We’ve known since Tokyo Game Show 2025 that Forza Horizon 6 was finally heading to Japan, and now we’re less than two weeks out from launch. The game has officially gone gold, meaning discs are being pressed and the digital release is locked in. Preload is also now live for digital preorders and Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers, with 135GB required on Xbox Series X, 130GB on Xbox Series S, and 160GB plus an SSD on PC.
On Xbox Series X|S, Playground Games is offering both Quality and Performance rendering modes. Quality on Xbox Series X runs in native 4K at 30 FPS with increased visual fidelity, while Performance targets 4K with dynamic resolution scaling to maintain 60 FPS. Xbox Series S handles Japan in 1440p at 30 FPS in Quality mode and 1080p at 60 FPS in Performance, with both options dynamically scaling to hit their framerate targets.
The radio reveal is also rolling out. Forza Horizon 6 will have nine radio stations: Horizon Pulse, Horizon Bass Arena, Horizon Block Party, Horizon XS, Hospital Records, Gacha City Radio, Sub Pop Records, Horizon Wave, and Horizon Opus. The lineup features the largest number of tracks in any Horizon game to date. J-pop is debuting at the Horizon Festival for the first time, which is fitting given the setting, and it’ll be blended in with the usual mix of electronic, drum and bass, electropop, rock, indie, hip-hop, synthwave, and modern classical. Playground Games will be revealing the full track lists on social channels in the coming days, with Spotify playlists for each station also planned.
Forza veterans are also getting some love in the form of Loyalty Rewards. If your Xbox Gamertag has played any of the previous Forza games, you’ll receive a free car after completing the Tokyo City introductory race with Mei. The cars on offer:
- Forza Motorsport: 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
- Forza Horizon 5: 2021 Mercedes-AMG ONE
- Forza Horizon 4: 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan
- Forza Horizon 3: 2016 Lamborghini Centenario LP 770-4
- Forza Horizon 2: 2014 Lamborghini Huracán LP-610-4
- Forza Horizon: 2013 Dodge SRT Viper GTS
Accessibility is also getting a meaningful expansion. AutoDrive lets you set a waypoint and have ANNA take the wheel, which is a great way to take in the sights of Japan. Proximity Radar identifies cars in your blind spots with optional audio cues, which should be useful when running cockpit, hood, or bumper cameras. The biggest new addition is High Contrast Mode, which simplifies the screen to make important objects easier to distinguish and is fully customizable. American Sign Language and British Sign Language interpreters for cinematics will be added in a post-launch update, with players able to position the picture-in-picture display where they want it on screen.
Forza Horizon 6 launches on May 19, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Premium Edition holders getting four days of Early Access starting May 15. It’s one of our top games to play in May 2026, and the PlayStation 5 version is coming later this year.
As a lifelong JDM enthusiast and car builder, I can’t wait to sink hours into Forza Horizon 6. Japan is by far my favorite place to visit, and this world of car culture has been a really important part of my life for over 30 years. I’m really looking forward to taking in all the sights and sounds, and just getting sideways in some of the most iconic locations of Japan.
