The next Forza Horizon 5 update will be adding to the open-world racing game’s suite of features meant to make it a more welcoming experience for players with disabilities. Along with new cars, body kits, and a new Festival playlist, Forza Horizon 5 will add customisable hearing aids that your in-game character can wear.
Playground Games said early on that accessibility has been a core pillar of Forza Horizon 5’s design, and that’s reflected in the accessibility, difficulty, and character customisation options that were available at launch. However, the studio has expanded both sets of features, adding picture-in-picture sign language interpretation options shortly after launch. Now, in addition to the limb prosthetics already available in character customisation, Forza Horizon 5 will offer four types of customisable hearing aids.
Under a new clothing tab labelled ‘amplification’ in character customisation, you’ll be able to find in-the-ear (ite) hearing aids, behind-the-ear (bte) hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids (Baha), and cochlear implants. Each type can be worn on either the left or right side, and they all come in a wide variety of colours and patterns.
You can use the new hearing devices as soon as you’ve downloaded and installed the next Forza Horizon 5 update, which launches September 13.
The patch, also known as the Horizon Road Trip update, also adds a selection of new cars and a couple of new wide body kits for existing vehicles. For the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, there’s the new ADRO USA widebody kit, while the 2010 Volkswagen Golf R gets the APR Performance Inc. widebody kit.
Each week from September 15 – October 13 will feature a new seasonal activities list that’s themed around a specific racing type. Road racing events will feature during the summer, autumn will focus on cross-country, winter switches things over to street races, and during the spring it’s all about the dirt racing. Each week will also feature a new five-event seasonal championship race, plus a ‘Goliath’-style route that fits with that week’s theme.
You can check the Forza Horizon 5 Steam page for the full details on the update, including the list of new cars arriving this season.