It’s official, but not immediate. Xbox has confirmed that Forza Horizon 6its highly anticipated next open-world racing game, will be released on PlayStation 5… but later than expected. Revealed during the Developer Direct presentation, the game will first arrive on Xbox and PC on May 19, 2026. For PlayStation players, you will have to wait.
This choice of not offering a simultaneous release is all the more intriguing given other flagship Microsoft titles, such as the next Fablewill be available on PS5 from their launch. Forza Horizon 6which takes place in Japan, seemed ideal for attracting a global audience, all platforms combined.
A late arrival on PS5, but confirmed for 2026
The announcement was made on the sidelines of Xbox’s Developer Direct broadcast, where several exclusives were presented. Among them, Beast of Reincarnationthe project Kiln of Double Fine, and Fable attracted attention. But it is Forza Horizon 6 which made an impression due to its unusual launch strategy.
Xbox clarified the situation: “although the game will not release at the same time as the Xbox and PC versions on May 19, it will come to PlayStation 5 ‘later this year’.”
The expression “later this year” remains vague, and does not allow us to know whether the PS5 launch will take place before the end of summer or towards the end of 2026. An uncertainty which annoys some fans, especially given the success of the previous episode.
The previous Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation, a hit that changes everything
In 2021, Forza Horizon 5 was not yet planned for PlayStation. We had to wait to see the game land on Sony’s console, with an impressive result that was hard to ignore for Xbox Game Studios.
“Was Forza Horizon 5 such a success? What do you think of $300 million in revenue? That comes on the heels of selling around 5 million copies on PlayStation alone.”
These figures show how responsive the PlayStation audience is when an open-world racing license arrives with a real identity. Even if the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 6 does not come out exactly at the same time as on Xbox and PC, the main thing is now clear: it will arrive in the same year.
Why Forza Horizon 6 isn’t arriving at the same time as Xbox and PC
Another notable fact: Fablealso developed by Playground Games, will be available on PS5 at launch. Under these conditions, the question immediately arises: why Forza Horizon 6 Is he not entitled to the same treatment?
The available content does not give an official and precise answer to this choice. However, the discrepancy was sufficiently noticed for the message to be hammered home: “It will not be a simultaneous release, but this year. It remains to be seen when.”
This delayed launch could also indicate a desire to control the schedule and distribute releases according to the most favorable periods. The other hypothesis is a priority given to the Xbox and PC platforms on the big day, with a PS5 arrival thought of as a second highlight.
A highly anticipated PS5 release, in an already saturated 2026 calendar
For PlayStation, the year 2026 already promises to be busy. Several big outings must occupy the field, and the calendar risks becoming even more dense as soon as certain dates are locked, in particular that of Wolverine.
In this context, the arrival of Forza Horizon 6 on PS5 could benefit as much from the dynamics of a rich year as suffer from competition from other massive titles. But one element clearly works in its favor: the current scarcity of ambitious arcade racing games on console, capable of establishing themselves in the long term.
Between its Japanese setting, its promise of an open world and the already solid legacy left by Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation, the PS5 launch of Forza Horizon 6 could become an unmissable event, even if the date has yet to be specified.