Forza Horizon 6 gets a PS5 release date: Japan comes to PlayStation in January 2027

Playground Games' racing series is breaking for good with the idea of exclusivity. As reported by IGN Spain, Forza Horizon 6 has released a new trailer confirming its launch date on PlayStation 5: January 26, 2027. The game, which this time takes us to the roads of Japan, is already playable on Xbox Series X|S and on PC via Steam, so Sony's community will arrive late, but it will arrive.

The news matters for two reasons. The first is symbolic: for years Horizon was one of the strongest arguments for buying an Xbox, and seeing it announced with an official trailer for the rival console says a lot about where Microsoft is heading. The second is practical: for a team like ours, with players spread across PS5, Xbox and PC, every franchise that stops being locked to a single platform means one less divided community.

What you need to know

• Confirmed date: Forza Horizon 6 arrives on PS5 on January 26, 2027.
• Already available on other platforms: the game is on sale right now on Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam).
• Setting: Japan, with its roads and its car culture taking center stage.
• Premium Edition: includes a new expansion available from day one.
• Developer: Playground Games, the studio behind the entire Horizon line.

Japan, the setting the community has been asking for for years

Every Horizon entry is defined by its map, and few settings generate as much anticipation as Japan. We are talking about the birthplace of tuning culture, of night races on mountain roads, and of a car scene that has fueled the imagination of speed fans for decades. Playground Games choosing this country for its sixth installment is no coincidence: it is probably the most repeated request from the community since the series began.

The trailer, as covered by IGN Spain, sticks to the usual formula: drive iconic cars and become a legend within the festival. In other words, don't expect a design revolution, but rather the Horizon recipe applied to a new setting. For veterans that is a guarantee; for newcomers from PlayStation, it will be the first chance to understand why this franchise has the reputation it does.

What changes for a multiplatform community

The Premium Edition detail deserves attention. Including a full expansion from day one is a clear way of pushing players toward the more expensive edition, and it is worth reading carefully what each version includes before buying. The source does not detail prices or exactly what that expansion contains, so for now the only certainty is that it exists and that it comes with the higher-tier edition.

The other point is the schedule. Xbox and PC players are already driving around Japan while PS5 players will have to wait until late January 2027. That creates a time gap that affects any mixed community: when PlayStation users jump in, everyone else will have months of head start in progression, unlocked cars and map knowledge. What the source does not clarify is whether there will be cross-play between platforms, something key to knowing whether we will really be able to compete all together or whether each console will have its own ecosystem.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz editorial team, we welcome Horizon no longer being exclusive territory. The series has always had a huge social component, with events, clubs and challenges that work better the more people take part, and splitting the player base by console brand never made competitive sense. Microsoft accepting that and bringing its racing flagship to PS5 is good news for players, even if it stings for anyone who bought an Xbox for this reason.

That said, the months-long delay compared to Xbox and PC strikes us as a real drag. In a game where much of the fun lies in competing in rankings and seasonal events, arriving late means arriving to a meta that is already solved, with the dominant cars identified and the optimal routes studied. For content creators on PlayStation, it also means missing the most valuable window: the one of first discoveries, when audience interest is at its peak.

We are also somewhat wary of the strategy of tying an expansion to the Premium Edition from day one. We understand the commercial logic, but fragmenting the content from launch complicates things for any community that organizes internal races: if part of the group doesn't have access to certain areas or cars, running a fair league becomes a headache. We ask Playground to be very clear about what is included and what is left out of each edition.

What do you think?

Horizon arrives on PS5 with Japan as its setting and with an expansion reserved for those who pay more. We want to know whether you plan to wait until January 2027 or whether you are already driving on Xbox or PC, and above all whether you are worried about competing at a disadvantage against those who have been playing for months. Is the wait on PlayStation worth it, or should you have already jumped to another platform? Tell us in the team chat or on our Discord.