Written by Chen Xi, PC & Console Requirements Specialist at Game Launch Hub
Forza Horizon 6 System Requirements: PC Specs, PS5, Xbox Series X|S & Steam Deck Performance Guide
Forza Horizon 6 is Playground Games’ open-world racer set in Japan, and it arrives on 19 May 2026 for PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, as well as Xbox Series X|S, with a PlayStation 5 version following later in 2026 and day-one availability on Game Pass. Performance-wise, this is a remarkably scalable title: the minimum spec asks for a GTX 1650 from 2019 and targets 1080p at 60 fps, while the Extreme RT tier requires an RTX 5070 Ti and 32 GB of RAM. The game is Steam Deck Verified, supports four-way cross-save between Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, PS5, and Steam, and requires an SSD at every tier on PC.
System Requirements
Minimum (Windows, 1080p at 60 FPS, Low Preset)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 22H2 (version 19045) or higher |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT, or Intel Arc A380 |
| VRAM | Not listed separately by the developer; the GTX 1650 ships with 4 GB, the RX 6500 XT with 4 GB, the Arc A380 with 6 GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 167 GB available space on SSD (SSD required) |
| Network | Broadband internet connection required |
| Additional Notes | Targets 1080p at 60 FPS on Low preset. The minimum supported GPU architecture for NVIDIA is Turing. Pascal-based GPUs such as the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 are not supported and may experience stability and performance issues. AMD Polaris and Vega architectures such as the Radeon 400 and 500 series are not supported. |
Source: Forza Support’s official PC specs page, Steam store page, Dot Esports, and TechPowerUp. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: The minimum tier targets 1080p at 60 fps on Low settings, and the GTX 1650 is a 2019 entry-level card. This is an accessible bar for a modern open-world racer, but the 16 GB RAM requirement is non-negotiable at every tier. The 167 GB SSD requirement has no HDD fallback, making this one of the largest install sizes in the Horizon series. The most important caveat is the GPU architecture floor: Playground Games explicitly states that NVIDIA Pascal GPUs (GTX 1070, GTX 1080) are not supported, and AMD Polaris and Vega GPUs (Radeon 400 and 500 series) are not supported. If you own a GTX 1080, you cannot run this game regardless of its raw compute power. You need a Turing-era NVIDIA card (GTX 1660 or newer) or an equivalent AMD RDNA card.
Recommended (Windows, 1440p at 60+ FPS, High Preset)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 22H2 (version 19045) or higher |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-12400F or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, or Intel Arc A580 |
| VRAM | Not listed separately; the RTX 3060 Ti ships with 8 GB, the RX 6700 XT with 12 GB, the Arc A580 with 8 GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 167 GB available space on SSD (SSD required) |
| Network | Broadband internet connection required |
| Additional Notes | Targets 1440p at 60+ FPS on High preset. |
Source: Forza Support’s official PC specs page, Steam store page, and Dot Esports. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: The recommended tier targets 1440p at 60+ fps on High settings, and the RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 upper-mid-range card. The 16 GB RAM requirement is identical to the minimum, which confirms the game’s memory footprint does not scale with graphical settings. The VRAM requirement varies significantly by GPU, with the RTX 3060 Ti’s 8 GB being the practical floor for 1440p High. If you have a gaming PC from the last four to five years with an RTX 3060 Ti or better and 16 GB of RAM, you will meet this tier comfortably.
Extreme (Windows, 4K at 60+ FPS, Extreme Preset)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 22H2 (version 19045) or higher |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X |
| Memory (RAM) | 24 GB |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT |
| VRAM | Not listed separately; the RTX 4070 Ti ships with 12 GB, the RX 7900 XT with 20 GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 167 GB available space on NVMe SSD (NVMe required) |
| Network | Broadband internet connection required |
| Additional Notes | Targets 4K at 60+ FPS on Extreme preset. |
Source: Forza Support’s official PC specs page, Dot Esports, and GameGPU. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: The Extreme tier targets 4K at 60+ fps on Extreme settings, and the jump from 16 GB to 24 GB of RAM is a significant increase. The storage requirement changes from a standard SSD to an NVMe SSD, which is a stricter demand than the lower tiers. The RTX 4070 Ti is a 2023 upper-mid-range card. If you own a high-end gaming PC from the last three years with an RTX 4070 Ti or better and 24 GB of RAM, you will meet this tier.
Extreme RT (Windows, 4K Upscaled at 60+ FPS, Extreme RT Preset)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 22H2 (version 19045) or higher |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X |
| Memory (RAM) | 32 GB |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT |
| VRAM | Not listed separately; the RTX 5070 Ti ships with 16 GB, the RX 9070 XT with 16 GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 167 GB available space on NVMe SSD (NVMe required) |
| Network | Broadband internet connection required |
| Additional Notes | Targets 4K upscaled at 60+ FPS on Extreme RT preset with ray tracing enabled. |
Source: Forza Support’s official PC specs page and Dot Esports. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: The Extreme RT tier is the highest specification and targets 4K upscaled at 60+ fps with ray tracing enabled. The 32 GB RAM requirement is the highest of any tier, and the RTX 5070 Ti is a 2025 flagship-tier card. If you own a high-end gaming PC from the last two years with an RTX 5070 Ti or better and 32 GB of RAM, you will meet this tier.
A Note on VRAM and System RAM
The 16 GB RAM floor is consistent across the first three tiers, with 24 GB required for Extreme and 32 GB for Extreme RT. The VRAM requirement is not listed separately by Playground Games, but the listed GPUs suggest a practical floor of 4 GB at minimum, 8 GB at recommended, and 12 GB to 16 GB at the Extreme tiers. Forza Horizon 6 supports ray-traced reflections on both cars and the environment, as well as ray-traced global illumination (RTGI), and these features place real demands on GPU memory at higher resolutions.
PC Performance Reality: Read Before Buying
Digital Foundry’s technical analysis found that the game is “extremely scalable” and runs confidently on both high-end PCs and weaker systems. John Linneman noted that the Tokyo map is the largest urban zone in franchise history, and while it looks impressive, the city can feel “empty” due to the low number of NPCs. Changing graphics settings no longer requires a restart, which is a welcome quality-of-life improvement. On PC, the game supports ray-traced reflections and global illumination, and Linneman highlighted that RTGI delivers a much more realistic image in shadowed and indirectly lit areas compared to screen-space GI.
PlayStation 5
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Firmware | Latest PS5 system software |
| Storage | Not specified on the PlayStation Store listing; PC version requires 167 GB |
| Performance Modes | Quality Mode: 30 fps locked with 4K detail and lighting effects. Performance Mode: 60 fps stable with a yet-to-be-announced resolution reduction. |
| Additional Notes | Four-way cross-save between Xbox Series XS, Xbox PC, PS5, and Steam. First time a Forza Horizon game has launched on PlayStation. |
Source: 360Game’s PS5 confirmation and Horizon Racer. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: The PS5 version offers Quality Mode locked at 30 fps with 4K detail, and Performance Mode targeting a stable 60 fps with a resolution reduction that Playground Games has not yet specified. The four-way cross-save between Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, PS5, and Steam is a significant feature: your progress and car collection carry across all platforms seamlessly. This is the first time a Forza Horizon game has launched on PlayStation, marking a notable shift for Microsoft’s first-party strategy.
Xbox Series X|S
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Firmware | Latest Xbox system software |
| Storage | 135 GB on Xbox Series X; 130 GB on Xbox Series S |
| Performance (Series X) | Quality Mode: Native 4K at 30 fps with ray-traced reflections on car bodies. Performance Mode: Dynamic 4K at 60 fps. |
| Performance (Series S) | Quality Mode: 1440p at 30 fps. Performance Mode: 1080p at 60 fps. |
| Additional Notes | Both modes use dynamic resolution scaling to maintain target frame rates. Ray tracing is limited to car bodies. |
Source: Forza.net’s official preload announcement, Digital Foundry’s analysis, IGN’s mode breakdown, and IXBT Games. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: The Xbox Series X runs at native 4K and 30 fps in Quality Mode, and dynamic 4K at 60 fps in Performance Mode. Digital Foundry found that the main difference between the two modes on Series X is a slightly reduced native resolution, with most graphical details preserved. The Xbox Series S runs at 1440p and 30 fps in Quality Mode, and 1080p at 60 fps in Performance Mode. IXBT Games noted that the Series S “performed well,” with the game looking “beautiful” at 30 fps, though the resolution drop at 60 fps is noticeable. The 135 GB (Series X) and 130 GB (Series S) download sizes are smaller than the PC version’s 167 GB requirement.
Steam Deck
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | Verified (Valve’s highest rating). Confirmed by Rock Paper Shotgun, ComputerBase, and IGN Poland. |
| Performance | With FSR 3.1 on Quality mode: 30 fps on Medium preset, 36 fps on Low, 46 fps on Very Low. Rock Paper Shotgun recommends setting the frame limiter to 45 or 30 fps and manually setting the GPU clock to 1,600 MHz. |
| Additional Notes | The game runs off a microSD card without issues, which is helpful given the 155 GB install size that exceeds the 64 GB Deck’s internal storage and swamps most of the 256 GB model. Battery life is approximately 1 hour 23 minutes on the LCD model. Xbox account login is required once but does not need repeating. No Proton GE or compatibility workarounds required. |
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun’s Steam Deck guide, ComputerBase’s Steam Deck settings, Frandroid’s settings guide, and IGN Poland. Last verified: 2 October 2026.
What this means in practice: Forza Horizon 6 carries a Steam Deck Verified badge, but the 155 GB install size is the biggest practical hurdle, exceeding the 64 GB Deck’s internal storage entirely and consuming most of the 256 GB model. The good news is that the game runs off a microSD card without issues, so you do not need to swap out your SSD. Performance varies significantly with settings: 30 fps on Medium, 36 fps on Low, and 46 fps on Very Low with FSR 3.1 on Quality. Rock Paper Shotgun recommends capping the frame rate at 45 or 30 fps and setting the GPU clock to 1,600 MHz for the most stable experience. Battery life is approximately 1 hour 23 minutes, which is shorter than Forza Horizon 5’s 1 hour 37 minutes. The game also requires a one-time Xbox account login. Despite these caveats, the default controls handle well, and there is no need for Proton GE or other compatibility workarounds.
macOS and Linux: Not Available
Forza Horizon 6 is a Windows-only release on PC. The game is supported on Windows 10/11 and Steam Deck devices using SteamOS, but not supported on desktop Linux. There is no macOS version. If you are a Mac user, you cannot access Forza Horizon 6.
Price, Editions, and Content
Forza Horizon 6 is available in Standard, Deluxe, and Premium editions. The Premium Edition includes four days of early access beginning 15 May 2026, while the global launch is 19 May 2026. The game is available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass at launch. The four-way cross-save between Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, PS5, and Steam is a first for the series. The game features over 550 cars at launch, the largest urban zone in franchise history with a “densely packed but still very large version of Tokyo,” and nine radio stations with the largest number of tracks in any Horizon title.
Final Verdict: Can Your Setup Run Forza Horizon 6?
Forza Horizon 6 is a remarkably scalable open-world racer with a four-tier PC specification system. The minimum spec asks for a Core i5-8400, 16 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT for 1080p at 60 fps on Low settings. The GPU architecture floor is the most important caveat: NVIDIA Pascal GPUs (GTX 1070, GTX 1080) and AMD Polaris/Vega GPUs (Radeon 400/500 series) are not supported. You need a Turing-era NVIDIA card or equivalent AMD RDNA card. The 167 GB SSD requirement has no HDD fallback, and the 16 GB RAM requirement is non-negotiable at every tier.
The recommended tier asks for an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6700 XT and 16 GB of RAM for 1440p at 60+ fps on High settings. The Extreme tier requires 24 GB of RAM and an RTX 4070 Ti for 4K at 60+ fps, and the Extreme RT tier requires 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 5070 Ti for 4K upscaled at 60+ fps with ray tracing. The storage requirement changes from SSD to NVMe SSD at the Extreme tiers.
On console, the Xbox Series X runs at native 4K/30 fps or dynamic 4K/60 fps, and the Xbox Series S runs at 1440p/30 fps or 1080p/60 fps. The PS5 version launches later in 2026 with the same Quality and Performance mode structure. The game supports four-way cross-save across all platforms. On Steam Deck, the game is Verified but the 155 GB install size is a significant hurdle, and performance ranges from 30 fps on Medium to 46 fps on Very Low with FSR 3.1. The game runs off a microSD card without issues. There is no macOS or desktop Linux support.
Specs and performance may be revised by Playground Games in future patches. This article reflects the Forza Support official PC specs page, Steam store page, Forza.net‘s official preload announcement, Dot Esports, TechPowerUp, GameGPU, Digital Foundry’s technical analysis via Hi-Tech Mail, IXBT Games, 360Game’s PS5 confirmation, Rock Paper Shotgun’s Steam Deck guide, ComputerBase, Frandroid, IGN Poland, and verified outlet reports as of 2 October 2026. Chen Xi verifies all specifications by checking official store pages and dating each table; no numbers in this article are estimated or inferred.