Forza Horizon 6's mini rendition of Tokyo is the most beautiful and detailed urban environment in the series so far

Date:
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Im desperate to explore more of virtual Japan after going hands-on with an early build of Forza Horizon 6.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Ive played all the Forza Horizon racing games, and Im not going to pretend that a significant chunk of my enjoyment of each and every one of them didnt come from virtual tourism.

Sure, completing frantic street races, bombastic rally challenges, and elaborate stunt jumps in some of the coolest cars around is always going to
be a lot of fun (especially given the brilliant vehicles handling model
series developer Playground Games has truly mastered with each subsequent instalment), but its the series wonderfully realized spaces that has always kept me coming back for more. And on that front, the upcoming Forza Horizon 6 is shaping up to be the most impressive entry yet. It brings the action to Japan for the very first time, a setting fans have been practically begging for over the last decade, and right from the starting line, its easy to see how good a decision that was. Article continues below You may like Forza Horizon 6's Developer Direct showcase was brilliant these three big changes are what excite me most about the upcoming open-world racing game, but potential genAI usage has me concerned Forza Horizon 6 could launch sooner than you think, if reports of a strange advertisement seen in Forza Horizon 5 are to be believed GTA 6 needs to be more GTA 4 than GTA 5 please Rockstar, make driving cars feel like steering large ships again Tokyo drift (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) The first few minutes of Forza Horizon 6 (a
flashy, scripted race as has become tradition) have you speeding down
highways alongside a bullet train, with occasional detours through winding woodland paths, as you zoom towards Tokyo in a rotating selection of eye-catching vehicles, including a beautiful Nissan GT-R.

Its a lovely celebration of Japanese car culture, complete with little references to popular racing manga Initial D and many other petrolhead
details that Im sure I missed.

Even though Ive been playing an early build, the rural surroundings already look simply incredible on Xbox Series X with loads of high-fidelity foliage, life-like lighting, and no visible pop-in, no matter how fast you drive. It comfortably looks better than 2021s already attractive Forza Horizon 5 , but its when you finally hit the streets of Tokyo that it becomes clear just how much more advanced this sequel is. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) The city is by no means life-size, but the sheer scale of it is still pretty breathtaking. One of my biggest complaints with Forza Horizon 5 was the lack of proper urban locales with its depiction of Mexico mainly focusing on
rural villages and skipping major cities and it seems like Playground Games is eager to compensate with this massive paved labyrinth. Buildings are detailed and varied, including strong representations of iconic landmarks
like Tokyo Tower, and even within the city, theres a good mix of different environments to discover. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

A network of wide highways crosses the city, which are ideal for leisurely cruising, and the tighter streets are dominated by narrow alleyways and
little hidden-away paved areas just waiting to be found. With a few fairly standard races under my belt, I was more than happy to spend most of my time getting to grips with its layout and hunting the many collectible mascots (smashed for a burst of XP) dotted around.

Although the roads are obviously much less busy than real-life there wouldnt be anything enjoyable about being stuck at five miles per hour in rush hour traffic after all there are still lots of other cars out and about.

Theyre mainly cute Kei cars (small, boxy urban vehicles synonymous with driving in Japan), providing a thrilling obstacle to dodge as you speed to
the next race, and youll occasionally run into another player drifting around corners in something showier. What to read next Fable could be the deepest open-world game in decades The head of Xbox Game Studios says 'we're going to try and be more consistent' with its PS5 game release strategy Best racing wheels in 2026: our favorite setups from Nacon, Logitech, and more Growing your garage (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) While Forza Horizon 6 is expected to launch with more than 550 vehicles, this version of the game was locked down to just three: a 1989 Nissan Silvia Ks, a 1970 GMC Jimmy, and a 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205.

A decent starting roster, though I cant help but notice that it contains nothing that hasnt already been represented elsewhere in the series. Its
quite hard to tell if the models have actually been updated from Forza
Horizon 5 (Im leaning towards no and am sure someone on Reddit will have already posted a detailed comparison of each of them side by side by the time you read this), but the vastly improved ray-tracing is transformative either way.

Watching passing tower blocks glimmer back to me off the bonnet, Im convinced driving in a game has simply never looked this good, and it feels great too due to the skilled implementation of the Xbox Wireless Controller s rumble
and haptic triggers. Like the last entry, handling changes realistically depending on the weather conditions, too, and my cars picked up an embarrassing number of scrapes the first time I was caught out in pouring rain. Seasons are set to return in the full game (the feature was absent from my preview), with the snowy winter conditions likely to be even more impactful.

Theres still plenty of other things that I need to see (Im really hoping the scattershot progression system of the last game has been thoroughly
overhauled and that the car roster has enough exciting new arrivals to maintain interest), but everything Ive seen so far has made for a top first impression.

Ill certainly be getting behind the wheel when it launches for Xbox Series X and Series S and PC on May 19, 2026. PlayStation owners wont need to wait
long to join me either, as the game will also be making its way to PS5 later in 2026. The best Xbox Series X games you can play right now Our top picks
for Xbox's tower of power

Read our full guide to the best Xbox Series X games 1. Best overall: Sea of Thieves 2. A classic to soar with the eagles: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 3. Best Halo: Halo Infinite 4. Best racing game: Forza Horizon 5 5. Technical brilliance at work: Control Ultimate Edition 6. Best RPG: Baldur's Gate 3 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/xbox/forza-horizon-6s-mini-rendition-of-tokyo -is-the-most-beautiful-and-detailed-urban-environment-in-the-series-so-far


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