How to Play Early (All Regions)

Update: Playground Games have confirmed launch times for Forza Horizon 6, so this article has been updated with the official tweet and information…

Forza Horizon 6 by Playground Games will launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S on May 19, 2026. However, the actual release time for those who sign up for the digital version (or the Game Pass version) will follow different schedules depending on where you live and how much you spend on the game.

This Forza Horizon 6 the guide will cover global release times, how to play early and explain the differences between the three editions (it can be quite confusing!)

What time does Forza Horizon 6 come out?

Global release times for FH6

It's a bit confusing, but if you have the regular standard edition Forza Horizon 6will launch at 9:00 PM PT on May 14th / 12:00 AM ET on May 15th, but only for PC/Steam players. For those on Xbox, it will launch at midnight local time. However, if you are in the US (or live in a time zone that overlaps with the US), the release time will be 00:01 ET.

To help with timing, the chart below shows the release times for major regions around the world, as well as the launch times for the Premium Edition, which gives players 4 days of early access.

Region / City	Steam (Early Access / Launch)	Xbox (Early Access / Launch)
Los Angeles (PT)	May 14 / May 18 at 9:01 p.m	May 14 / May 18 at 9:01 p.m
Denver (MT)	May 14 / May 18 at 10:01 p.m	May 14 / May 18 at 10:01 p.m
Mexico City / Chicago (CST)	May 14 / May 18 at 11:01 p.m	May 14 / May 18 at 11:01 p.m
New York (ET)	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
São Paulo (BRT)	May 15 / May 19 at 01:01	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
London (BST)	May 15 / May 19 at 05:01	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
Paris / Berlin (SELČ)	May 15 / May 19 at 06:01	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
Seoul (KST)	May 15 / May 19 at 1:01 p.m	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
Tokyo (JST)	May 15 / May 19 at 1:01 p.m	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
Sydney (AEST)	May 15 / May 19 at 2:01 p.m	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)
Auckland (NZST)	May 15 / May 19 at 4:01 p.m	May 15 / May 19 at 00:01 (midnight)

How to play Forza Horizon 6 early

image comparison shows visual improvements in forza horizon 6 final version.

If you want, for four days of early access for Forza Horizon 6you will need to purchase the Premium Editionwhich costs $119.99 – $40 more than the standard version. You might be wondering what else comes with this super expensive version? Well, here we go.

Features	Standard – $69.99	Deluxe – $99.99	Premium – $119.99
Basic game	Yes	Yes	Yes
Car Pass 30 more cars	No	Yes	Yes
Extension 1	No	No	Yes
Extension 2	No	No	Yes
VIP membership 3 Exclusive cars from the Forza Edition, Crown Flair, Emote, Car Horn; free Tokyo City Player House/perk, 2x CR rewards, weekly Super Wheelspins	No	No	Yes
Time Attack Car Pack 8 more cars	No	No	Yes
Italian Passion Car Pack 4 extra cars	No	No	Yes
Welcome package 5 pre-tuned cars, 1 car voucher (from Autoshow cars), free player house, 3 tickets for common or rare clothes	No	Yes	Yes

So is the premium edition worth it?

It should go without saying, but if it does really like cars and you are great invested in Forza Horizon series, getting the premium edition could be worth it. Not only do you get access to two future expansions, but you get a bunch of extra cars and some extra goodies.

But if you are not sure about spending months or even years of your life playing Horizon 6it might be a good idea to stick with the standard edition and then get the expansion piece by piece as they drop (if you even want to keep playing after the credits roll).

Does the New Zealand trick work for Forza Horizon 6?

From Forza Horizon 6 released at midnight local time (on Xbox). New Zealand time trick should work if you want to get in on the action a little earlier. For those playing on PC, the release is simultaneous, so that won't help you. Of course, some players managed to play the leaked version FH6, but we recommend avoiding it.

Is Forza Horizon 6 coming to PS5?

Xbox Game Studios and Playground Games have confirmed this Forza Horizon 6 will be released on PS5 sometime in 2026, but no specific release date has been announced yet. Half the year is pretty much over, so PlayStation fans shouldn't have to wait too long to get their hands on the racing game. Either way, at least it won't take four years like it used to Forza Horizon 5get carried away.