Forza Horizon 5 will use Audio Ray Tracing to deliver Next-Gen Engine Noise

Forza Horizon 5 is set to give the series’ audio a significant upgrade, utilising ray tracing to deliver more accurate audio and increased immersion. While ray tracing is also utilised within the game’s Forzavista mode, the technology remains mostly unutilised within Forza Horizon 5, at least visually. 

In Forza Horizon 5, ray tracing will be used to enhance the game’s audio experience, allowing noise to accurately reflect off in-game surfaces to deliver an incredibly immersive soundscape. The impact of this change will be seen most for users with high-end spatial audio setups or through Dolby Atmos headphones. 

The video below, Forza Horizon 5’s Let’s Go Episode 3 stream, details Forza Horizon 5’s use of audio ray tracing, highlighting how ray tracing can be used to “detect walls, buildings, and ceilings” that can cause audio bounce. This system also detects the type of object that can cause audio reflections, allowing Forza Horizon 5’s audio to be altered differently when bouncing off specific materials. This will allow city driving to sound different to forest or country driving. 

When combined with Forza Horizon 5’s other audio upgrades, which includes car recordings for the game’s 320 new vehicles, which includes unique audio for each engine update (audible upgrades), Forza Horizon 5 will be the best sounding game in the series to date. 

With Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games is not only showcasing an alternative use for ray tracing but they are also highlighting the importance of audio for gaming immersion. Audio will be a huge focus for all next-generation consoles, and ray tracing has a role to play within the future of gaming audio.