If you’re eyeballing the Premium Edition of Forza Horizon 5, you’re probably frustrated by how vague official descriptions can be. You’d think Microsoft would really be pushing this expanded edition of their game a bit harder than they are. But don’t worry; I’ve got your back. I ponied up for the Premium Edition of the game so I can walk you through the rewards.
According to the official Xbox listing, this version of the game comes with:
- Early Access – play the game on November 5
- Welcome Pack
- Car Pass
- VIP Membership
- Expansion One – when available
- Expansion Two – when available
Is that worth the extra spend? Well, let’s take a closer look at all of this content.
Early Access
Straight up, this is what influenced my purchase the most. Playing the game on November 5 instead of waiting until November 9 means I get to spend the whole weekend — which is an extra hour longer thanks to Daylight Savings Time, remember — playing Forza Horizon 5. Yes, this gives me dozens of hours of lead time over my non-Premium friends.
Welcome Pack
The Welcome Pack gets your car collection started in earnest, with five cars to zoom around in.
- Apollo Intensa Emozione “Welcome Pack” (2018)
- #2069 – Ford Bronco R “Welcome Pack” (2020)
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR “Welcome Pack” (2008)
- Porsche Taycan Turbo S “Welcome Pack” (2020)
- Toyota Supra RZ “Welcome Pack” (1998)
And then there’s Lugaa Tranquilo, a beachside house on the east coast of Mexico. Once you unlock the house, you will automatically earn:
- Horizon Promo perk
- “Take a Picture” (Freeroam phrase for Forza Link)
- 1 Super Wheelspin
Note that you will have to progress far enough into the campaign in order to have access to this (I had finished my first expedition before this showed up on the map for me), and you will have to manually purchase it (though that purchase will be free if you own the Welcome Pack).
On top of the cars and house, you’ll also get:
- One free car in the Autoshow
- Three grants for any Common or Rare clothing item
Car Pass
At launch, the Car Pass gives you access to the eight cars that make up the Formula Drift Car Pack.
- #151 – Toyota GR Supra (2020)
- #411 – Toyota Corolla Hatchback (2019)
- Toyota Gumout 2JZ Camry Stock Car (2010)
- #34 – Toyota Supra MKIV (1995)
- #91 – BMW M2 (2020)
- #357 – Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (2017)
- #99 – Mazda RX-8 (2009)
- Nissan “Gold Leader” Datsun 280Z (1975)
And then you’ll have more coming over the next month.
November 18
- Subaru STI S209 (2019)
November 25
- Renault 8 Gordini (1967)
December 2
- Mercury Cyclone Spoiler (1970)
The listing boasts 34 weekly cars, and these are just the first three, so expect more information on the other 31 in the future.
VIP Membership
Microsoft has been very vague with this one, and that’s probably because it’s actually pretty confusing.
So, the free house you get with VIP is La Casa Solariega, which normally would cost you 1,500,000 CP. So that’s a pretty good deal. On top of being a cool house in a central location, owning this house gives you some perks:
- 2x Forzathon Points
- Green Crown Hat
- 5 Super Wheelspins
So yeah, you won’t get the 2x Forzathon Points multiplier (which is advertised as a perk of the VIP membership) until you actually go to this house and purchase it. The way it’s worded in the VIP membership copy is a bit misleading, because the Forzathon Points multiplier actually comes with the house; it’s not exclusive to the membership.
I should also point out that La Casa Solariega isn’t available at the beginning of the game. I owned my first house and had completed my first expedition before it became available.
I also got a bunch of random stuff as a VIP:
I assume the Clothing Voucher and Car Voucher are part of the Welcome Pack, but the other rewards might be from the VIP membership (then again, it’s possible they came from one of the other packs, but the VIP membership seems the most likely source).
I also had two Super Wheelspins upon starting the game for the first time. Check your messages to claim those. It’s my understanding that you’ll be getting those every week as a VIP.
I also got the Corvette Stingray Coupé (2020) shown below in my messages after playing for a few hours, but it’s hard to say if that was a VIP bonus or just a gift for playing the game before launch.
Expansion One and Two
It’s not yet clear what will be in these expansions, but Premium Edition owners will get those for free whenever they release. Both expansions are supposedly going to add “a new world location, vehicles, and gameplay.” Here’s a trailer for Forza Horizon 4‘s Fortune Island DLC, because I assume we should expect something pretty similar for each of Forza Horizon 5‘s expansions.
Of course, that’s just a guess. We’ll have to wait and see what ends up happening.
thanks, extremely useful.