Forza Horizon 6 is approaching its May 15 Early Access window and May 19 full launch. Playground Games’ open-world racing sequel arrives May 19, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S and PC, while Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade players can start four days earlier on May 15.
A PlayStation 5 version is scheduled for later in 2026, with no firm date.
Preload is live and the game has gone gold
Among the confirmed Forza Horizon 6 features at preload, the download is now available on Xbox Series X|S and PC through the Xbox app. Steam preload is still listed as coming soon.
Playground Games says players need at least 135 GB on Xbox Series X, 130 GB on Xbox Series S, and 160 GB plus an SSD on PC.
Playground also confirmed the game has gone gold, meaning the launch build has been completed ahead of release.
Who gets Early Access
Access to all Forza Horizon 6 features on May 15 is tied to the Premium Edition, priced at $119.99. It is the only retail tier that includes the four-day head start.
The Standard Edition is $69.99 and is included on day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The Deluxe Edition is $99.99 and adds the Car Pass and Welcome Pack, which includes five pre-tuned cars, a Car Voucher, and three clothing tickets. Neither includes Early Access.
Game Pass subscribers who want the May 15 window can buy a separate Premium Upgrade rather than purchasing the full game outright.
Players who purchase any full game edition or the Premium Upgrade before release will receive an exclusive pre-tuned Ferrari J50 as a bonus.
Platforms and cross-play
Launch platforms are Xbox Series X|S and PC, with the PC version available on both the Microsoft Store and Steam.
Cross-play and cross-save are confirmed Forza Horizon 6 features across Xbox and PC, with the PS5 version planned to join later in 2026. Cross-save between Xbox and Steam is a series first.
The game is also listed as handheld optimized, with support for compatible PC handhelds.
Console performance modes
Among the Forza Horizon 6 features confirmed for console, on Xbox Series X, Playground has confirmed a Quality mode running at native 4K and 30 fps, and a Performance mode running at a dynamic 4K and 60 fps.
On Xbox Series S, Quality mode targets 1440p at 30 fps, and Performance mode targets 1080p at 60 fps.
The map: Japan
The setting is one of the headline Forza Horizon 6 features. Forza Horizon 6 is set in a fictionalized Japan. Playground Games describes it as the most dense and vertical map in the series, with a Tokyo that is the largest urban area in any Horizon to date.
The map references real locations including Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower, the C1 expressway loop, Gingko Avenue, and mountain passes such as Mt. Haruna and Bandai Azuma. Tokyo, the Alpine highlands, rural lowlands, coastline and rice paddies feature as distinct biomes.
Seasons return with bigger week-to-week changes than FH5. An Alpine region keeps snow year-round regardless of the active season, while main roads stay mostly clear in winter on the rest of the map.
Cars and customization
Customization is one of the more expanded Forza Horizon 6 features. The game launches with more than 550 vehicles. Cover cars are the 2025 Toyota GR GT Prototype, making its video game debut, and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser.
Customization additions include window liveries, updated Forza Aero options, and cosmetic tire wear that progresses visibly as cars are driven. Steering animations have been extended to 540 degrees of rotation in cockpit view.
A new system called Aftermarket Cars adds pre-modified vehicles around the open world, often at a discount.
Players begin the campaign as a tourist rather than a Festival rookie. Progression runs through a returning Wristbands system, last seen in the original 2012 Forza Horizon, and ends at a late-game zone called Legend Island. A new event type, Horizon Rush, sits alongside the traditional Showcases as obstacle-style skill challenges. Completionists can also work toward the full list of 57 achievements totaling 1,000 Gamerscore.
Multiplayer and creative tools
Horizon Play is one of the central new Forza Horizon 6 features for online play. Online play is consolidated in a hub called Horizon Play, with its own progression track separate from the main campaign. Returning modes include The Eliminator and Hide & Seek. Two new modes join them: Spec Racing, where every player uses the same car with no modifications, and Touge Showdown, a 1v1 mountain pass format across five preset routes.
Open-world Car Meets, Drag Meets and Time Attack Circuits run without loading screens and support up to 12 players each.
EventLab returns with multiplayer building support through Horizon CoLab. Two solo creative spaces are also available — Customizable Garages and The Estate, a freeform mountain-valley property.
Possible unlock times if Microsoft uses midnight ET
Microsoft has not announced the exact Forza Horizon 6 unlock hour. If Microsoft uses a midnight Eastern-style rollout, the schedule for both Early Access on May 15 and the wide release on May 19 could look like this — but players should wait for Microsoft or Playground Games to confirm the final schedule.
- New York: 12:00 a.m. ET
- Los Angeles: 9:00 p.m. PT, the previous evening
- London: 5:00 a.m. BST
- Paris and Berlin: 6:00 a.m. CEST
- Tokyo: 1:00 p.m. JST
Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade buyers go live first, on May 15. Everyone else — including Game Pass subscribers on the Standard Edition — joins on May 19.
