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Forza Horizon 6 was already breaking records before most players could officially access it. Playground Games’ open-world racer attracted more than 128,000 concurrent players on Steam during its four-day Premium Edition early-access period, surpassing the all-time peaks of both Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Horizon 4 before its standard launch on May 19, 2026.

That early surge was impressive on its own, particularly given that the Premium Edition carried a $120 price tag. But the eventual launch made the opening numbers look conservative. Steam Charts lists Forza Horizon 6 as reaching a peak of more than 301,000 concurrent players in May, placing it among the biggest PC launches in the franchise’s history. Because those figures exclude Xbox consoles, the Microsoft Store, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Game Pass, they represent only one part of the game’s total audience.

A $120 early-access window that clearly found an audience

Forza Horizon 6’s Premium Edition included four days of advanced access, along with additional post-launch content and other bonuses. Standard Edition players and Game Pass subscribers had to wait until May 19, while existing Game Pass members could purchase the Premium Upgrade separately to gain the same early-access window.

The pricing strategy was familiar, but the scale of the response was not. Forza Horizon 5 previously reached a peak of 81,096 concurrent Steam players, while Forza Horizon 4 topped out at 75,689. Horizon 6 passed both records before the majority of its PC audience could even begin playing, suggesting that the demand was not limited to the franchise’s most committed collectors.

There is an important caveat to any Steam comparison. Forza has always been deeply tied to the Xbox ecosystem, and Horizon 6 launched directly into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Steam numbers therefore cannot be treated as a complete player-count report. They are better understood as a visible indicator of momentum, and by that measure the launch was undeniably strong.

Japan gives the series a fresh commercial hook

The setting is one of the biggest reasons Horizon 6 arrived with such a high ceiling. The game moves the festival to Japan, a location that Forza fans had been requesting for years. Its map combines urban roads, rural regions, mountain environments, and snowy areas, giving Playground Games a setting with obvious appeal to car enthusiasts, racing fans, and players drawn to Japanese popular culture.

That choice also gives Horizon 6 a clearer identity than a simple numerical sequel might otherwise have had. Forza Horizon 5 benefited from Mexico’s variety, but Horizon 6’s Japanese setting carries a different kind of anticipation. The appeal is not only visual; it connects directly to the global popularity of Japanese performance cars, drifting culture, touge-style roads, and the broader car scene that has always formed part of Horizon’s fantasy.

At the same time, the series is no longer relying solely on location to sell the experience. The basic Horizon formula remains recognizable: a large driving playground, accessible arcade handling, extensive car customization, flexible difficulty options, and a steady flow of races and activities. For returning players, that familiarity is part of the attraction. For critics who wanted a more dramatic reinvention, it may also be the source of the game’s limitations.

Reviews praise the driving, while questioning how far the formula moves forward

Critical reception has been broadly positive. GameSpot awarded Forza Horizon 6 an 8 out of 10, praising the combination of its Japanese setting, polished driving model, and wide range of accessibility options. VGC was more enthusiastic, highlighting the game’s visual presentation, strong performance, and the way Playground Games expanded the series without damaging its core appeal.

Other reviews have echoed those strengths. Critics have generally praised the handling, world design, visual quality, and technical performance, particularly on Xbox Series X and high-end PC hardware. TechSpot’s testing described the game as demanding at higher settings but impressively optimized, with ray tracing and global illumination providing a significant challenge for graphics cards when pushed to their limits.

The recurring criticism is that Horizon 6 can feel more refined than revolutionary. Some reviewers have argued that its progression and structure remain close to earlier entries, while others found the presentation and open-world design somewhat safer than the leap to Japan might suggest. That tension explains why the game can receive strong scores while still leaving room for the complaint that Playground Games did not completely rethink the Horizon template.

Steam’s response points to a major PC audience

The Steam launch is particularly significant because Forza Horizon has become one of Microsoft’s most visible PC franchises. Horizon 6’s performance demonstrates that the series is no longer merely an Xbox console attraction with a PC version attached. The audience on Steam is large enough to establish its own momentum, especially when the game arrives with simultaneous support for the Microsoft Store and Game Pass.

Player reception has also been encouraging. Steam reviews have remained in the “Very Positive” range overall, with users frequently pointing to the game’s graphics, smooth performance, and driving feel. Some complaints remain around the familiar live-service structure and the fact that Horizon 6 does not radically reinvent the series, but the broad response suggests that the foundation is working.

That matters for the game’s long-term future. A strong early-access showing can be inflated by premium buyers, but Horizon 6 continued climbing once the standard edition and Game Pass audience joined in. The real test now is whether Playground Games can maintain that enthusiasm through seasonal content, expansions, technical updates, and a steady stream of reasons to return.

The PlayStation release could make the audience even larger

Forza Horizon 6 launched on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a PlayStation 5 version planned for later in 2026. That release could become another major milestone for the franchise, particularly after Forza Horizon 5 demonstrated that the series can attract a substantial audience on Sony’s platform.

The PlayStation audience will not be represented in the current Steam figures, just as Xbox and Game Pass players are missing from the Steam total. If the PS5 version arrives with the same content and a stable technical foundation, Horizon 6 could expand well beyond the already impressive launch footprint recorded on PC.

For now, the message from Steam is clear: Forza Horizon 6 did not need to wait for its full release to become a major event. The early-access numbers showed unusually strong demand, the full launch pushed the series to a new PC high, and the critical response suggests that Playground Games has delivered one of the most polished open-world racers of 2026—even if it has chosen refinement over radical change.