Forza Horizon 6 Has Moved Beyond The Game Pass Argument

by

It’s no surprise that Forza Horizon 6 is a huge success, already reaching six million players in its first week, counting those with early access. Given the critical praise and the strong performance of previous games – Forza Horizon 5 had over 10 million players in its first week – and the fact that it’s set in a highly requested location, this success was expected. While I often critique Xbox, I have to admit that the Forza Horizon series is consistently one of their best and most reliable franchises.

Xbox’s own games always come with a challenge, particularly when they become popular. We’ve seen this with titles like Starfield and South of Midnight. The issue is Game Pass – it’s a constant consideration and can feel like a burden.

I’ve noticed the higher tiers of this subscription service have gotten cheaper, and honestly, it’s still an amazing deal for gamers like me. But it always raises an eyebrow when a company starts talking about ‘players’ instead of how many copies of a game they’ve sold. It makes you wonder if the game is actually making them much money, doesn’t it?

Looking at Forza Horizon 6’s performance, it consistently ranks among Steam’s top five best-selling games worldwide, and often reaches number one, even with strong competition from titles like Subnautica 2 and 007 First Light. Just last Sunday, over 300,000 people were playing the game at the same time, making it the most popular Xbox Game Studios title on Steam – surpassing the previous record held by Halo Infinite (which was set during the launch of its free multiplayer mode).

But that’s not the whole picture when it comes to actual sales numbers. Fortunately, Alinea Analytics has provided estimates, reporting 4.9 million units sold by May 22nd, just after the game’s global release. Total revenue is over $325 million, with Steam accounting for around 2.8 million copies and Xbox for a significant 2.1 million. It appears about 1.7 million players gained early access, which makes sense given that in-game leaderboards showed over 1.4 million players before the standard edition was even available.

Beyond the 4.9 million copies sold, the game was played by over three million Game Pass subscribers on both PC and Xbox Series X/S. This suggests that Game Pass may be reducing traditional game sales.

This news is a positive for Xbox and its Game Pass service, likely attracting new members. However, the impact is more significant than just subscriber numbers. The Premium Edition Upgrade, where Game Pass subscribers pay almost the full game price for early access, highlights this. Even if just half of the 1.7 million players opted for the upgrade, it represents a substantial success for the Game Pass model.

As a fan, I think a lot of the discussion around Game Pass misses a key point. Sure, some people might play a game because of Game Pass instead of buying it. But even if that’s true, it shows that some games are just really good and will find an audience anyway, even with a cheaper way to play! It proves these titles can still succeed even if not everyone pays full price upfront.

Whether it’s enthusiastic recommendations, the excitement surrounding the game, or simply a preference for owning games outright instead of using a subscription service, Forza Horizon 6 demonstrates that some titles can successfully attract both players and generate strong sales for Microsoft.

We’ve observed this happen previously – twice in 2025, in fact. When The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered was unexpectedly released and quickly gained four million players within three days, it demonstrated how effective Game Pass is at making popular games widely available. Notably, it also became the best-selling game in the US for April, even though it was only on sale for about nine days, and it continued to be a top-selling title throughout the year.

Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur surprised many by succeeding despite expectations it would be eclipsed by Oblivion Remastered. The game actually sold 8 million copies in its first year, which is a significant achievement for a small studio that developed it with a budget of less than $10 million.

You might notice that previous game releases were priced at $50, which likely motivated a lot of players to purchase them. The fact that those games were also on PlayStation 5 probably boosted sales even further. However, Forza Horizon 6 is different. Even though it costs $70 and is only available on Xbox Series X/S and PC, it’s already selling incredibly well – both officially and based on estimates. And it’s still very early in its release, so these numbers could climb even higher.

It’s more complicated than just making a good game and expecting it to sell, but Game Pass is clearly bringing much-needed attention to this title, even aside from its impact on sales numbers. It’s introducing the game to new players, especially in regions like Japan where the setting might be unfamiliar. Data from Alinea suggests it’s performing well – it was the fourth best-selling game on Steam last week, compared to Forza Horizon 5, which was eighth at launch. Given the positive reception and all the streaming activity, it’s not surprising that it’s currently a top seller in the region.

I’ve noticed something kinda strange – some players actually buy the game and keep their subscription going at the same time! It sounds weird, I know, but trust me, they’re out there. And that upgrade to the Premium Edition isn’t useless now that the early access period is done. I think when the first big expansion drops, people just starting the base game might be tempted to spend a little extra to jump right in. That’s just how these things usually go, I guess.

As a huge Forza fan, I’m so excited about the possibility of Forza Horizon 6 coming to PlayStation 5! It’s a big deal because PlayStation doesn’t have Game Pass. I think Microsoft might actually make more money releasing the game on PS5 than they ‘lose’ by not having it on Game Pass. The last Forza Horizon game sold over five million copies on PlayStation last year, and that game came out way back in 2001! I have a feeling this new one is going to absolutely smash those numbers – it’s going to be huge!

This isn’t simply about supporting Game Pass or having Xbox games available only on our platform. It’s about the games that succeed both in terms of sales and player numbers – essentially pleasing everyone. Not every game can do that, so it’s especially important to highlight the ones that do, particularly when they’re excellent. The Forza Horizon series consistently achieves this, which isn’t surprising given its history, and it’s a great example, especially considering the current debate around Xbox exclusives.

Please keep in mind that the opinions shared in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

Read More

2026-05-29 20:45