Forza Horizon 6 Early Access Unlocks Japanese Racing Roads | Edition and system requirements might keep you out
Category: Forza Horizon 6 Posted: May 15, 2026 Views: 7
Have you heard the roar of engines echoing through the streets of Tokyo? That's right - the early access period for Forza Horizon 6 has begun! You can start from nothing and rise through the street racing ranks, much like Sean did in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Can't wait any longer? You're probably wondering how to jump right into your Japanese racing adventure. Let's break down what you need to do.

Forza Horizon 6 Early Access Date
Forza Horizon 6 unlocks on Xbox and PC on May 19, but players with early access get to enter the game four days ahead of schedule. On Xbox consoles and PC Xbox App, this early entry typically begins at 12:01 AM local time on May 15. A few regions get it slightly earlier.
- United States: May 14 at 9:01 PM (Pacific Time) / 11:01 PM (Central Time)
- Other Regions: Most unlock at 12:01 AM local time on May 15.
For players on Steam, the early access launch follows a unified schedule:
- PDT: Thursday, May 14, 9:01 PM
- CDT/CST: Thursday, May 14, 11:01 PM
- EDT: Friday, May 15, 12:01 AM
- BST: Friday, May 15, 5:01 AM
- CEST: Friday, May 15, 6:01 AM
- CST: Friday, May 15, 12:01 PM
- JST: Friday, May 15, 1:01 PM
- KST: Friday, May 15, 1:01 PM
- AEST: Friday, May 15, 2:01 PM
- NZST: Friday, May 15, 4:01 PM
Early access is now fully underway, so you can log in right now and tear through Japan's cities and countryside. However, some players who pre-ordered the game may still find themselves locked out, likely because their version doesn't grant early access eligibility.
How to Get Early Access?
Not everyone who pre-orders can enter early. Currently, the only way to get a four-day head start is with Premium Edition. Even Deluxe Edition won't get you past the gate.
If you're feeling impatient, you can either upgrade directly to Premium Edition or get Premium Upgrade to unlock early access. Beyond the new cars, upgrading to the higher tier also gives you a boost that helps you earn more Forza Horizon 6 Credits in the early stages of the game.
Here's what each version includes:
Standard Edition ($69.99)
- Full base game
- Pre-order bonus: Ferrari J50 (pre-tuned, exclusive)
- No early access
Deluxe Edition ($99.99)
- Full base game
- Pre-order bonus: Ferrari J50
- Welcome Pack (5 pre-tuned cars + 1 Car Voucher + 3 clothing tickets)
- Car Pass (30 cars, 1 per week)
- No early access
Premium Edition ($119.99)
- Full base game
- Pre-order bonus: Ferrari J50
- 4-day early access (play from May 15)
- Welcome Pack
- Car Pass (30 cars)
- VIP Membership (double credits, 3 Forza Edition cars, weekly Super Wheelspin, Tokyo City House, crown flair, emote, horn)
- Time Attack Car Pack (8 legendary cars)
- Italian Passion Car Pack (4 Italian cars)
- Two expansions (each with a new location, cars, and gameplay)
Premium Upgrade ($59.99)
- 4-day early access (play from May 15)
- Welcome Pack
- Car Pass (30 cars)
- VIP Membership (all benefits)
- Time Attack Car Pack (8 cars)
- Italian Passion Car Pack (4 cars)
- Two expansions
- Does not include the base game
System Requirements
You might jump at the chance to grab Premium Edition, only to find your hardware struggling to keep up - with the sound of your fans whining even louder than the car engines in the game. So before you commit, it's a wise move to check the official system requirements.
Minimum Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600
- GPU: GTX 1650
- RAM: 16 GB
This setup delivers a smooth 60-frame experience at 1080p native resolution with low graphics settings. For reference, in Forza Horizon 5, GTX 1650 can average around 60–70 frames at high settings (1080p), and can even reach 90–100 frames on low settings. That means FH6's low settings may actually look better than the previous game's low settings, while demanding slightly more performance - dropping from 100 to 60 frames. For a sequel, that's a superb optimization job.
Recommended Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (both 6-core, 12-thread)
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (8GB VRAM) / Radeon RX 6700 XT (12GB VRAM) / Intel Arc A580 (8GB VRAM)
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: SSD
This setup targets 1440p resolution, high graphics settings, and over 60 frames. In FH5, an 8GB graphics card running at 4K ultra settings may start swapping data to system memory after extended play due to VRAM constraints.
But the game's excellent memory management means you'll rarely face major stuttering - just minor performance hiccups. So RTX 3060 Ti and A580 should handle 1440p high settings without trouble, while RX 6700 XT's 12GB of VRAM gives you room for even sharper texture detail.
Extreme Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
- GPU: GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (12GB VRAM) / Radeon RX 7900 XT (20GB VRAM)
- RAM: 24 GB
- Storage: NVMe SSD
This setup gets you 4K native resolution, ultra settings, and over 60 frames. And it's far from top-tier - compared to many newer games, FH6 is clearly more approachable in its optimization. 12GB of VRAM is plenty for 4K ultra settings, while the RX 7900 XT's 20GB of VRAM offers even more headroom.
If you're chasing maximum ray tracing, you'll want to step up to a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti or Radeon RX 9070 XT, and Memory should also be upgraded to 32GB.
In short, if your current machine runs Forza Horizon 5 without breaking a sweat, it'll handle FH6 just fine. So go ahead and secure that Premium Edition to get your early access underway.
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