Two questions regarding Windows Store Steam Version of Forza Horizon 5

Hello all,
I have two questions probally only the Developer / Staff time can answer.

Question 1:
Can I receive Forza Reward weekly rewards if I play in Steam version?
Or does only the windows store version work with the reward system?

Question 2:
I heared you can import your car designs from Forza Horizon 4 to Forza Horizon 5 if you play on XBox or on Windows 10 Store Version, but not when you play on Steam Version.

If I would own the Xbox/Windows 10 Store version AND the Steam Version. (I am aware that we saddly can not transfer our savegames)
And I import my FH 4 designs to FH 5 using the Windows 10 Store Version.
And I share my design with the community using the Windows 10 Store Version.
And I go download my own design in the Steam Version…
Will the design be locked for me in the steam Version? Or can I continue adjusting it like on the Windows 10 Version?

(Yes I’m wondering if its somehow possible to get the FH 4 designs to FH 5 Steam Version.

This two factors make me wonder with version to preorder or I can consider to get both in order to transfer my designs.

Personally I wish the steam savegame and Xbox Savegame would come from the same server source and could be synced. But that wish full dreaming :x

Hope to see you all in Mexico soon.
Kind regards ~Reilsss

Buying it on Steam is effectively just a front end. If you read the Gold colored section on the Steam page under where it says controller support it states the following.
Requires 3rd-Party Account: Xbox Live (Supports Linking to Steam Account)
You are playing the same game as the windows store, in essence, Steam is just starting the game from the Windows Store.

so i’ll still get xbox achievements and such?

Unsure, but you’ll still be running an XML through the Windows Store platform. Steam just acts as a DRM. Changing that much clearly does cause issues regarding imports though.

Personally, I don’t see a single reason to get the Steam version. You’re just causing problems for yourself, in the form of an extra DRM hoop to jump through and obvious import/export issues.

If you need all of your games in one launcher, I highly recommend GoG Galaxy. Seriously it’s so liberating to not be tied at the hip to steam and not care about what storefront you buy your games from. Ever since switching I’ve come to the realization that Steam kind of sucks.

I’d like to get a definitive answer to this. I see the Steam version has Steam achievements.

Does your Xbox friends list apply if you buy the Steam version, or will it only have your Steam friends?

Does the save system use the Microsoft cloud, or Steam’s?

Does the game update through the Microsoft store client, or Steam? (the latter I am fairly sure, which would imply to me that Steam is more than just a front end, if there are two separate versions)

I happen to have some credit in my Steam wallet so it would be convenient to buy FH5 using that, as I don’t plan to buy many other PC games. But not if I get an inferior or problematic version.

I bought the game in 2018 on MS Store and played it till 2021, till it was released on steam. I bought it once again as soon as it was released on steam due to its convenience for me personally (I was well aware that the save games could not be transferred and I was happy to start over.) FH4, honestly, suffered when it first launched on steam. Performance issues, Xbox linking, etc. But now, after almost 6 months since steam’s release, I can safely say that the steam version is problem-free completely, so I can assure you that FH5 will be exactly the same on Steam as it will be on MS Store, performance-wise.

Now to address your questions; Your Xbox friends list WILL be present in the steam version, as the game only recognizes your Xbox friends as your friends (for inviting, messaging, etc.) and it does not recognize people present in your steam friends’ list as friends, per se. It obviously goes without saying that if you want to invite one of your friends to play together or to your club, you need to so via the Xbox console companion app, or the Xbox gaming window (Windows key + G). At least this was the case for FH4 on steam, and it’s unlikely they’ll change the system for FH5, but if they do, and merge you Xbox and Steam friends list together, it’d be great!

And as for the achievements, Steam has its own achievements and they progress with Xbox achievements seamlessly, i.e. each time you unlock an achievement, two achievements pop; one for steam and one for Xbox, so, you can rest easy about the achievements.

And finally, the game updates through steam, OBVIOUSLY, and it uses Steam’s cloud for saves (which is weird, because your progress should be tied to your Xbox account.)

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Thanks, very helpful. That’s actually potentially good news about the saves then as Steam’s cloud service is faster isn’t it? I am not sure about the speed for FH4 though because the saves are huge, at least they are on the Windows Store version, eg. my current save is 190 MB. And syncing them with the Xbox cloud can take an hour or more, the first time.

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Yep. The speed for synxing cloud saves is fine. My save currently weighs at 70 MBs and it syncs quite fast. MS could saves suffers from awful speed.
Btw, you can add me on Steam and Xbox if u’d like, n we could jam it up.
My steam is: Maj0r P1st0l
And Xbox is the same

The steam version of fh4 still does not support multiple usb inputs, so I can’t use my th8a shifter & handbrake, only steering wheel with paddle shifters (in mstore version all of this works OK). In my opinion, it’s better to get mstore version of FH5 and don’t risk again))