Microsoft Launches Xbox Series X Forza Horizon 5 Bundle
Microsoft announced this week the first new Xbox Series X bundle in a while, the Xbox Series X Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition Bundle. The $559 package includes an Xbox Series X console, a controller, and Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition.
Forza Horizon 5 isn’t exactly a brand-new game, it was released back in November 2021, but it’s still getting new content. Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition includes the Hot Wheels Expansion, the game’s VIP Pass, Car Pass, and Welcome Pack, and the second DLC will also be available for free when it launches (presumably) later this year.
Microsoft didn’t have a big exclusive game last year after Bethesda’s Starfield and Redfall had been delayed to 2023, so this Forza Horizon 5 bundle is probably the best thing the company can offer right now. Forza Horizon 5 still remains one of the most critically-acclaimed first-party games released since the beginning of this new console generation.
It’s not clear why Microsoft didn’t announce this Xbox Series X bundle ahead of the holiday season, as it did for the Xbox Series S Gilded Hunter bundle. To my knowledge, the last Xbox Series X bundle Microsoft announced was last year’s Halo Infinite Limited Edition Bundle, which included a custom-designed console and controller and a copy of the game.
The Xbox Series X Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition bundle is available at the Microsoft Store and participating retailers in the US, Canada, and select Asian markets this week. Europe, Latin America, and more regions are set to follow later this month.
Even though it’s been more than two years since this new console generation kicked off, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles and Sony’s PlayStation 5 are still in short supply around the world. However, the situation is about to finally improve on the PS5 front. Sony’s gaming boss Jim Ryan said at CES this week that shortages are finally over, and the exec also announced that Sony has now sold 30 million PS5 units since launch.