Forza Horizon 5 targets 4K 30 FPS on Xbox Series X, optional 60 FPS mode

What you need to know

• Microsoft unveiled Forza Horizon 5 at its E3 2021 press conference, headed to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs.
• The upcoming title will target 4K resolution at 30 FPS on Xbox Series X and 1080p at 30 FPS on Xbox Series S, with an optional 60 FPS mode sacrificing visuals.
• Forza Horizon 5 launches on November 9, 2021, with preorders now live.

Update June 15 (10:30 a.m. ET): Playground Games has provided additional context on the Forza Horizon 5's 60 FPS mode, with plans to support 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, and 1080p on Xbox Series S.

Microsoft unveiled Forza Horizon 5 at its latest E3 2021 showcase, bringing its virtual car festival to Mexico for a cross-country adventure spanning all types of terrain. The open-world automotive sandbox returns on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this November, with significant improvements throughout its world, as the largest map in the series to date. Microsoft has also set performance expectations on its latest consoles, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

Forza Horizon 5 will target 4K resolution at 30 frames-per-second (FPS) on Microsoft's best Xbox console, Xbox Series X, according to a post on the official Forza Motorsport website. Xbox Series S will offer comparable performance at a lesser resolution, targeting 1080p at 60 FPS out of the box. Microsoft also plans to offer an optional 60 FPS mode, downscaling visuals to pursue a higher framerate across these devices. The game will also support ray tracing on Xbox Series consoles at launch, although limited to the "Forzavista" mode for viewing vehicles.

For comparison, Forza Horizon 4 saw Xbox Series X|S optimizations retroactively added with a post-launch update, achieving 4K resolution at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X, and 1080p at 60 FPS on Xbox Series S.

Creative director on Forza Horizon 5 at Playground Games, Mike Brown, has provided additional context on planned performance modes for the title on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The optional 60 FPS modes will target 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, while still retaining 1080p on Xbox Series S.

It remains unclear how Forza Horizon 5 will different between these available modes, whether scaling back world detail, or implementing dynamic resolution scaling to maintain a consistent framerate.

Update June 15 (10:30 a.m. ET) — Forza Horizon 5 60 FPS mode detailed

Creative director on Forza Horizon 5 at Playground Games, Mike Brown, has provided additional context on planned performance modes for the title on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The optional 60 FPS modes will target 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, while still retaining 1080p on Xbox Series S.

It remains unclear how Forza Horizon 5 will differ between these available modes, whether scaling back world detail or implementing dynamic resolution scaling to maintain a consistent framerate.

The latest entry in the Forza Horizon series is also headed to Xbox One, unlike the upcoming soft reboot of the Forza Motorsport series, built from the ground up for next-generation systems. Its Xbox One release will make the game immeasurably more accessible, with the short supply of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles expected to continue throughout 2021. However, Microsoft is yet to confirm how Forza Horizon 5 will run on Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, compared to its predecessor, Forza Horizon 4.

The primary advancement with Forza Horizon 5 appears to hinge on new systems, including improved visual fidelity, extended draw distances, extreme weather effects, and an overall bolstered open world. We already know an extensive list of Forza Horizon 5 cars so far too, with more to be announced over the months ahead.

Forza Horizon 5 launches November 9, 2021, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, with preorders now live starting at $60 for the standard edition.