For several years, Japan has been nothing more than a constant rumour from fan wishlists for Forza Horizon, but that rumour is soon coming to life. Forza Horizon 6 is set to launch this year, and the dream of a Japanese map has officially been realised. The festival is heading to the neon-soaked streets of Tokyo and the misty peaks of Mount Fuji.
Apart from the setting, Playground Games is also addressing a lot of criticism from the previous Forza Horizon 5. Taking advantage of the newest gen consoles, the game will feature unprecedented detail, new modes, JDM vibes, and a lot more. Let’s take a quick look at the Forza Horizon 6 release date, different editions, spec requirements for PC, and more.
Release Date And Platforms
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As of now, we have confirmation that Forza Horizon 6 will be released on the Xbox Series X/S and PC, with a later release scheduled for the PlayStation 5. The game will be coming to both Xbox’s current generation consoles and on PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on May 19, 2026. You can now pre-order the game for both of these platforms with three editions to choose from:
- Standard Edition: Includes the base game ($70)
- Deluxe Edition: Base game + Car Pass + Welcome Pack ($100)
- Premium Edition: Base game + Car Pass + Welcome Pack + Expansions 1 and 2 + VIP Membership + Time Attack and Italian Passion Car Packs
The Standard Edition of the game can also be played through a Game Pass Ultimate subscription ($30/month) on day one. If you’re going that route, you can upgrade to the Premium Edition by purchasing the Premium Upgrade for $60. This goes for both PC and Xbox.
There are some perks to pre-ordering the game, as you get a pre-tuned, exclusive Ferrari J50 once the game is launched, and you also get to play the game 4 days early with the Premium Edition. While there is no confirmed release date for the PS5, you can still add the game to your wishlist on the PlayStation Store and be notified of availability. Rumors point to a PS5 release around the second half of 2026.
For the Xbox, both the X and S will have 60FPS. The Xbox Series X will run the game in 4K, while the Series S will run the game in 1080P. It is also expected that there will be performance (60FPS) and quality modes (30FPS) to choose from.
PC Requirements
Forza Horizon games have always been well optimized on PC, which is part of the reason why they are so successful on the platform. I’ve seen people play FH5 with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1630 at playable settings, which is a terribly underpowered graphics card by modern standards.
Here are the minimum system requirements for PC, according to Steam:
- OS: Windows 10 22H2 (version 19045) or higher
- Processor: Intel i5-8400 OR AMD Ryzen 5 1600
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1650 OR AMD RX 6500 XT OR Intel Arc A380 / Arc B390
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Additional Notes: SSD Required
For those of you who aren’t PC hardware nerds, let’s break this down: the listed CPUs (processors) and GPUs (Graphics cards) are relatively low-end, and the Arc B390 is actually an integrated GPU. Of course, minimum requirements don’t always translate to a smooth gaming experience, but we can estimate that if you have a relatively recent mid-range CPU and GPU combo, you’ll be able to run this game without problems. You’ll have to wait for exact benchmarks for a more specific performance estimation, though.
Gameplay Innovations
There have been some really interesting features confirmed for FH6, and we can’t wait to try them all out. You can buy The Estate, which is a massive piece of land in a rural mountain valley. On this land, you can place buildings, decorations, and even construct your own private racing tracks. It’s definitely much more interesting than the static player houses.
It’s great to see that the developers have integrated the illegal street racing culture of Japan through Touge Battles. These are 1-on-1, high-stakes sprint races down narrow, winding mountain passes at night. The progression system is also much better: You begin as a tourist and must earn points toward different colored wristbands to rank up. This system was first seen in the first Forza Horizon game, and I’m glad it’s returning.
The multiplayer aspect is also getting a major revamp: Time Attack Circuits, Drag Races, and Car Meets that allow you to show off your sick new ride. CoLab is the new, upgraded EventLab system, which will allow you to build even better custom events on the map. Needless to say, all of this sounds highly exciting.
