Forza Horizon 6.

The Gavler Review.

Forza Horizon 6 Review: The Series' Best Map Yet, Now in Japan

Forza Horizon 6 ranks number 2 on Gavler's Best Games of 2026 list with a 9.2, backed by a 92 Metacritic score that puts it among the very best-reviewed games of the year so far. Playground Games took its open-world racing formula — already the genre's gold standard — and pointed it at Japan, and the result is, per IGN, "the most wonderfully realised map in series history." Buy it if you're on Xbox Series X|S or PC and want the best arcade-leaning racer available right now. The one real catch: PS5 owners have to wait. This is the first Forza Horizon game ever headed to PlayStation, but that version doesn't arrive until later in 2026.

What it is

Forza Horizon has spent over a decade building a specific promise: an open world built entirely around the joy of driving, with a licensed car list, forgiving-but-satisfying handling, and a constant drip of seasonal events, festivals, and side content that makes it easy to lose hours without ever touching the main campaign. Forza Horizon 6 keeps that promise intact while moving the setting to a fictionalized Japan, centered on a stylized version of Tokyo that Playground Games describes as its most ambitious Horizon map yet.

The game launched May 19, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. A PlayStation 5 version has been confirmed for later in 2026 — a genuine first for the series, which has been Xbox/PC-exclusive since its 2012 debut. Until that version ships, it's not eligible for Gavler's PS5-specific rankings, but it's very much eligible for — and dominating — the platform-agnostic Best Games of 2026 list.

In use

The headline critical response has centered on the map itself. IGN's review called it "the most wonderfully realised map in series history" — a strong claim for a franchise whose entire identity is built on gorgeous, varied open worlds, from Colorado to Mexico to the UK's countryside. Japan gives Playground Games a genuinely different driving texture: tight, technical mountain passes; dense, neon-lit city streets around the fictionalized Tokyo hub; and open rural roads that reward the series' signature blend of arcade handling and visual spectacle.

The core loop that made Forza Horizon 5 a phenomenon carries over cleanly — seasonal events rotate through the calendar, online multiplayer keeps the shared world populated with other players, and the car collection-and-tuning system gives you a long-term reason to keep grinding beyond the main story races. What Forza Horizon 6 adds isn't a reinvention of that loop; it's a sharper, more visually ambitious canvas to run it on, which is exactly what a mid-decade entry in a beloved series should do.

Where it shines

• The best-looking Horizon map yet. IGN's assessment that it's "the most wonderfully realised map in series history" isn't hyperbole — the Japan setting gives the series a genuinely new visual identity after multiple entries set in more conventional open landscapes.
• A 92 Metacritic score. Among the highest-rated games of 2026 so far, on par with or ahead of most other AAA releases this year.
• The deepest car list and tuning system in the genre. Forza's collection-and-customization systems remain unmatched among arcade-leaning racers.
• Day-one Game Pass availability. For Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, this is one of the single best-value AAA releases of the year — no separate purchase required.
• Constant seasonal content. The series' event-calendar structure means there's always something new to chase, well past the initial campaign.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

This is close to a perfect open-world racer for its target platforms, but the honest caveats matter:

• It isn't on PS5 yet. If you're a PlayStation-only household, you simply cannot play this today — you're waiting for a version with no confirmed release date beyond "later in 2026."
• The core loop is evolutionary, not revolutionary. If Forza Horizon 5 didn't click for you, a new map alone probably won't change your mind — this is a refinement of an established formula, not a reinvention.
• It leans arcade over sim. Racing purists who want granular physics and punishing realism should look elsewhere in the genre; Forza Horizon's whole appeal is accessibility over simulation depth.

How it compares

On the platform-agnostic Best Games of 2026 list, Forza Horizon 6 sits just behind Mina the Hollower at rank 1 — a completely different kind of game (a tight, retro-styled action-adventure) but a useful reminder that 2026's best reviews are spread across genres, not concentrated in one AAA lane. Further down the same list, Pokémon Pokopia at rank 3 offers a third contrast entirely: a cozy Switch 2 life-sim that's picking up some of the same critical acclaim through a completely different kind of design ambition.

The Gavler verdict

A 9.2, and a 92 Metacritic score to back it up — Forza Horizon 6 is the best-reviewed racing game of the year and one of the best-reviewed games, period. Playground Games didn't reinvent the Horizon formula; it refined it, and pointed it at a setting IGN calls the series' best map ever. If you're on Xbox or PC, this is an easy buy, especially through Game Pass. If you're PS5-only, mark your calendar for later in 2026 and keep an eye on Gavler for the console version's own verdict.

Common Questions

Is Forza Horizon 6 worth buying in 2026?

Yes, if you're on Xbox Series X|S or PC. It ranks number 2 on Gavler's Best Games of 2026 list with a 9.2, matched by a 92 Metacritic score — among the best-reviewed games of the year. It's the strongest open-world racer on the market right now for anyone with access to those platforms.

Is Forza Horizon 6 on PS5?

Not yet. It launched May 19, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC only. Microsoft has confirmed a PlayStation 5 version is coming later in 2026 — it will be the first Forza Horizon game to ever release on a PlayStation platform. Because it isn't out on PS5 yet, it doesn't currently appear on Gavler's Best PS5 Games of 2026 ranking.

What's new in Forza Horizon 6's Japan setting?

The map is a fictionalized version of Japan built around a stylized Tokyo as its central hub — Playground Games has called it its most ambitious Horizon map to date, spanning dense city streets, mountain passes, and rural countryside roads. IGN's review called it 'the most wonderfully realised map in series history.'

Do I need Game Pass to play Forza Horizon 6?

No, it's available as a standalone $69.99 purchase, but it's also included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at launch, which is the more economical route if you already subscribe or plan to play multiple Xbox Game Studios titles this year.