Forza Horizon 6 will officially launch on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, with early access starting Friday, May 15 for the Premium edition users worldwide [1, 2]. Players on Xbox consoles and the Xbox App on Windows PC can access the game starting at 12:01 AM local time except in the US Pacific time zone, where access opens at 9:01 PM PDT the previous day [1, 2].
On Steam, the global release time is set for 4:01 AM UTC, which corresponds to local times including 9:01 PM PDT (May 18), 12:01 AM EDT, 5:01 AM GMT in the UK, 6:01 AM CEST in Europe, 1:01 PM JST in Japan, 2:01 PM AEST in Australia, and 4:01 PM NZST in New Zealand [2]. There are minor discrepancies in exact release time offsets for the UK and Europe, with one source noting 5 a.m. BST for the UK and 6 a.m. CEST on May 15 [1], while another cites 5:01 a.m. GMT and 6:01 a.m. CEST on May 19 [2].
Players who pre-ordered either Premium or standard editions can preload the game starting now, with preload sizes estimated at 160 GB for PC and 135 GB for Xbox platforms [1, 2]. Forza Horizon 6 has been verified to run on handheld devices such as the Steam Deck, Xbox ROG Ally, and Ally X, broadening options for portable play [1].
The Premium edition, priced at $120, offers early access starting May 15, four days ahead of the full launch for all users [2]. A PlayStation 5 version is planned for later in 2026, but no exact date has yet been announced [1, 2]. The staggered release schedule reflects platform differences and regional time zones.
Gamers can expect official early access to begin this Friday, May 15, with the full launch opening on Tuesday, May 19 across Xbox, PC (via Xbox App and Steam), and verified handheld devices.
