I‘m glad you asked! There are several great options to play Forza Horizon 5 for free – keep reading and I‘ll walk you through everything step-by-step.
Play Forza Horizon 5 through Xbox Game Pass
Hands down, the easiest way to play Forza Horizon 5 for free is to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. As an Xbox game streaming expert, I highly recommend Game Pass because it gives you unlimited access to download and play Forza Horizon 5 at no additional cost above the subscription fee.
Here‘s a quick look at how it works:
- Xbox Game Pass costs $9.99 per month for console or PC
- With an active subscription, you can install and play Forza Horizon 5 as much as you want
- There are no limits or restrictions – new expansions like the Hot Wheels DLC are included
- Cancel anytime if you decide to stop playing
For racing fans, this is an amazing deal – you get the entire Forza Horizon 5 package for the cost of a couple of lattes per month!
Over 25 million gamers subscribe to Game Pass, so you‘ll be in good company. According to Microsoft, Game Pass members play 30% more games and play 40% more genres than non-members.
I‘m one of those stats – Game Pass has helped me discover tons of new favorites I never would have paid full price for like Forza Horizon 5. At 10 bucks a month, you just can‘t beat the value.
Try multiplayer modes for free
Forza Horizon 5 goes way beyond traditional single player racing with a bunch of online multiplayer modes that are 100% free. You don‘t even need to own the full game to jump into online play!
Here are some of the most popular free multiplayer options:
Horizon Open
- Quick matching into races, stunt challenges, and more
- Seamless competitive online play with up to 11 other random players
- Events keep you constantly racing with minimal downtime
The Eliminator
- Battle royale style racing for 72 players
- Start in slow cars and find better drops while racing to avoid elimination
- Last driver standing wins!
Horizon Tour
- Cooperative multiplayer
- Work together with a team to complete objectives
- Freeroam challenges like photo missions and stunts
Horizon Arcade
- Pop-up mini-games open to all players
- Complete activities like smashing piñatas or scoring goals
- Quick burtst of fun competition
With just a basic free Xbox Live account, you can participate in all of these indefinitely. No grinding required to unlock them!
As a streaming veteran who has raced with buddies online for years, I can confirm the multiplayer here is smooth, well-populated, and addictively fun.
Take advantage of limited-time free play events
The Forza team occasionally holds special promotional free play periods where everyone gets full access to the game for a short time – no strings attached.
For example, during the recent Forza-thon event in March 2023, there was a free play weekend where non-owners could download and experience the full Forza Horizon 5 game at no cost.
Free roams, races, challenges, you name it – everything was unlocked! It let newcomers get a taste of the latest DLC expansions like Hot Wheels.
Keep an eye out for these time-limited free play events on the official Forza Twitter account and calendar. They usually coincide with festivals, content updates, and Mexico holiday celebrations.
Explore the open world freely in single player
Here‘s an underrated tip – once you get access to Forza Horizon 5 through one of the above methods, you can spend unlimited time cruising the open world map in solo play with no restrictions.
The entire map is available from the start – we‘re talking jungles, beaches, cities, canyons, and more. You‘re free to drive anywhere and discover over 500 roads on your own terms without being forced into races.
This is a great way for new players to get familiar with the world at their own pace. Personally I loved off-roading through Guanajuato‘s colorful architecture in the new Possum van. Take some time to stop and smell the cacti!
Use skill points to earn quick cash
Now this is a pro money-making strategy: rack up skill points by chaining together awesome driving combos, then cash in those points to unlock Super Wheelspins and credit rewards using car mastery perks.
It‘s an easy solo grinding method to build up a fortune so you can purchase new rides and upgrades without winning races.
A few skill chains in my Hoonicorn V2 let me unlock over 1,000,000 credits. For more money, snag a skill boost car like the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe – it extends skill chains for bigger payouts.
Redeem cheat codes
I don‘t normally condone cheating, but Forza Horizon 5 has a couple legit cheat codes that can give you a handy head start:
- tEAm4za – Unlocks a $900 million credit bonus right from the intro
- nOsLiW – Instantly access all races, cars, tracks, and chapters
These are built into the game intentionally for new players or those who just want to jump into the late-game action more quickly. No shame in using them to unlock content faster if racing up the progression ladder isn‘t your thing.
But don‘t worry, there are still plenty of challenges left and cars to earn even with cheats activated if you want to extend the experience. Enjoy!
Claim gifted cars like the Lamborghini Sian
The Forza community team is awesome about sending freebie vehicles to players as gifts. It‘s one of my favorite parts of being a loyal Forza fan!
Recently, everyone received a free fully-upgraded 2020 Lamborghini Sian Roadster just for taking part in the Horizon Secret Santa event. This rare hybrid hypercar normally costs millions of credits!
There‘s also the Koenigsegg Jesko awarded to VIP members, the Quartz Regalia from FFXV, and more. Keep an eye out for notifications about these free gifts cars – they‘ll just appear in your garage waiting to be claimed.
Test drive the fastest cars
If you really want to experience insane speed, get behind the wheel of these fastest cars in Forza Horizon 5 once you‘ve built up your collection:
- Hennessey Venom F5 – Officially the fastest at 311 mph!
- Koenigsegg Jesko – Swede hypercar that maxes an intense 320 mph
- Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ – High-speed legend topping out at 304 mph
- McLaren Speedtail – Slippery aerodynamics reach 273 mph
- Aston Martin Valkyrie – Rev to 11,100 rpm and hit 250 mph
I‘ve fully upgraded every one of these in my garage. Flying down the highway at 200+ mph in Mexico‘s lush scenery is a one-of-a-kind thrill!
Just make sure to equip rally tires if you want to push these beasts past their limit…they tend to lose traction at high speeds.
Cruise in online convoys with friends
Playing with friends takes the Forza Horizon experience to the next level. I recommend creating a private convoy so you can seamlessly matchmake into races and freeroam together.
Convoy benefits:
- Easily coordinate activities as a group
- Minimal lag since it‘s just your crew
- Complete convoy-only challenges
- Earn bonus points
- Show off custom paint jobs and tunes
My buddy and I will often spend hours just cruising Mexico‘s coast in our favorite vintage cars while chatting and enjoying the view. Forza Horizon 5 is a social paradise for gearheads!
Troubleshoot online connection issues
Forza Horizon 5‘s online play runs very smoothly for most people. But if you‘re having trouble getting connected, here are a few things to check:
- Confirm your Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscription is still active. This is required for online play.
- Update your network drivers and restart your PC or console. Outdated network software can cause connection problems.
- Try opening UDP ports 80, 443, and 3074 if they are blocked on your router. Forza Horizon 5 needs these open for optimal multiplayer performance.
- Reset your router and modem – this refreshes everything in case of weird bugs.
- Temporarily disable any VPNs, proxies, firewalls, or security software just to test. Sometimes these programs interfere with gaming traffic.
Following this standard networking troubleshooting guide should get you cruising online in short order. Let me know if you have any other specific questions!
Start Your Free Roam Adventure
Hopefully these tips give you plenty of options to enjoy Forza Horizon 5‘s massive open world and multiplayer modes for free.
Take advantage of the Xbox Game Pass trial, multiplayer open access, limited-time events, and gifted cars to start your own Mexican festival road trip on a budget.
Don‘t forget to redeem those skill points, customize your rides‘ looks, and squad up with friends for the full experience. See you out there on the highways and beastly off-road trails!
