Forza Horizon 6 Review: Japan Finally Arrives
Fourteen years of fans begging for Japan, and Playground Games finally listened.
Forza Horizon 6 arrives May 19, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Xbox App and Steam. Premium Edition buyers got early access on May 15. I spent more than 30 hours with a review build before the embargo lifted. After playing every mainline Horizon game since the first one, I can say this with confidence: Japan was worth the wait.
But let me get something out of the way. The game isn't perfect. The character models look weird, the price is high, and that Wristband progression system? It mostly works, but wheelspins still undercut it.
Here's everything you need to know.
A map that finally feels like a real place
Tokyo is the star. Five times bigger than FH5's Guanajuato. Shibuya Crossing at night with neon reflecting off wet pavement. Elevated highways twisting above industrial zones. The map is huge, you will get lost.
"There's something grounded about this entry. I feel like I'm driving around a place rather than just booking it around video game roads."
- Reddit u/nickdebruyne
The Daikoku parking area is the kind of detail that tells you Playground actually visited Japan and listened to car culture fans. It's a faithful recreation of the famous Tokyo meet spot. You can hang out, show your car, interact with other players. (I spent an hour just watching people drift in and out. No regrets.)
Outside Tokyo, the Japanese Alps deliver snow physics that actually matter now. Pick the wrong car for a steep climb and you will get stuck. That never happened in Forza Horizon 5. Mount Haruna has the exact roads from Initial D. Hairpin turns, blind corners, the whole package. I spent two hours drifting there.
550 cars and audio that finally hits right
The car roster is deep. Not just the usual Supra and GT-R. We're talking Nissan Pao, Toyota Chaser, Nissan Cedric. Real enthusiast picks. 550 vehicles at launch, the biggest day-one roster in Horizon history.
Engine audio took a real leap. Carbon ceramic brakes squeal when you bite them. Tunnels create echo effects that made me downshift just to hear it. And here's something small but important: the exhaust backfiring is restrained now. Previous games overdid it to the point of parody. This feels authentic.
From the cockpit view, you can see your character's reflection in the windscreen. Tiny detail. Works.
How does it run? Let me show you my numbers
PC performance. My setup: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti (16GB VRAM), 32GB DDR4. On Ultra settings with ray tracing enabled, I got a locked 60 FPS. Even the Extreme preset stayed smooth. The only hiccup was occasional frame ghosting along car edges with DLSS 4.5. Not a dealbreaker.
Xbox Series X performance. Two modes: 4K at 30 fps, or dynamic 4K at 60 fps. Both ran stable during my testing. No noticeable drops.
Some reviewers reported minor glitches. I didn't see anything major. Optimisation is solid across the board.
The Wristband system: slower progression, mostly fixed
Forza Horizon 5 handed you a supercar in the first hour. Felt wrong. FH6 fixes this with the Wristband system. You start with lower-tier cars. You work your way up. The endgame area called Legends Island only unlocks after you get the Golden Wristband. That took me about 25 hours.
Here's what each rank unlocks:
- Bronze: starter cars, basic events
- Silver: medium tier cars, unlocks touge battles
- Gold: high-end cars, unlocks Legends Island
Some players will hate the grind. I love it. I actually felt like I earned my first Ferrari.
Here's the problem the reviews don't emphasize enough. Wheelspins still exist. Playground said they'd be rarer. In my playthrough, they weren't rare enough. By hour 15, I had two S-class cars from spins. That undercuts the whole Wristband system. It's like building a diet plan then leaving the fridge unlocked. You can't have it both ways.
Top 3 new features worth your time
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Auto-drive. Place a marker on the map, your car drives itself there at max speed. You can use it during races too. (I used it to grab coffee during a long highway drive. Yes, really.)
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Touge battles. 1v1 downhill duels on Hakone and Mount Haruna. Tense, authentic, genuinely difficult. Best new race type in years.
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Proximity radar. Alerts you when other cars or players are nearby. Came from Forza Motorsport. Smart addition.
The Estate is also new. A customizable garage space where you can build race tracks, car showcases, fences, signs. I spent maybe five minutes there before getting bored. Builder types will lose hours. Different strokes.
Where Forza Horizon 6 trips
The character models look off. Like, really off. One reviewer wondered if Playground used generative AI for them. I don't know if that's true, but something is wrong. The avatars don't match the quality of everything else.
Cinematic camera angles are strange too. The game focuses on the car from weird perspectives instead of showing the environment. Minor complaint. Noticeable.
Price. Base game is ₹5,499 in India. Premium Edition is ₹9,699. That's expensive. Game Pass is the smarter play. The game is there day one.
Is Forza Horizon 6 worth buying at full price?
For most players? No. Get Game Pass. For diehard fans who want the Premium Edition extras? Maybe.
Here's my issue. The Premium Edition costs nearly double the base game. What do you get? Early access (already passed if you're reading this after May 15), some car packs, and VIP membership. That's not worth ₹4,200 extra.
If you have Game Pass, play it there. If you don't, wait for a sale. The game will be supported for years. No rush.
What the critics are saying
Forza Horizon 6 holds a 92 on Metacritic from 64 reviews. Universal Acclaim. 97% positive.
TrueAchievements gave it a 100, calling it "the series at its best." Insider Gaming also gave a 100, praising the progression system. Game Rant went with 90, saying it's "more of the same, but when the same is some of the best open-world racing ever produced, it's hard to be mad."
Not everyone is thrilled. Gamereactor UK gave a 70, claiming Japan doesn't come across well as a setting. GRYOnline.pl gave an 80, calling it "more of the same on a fresh map."
I think those lower scores miss the point. Gamereactor says Japan doesn't come across well. I disagree. The Daikoku area alone proves otherwise. The formula is familiar, but when the formula works this well, why blow it up?
Bottom Line
Forza Horizon 6 isn't a revolution. It's a refinement. And it's the best refinement this series has ever gotten. Playground Games finally gave fans the Japan they wanted. The touge battles alone are worth your time. Just don't pay full price if you're on a budget.
My score: 9/10
This is the most fun I've had with a racing game since Forza Motorsport 4. Japan delivers. Driving physics are best in series. Slower progression mostly works. But the weird character models, high price, and wheelspin issues keep it from a 10.
One last thing. Racing games never win Game of the Year awards. Forza Horizon 5 was the highest-rated game of 2021 and didn't even get a nomination at The Game Awards. FH6 won't either. That's a shame. But it doesn't make the game worse.
When will Forza Horizon 6 release on PS5?
Xbox has confirmed a PS5 version is coming after launch, but no specific date yet. Based on previous ports like Forza Horizon 5 on PS5, expect a 6 to 12 month wait. The game launches May 19, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and PC. PlayStation players will likely see it in late 2026 or early 2027.
Does Forza Horizon 6 have split-screen multiplayer?
No. Forza Horizon 6 does not include split-screen. The game focuses on online multiplayer with convoys of up to 12 players. You can also play the entire campaign solo. Local co-op is not available at launch, and Playground Games hasn't announced plans to add it.
How long does it take to beat Forza Horizon 6?
The main campaign takes about 20 to 25 hours to reach the Golden Wristband and unlock Legends Island. For 100% completion including all events, barn finds, and challenges, expect 80 to 100 hours. The progression is significantly slower than Forza Horizon 5. That's a good thing.
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Game Pass?
Yes. Day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Launches May 19, 2026 on the service. Premium Edition owners got early access starting May 15. Given the ₹5,499 base price in India, Game Pass is the most cost-effective way to play.
What's new in Forza Horizon 6 compared to FH5?
Japan setting with Tokyo and Mount Haruna. Wristband progression system. Touge battles. Auto-drive. The Estate customizable garage. Proximity radar. R Class cars. Improved snow physics. 550 vehicles at launch. Largest and most vertically dense map in series history.
Will Forza Horizon 6 have crossplay?
Yes. Full crossplay between Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Xbox App and Steam. Cross-save supported through your Xbox account. The PS5 version, when it arrives, is expected to support crossplay as well.
