While we weren’t invited to get some hands-on for Forza Horizon 6, plenty of other outlets and creators did and recently released a number of previews. So, instead of being sad that we missed out, I went through and checked out all the previews, watched the gameplay, and pulled everything together in one place.
If you’re looking forward to Forza Horizon 6 and you want early impressions, we’ve rounded them up for you, and I’ll just tell you that they are overwhelmingly positive. But don’t believe me, check them out for yourselves.
Hands-On Preview Articles
- IGN – Forza Horizon 6 Is Every Japanese Driving Fantasy Rolled into One: Hands-On Preview
- Playday – Forza Horizon 6 Hands-On Preview
- GamesRadar+ – Forza Horizon 6 Could Be One of the Best Racing Games of the Generation
- PC Gamer – Forza Horizon 6’s Japan Map Is the Series’ Best Yet
- Gamespot – Forza Horizon 6 And Its Japanese Setting Elevate Great, But Familiar, Racing – GameSpot
Gameplay Videos & Impressions
What Stands Out So Far
Across previews, a few things keep coming up. The Japan setting is a major highlight, with a strong mix of dense city streets and countryside roads. Driving continues to feel excellent, keeping that balance between arcade and realism that the series is known for. And as expected, freedom and exploration remain at the core of the experience. At the same time, there’s a shared concern that the game might feel a bit too familiar, sticking closely to the formula established in previous entries. But truthfully, that can be said for most of the games in the franchise.
Even without getting our own hands-on session with the game, the previews make the direction clear. Forza Horizon 6 looks polished, confident, and very much in line with what the series already does well. Whether that’s enough to make it stand out will depend on how much depth it brings at launch.
Forza Horizon 6 launches on May 19th, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game is also releasing on PlayStation 5 but that release date hasn’t been revealed as of yet.
