What just happened? Microsoft and Playground Games have announced that Forza Horizon 4 will be launching on Steam next month. It's a first for Xbox's long-running racing franchise, which will arrive on Valve's platform with full crossplay support for existing versions (Windows 10, Xbox Console, and Cloud). All of the game's DLC released to date (Fortune Island, Lego Speed Champions, and several car packs) will be launching alongside the standard version as well as the upcoming Hot Wheels Legends DLC.
Despite coming out in 2018 and improving upon an existing formula going further back still, Forza Horizon 4 is still one of the best open-world arcade racers today, thanks to a huge collection of cars, exciting game modes, and scenic British countryside that's equally enjoyable while cruising in a vintage red Honda S800 or when maxing out the raging Ferrari 599xx Evo.
The only things marring the experience have been microtransactions and - for PC gamers - Microsoft Store exclusivity on Windows 10. Thankfully, the latter will no longer be the case next month when the game launches on Steam.
PC players of Forza Horizon 4 would have loved for this to happen years ago, but it's a case of better late than never, and probably means that we'll see future installments (like the next Motorsport sequel) getting the same treatment. Fans of the game on PC will also be able to avoid Microsoft Store's foibles and take advantage of Valve's robust, feature-rich client that offers a much better user experience overall, provided they cough up for this new version.
Pricing for Forza Horizon 4 is yet to be revealed, though it can now be wishlisted on Steam. A full $60 for the standard version is unlikely, considering that the game came out in September 2018. It will, however, greatly benefit from Valve's playerbase that recently drew a whopping 26.4 million concurrent users.