Can I Buy Windows 10 Directly From Microsoft

The upgrade offer was marketed and initiated using the "Get Windows 10" application, which was first downloaded and installed via Windows Update in March 2015. Third-party programs were also created to assist users in applying measures to disable GWX. 10 product keys, meaning they could be entered during installation to activate the free license, without the need to upgrade first to "activate" the hardware with Microsoft's activation servers. Extended support until January 13, 2032The original release of Windows 10 receives mainstream support for five years after its original release, followed by five years of extended support, but this is subject to conditions. Microsoft stated that these devices would no longer receive feature updates, but would still receive security updates through January 2023.

Microsoft will continue to support at least one standard Windows 10 release until October 14, 2025. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7's design by using only a portion of the screen and including a Windows 7-style application listing in the first column. Myerson said that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate. Windows Phone 8.1 would share nearly 90% of the common Windows Runtime APIs with Windows 8.1 on PCs. Other critics argued that Microsoft should not have triggered any downloading of Windows 10 installation files without user consent. Older blog but I will take a chance and post my problem.

One partition is windows 10 Home 64bit and the other is windows 10 pro 32 bit. When I had a hardware failure I replaced the mainboard with a board that was very close to the original in the sense of chipsets and CPU. Used my original Graphics card , FAXmodem , Hard drives, and memory. When I powered the system I went to the 64 bit partition first. It activated using the "replace hardware recently" option. I have a second retail win 7pro disc package with valid key but when I enter it, It just keeps saying I can't have two different versions on the same machine basically.

If your Windows 7 or Windows 8 license is not activated and you are not interested in purchasing a license, then your options are limited. Microsoft offers a 90 day trial of its Windows 10 Enterprise edition. Windows 10 Enterprise is normally distributed under Microsoft's volume license program for large organizations that deploy Windows 10 in bulk. It's a full-featured edition of the operating system but in this case, it's really an evaluation version of the software. Users must register before they can download and install the software.

This option is perfect for those users who are running Windows Vista or never had a genuine license, to begin with. Anyone adopting Windows 10 can upgrade legacy machines directly from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10 without re-imaging or performing intrusive and time-consuming system wipes and upgrade procedures. To upgrade from a previous version of Windows 10, IT or users run the Windows 10 OS installer, which transfers any applications and software on the previous OS, as well as settings and preferences over to Windows 10. Organizations and users can pick and choose how they will patch and update Windows 10.

IT or users can access a Windows 10 upgrade through the Windows Update Assistant to manually begin an upgrade or wait for Windows Update to offer an upgrade when it is set to run. As of the May 2019 update, the minimum disk space requirement has been increased to 32 GB. In addition, on new installations, Windows permanently reserves up to 7 GB of disk space in order to ensure proper installation of future feature updates.

This edition is designed for "special-purpose devices" that perform a fixed function . For this reason, it excludes Cortana, Microsoft Store, and all bundled Universal Windows Platform apps . On May 2, 2017, Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 S , a feature-limited edition of Windows 10 which was designed primarily for devices in the education market , such as the Surface Laptop that Microsoft also unveiled at this time. The OS restricts software installation to applications obtained from Microsoft Store; the device may be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for a fee to enable unrestricted software installation. As a time-limited promotion, Microsoft stated that this upgrade would be free on the Surface Laptop until March 31, 2018.

Windows 10 S also contains a faster initial setup and login process, and allows devices to be provisioned using a USB drive with the Windows Intune for Education platform. Would be better if you would also add some tips for potential buyers who will otherwise take the cheapest option and buy the home edition which is atrocious. After a couple of such deliberate disruptions I decided to put in a Linux dual boot option, and have stuck with it since the last time windows got stuck at the "wait while windows is getting ready " stage. Many would argue that downloading Windows without paying for or already owning a product key is ethically wrong. That said, Microsoft has made this process easier over various Windows iterations and lessened the limitations and nagging that happens when you don't activate. The company isn't trying to close this loophole, probably because it's more interested in driving user numbers.

I've even seen well-known vendors and Microsoft partners do press presentations with watermarks on their desktop. However, Microsoft left the door open to free upgrades via its accessibility website until 31 December 2017. According to ZDNet, Microsoft has also continued to provide free upgrades to Windows 10 if you enter a valid Windows 7 product key. To do this, download Windows 10 and use Microsoft's free media creation tool to create a DVD or USB thumbdrive to do the upgrade. Apparently, it doesn't work every time, but it's worth a go.

AfterWindows 10 is completely installed, you'll be presented with the new desktop and all the new features. At this time, it's a good idea to go to Windows Update using the Settings app to check for updates. Also, go to Device Manager to confirm if the computer hardware is working correctly, and you don't need to reinstall any driver. In March 2016, some users also alleged that their Windows 7 and 8.1 devices had automatically begun upgrading to Windows 10 without their consent.

In June 2016, the GWX dialog's behavior changed to make closing the window imply a consent to a scheduled upgrade. It was concluded that these users may have unknowingly clicked the "Accept" prompt without full knowledge that this would begin the upgrade. Feature updates prior to version 1909 are distributed solely as an in-place upgrade installation, requiring the download of a complete operating system package (approximately 3.5 GB in size for 64-bit systems). Unlike previous builds, version 1909 is designed primarily as an update rollup version of 1903, focusing primarily on minor feature additions and enhancements. For upgrades to 1909 from 1903, a new delivery method is used where its changes were delivered as part of the monthly cumulative update, but are left in a dormant state until the 1909 update "enablement" patch is installed. The full upgrade process is still used for those using builds prior to 1903.

A new iteration of the Start menu is used on the Windows 10 desktop, with a list of places and other options on the left side, and tiles representing applications on the right. The menu can be resized, and expanded into a full-screen display, which is the default option in Tablet mode. A new virtual desktop system was added by a feature known as Task View, which displays all open windows and allows users to switch between them, or switch between multiple workspaces. Universal apps, which previously could be used only in full screen mode, can now be used in self-contained windows similarly to other programs. Program windows can now be snapped to quadrants of the screen by dragging them to the corner. When a window is snapped to one side of the screen, Task View appears and the user is prompted to choose a second window to fill the unused side of the screen (called "Snap Assist").

The upgrade process from Windows Vista takes time and money, and if the computer is old and comparatively slow, you may not find it worth the effort. Critics have acknowledged that Microsoft's update and testing practices had been affecting the overall quality of Windows 10. In particular, it was pointed out that Microsoft's internal testing departments had been prominently affected by a major round of layoffs undertaken by the company in 2014. Microsoft relies primarily on user testing and bug reports via the Windows Insider program , as well as correspondence with OEMs and other stakeholders. In the wake of the known folder redirection data loss bug in the version 1809, it was pointed out that bug reports describing the issue had been present on the Feedback Hub app for several months prior to the public release. Following the incident, Microsoft updated Feedback Hub so that users may specify the severity of a particular bug report.

10 heavily emphasizes freemium services, and contains various advertising facilities. Some outlets have considered these to be a hidden "cost" of the free upgrade offer. 10 Home and Pro is "Semi-Annual Channel " (formerly "Current Branch", or "CB"), which receives stable builds after they are publicly released by Microsoft. Each build of Windows 10 is supported for 18 months after its original release. Windows 10 provides greater integration with the Xbox ecosystem. Windows 10 also allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network.

The Xbox Live SDK allows application developers to incorporate Xbox Live functionality into their apps, and future wireless Xbox One accessories, such as controllers, are supported on Windows with an adapter. The Anniversary Update added Windows Subsystem for Linux , which allows the installation of a user space environment from a supported Linux distribution that runs natively on Windows. The subsystem translates Linux system calls to those of the Windows NT kernel .

The environment can execute the Bash shell and 64-bit command-line programs (WSL 2 also supports 32-bit Linux programs and graphics, assuming supporting software installed, and GPUs support for other uses). Windows applications cannot be executed from the Linux environment, and vice versa. Linux distributions for Windows Subsystem for Linux are obtained through Microsoft Store. The feature initially supported an Ubuntu-based environment; Microsoft announced in May 2017 that it would add Fedora and OpenSUSE environment options as well. Windows 10 received generally positive reviews upon its original release. Two years back, Microsoft quietly made Windows 10 free to download, install, and use.

However, the sad part is that users are still unaware of it. If you are looking for a Windows 10 key, the better alternative will be to use the free version of Windows 10 instead of buying a new license key. It comes with all Windows functionalities and you will get feature and security updates too.Basically, everything works similar to the activated Pro version. If you don't want access to early builds in the future, just select 'Stop getting preview builds' from that same Windows Insider Program settings menu. Make sure you choose 'Unenroll this device when the next version of Windows releases', otherwise you'll have to clean install Windows 10 again.

Microsoft allows absolutely anyone to download and install Windows 10 on their computers for free. Even if you don't have a product key, you'll still be able to use an unactivated version of Windows 10, although some features may be limited. Getting hold of the Windows installer is as easy as visiting support.microsoft.com. Whether you've paid for Windows 10 already or not, anyone is allowed to download a Windows 10 ISO file and burn it to a DVD or create installation media on a USB drive for free. Once that's done, you can boot from your installation media and load Windows 10 onto your PC.

During installation, Microsoft asks for an activation key. You can skip it, but eventually, Windows will start alerting you that your install isn't activated. If your hardware meets the requirements and you want to proceed, you also have to buy a copy of Windows 10, which costs $120 for the home version.

Microsoft Win 10 Download Page You will also need to reinstall all your programs that are compatible with Windows 10. Alternatively, users who want to migrate their files, apps, and settings can purchase a copy of Windows 7, upgrade their current installation, and only then upgrade to Windows 10. However, a clean install will save you time and money and help you start with a fresh installation.

Although Microsoft doesn't offer a direct upgrade path, it's still possible to upgrade your PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 10. However, you'll need to perform a few extra steps to create a bootable installation media, backup your data, and perform a clean installation of Windows 10 on your system. On January 21, 2016, Microsoft was sued in small claims court by a user whose computer had attempted to upgrade to Windows 10 without her consent shortly after the release of the operating system. The upgrade failed, and her computer was left in a broken state thereafter, which disrupted the ability to run her travel agency.

The court ruled in favor of the user and awarded her $10,000 in damages, but Microsoft appealed. However, in May 2016, Microsoft dropped the appeal and chose to pay the damages. In October 2015, Windows 10 began to appear as an "Optional" update on the Windows Update interface, but pre-selected for installation on some systems. A Microsoft spokesperson said that this was a mistake, and that the download would no longer be pre-selected by default. In December 2015, it was reported that a new advertising dialog had begun to appear, only containing "Upgrade now" and "Upgrade tonight" buttons, and no obvious method to decline installation besides the close button.

Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015.

Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet, as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users via the Windows Store, and to Windows 7 users via Windows Update. Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test builds of Windows 10, which are available to Windows Insiders. Devices in enterprise environments can receive these updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of extended support. As I've noted in past blogs, being on the latest version of Windows provides you with the best in creativity, protection and productivity. Windows 11's minimum system requirements enable a new era of experiences, reliability and security. AsPanos Panay shared in June, this is the first version of a new era of Windows.

And, for customers who are using a device that is not eligible for Windows 11, Windows 10 is a great place to be. Windows 10 will be serviced through Oct. 14, 2025and we previously announced that the next feature update to Windows 10 is coming very soon, continuing to offer you both support and choice with Windows. Mac users, custom PC builders, and anyone installing on a virtual machine will need a product key to install Windows 10 legally. After a lot of criticism over the hardware requirements for Windows 11, the company finally relented and recently announced that users could manually install Windows 11 on their computers.

While Windows 10 users might be able to take advantage of the new features on the upcoming operating system, there's a security issue with installing the update via this route. Open Settings and choose "Update & Security" and click "Activation." From here, you can see if the Windows 10 upgrade worked. If not, press an "Activate" button ; this will create a digital Windows 10 product key.

Before moving forward with the upgrade, you want to back up your files to an external drive and make sure you have the installation files and product key to reinstall any software after the upgrade. That's how you can install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. These methods aren't all of the possible ways to get Windows 11 installed, but they're probably the easiest . Of course, there's no guarantee this tutorial will continue to apply to Windows 11 as new previews and the final version are released. If you checked the Microsoft Store you may have noticed the price tags for the different Windows versions available there.

And maybe you ran a quick search on the web for a third-party vendor. However, be careful when buying a digital license online. Starting with Windows 10 version 2004, Microsoft will require new OEM devices to use 64-bit processors, and will therefore cease the distribution of x86 (32-bit) variants of Windows 10 via OEM channels. The 32-bit variants of Windows 10 will remain available via non-OEM channels, and Microsoft will continue to " feature and security updates on these devices". This would later be followed by Windows 11 dropping 32-bit hardware support altogether, and thus making Windows 10 the final version of Windows to have a 32-bit version.

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows Update does not allow the selective installation of updates, and all updates are downloaded and installed automatically. Users can only choose whether their system will reboot automatically to install updates when the system is inactive, or be notified to schedule a reboot. Version 1703 allows wired networks to be designated as metered, but Windows may still download certain updates while connected to a metered network. On July 29, 2015, Microsoft officially announced that Windows 10 would be released for retail purchase as a free upgrade from earlier versions of Windows. Credentials are stored in an encrypted form on Microsoft servers and sent to the devices of the selected contacts. Passwords are not viewable by the guest user, and the guest user is not allowed to access other computers or devices on the network.

Wi-Fi Sense is not usable on 802.1X-encrypted networks. Adding "_optout" at the end of the SSID will also block the corresponding network from being used for this feature. Device Guard is designed to protect against zero-day exploits, and runs inside a hypervisor so that its operation remains separated from the operating system itself. The Windows Runtime app ecosystem was revised into the Universal Windows Platform . These universal apps are made to run across multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other devices compatible with Windows 10. For users who already have an installed, activated copy of Windows 10, but would like a second copy setup maybe for compatibility purposes on a second drive or partition, there is a loophole available.

This Is Us Season 5 Release Date 2020

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Can Forza Horizon 5 Be Played On Xbox One

Forza Horizon 5 has fallen prey to the same faults that plague many online multiplayer games with prevalent server and online matchmaking issues since launch. Online stability has continued to improve with every patch and hotfix since launch, but players who enjoy online multiplayer should be aware that the experience is still far from perfect. Millions of other players joined the fun when the game was officially released, resulting in the biggest launch day for an Xbox Game Studios game. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer confirmed 4.5 million players across all platforms are enjoying Forza Horizon 5. The peak concurrent player count is three times higher than Forza Horizon's 4 player count, showing just how many players have purchased or downloaded the game. Forza Horizon 5 is a racing video game set in an open world environment based in a fictional representation of Mexico.

The game has the largest map in the entire Forza Horizon series, being 50% larger than its predeccesor, Forza Horizon 4 while also having the highest point in the Horizon series. The map was described by creative director Mike Brown as one of the most diverse Forza Horizon maps the team has built. The map contains an active caldera volcano, jungles and beaches, ancient Mayan temples, and towns and cities such as Guanajuato. Players can explore the open world freely, though they can also compete in multiplayer races and complete the campaign mode. Both the cars featured in the game and the player character can be extensively customised. Players are able to create custom liveries and tunes for cars, and perform engine swaps, drivetrain swaps, or install body kits on certain vehicles.

The game is the first in the franchise to support ray tracing on cars . Forza Horizon 5's official release date is November 9, 2021, and that's when the majority of players will get their hands on Playground's next project. Some gamers, however, get early access to FH5, which will be released on November 5, 2021. Whether you're playing on launch day or four days ahead of schedule, it's not always clear when Forza Horizon 5 will be released. While FH5 is one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, you're not always guaranteed a faultless experience. The game has dropped with an extensive list of bugs and launch issues across all platforms, including some you might frequently encounter during your time in Mexico.

We've rounded up the top bugs and known issues impacting the title right now, alongside the updates Playground has released to improve and evolve the experience. Being the fifth instalment in the series, Playground Games has taken huge steps to make the driving experience more immersive. Besides the standard campaign mode, players can take part in online multiplayer races and explore the open world with no restrictions. Fans everywhere are enjoying Forza Horizon 5, Microsoft's iconic open-world racing series. The game was released yesterday and is featured in the Xbox Game Pass, making it easier for thousands of players to enjoy the title. Die-hard fans who purchased the Premium Edition for $99 gained access to the game on Nov. 4 and the title already had almost one million players two days before its official launch.

"We've invested for years in Xbox so more people can play," Spencer said in the tweet. We've likley got Xbox Game Pass and stellar reviews to thank for that. Fans of racing games will get everything they want and more from Forza Horizon 5's stunningly realistic open world. Players are treated to unlimited gameplay opportunities thanks to the intricately detailed user customization and accessibility options.

Despite this, Forza Horizon 5 has pushed the capabilities of the new Xbox consoles to its limits, offering the most stunning and varied racing experience yet. Forza Horizon 5 doesn't change the basic structure, and there's still a huge amount of stuff dotting the Mexican map. But it does do a better job of easing you into its mountain of content.

You're able to choose which specific types of events to unlock as you progress, so, for example, I preferred to focus on closed-track road races early on before delving into cross-country rallies. I feel like if I stopped playing the game and came back to it weeks later, I'd have a much better sense of what I'd been doing and where would be best for me to spend the next couple of hours. In turn, that makes me feel better about simply driving around the landscape in search of whatever esoteric quest I might come across. Unlike with 4, I've never felt like I'm wasting my time in Forza Horizon 5, as I always have more of a sense of what I could be working toward.

Now that the fans know when is Forza Horizon 5 coming out, there are speculations about the cars that will be available in the game. Although there is no official Forza Horizon 5 car list available yet, fans around the world have spotted some exciting new additions to the Forza Horizon 5 rooster. A Mercedes-AMG Project One is proudly showcased by the developers in the official gameplay demo video released by Xbox on their YouTube channel. Other cars in the official trailer include Land Rover Defender 110, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 GSR, Ford Bronco R Baja, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 and Porsche 911 Carrera S . In Forza, cheap cars or luxury automobiles can dramatically change gameplay.

The games that players create can be shared with friends and used by players who have completed most of the game's material. This consists of a series of mini-multiplayer games strewn across the map. One of these mini-multiplayer games is called "Piñata pop" where the Horizon Festival's cargo plane drops piñatas.

The goal is to pop as many piñatas as they can with the help of other players. It also introduces the "EventLab", a toolset in which players can create custom games, races, and more depending on their personal preference. According to Brown, it is an AI assistant that tracks the current statuses of players, helping them to link with other players online and play together.

Forza Link can also link players' GPS systems if they accept the invitation from another player. Forza Horizon 5 is an epic open-world racing title from Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios, and is hands-down one of the biggest games released in 2021. We recommend ensuring Forza Horizon 5 is installed on your internal hard drive for the best possible results and otherwise keeping an eye on official support channels for future updates. Post-launch hotfixes and patches have claimed to fix a number of crashing issues, but crashes can still occur even after these more recent releases. Forza Horizon 5 has taken to the roads of Mexico, presenting what's shaping up as one of the best racing games to bless Xbox consoles and PC. Developer Playground Games has delivered an expansive open world brimming with miles of roads to explore across jungle, plains, deserts, canyons, and more.

It also introduces hundreds of vehicles, high-speed events and races, and mountains of content geared for virtual petrolheads. Here, "crossplay" means that, when playing, you can match with gamers who are on PCs or other Xbox systems. That greatly improves the pool of gamers to draw from, which makes it easier for races to fill up and get started. It also makes it easier to play with friends who may prefer to use their PC racing setups — and vice-versa for those who enjoy racing on a console in front of their TVs.

To an extent, cross-saving is also supported, so some gamers are able to switch between PC and console without losing progress. Just like most games out there, Forza Horizon 5 comes with its own multiplayer system, allowing different players to hop into the game and play together. Forza Horizon 5 is the latest installment in the Forza series that comes with a single-player campaign as well as an online multiplayer mode. With the multiplayer mode in Forza Horizon 5, players can enjoy races with their friends or compete against other players.

This article will be a guide to Forza Horizon 5 multiplayer mode and how players can jump into Forza Horizon 5 races with their friends. Firstly, there is the choice between the standard edition of the game and the premium one, which offers a plethora of early game unlocks and promised expansion packs, but costs almost twice the price. Whether you're struggling to find the rare cars hidden in various barns across the map, or you want the latest kooky sounding horn or wacky emote, Forza Horizon 5 has the in-game shop for you. Many can be unlocked via gameplay and chance, but you're certainly encouraged to pay upfront to unlock your favorite in-game items. Many games launch simultaneously around the world, based on where the game's primary market or home country is at midnight, or roll out gradually in each region when the new day begins.

Forza Horizon 5 will be released at midnight in every region's easternmost time zone, which means users will have to do some quick arithmetic to figure out exactly when they'll be able to play. Fortunately, we have all of the necessary dates and times listed here. Greenberg revealed this massive launch week number for Playground Studios' latest open-world driving game on Twitter and he said the numbers are still growing. This news comes after Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed last week that Horizon 5 had the biggest launch of any Xbox Game Studios game ever, hitting over 4.5 million players on launch day. If you're an arcade racing game purist, Burnout Paradise has a lot to answer for. Ever since, virtually all big-budget arcade racing games have been made in the shadow of Paradise, with most tracks consisting of lines drawn across vast, explorable maps.

Will Forza Horizon 5 Be Playable On Xbox One Players will race through various kinds of biomes in the game, and will have access to a number of professional racing cars. Several game modes allow players to play online against others, and "The Eliminator" battle royale mode has also made a return from Forza Horizon 4. While the Xbox E event, Forza Horizon 5 was announced for PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One. This time around, the open-world drifting and driving game is coming with an arcade-themed driving simulation-based in Mexico.

Read along to know more about Forza Horizon 5 release date, Forza Horizon 5 car list and other details. Forza Horizon 5 has been released for Premium customers on November 5, 2021. For this early access, Premium customers have paid more than the regular customers of the game. Nevertheless, the game is about to release for all players today, i.e. The Mexico map developed this time is one of the largest maps in the nine-year history of the game.

Forza Horizon 5 is filled to the brim with content and interesting game modes to keep solo players engaged and playing for hours on end. Nonetheless, being able to play with friends can elevate the racing game even further and offer a whole new experience. Forza Horizon 5 has finally arrived, bringing with it the biggest and best map in an open-world racing game ever. With a ton of content crammed onto it, over 500 cars on the roster, and cutting-edge visuals, there's plenty to keep you drifting and danger sign jumping for hours on end. As such, you may be wondering what the deal is with Forza Horizon 5 crossplay, so you know exactly what the deal is with your progression carrying over from one platform to another. There are dozens of hidden spots, XP boards, and races to finish across the many zones.

In addition to these things and events, players can face daily challenges in Forza Horizon 5. Forza Horizon 5 is an open-world racing by Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios that is one of the most anticipated Xbox and PC games of the year. For the first time, the long-running racing series will be set in Mexico, and the game will launch with the largest and most diverse map and car list of any Forza Horizon game before it. Forza Horizon 5 was officially revealed by Microsoft during their Xbox and Bethesda E3 presentation just two days ago.

The upcoming fifth main entry in the open-world racing game franchise will be set in Mexico and will support 4K and raytracing when played on either an Xbox Series X console or a Windows PC with the appropriate hardware. Create your own expressions of fun with the powerful new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts, and entirely new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever before with new options such as the ability open and close convertible tops, paint brake calipers, and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community. Forza Horizon 5 has crossplay between all platforms.This is no doubt good news for players with friends on different platforms as it makes joining up a breeze. Gone are the days of wringing your hands as you try to work out which of your friends are on what platform and who needs to switch or if someone needs to purchase a new system.

Players on console and PC can unite as they race around the beautiful Mexico landscapes. This makes finding the fast travel board locations even better as you can do it with friends. Despite the name and the hundreds of accurately modeled real-world cars, Forza Horizon has little in common with Turn 10 Studios' Forza Motorsport series, which is more of a serious racing simulator. While Horizon isn't exactly a Ridge Racer-style arcade game, it's certainly on the more accessible side of things. The physics feel somewhat grounded in reality, and you'll notice big differences in how various cars handle, but the driving model is very forgiving, and it's easy for anyone to pick up and play. Yes, Forza Horizon 5 does support cross-play across Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S and PC players, meaning you can group up in convoys or race against multiple players no matter which platform they happen to call home.

Forza Horizon 5 also supports cloud gaming too, so those who are playing via mobile devices can also experience cross-play with all the regular platforms. Forza Horizon 5, the latest open world racing game from Playground Games, was released for premium customers last week and everyone else will get the game this week. The open world arcade-sim racing game is now set in Mexico and returns to North America for the first time in 9 years — since the original game that was based in Colorado. One of the things Playground Games and Turn 10 have mentioned is that Mexico is the biggest map they have developed for any Forza Horizon franchise till date. Playground Games has delivered their latest masterpiece with Forza Horizon 5, which features the series' most diverse map and largest car list yet.

Forza Horizon 5 somehow fulfills its ambitious promises to be the best open-world racer right now, and one of the best racing games in general. Forza Horizon 5 also features a brand-new weather system, where players will be able to experience different climates in different parts of the country. Additionally, you are also introduced to the Horizon Arcade, where you can play a series of mini-multiplayer games spread across the map.

Create your own expressions of fun with the new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts and new game modes. Players are dropped into an open-world setting, which for Forza Horizon 5 players is Mexico. Various races, stunts and other events are available to dive into across a gorgeous, sprawling map. It offers something more light-hearted than the main franchise and is one of the most beloved series' under the Xbox banner. ​In Forza Horizon 5, convoys can be created by simply driving up to a player you want to start a convoy with and pressing the invite option. Players can invite different players and engage in various in-game events or simply wander around the map.

You can join a convoy by using the game's search feature to find one. Players aren't forced to compete in co-op events and can choose between playing solo or with other players. Players who have played previous Forza games will know about Convoys, making its re-entry in Forza Horizon 5.

To play Forza Horizon 5 with friends, players have to create a convoy. ​Following the footsteps of its predecessor, Forza Horizon 5 packs in a full-fledged online multiplayer mode with its own map and other features. Forza Horizon 5's multiplayer map is called Horizon Life, where all players can freely drive around and have fun with their fancy rides. As per a tweet from Xbox boss Phil Spencer, the game has seen a player count of over 4.5 million on November 9 – the official, actual release day for the title. A lot of those players were already in-game ahead of launch, thanks to purchases of the Premium Edition of the game (which sets you back some $99 / £85).

The full release of Forza Horizon 5 will take place on November 9, 2021, at midnight in every region's easternmost time zone. All Forza Horizon 5 players, including those who have preordered the game, are using Xbox Game Pass, have received their physical copy, and want to use Xbox Cloud Gaming, are eligible for the complete release. Forza Horizon 5 will also lose its "preorder" classification and become freely accessible for purchase. To experience multiplayer, players first need to complete the opening Showcase segment, and then complete the next two required tasks.

The map will then open up to more types of events, and players can now invite friends to a Convoy. From here, every event in PVP, PVE, and open-world exploration can be done while playing with others. Forza Horizon 5 is an arcade-style racing game from developer Playground Games containing a plethora of content for players to take advantage of. Driving solo is an incredibly enjoyable experience, thanks to the varied style of content available across the Mexican map. Bringing you the latest news, reviews, updates, opinions, and insight from the most recognized and respected names from the world of racing games. We are building a positive community of likeminded gamers, sim racers and fans and we want you to be a part of it.

Online multiplayer stability has also been addressed, in particular during Horizon Arcade events. In no major surprise, with over six million accounts listed on the in-game leaderboards within the first two weeks, there have been some signs of connectivity issues. With 4.5+ million players so far across PC, cloud & console, Forza Horizon 5 shows that promise coming to life.

The figures suggest that Playground Games' latest Horizon instalment could be set for a significant launch in terms of active players. Forza Horizon 5 has already enjoyed an excellent critical reception and on PC it's currently the best-selling game on Steam, despite the fact it will be available on Game Pass in three days. Forza Horizon 5 is also an impressive test case for Microsoft's cross-generational hardware strategy. I played the game for several hours on my Xbox One X, and it doesn't feel compromised compared to anything else on the console.