Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly generated more Steam revenue than any other new game released in 2026, giving Xbox and Playground Games one of their biggest commercial successes of the year.
The open world racing game has earned an estimated $197.7 million on Steam less than two months after launch. Around $4 million of that total reportedly came from downloadable content, including close to $2 million from the VIP Membership.
Steam sales have reached an estimated 3.5 million copies. When compared with the launch period of Forza Horizon 5, the new game is said to be generating revenue three times faster.
These figures have not been officially confirmed by Microsoft, but they show how strongly the series continues to perform on PC. Steam is a crowded marketplace, and Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly earned more than other major 2026 releases, including Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert.
Steam accounts for more than half of the estimated sales
Forza Horizon 6 is also available through the Xbox PC app, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Game Pass. However, Steam appears to be responsible for a large portion of the game’s direct sales.
Previous estimates placed total sales across all platforms and digital stores at around 6.4 million copies. If the latest Steam figure is accurate, approximately 55 percent of those sales came through Valve’s storefront.
| Reported performance figure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Steam revenue | $197.7 million |
| Steam copies sold | 3.5 million |
| DLC revenue | Around $4 million |
| VIP Membership revenue | Around $2 million |
| Estimated sales across all platforms | 6.4 million |
| Estimated additional Game Pass players | Around 6 million |
| Revenue pace compared with Forza Horizon 5 | Three times faster |
The remaining sales would have come through the Xbox Store on consoles and PC. Many players accessing the game through the Xbox app are likely using Game Pass or Xbox Play Anywhere, although direct purchases will also contribute to the game’s total revenue.
The reported numbers do not include the full value generated through Game Pass subscriptions. Around six million additional people were previously estimated to have played Forza Horizon 6 through the service, which would take the total audience well beyond the direct sales figure.
The Japanese setting may have helped expand the audience
Forza Horizon 6 takes the series to Japan, a location requested by players for many years. The setting provides a wide mix of environments, including major cities, mountain roads, rural areas, coastlines, and dense urban highways.
Japan is also closely associated with performance cars, drifting, tuning culture, and street racing. That connection gives the location a natural appeal for a racing game and may have helped attract players who had not purchased earlier entries.
Playground Games has also built a strong reputation through previous Forza Horizon releases. Each game offers a large open world, a broad vehicle selection, accessible handling, and a mixture of competitive and casual events.
The latest release benefited from that established audience while also receiving strong reviews. Positive word of mouth, the new location, and support across several Xbox and PC platforms all appear to have contributed to the launch.
Steam remains essential to Xbox’s PC strategy
The success of Forza Horizon 6 shows why Microsoft continues to release its first party games on Steam even while operating its own PC storefront.
Steam provides access to a much larger established PC audience. Many players prefer to keep their libraries, friends lists, achievements, and purchases in one place, making them less likely to move to a separate launcher.
The Xbox PC version offers benefits such as Xbox Play Anywhere, shared saves, and closer integration with consoles. Steam does not provide all of those features, but its large customer base can produce significantly higher direct sales.
For Xbox, the two stores serve different purposes. The Xbox app supports Game Pass and the wider Xbox ecosystem, while Steam provides access to players who may not otherwise buy through Microsoft’s platform.
The reported 3.5 million Steam sales suggest that ignoring Valve’s storefront would have removed a major source of revenue.
Playground Games remains one of Xbox’s strongest studios
The performance of Forza Horizon 6 is especially important during a period of major restructuring across Xbox. Microsoft has announced layoffs, reduced teams, and separated from several studios as it looks to improve the financial performance of its gaming division.
Playground Games has not been linked to those reductions. The studio is currently supporting Forza Horizon 6 while also preparing Fable, another major Xbox release.
Its ability to manage two important franchises gives it a central role in Microsoft’s future plans. Forza Horizon provides an established commercial success, while Fable gives the studio an opportunity to expand beyond racing.
Forza Horizon 6 is also expected to reach PlayStation 5, which could produce another large increase in sales. A release date for that version was not included in the report, but the franchise has already shown that it can attract a broad audience outside traditional Xbox hardware.
If the current estimates are accurate, Forza Horizon 6 is already one of Xbox’s most successful recent launches. Its strong Steam revenue, large sales total, and millions of Game Pass players show that the series remains an important part of Microsoft’s gaming business.
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