Forza Horizon 5 previews its overhauled car engine sound design

Forza Horizon 5
(Image credit: Playground Games)

Forza Horizon 5 just debuted a brand new preview of in-game car audio.

Just below, you can check out the brief video showcasing how Forza Horizon 5 is going to sound when it launches later this year. Introduced by Playground Games lead audio designer Fraser Strachan, we're treated to right around two minutes' worth of glorious car engines.

Throughout the video after Strachan's brief introduction, we see a handful of different vehicles revving up their engines, demoing just how well Playground Games have designed the car audio for Forza Horizon 5. There's all sorts of cars used for the showcase, including modern power cars and old-school vintage vehicles as well.

In a different showcase earlier this week from the developer, the developers shared more details on how Forza Horizon 5 will use ray tracing technology for its audio. As you can hear for yourself in the detailed video from Playground Games just below, Forza Horizon 5 will use ray tracing to dynamically change engine sounds on the fly, meaning all engines will sound different based on their surrounding environment.

The audio for Forza Horizon 5, and by extension the engine sounds themselves, will render at 90 frames per second. This will allow the new game's sounds to change depending on where you are: for example, engines will sound far different in townscape settings than they would out in the wild among trees, or in extensive tunnels.

Additionally, Forza Horizon 5 will utilize a technology called granular hybrid looping. To break it down, as the developers do in the video just above, this means engines will be drawing from thousands of sound files to sound vastly different at any time throughout the game. Only 15% of vehicles featured in Forza Horizon 5 had this technology, but every single car in the new game boasts this tech.

Forza Horizon 5 launches later this year on November 9, 2021, for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, and will be available on day one through the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. On the graphical side of things, the Xbox Series X can maintain a smooth 60FPS at 4K resolution, while the Xbox Series S runs at 1080p with 60FPS visuals.

For more on all the games launching this year, head over to our new games 2021 guide for more.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Forza Horizon 5 the real deal reasonably priced car seasonal championship volvo 850 R racing
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest Xbox game to make the leap to PS5, and it's launching this spring with all of the same content and DLC
Forza Horizon 5 barn finds barn with yellow door
All Forza Horizon 5 Barn Finds locations
Japanese Drift Master appearing in FGS Live From GDC
After a years-long way, this Initial D-inspired open-world racing game is now just around the corner
Upcoming PS5 games title image showcasing Death Stranding 2, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Ghost of Yotei, and Doom the Dark Ages
Upcoming PS5 games: New PS5 games for 2025 and beyond
JDM Japanese Drift Master
The Initial D-inspired open-world racing game that took over Steam Next Fest in 2023 finally launches this March
Upcoming Xbox Series X games header image featuring State of Decay 3, Fable 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and South of Midnight
Upcoming Xbox Series X games for 2025 and beyond
Latest in Forza Horizon
Forza Horizon 5 the real deal reasonably priced car seasonal championship volvo 850 R racing
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest Xbox game to make the leap to PS5, and it's launching this spring with all of the same content and DLC
Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 tops Elden Ring on sales charts and reaches new concurrent player peak as fans flock to the open-world banger before it's delisted forever
Two cars race bumper to bumper, dust billowing from their wheels
Forza Horizon 5's next expansion, Rally Adventure, is out next month
Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 auction house closed after players managed to trash the game's economy
Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 is staying on digital storefronts, breaking an unfortunate series tradition
Forza Horizon 4
Why I'm driving around in the smallest, slowest car in Forza Horizon 4
Latest in News
Lady Dimitrescu and Austin Abrams
The new Resident Evil movie may have found a lead in a Euphoria star
Leatherface and Glen Powell
Glenn Powell could be taking a swing at a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Xenomorph in Alien: Earth
New Alien: Earth clip shows the last of another expendable crew
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance season 2
There might have been another reason for Mark's decision in the Severance season 2 finale
Silent Hill f art showing a person covered in plants
Silent Hill f has been pre-emptively banned in Australia, with no reason given for the 'refused classification' rating
Assassin's Creed Shadows review gameplay showing Yasuke overlooking the sea and lush green scenery
Assassin's Creed Shadows has already "surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey" with 2 million players and counting