Microsoft has announced a new Xbox Series X bundle that packages together the company’s flagship gaming console with one of its most popular games: Forza Horizon 5.
Confirmed via Xbox Wire, the Xbox Series X — Forza Horizon 5 Bundle includes a standard Xbox Series X console and the Premium Edition of Forza Horizon 5. This swanky edition includes the full base game plus a whole load of DLC packs. The bundle is set to retail for $559 (£489 in the U.K.). That’s a $40 saving compared to buying the Xbox Series X console ($499) and the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition ($99) separately.
The bundle will be available worldwide and rolled out across regions throughout January. Microsoft as confirmed it will begin shipping to retailers in the U.S. and Canada this week, whereas over in Europe it’s expected to begin rolling out later in the month. There is no mention of any retailer exclusivity so presumably this Xbox Series X bundle will be available at all major stockiest including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and, of course, the Microsoft Store.
While third-party retailers such as GameStop have previously bundled the console together with various additional items such as extra controllers or a headset, this is the first official bundle to come directly from Microsoft. The Series X’s sister console, the Xbox Series S, has been bundled with digital content for popular free-to-play games such as Rocket League and Fortnite for several months, but until now Microsoft's most-powerful console was only available standalone.
Of course, finding any Xbox Series X restock was a difficult task in 2021, but the availability of the console significantly improved last year. In fact, by the end of 2022, you could find one without any major difficulty in most regions. Therefore it’s not a huge surprise that Microsoft feels that now is the time to start offering newcomers the chance to save a bit of money via an official console bundle. And all things considered, this is a pretty great package.
At Tom’s Guide, we’re huge fans of both the Xbox Series X and Forza Horizon 5. In our review of the open-world racing game, we said, “Forza Horizon 5 may not reinvent the wheel, but it sure does make balding tires as compelling and satisfying as ever,” and awarded it an Editor’s Choice seal of approval.
At the time of writing, there don’t appear to be any active listings for the Xbox Series X Forza Horizon 5 bundle. But with stock set to ship to retailers in the U.S. this week, it’s likely only a matter of time before the order floodgates open. We’ll update this article with buying links as they become available so if you’re planning to pick up a bundle be sure to bookmark this page and return later.
