While the standard edition normally costs $60 on PC, using Game Pass means you can play FH5 risk-free for a month instead of waiting for a sale. Experience the best of the Horizon series for barely more than the cost of a taco in Mexico!
For new players curious about what makes Forza Horizon so special, or longtime fans eager to continue the adventure in Mexico, Game Pass makes it easy to dive in day one. Now get ready for a good time! The endless Horizon festival awaits.
