Forza Horizon 6 is Playground Games’ open-world racing sandbox set across a stunning recreation of Japan. If you are picking it up with friends in mind, the first thing you need to know is that multiplayer is entirely online. There is no split-screen, but what the game offers instead is one of the most feature-packed online experiences in the series to date, covering everything from 72-player open-world sessions to intimate 1v1 mountain pass battles.
Does Forza Horizon 6 Have Split-Screen?
No. Forza Horizon 6 does not support split-screen multiplayer, continuing the same approach the series has taken since Forza Horizon 4. All multiplayer runs entirely online.
Does Forza Horizon 6 Support Crossplay?
Yes. Forza Horizon 6 supports full crossplay between Xbox Series X|S and PC at launch, covering both the Steam and Microsoft Store versions. Cross-progression is also confirmed, meaning your progress saves to the cloud rather than to a specific device. You can start a race on Xbox and continue from the exact same point on PC without losing anything.
However, there is one important caveat. To carry data across platforms, you need to link your Steam or Microsoft account to an Xbox Live account within the game. Additionally, crossplay with Steam carries restrictions when you access the game through Day One Game Pass rather than owning it directly on Steam.
PS5 crossplay is confirmed, but will not be available until the PS5 version launches later in 2026.
How to Play with Friends in Forza Horizon 6
Multiplayer in Forza Horizon 6 runs through the Convoy system, which functions as your party. Here is how to get a session going:
- Open the pause menu and go to the Online tab.
- Select the Convoy tile to become the session leader.
- Hit Invite Friends to pull up your Xbox or Microsoft friend list.
- If a friend is already in a session, select their name from the friend list or Convoy menu and hit Join Game to drop directly into their Shared World instance.
Once your Convoy is assembled, the session leader controls which events the group enters. A private Convoy supports up to 12 players, while the broader Horizon Life free-roam sessions support up to 72 players simultaneously, making the open world feel genuinely populated, especially across Tokyo’s denser urban areas.
The game also features proximity chat in Horizon Life, so you can hear nearby players in real time, including strangers at Car Meets and Drag Meets, which adds a strong social layer to simply driving around the map.
All Confirmed Multiplayer Modes
Everything online sits inside the Horizon Play suite. Here is what is confirmed at launch:
| Mode | What It Is |
| Horizon Racing | Standard competitive online races |
| Spec Racing | Everyone uses the same car and tune, pure driver skill decides the result |
| Touge Showdown | 1v1 or 2v2 technical battles down narrow Japanese mountain passes |
| Horizon Drift | Drift-focused competitive mode |
| The Eliminator | 72-player Battle Royale in the open world |
| Hide and Seek | One player evades a group of Seekers across Tokyo’s urban alleyways |
| Car Meet | Social hub for showing off builds and trading liveries |
| Horizon CoLab | Real-time collaborative track and structure building for up to 12 players |
| Festival Campaign | The full discovery campaign, playable cooperatively with friends |
One confirmed absence is Playground Games (King, Infected, Capture the Flag). Design Director Torben Ellert stated these modes will not be included at launch, explaining that the team wants to meaningfully refresh them rather than simply bringing them back unchanged. He suggested ideas like blending Infected into open-world Stunt Parties as one possible direction, and confirmed the team is actively seeking community input through the Suggestions Hub.
Forza Horizon 6 Release Date and Price
Forza Horizon 6 does not have a single release date. The rollout works as follows:
| Edition | Release Date | Price |
| Premium Edition (Early Access) | May 15, 2026 | $89.99 |
| Standard Edition | May 19, 2026 | $59.99 |
The Premium Edition includes early access and additional extras. The Standard Edition is the base game. Deluxe upgrades are also available separately for players who want to sit between the two tiers.
Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Series X|S and PC at launch, with a PS5 version arriving later in 2026. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate and PC tiers) from day one.
Key Multiplayer Features in Detail
Spec Racing is arguably the most talked-about new addition. It locks every player into the identical car and tune, cutting out any advantage from custom setups or meta tuning. The result is a mode where driver skill alone determines the winner, something the Forza Horizon community has been requesting for years.
Touge Showdown is built specifically for Forza Horizon 6’s Japanese setting. These are tight, technical 1v1 or 2v2 cat-and-mouse battles down narrow mountain passes where a single wall tap can hand the win to your opponent.
Horizon CoLab lets up to 12 players build custom tracks and structures together in real time inside the open world. One player can position barriers while another tests jump distances simultaneously, which makes the whole process closer to a collaborative sandbox than a traditional solo EventLab tool.
The Co-op Festival Campaign lets you and your friends run through the entire Horizon discovery campaign together. Both players earn XP and Credits at the same time, so nobody loses progress by helping someone else progress through the story.
Convoy Leaderboards make Time Attack events far more personal. When your Convoy enters a Time Attack zone, the UI shifts to display a leaderboard specific to your group rather than a global one, so beating your friends’ lap times becomes the competition.
Can You Play Forza Horizon 6 on Game Pass?
Yes. Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and the PC Game Pass tier from day one. You can also play it through Cloud Gaming on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate without downloading the full game. However, as noted above, Steam crossplay has restrictions when accessing the game through Day One Game Pass rather than purchasing it directly on Steam.
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