Forza Horizon 6 reached a peak of 172,093 concurrent players on Steam within hours of its release. $120 Premium Edition Early Access release on May 14, 2026, according to SteamDB. The figure is more than double Steam’s all-time peak of 81,096 concurrent players for Forza Horizon 5, which occurred four years earlier.
These Steam figures only reflect players on that platform. The game is also available on Xbox Series X|S and through the Microsoft Store on Windows, with Xbox Game Pass offering day one access. May 19 when the full public launch takes place.
Forza Horizon 6 Early Access Player Growth and Release Details
Forza Horizon 6 entered early access on May 14 for players with the Premium Update or Premium Edition. The full public release is scheduled for May 19 and will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam, as well as via Xbox Game Pass.
During the early access period, premium edition owners can play for three days before standard editions and Game Pass subscribers gain access.
Forza Horizon 6 is set in Japan and marks the first major release for the series since Forza Horizon 5 came out in 2021. Developer Playground Games has confirmed the PC system requirements ahead of launch, which are divided into four tiers. The highest level supports 4K gaming with ray tracing enabled.
The early access period has seen a much higher number of concurrent players than Forza Horizon 5 reached even before the game was officially available through Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft does not disclose the combined player numbers for Xbox consoles, the Microsoft Store on Windows, and Steam. However, the Steam numbers alone suggest that Forza Horizon 6 is experiencing one of the best opening results for an Xbox Game Studios title.
The full release of the game is scheduled for May 19 on all platforms.
