Today, Microsoft released an extensive gameplay video of the upcoming open-world racing game Forza Horizon 6.
The game certainly makes an effort to show as much as possible of its Japanese settings in the six minutes of gameplay that introduce you to the festival while driving multiple cars.
We get Mount Fuji, multi-colored flower fields, the Shinkansen bullet train, the snowy and rugged Southern Alps, touge races across the winding hill roads of Gunma (including the unmistakable Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 as an inevitable Initial-D reference), sakura blossoms, and the skyline of Tokyo.
There are also a couple of weird choices for someone who is familiar with Japan. Tokyo is inevitably condensed. I’m sure no one expected the city in full 1:1 size, but the skyline includes the Tokyo Tower but lacks the Skytree, which is a bit questionable considering that it’s extremely visible and it’s the tallest tower in Japan.
Some sort of aerobatic display team is included, but it doesn’t appear to be Blue Impulse, which would have been appropriate for Japan. Maybe Microsoft did not manage to strike a license.
Lastly, and most eyebrow-raising, is the appearance of the H-IIA expendable launch system launching a rocket into space. The platform was retired in 2025 after its last flight. While the slight anacronysm is certainly forgivable, it’s a bit weird to see the platform marked for its Flight F6.
This is likely a reference to Forza Horizon 6’s own title, but… F6 was the platform’s only failure in 2003. Personally, I’d have used F60 or F51, with the latter being the first unused number since the last flight was F50, but that’s just me.
Yes, I’m a weeb, so I’m nitpicking. To be completely fair, I actually love what I’m seeing, and what you can see below.
Forza Horizon 6 will release for PC and Xbox Series X|S on May 19, 2026. A PS5 version has also been announced, but it’ll come at a later time within 2026. A precise release date for the PS5 version has not been announced.
The game that was officially revealed back in September to celebrate Tokyo Game Show 2025 will finally bring the franchise to Japan, a setting that has been requested by fans pretty much since the first Forza Horizon showcased the potential of open-world racing games.
If you’d like to see more, you can also check out the coverage of the latest Developer Direct, which showcased the first gameplay and a look at the Toyota Land Cruiser.
You can also enjoy a longer documentary introducing Tohoku, one of the locations of the game. More will follow featuring Kanto and Kyushu before the game launches.
If you’re interested in the PC version, you can check out the system requirements.
