Forza Horizon 6 has finally stepped out of the garage. Xbox’s latest Developer Direct delivered a release date, new gameplay footage, and a full breakdown of editions. While the game itself looks on track, the early access pricing has quickly become the main point of debate.

As expected, Forza Horizon 6 arrives day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. That access is limited to the Standard Edition, though. Anyone wanting to start racing four days early will need to pay extra.

And that extra is not subtle.

Paying almost full price for Forza Horizon 6 just to start early

Early access is locked behind the Premium Edition, priced at $119.99 / £109.99 / €119.99. Game Pass subscribers can buy a Premium upgrade instead, but that upgrade costs $59.99. In the UK, the price sits at £59.99.

That figure is difficult to ignore. £59.99 matches the cost of the Standard Edition in the UK, while in the US it is only $10 less than buying the full game outright. For many players, spending that much simply to play a few days early feels hard to justify.

The price increase stands out even more when compared to Forza Horizon 5. Game Pass players previously paid $50 for the Premium upgrade. This time, the cost has climbed to $60, without any major change to what is included.

There is also a Deluxe Edition available, priced at $99.99 / £89.99 / €99.99, though it does not include early access.

Forza Horizon 6, developed by Playground Games under Xbox Game Studios, still looks set to be one of Xbox’s biggest releases. For Game Pass players, though, early access now feels less like a perk and more like a test of patience.

For more news like this, click right here.