Forza Horizon 6 Increases Early Access Costs for Dedicated Fans

Forza Horizon 6 is following the trend of many major AAA titles by offering players the chance to pay extra for early access. This time, however, Xbox is asking for even more cash than usual, which might surprise even the most devoted fans who are already on Game Pass Ultimate.

During the recent Developer Direct on January 22, Playground Games took a deep dive into the highly anticipated open-world racer, revealing its release date alongside pre-order options for various editions. As is now standard, the Premium Edition of Forza Horizon 6 grants four days of “early access” before its official launch on May 19 for PC and Xbox. What caught many off guard is the price tag: the Premium Edition is set at $120 USD, which is $20 more than the $100 price of Horizon 5’s Premium Edition from 2021. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers looking to get in early will need to shell out an additional $60 to upgrade to this premium version, a jump from the previous $50 upgrade fee.

Part of this price hike can be attributed to Horizon 6 being a $70 game, compared to Horizon 5’s $60. Still, it feels excessive for Xbox to ask its most loyal fans—those who are actively subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate and gaming on Xbox—to pay the equivalent of a full game just to access Forza Horizon 6 a few days early.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t truly “early” access. Xbox and other publishers are essentially locking the game behind a paywall, making it feel like a ransom situation. When Forza Horizon 6 launches for Premium owners on May 15, it will have already undergone all the necessary checks and testing required for a console release. At that point, it’s ready to go. Yet, unless you fork over more cash, you’ll have to wait. Even long-time Game Pass subscribers are left waiting. It’s a frustrating situation, and the fact that many gamers are willing to accept this early access fee is why Xbox feels justified in raising prices.

Not too long ago, Game Pass promised day-one access to every first-party Xbox title. That’s no longer the case, and the price increase for Horizon 6 serves as a stark reminder that this promise has been forgotten by those at Xbox. On the bright side, Horizon 6’s Premium edition does come with an extra car pack compared to what was offered in Horizon 5, so there’s that.

Forza Horizon 6 is set to launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 19, with early access available for those who pay the premium on May 15. A PS5 version is also expected to arrive later this year.