It’s been over five years since we last saw the launch of a Forza Horizon game, but that ticker stops soon with the release of Forza Horizon 6. This is arguably the most anticipated launch in the entire series history, as it’s releasing on PlayStation for the first time in franchise history.
Naturally, this introduces an entirely new player base to the game, which is exciting for the whole community. However, some of the existing community players have questions about whether or not they’ll need to pay for the game.
In the past, Forza Horizon has been a staple of Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s premier gaming subscription service. However, with the game being available on PlayStation 5 and featuring early access, will Game Pass subscribers still be able to download and play Forza Horizon 6 using their specific subscription tier? You can find out more in the guide below.
Can You Play Forza Horizon 6 On Game Pass?
There are actually two different answers to this question, and the answer that applies to you is going to come down to which Xbox Game Pass subscription tier you currently have.
Game Pass offers four different subscription tiers, which are: Essential, Premium, PC Game Pass, and Ultimate. Each one has varying price points and offers benefits that increase the more you pay. Recently, Microsoft has begun to only offer new releases on Game Pass for players that are subscribed to the latter two tiers, which are PC Game Pass and Ultimate. This means players subscribed to either Essential or Premium sometimes miss out on new AAA titles that are released on the subscription service.
Unfortunately, Forza Horizon 6 is a part of that new trend, and you can only play the game on Game Pass if you’re a PC Game Pass or Ultimate subscriber. The PC Game Pass tier is, naturally, only for PC players, so that also means that Xbox Series X|S players are limited to just using the Ultimate tier. This is likely a major disappointment for some, as the Ultimate tier of Game Pass costs a whopping $30 a month while the PC Game Pass tier only costs $16.50 a month.
So, when it comes down to it, console players need to pay $30 a month for the Ultimate tier, while PC players can pay $16.50 for the PC Game Pass tier to play Forza Horizon 6 on Game Pass when launch comes around in May.
Using Game Pass To Get Early Access In Forza Horizon 6
Speaking of the launch in May, you might be wondering about the early access in Forza Horizon 6. This is a promotion that allows players to download and play the game a whole four days before the official launch on May 19.
If you’re planning on using your Game Pass subscription to play Forza Horizon 6, you can still take part in early access. However, it will cost you, as you’ll need to pay $60 for the Premium Upgrade Bundle through Game Pass. This basically upgrades your copy of the game to the Premium Edition, which offers early access as well as some additional in-game content.
It’s, of course, up to you to decide if the extra $60 on top of your existing Game Pass subscription is worth it to play the game four days early. The option is there for you to take, though.
And that about covers everything you need to know about Forza Horizon 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass. It might not be the answer you were looking for, but the new game is technically coming to the service on day one.
