Forza Horizon 5 accessibility features

Feature check at a glance

Of the ten features we track, the official information for Forza Horizon 5 documents 7 in full and 1 in part.

• SubtitlesYes
• Subtitle size optionsYes
• Colour-blind modesYes
• Full control remappingYes
• Hold-to-toggle optionsNot stated
• Difficulty and assist optionsYes
• Audio cues for navigationNot stated
• Text-to-speech or menu narrationYes
• Motion and camera-shake reductionPartly
• High-contrast modeYes

Notes on each feature

• Subtitles: Customisable subtitles with keyword highlighting.
• Subtitle size options: Font size and background opacity are adjustable.
• Colour-blind modes: Colour blindness mode with separate settings for the interface and the game world.
• Full control remapping: Full controller and wheel remapping on all platforms, per Xbox Wire.
• Hold-to-toggle options: Not described in the official sources we checked.
• Difficulty and assist options: Game speed modification (offline) and an option to progress Horizon Stories without completing challenges.
• Audio cues for navigation: Not described in the official sources we checked.
• Text-to-speech or menu narration: Screen reader narration of text and buttons; text-to-speech and speech-to-text for voice chat.
• Motion and camera-shake reduction: Moving menu backgrounds can be disabled; field of view adjustable on PC. No camera-shake detail published.
• High-contrast mode: High contrast mode for menus and text.

Slowing the festival down with game speed

The setting most often mentioned in Playground Games' own description is game speed modification, which lets you play offline at a reduced rate. For players with slower reaction times, tremors or fatigue, this changes a racing game from a test of reflexes into something closer to a drive at your own pace. Xbox Wire describes it as an offline setting, so it does not apply in online races against other players.

A second cognitive and motor help is the option to progress through Horizon Stories without completing the challenges in each chapter. Alongside the usual driving assists and difficulty settings, this means a player can see the story content even if some events prove too demanding.

PlayStation's store listing for the PS5 version also tags the game with Game Speed (Advanced) and Adjustable Difficulty (Advanced).

Narration, chat transcription and sign language for cinematics

A screen reader narrates text, buttons and other interface elements so menus can be navigated by audio. For multiplayer, text-to-speech and speech-to-text options let players take part in voice chat without speaking or without hearing.

At launch, Xbox Wire said American Sign Language and British Sign Language interpretation for cinematics would arrive later as a picture-in-picture video. For BSL users in the UK this is a notable feature in a mainstream game, but because the original announcement described it as coming after launch, check the in-game Accessibility menu on your platform to confirm what is present.

Subtitles can be resized, given a more or less opaque background, and set to highlight keywords. Menu and gameplay font sizes are adjustable too, and notification duration can be extended so pop-ups stay on screen long enough to read. Our hearing access guide covers how these options work together.

Notification duration matters more than it sounds: in a festival full of pop-ups for skills, unlocks and events, a player who reads slowly can miss information if messages disappear after a few seconds.

Colour, contrast and comfort in an open-world racer

The colour blindness mode has separate settings for the interface and for game visuals, which is useful when route markers on the road are harder to distinguish than the menus. A high contrast mode applies to menus and text.

On comfort, the published list is shorter. Moving backgrounds in menus can be switched off, and PC players can adjust the camera field of view. We found no official detail on camera shake or motion blur sliders, so we have marked motion reduction as partial.

All settings are under Settings, then Accessibility. If you play with an adaptive controller, see our Xbox Adaptive Controller guide for console-level button mapping.

Getting Forza Horizon 5 ready before the first race

Forza Horizon 5 opens with a drive straight into the action, so it helps to know where the options are before you start. Accessibility settings sit under Settings, then Accessibility, and PlayStation's listing for the PS5 version tags features including Colour Alternatives, Audio Cue Alternatives, Subtitles (Advanced), Adjustable Difficulty (Advanced) and Game Speed (Advanced). The Xbox Store lists 12 accessibility features for the Xbox and PC version.

For a player new to racing games, a practical order is: switch on the screen reader if needed, set text and subtitle size, choose a colour blindness mode, then lower difficulty and turn on game speed modification for offline events. Remapping comes last, once you know which actions are uncomfortable. PlayStation also tags the game as playable without rapid presses, simultaneous presses, motion controls, touch controls or vibration.

The PEGI 3 rating and lack of combat make it suitable for younger players, though PEGI notes in-game purchases and online interaction, so parents may want to review console family settings. In our editorial view, the combination of game speed control and story progression without challenges makes it a reasonable choice for players who want to explore rather than compete.