– Stunning visuals, but the world feels “empty” with wide roads and sparse traffic, especially in Tokyo.
– PC VRAM matters: 8 GB variants struggle to hit 60 FPS at 1080p with DLSS Quality + Extreme+RT; 16 GB variants are significantly faster, with ~12 GB VRAM usage at these settings.
– Console performance is strong (Series X/S) with good visuals and smooth play, but pop-in exists and not all ray tracing features are present compared to PC.
– Frame generation helps a lot: 4x FG can push FPS over 120, and the Extreme preset without RT + TAA gives around 64 FPS at 1080p—useful as a VRAM-friendly starting point.
Early reviews for Forza Horizon 6 are out, and for the most part, the game looks quite promising. In our first impressions video, we compared the performance on an RTX 5060 gaming laptop and one with an RTX 5090. The game is well-optimized (check out our benchmarks), looks stunning, and is fun to play, but there are some aspects that could leave racers wanting for more.
Initial impressions
With the review embargo lifted, several channels have released their reviews after testing the game for a couple of weeks. In Digital Foundry’s review, John mentions that the game is “beautiful but empty,” pointing to the wider roads with minimal traffic. While Tokyo has been recreated really well in Forza Horizon 6, the streets feel empty. This was the larger community’s feedback as well after the first gameplay footage dropped.
Community reaction
On Xbox consoles, both the Series X and S, the game looks and runs great. Pop-in is an issue, but not as much as Forza Horizon 5, John notes. Also, consoles don’t get the full ray tracing feature set when compared to the PC version. The Japan festival seems to have the exact same presentation as Forza Horizon 5’s Mexico festival.
Platform differences
For a more technical preview, Hardware Unboxed tested the game on 8 GB and 16 GB VRAM versions of an RTX 5060 Ti. The results were not very surprising as the 8 GB variant struggled to reach 60 FPS at 1080p with DLSS quality and the Extreme + RT (ray tracing) preset. However, the 16 GB variant was 56% faster with average framerates in the low 70s. At these settings, Forza Horizon 6 demands around 12 GB VRAM. We found similar results with our RTX 5060-powered Lenovo Legion 7a, with the game running at around 37 FPS at these settings.
Technical notes
That being said, the Extreme preset (without RT) + TAA looks pretty good and delivers a solid 64 FPS average at 1080p, so those with limited VRAM can use that as a starting point to tweak settings. Furthermore, FG (frame generation) helps greatly with 4x FG, pushing framerates to over 120 FPS.
Performance takeaways
Overall, Forza Horizon 6 is looking like a great addition to the series. It is releasing on May 19 on Xbox consoles and PC, and our first impressions come from Digital Foundry on YouTube and Hardware Unboxed on YouTube.
