Starting next week, Microsoft will include a download code for Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Motorsport 5 with all purchases of an Xbox One console, Major Nelson confirms. The studio’s latest racer was a launch title for the new console, and a not-too-shabby one either. This freebie helps to offset the $100 price difference between the $500 Xbox One and Sony’s competing PlayStation 4.
The latest Microsoft console didn’t launch with any pack-in games, but this Forza offer isn’t the first. Microsoft is also selling a limited number of Xbox Ones with a download code for Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall, which is out on March 11. Much like the Titanfall offer, the Forza 5 freebie is a limited time thing – though there’s no end date set. It’s entirely possible we’ll see more offers like this for first-party titles. The cost to Microsoft of offering up a free download code is relatively low, and the added value a free game offers could certainly help to move more Xbox One machines off of store shelves.