Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that Forza Horizon 5 is Xbox Game Studios' biggest ever launch.
In a tweet, the studio head revealed the successful start for the latest installment of the racing series, stating that it had enjoyed the largest launch day for an Xbox Game Studios title ever.
We've invested for years in Xbox so more people can play. With 4.5+ million players so far across PC, cloud & console, Forza Horizon 5 shows that promise coming to life. Largest launch day for XGS game, peak concurrent 3x FH4 high. Thank you players & congrats to @WeArePlayground
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) November 10, 2021
Spencer's tweet reveals that Forza Horizon 5 has, within just days, reached 4.5 million players across PC, cloud, and console. He also noted that since launch, Forza Horizon 5 has seen a peak concurrent number of players three times higher than that of its predecessor Forza Horizon 4 – a factor that could be down to the growing popularity of Xbox Games Pass.
Playground Games' latest venture into the racing franchise takes place in a stunning open-world recreation of Mexico. As well as including a number of picturesque scenic routes and stunning vistas, the game also features a number of vibrant urban areas – and in true Forza Horizon fashion – a multitude of different terrains to get to grips with.
While Forza Horizon 5 has been popular with fans since its release, the game has also gained critical approval too. Critic reviews on Metacritic currently stand at 91 and 92 on PC and Xbox Series X respectively. In our own Horizon 5 review, we awarded the game a 10/10 stating that the game "is the result of a racing studio at the peak of its craft and the best open-world racing game available."
While Spencer's original comments state that the company has invested for years in Xbox so that more people can play games, Forza Horizon 5's accessibility options have also been praised for doing the same. Despite already including a number of accessibility features at launch to make the game more inclusive to players around the world, Xbox recently confirmed that there's more to come. A post-launch update for the game is expected to take place that will include an on-screen sign language interpreter, with both American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL).
For more on Forza Horizon 5, make sure to check out our dedicated IGN page for the game, where you can watch our Forza Horizon 5 performance review, and find out where every Barn Find is.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.