Race through Japan precisely at launch with these Forza Horizon 6 release times
The countdown to any new Forza Horizon game is one you’d wish you could just speed up so you can get driving whatever incredibly fancy cars Playground Games has included this time around.
Forza Horizon 6 is no different, and since you’ll be enjoying the Japanese backdrop fans have been asking to go to for years, you’ll surely need to know exactly when it launches.
We’ve got the complete lowdown on the Forza Horizon 6 release times and whether the different editions of the game affect these.
What are the Forza Horizon 6 release times?
Forza Horizon 6 has two different launch dates depending on which edition you’re playing. The Standard and Deluxe Editions release on May 19, 2026, while pre-ordering the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade means you can start playing four days earlier on May 15, 2026.
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass players get the Standard Edition on May 19, but can pick up the Premium Upgrade to unlock early access.
Here’s how the Forza Horizon 6 release times break down:
| Xbox Series X|S | May 15 at 12:01 AM local time | May 19 at 12:01 AM local time |
| Xbox app on PC | May 15 at 12:01 AM local time | May 19 at 12:01 AM local time |
| Steam | May 15 at 12:01 AM EDT / 5:01 AM BST | May 19 at 12:01 AM EDT / 5:01 AM BST |
| Game Pass Ultimate / PC Game Pass | May 15 with Premium Upgrade | May 19 at 12:01 AM local time |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | Not available for early access | May 19 at 6:01 AM UTC |
On Xbox Series X|S and the Xbox app on PC, Forza Horizon 6 uses a “rolling midnight” launch, meaning it unlocks at 12:01 AM in your region. Steam, however, uses a global release time, so everyone on Valve’s storefront gets access at the same moment.
| US Pacific | May 14 at 9:01 PM PDT | May 18 at 9:01 PM PDT |
| US Eastern | May 15 at 12:01 AM EDT | May 19 at 12:01 AM EDT |
| UK | May 15 at 5:01 AM BST | May 19 at 5:01 AM BST |
| Central Europe | May 15 at 6:01 AM CEST | May 19 at 6:01 AM CEST |
| Japan | May 15 at 1:01 PM JST | May 19 at 1:01 PM JST |
| Australia East | May 15 at 2:01 PM AEST | May 19 at 2:01 PM AEST |
| New Zealand | May 15 at 4:01 PM NZST | May 19 at 4:01 PM NZST |
Can you use the New Zealand trick for Forza Horizon 6?
Yes, the sneaky New Zealand trick should work on Xbox and the Xbox app on PC because Forza Horizon 6 uses local rolling unlocks there. So, in theory, changing your console region to New Zealand could get you in earlier than your actual local midnight.
That said, there’s always the recommendation from devs to wait until your own region unlocks to avoid potential crashes, so do this at your own risk. Steam players are out of luck here, though, since that version unlocks globally rather than region by region.
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