Is the Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map DLC worth it?

Forza Horizon 5 Preview Screenshot
Forza Horizon 5 Preview Screenshot (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Is the Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map DLC worth it?

Best answer: No, the Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map DLC is not worth it for most players, despite its affordable price tag. While completionists who want to track down every last secret in FH5 can benefit greatly from the Treasure Map, most players will be served well by how the game naturally reveals the Bonus Boards and Barn Finds. For more concrete benefits at a similar price, the FH5 Welcome Pack is a solid DLC for new and returning Forza Horizon players.

Only for some

Forza Horizon 5 is overflowing with a nearly endless stream of content for players to engage with, and secrets to find scattered across the entire Forza Horizon 5 map. Beyond races and events, online multiplayer, and much more, a large part of FH5 is exploring the world. Players can track down and smash every single Bonus Board, for example, which are wooden signs that grant XP bonuses and Fast Travel discounts when broken.

Forza Horizon 5's Barn Finds also give players plenty to do when trying to expand their collection of Forza Horizon 5 cars, with hidden barns scattered all over the map (and different ways of unlocking them) containing valuable cars. Playground Games gives players a shortcut to skip some of the grunt work with the Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map, the most affordable DLC add-on for the open-world racer. The Treasure Map immediately provides all the locations for every Bonus Board and Barn Find (assuming you've unlocked them) in the game, making it far easier to find them all.

For the vast majority of Forza Horizon 5 players, however, the Treasure Map DLC probably won't be worth it. FH5 does a great job surfacing Bonus Boards as you get near them anyways, and exploring a small section of the map in search of a rare car is part of the charm of a Barn Find. Despite its incredibly low price, the players who will benefit the most from the Treasure Map DLC are completionists who desire to hunt down absolutely every Bonus Board and Barn Find, and want to eliminate as much hassle as possible.

It's worth mentioning that the Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map is the only DLC add-on that isn't included in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons Bundle, a comprehensive package that features a huge amount of additional content and bonuses for FH5 players. Also, if you're looking for a similarly affordable DLC that adds to your experience, consider instead the Forza Horizon 5 Welcome Pack, which provides more tangible perks that benefit any player, new and returning.

What's included

Here's everything you need to know about the Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map, and what's included:

  • Included: The Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map reveals all the locations for XP and Fast Travel Bonus Boards in FH5, as well as the precise locations of all Barn Finds (as they're unlocked and discovered).
  • Available: The Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map is only available as a standalone purchase.
  • Not included: The Forza Horizon 5 Treasure Map does not include any other DLC, like the Car Pass, Expansions Bundle, VIP Membership, or Welcome Pack. For every FH5 DLC except the Treasure Map, you'll want the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons Bundle.

In our Forza Horizon 5 review, we concluded that FH5 is absolutely one of the best Xbox racing games. Forza Horizon 5 is now available, and our ultimate guide covers everything you need to know.

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Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.