Forza Horizon 5 Important Notes guide screenshot

Important Notes

Important Notes for Forza Horizon 5



Warnings


  • Game Size: The base game requires approximately 110 GB of storage. With all updates and expansions (Fortune Island, Lego Speed Champions — note: FH5 expansions are Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure), expect over 150 GB. Ensure enough free space, especially on Xbox Series S/X or PC.

  • Internet Requirement: While the campaign can be played offline, features like Horizon Life (multiplayer), Forzathon events, EventLab, and certain rewards require a persistent internet connection. An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is needed for online multiplayer on Xbox.

  • System Performance: On PC, the game is demanding. Use the benchmark tool to find optimal graphic settings. Lowering environment texture quality helps VRAM usage. Disable Ray Tracing if experiencing frame drops.

  • Microtransactions: The game includes optional purchases: Car Pass (with Ultimate Edition), VIP membership, and individual car purchases. You can earn almost everything through gameplay, but beware of impulse buying credits with real money — it's not necessary.


    • Pitfalls & Common Mistakes


  • Wasting Credits on Unnecessary Upgrades: Do not immediately fully upgrade every car you get. Many stock cars are competitive in their class (e.g., B, A). Upgrading to S2 or X class can make handling extremely difficult. Save credits for specific event requirements.

  • Ignoring Fast Travel Boards: Collecting 50 fast travel boards reduces fast travel cost to zero. Prioritize this early — use a radar pulse or a fast car to smash them. Without this, fast travel is prohibitively expensive (CR 10k each hop).

  • Not Joining a Club: Being part of a Club gives you access to Club House, daily rewards, and easier credit earning through Club objectives. Join an active club (or create your own) to unlock weekly bonuses.

  • Skipping Forza Link Tutorial: The dialogue wheel system (Forza Link) lets you quickly respond to NPCs. Learning it early speeds up interactions and unlocks certain accolades. Skip at your own risk.

  • Forgetting to Turn on Horizon Solo: If you are annoyed by other players causing chaos, enable Horizon Solo mode in the pause menu. This removes other players from your world but retains AI traffic and drivatars.


    • Irreversible Choices


  • First Car Selection: The game gives you a choice of three starter cars (e.g., 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera S, 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, 2020 Toyota Supra GR). This decision is permanent and cannot be changed later. The cars are all good, but the Porsche is balanced, Corvette is fast at launch, and Supra has great tuning potential. Choose wisely.

  • Accolade Rewards: Some accolades reward exclusive cars or cosmetic items. Once you claim an accolade, the item is added to your inventory. You cannot re-earn or trade it. However, you are not forced into a permanent choice; all accolades remain available until completed.

  • Story Choices: The main Horizon Story missions have no branching narratives. You can always replay them. However, the order of completing certain expeditions (like the Vocho Story) does not affect anything.

  • Houses: Your first house (the Player House near the starting area) is given for free. Subsequent houses are purchased and can be sold back? Cannot be sold. Choose wisely: the "Lugar Tranquilo" (house near Horizon Festival) gives fast travel discount, which is very useful early on. Buy it first!


    • Missable Content


  • Seasonal Events: The Weekly Forzathon, Seasonal Championships, and PR Stunts are only available for a specific week. Miss them, and you may never get that exclusive car or reward again (though some rotate). Check the Festival Playlist every Thursday to claim Season rewards.

  • Festival Playlist Rewards: Many rare cars (e.g., 2018 Ferrari 488 Pista, 2020 Koenigsegg Jesko) are only obtainable through completing season objectives. If you miss a season, you might have to wait for a repeat or pay millions in the Auction House.

  • Eliminator Season: The Eliminator battle royale mode is always available, but its weekly bonus for the Festival Playlist resets. Participate each week for the accolade.

  • Monthly Rhythms: Some events like "Super Wheelspin" rewards are time-gated. Always check the in-game calendar or the Forza Hub app.

  • Forza Edition Cars: Some "Forza Edition" cars are only available through specific seasonal events or as gifts. These are often excellent for grinding skill points or credits.


    • Difficulty Spikes


  • The Goliath Race: The final street race "The Goliath" is a long course (over 30 km in a single lap). For newcomers, it can be overwhelming due to traffic and high-speed turns. Lower the difficulty temporarily or use a well-tuned S1 car with good brakes.

  • PR Stunts: Danger Signs like "La Cruz" and "El Arco" require precise speed and landing. If stuck, switch to a lighter vehicle or adjust the difficulty to "Highly Skilled" or below for easier traffic/spacing.

  • Trial Events: Co-op races against Unbeatable drivatars can be brutal. If your team is losing, don't stress — it's better to let the AI win than to ram teammates. Use a car from the recommended class and focus on finishing.

  • The Hot Wheels Expansion: The tracks are narrow with loops and boost sections. Beginners may find the physics challenging. Practice in the main game first, or reduce speed before loops.


    • Grinding Traps


  • Wheelspin Addiction: Spending too much time doing wheelspins is inefficient. Each wheelspin gives random credits or cars. It's better to earn guaranteed rewards from events. Do not buy wheelspins with real money.

  • Skill Point Waste: Do not randomly spend skill points on cars you won't drive. Each car has a skill tree with perks like credit bonuses, XP, or exclusive car mastery. Prioritize cars you use often for events or Forzathon.

  • Not Using Auto-Show: The game automatically adds all unlocked cars to your garage. Do not manually buy duplicate cars unless needed for specific upgrades. The garage can be overwhelming — filter by "New" to see only recent additions.

  • Ignoring Auction House: Use the Auction House to buy cars at lower prices than the Autoshow. Many rare cars (like the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari) sell for 10-15 million in auction but cost 40 million new. Also, sell duplicate rare cars to earn credits fast.

  • Over-Focusing on One Class: Don't only upgrade one car. Different events require different classes (A, S1, S2, etc.). Build a balanced garage across classes to always be ready.


    • Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes


  • No Ramming: In Horizon Arcade, The Trial, or any cooperative mode, avoid ramming teammates. It reduces their speed and your overall chance to win. If someone accidentally rams you, don't retaliate.

  • Inviting to Convoy: If you want to play with friends or randoms, use the Convoy invite. During an event, stay close to the group to maximize XP and credits.

  • Be Mindful of AFK Players: In Horizon Life, AFK players may be driving in circles or standing still. They can be reported for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Do not do this yourself — it ruins the experience.

  • Anti-Cheat: Forza Horizon 5 uses a proprietary anti-cheat system. Using mods, trainers, or third-party tools that alter gameplay (e.g., infinite money, crash-proofing) will result in a permanent ban from online features. Save files can also be flagged. Stay away from any cheat software.

  • Reporting: Use the in-game reporting for players who are toxic or buggied. Please only report genuine issues.


    • Save Management Advice


  • Cloud Saving: Game saves are automatically synced to the cloud via Xbox Live. If you play on PC and Xbox, ensure you are connected to the internet to avoid conflicts. If you lose connection, your local save may overwrite the cloud. To be safe, manually sync before quitting.

  • Local Save Location (PC): Your save file is located at `%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Forza Horizon 5\`. Backup this folder regularly (e.g., before a major update or if you plan to reinstall). Copy the entire folder to a safe location.

  • Multiple Profiles: You can have multiple saves by using different Xbox profiles. This is useful for restarting without losing progress. Each profile has its own save.

  • Corruption Risks: Rarely, save files can corrupt due to sudden crashes. Always wait for the "Saving..." icon to complete before turning off your console or PC. On PC, avoid force-closing the game.


Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier


1. Buy the "Lugar Tranquilo" House First: It reduces fast travel cost to 10% of normal (or free once you break 50 fast travel boards). This saves millions over time.
2. Use "Skill Song" Feature: When you play a radio station (especially Horizon XS or Pulse), a special "Skill Song" icon appears. During these, skill points earned from combos are doubled. Use this to grind skill points for perks.
3. Master the Mini-Map UI: The minimap shows upcoming turns, but also displays danger signs and speed zones. Use it to plan routes. Also, the "GPS" can be set to "dynamic" for more precise directions.
4. Don't Sell Rare Cars: Even if you don't drive a car, keep it. Many rare cars are only obtainable once via seasonal events. Selling them for quick credits is a mistake — you'll pay much more to reacquire them.
5. It's Okay to Lower Difficulty: You can change the difficulty menu at any time (Drivatar difficulty, assists, etc.) without penalty. Lower difficulties give more leeway and less frustration, especially in The Trial.
6. Collect All Fast Travel Boards Early: Use a fast car and a radar pulse (via the Car Mastery tree of any Fortune Island car) to locate them. This will pay for itself in saved fast travel costs within a few hours.
7. The "Photo Challenge" Weekly Pays Well: Every week, complete the photo challenge for a Super Wheelspin and 5FP. It's fast and easy.
8. Use Forza Hub Rewards: Install the Forza Hub app on Xbox or mobile to claim monthly bonuses like credits and cars, tied to your Forza franchise progress (plays, levels, etc.).