Since its global launch on May 19, Forza Horizon 6 has sold 4.9 million copies, generating an estimated $325 million in revenue for Playground Games in about a week. These figures come from Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, in the latest Alinea Insight newsletter.
Approximately 1.7 million sales were from players who purchased the premium version for $120 to access on May 15, three days before the public release.
Forza Horizon 6 first week sales decline
Steam sold approximately 2.8 million copies, while the Xbox storefront sold 2.1 million copies, accounting for 42% of total sales. Elliott noted that Xbox-side performance was remarkably strong for 2026 releases, especially given the broader trend of Xbox games selling better on Steam compared to Microsoft’s own platform.
Although Steam sold more copies overall, Xbox generated 51% of total revenue compared to Steam’s 49%. This difference shows that Xbox’s mostly Western user base is paying higher regional prices than Steam users in regions where prices are lower.
How Xbox Game Pass added 3 million players
In addition to 4.9 million paid copies, over 3 million players accessed Forza Horizon 6 through Xbox Game Pass on launch day. Elliott argues that this accessibility has reduced direct sales on both Steam and Xbox, with both versions of the game expected to sell better without the inclusion of Day One Game Pass.
The counterargument raised by Elliott is about the lifetime value of membership. The 3 million players who started or renewed a Game Pass subscription for Forza Horizon 6 generate continued revenue through their subscription payments, which can offset lost direct sales over time. This logic has supported Microsoft’s day-to-day Game Pass strategy for more than five years.
Elliott argues that, despite lifetime value calculations, this approach is no longer accurate given current membership growth conditions, which he describes as stagnation.
What the launch of Forza Horizon 6 means for Xbox’s new strategy
Recent strong sales are in line with new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s efforts to reposition the platform. Recent changes include Microsoft renaming Gaming to Xbox, reducing the price of Game Pass Ultimate from $30 to $23 per month, and removing Call of Duty from the list of games available on launch day. The early performance of Forza Horizon 6 is seen as a positive sign during a transitional period for Microsoft’s gaming division.
Forza Horizon 6 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam, and via Xbox Game Pass. A version for PlayStation 5 is expected to arrive later this year, although no specific release date has been announced.
