Every major AAA game release brings the same debate:
Should you buy the expensive premium edition or stick with the standard version?

Forza Horizon 6 is no exception.

With multiple editions, early access incentives, expansion passes, bonus car packs, and VIP perks, many players are trying to figure out whether the Premium Edition is genuinely worth the extra money or simply another overpriced deluxe bundle.

The answer depends entirely on how you plan to play the game.

Some players jump into Horizon games for a few weekends before moving on to another title. Others spend hundreds or even thousands of hours collecting cars, tuning builds, competing online, drifting with friends, and exploring every corner of the open world.

For longtime fans especially, Forza Horizon 6 feels different. The move to Japan — one of the most requested locations in franchise history — has created massive excitement across the racing community.

So let’s break down everything included in the Premium Edition, compare its value against other editions, examine community reactions, and determine whether upgrading is actually worth it in 2026.

What Comes With the Premium Edition?

The Premium Edition is the most expensive version of Forza Horizon 6 Modded Accounts.

Price:

• Around $119.99 USD

Included content:

• Full base game
• 4 days early access
• VIP Membership
• Welcome Pack
• Car Pass
• Time Attack Car Pack
• Italian Passion Car Pack
• Expansion 1
• Expansion 2
• Ferrari J50 pre-order bonus

At first glance, the package looks expensive. Spending $120 on a racing game may sound excessive to casual players.

However, Horizon has evolved far beyond a traditional racing game. For many players, it functions more like a long-term online platform that receives years of updates, events, and expansions.

That changes the value calculation significantly.

The Japan Setting Makes FH6 Different

One reason Premium sales are already strong is the game’s setting.

For years, fans begged Playground Games to bring the Horizon Festival to Japan. The franchise finally listened.

Japan is arguably the perfect location for Horizon because it combines:

• Dense urban highways
• Touge mountain roads
• Drift culture
• Neon street racing
• Rural scenic routes
• Legendary tuner culture

The reveal trailers instantly generated massive hype online because the environment feels tailor-made for Horizon gameplay.

For many longtime fans, FH6 already feels like a “must-play” entry before launch even arrives.

That emotional excitement is one reason players are more willing to invest in Premium.

Early Access Is More Valuable Than People Think

One of the biggest Premium Edition features is four days of early access.

Players who buy Premium can start playing on May 15 instead of May 19.

At first, this may seem like a minor perk. But for online racing games, early access can be surprisingly valuable.

Why Early Access Matters

1. The Launch Week Experience

The first few days of a Horizon launch are special.

Everyone is:

• Exploring the map together
• Discovering secrets
• Finding hidden roads
• Unlocking cars
• Testing drift routes
• Sharing tuning setups
• Racing online constantly

There’s a unique excitement that only exists during launch week.

Players who enter early experience the game before the internet becomes flooded with optimized builds, guides, and spoilers.

2. Competitive Advantages

Serious players can gain a significant head start by:

• Building large credit balances
• Unlocking powerful vehicles
• Learning the map
• Ranking on leaderboards
• Discovering efficient money-making methods

For competitive racers and dedicated grinders, four extra days is huge.

3. Social Momentum

Horizon games are heavily community-driven.

Friend groups often coordinate launch schedules together. Nobody wants to be the one person joining several days late while everyone else already owns hypercars and optimized drift builds.

This social factor pushes many players toward Premium.

The Expansion Pass Could Be Worth the Price Alone

Historically, Horizon expansions have been excellent.

In many cases, they become some of the best content in the entire game.

Previous Horizon Expansion Examples

Forza Horizon 3

• Blizzard Mountain
• Hot Wheels

Forza Horizon 4

• LEGO Speed Champions
• Fortune Island

Forza Horizon 5

• Hot Wheels
• Rally Adventure

These expansions added:

• New maps
• Unique race types
• New progression systems
• Fresh environments
• Additional cars
• New gameplay mechanics

If FH6 follows the same pattern, Expansion 1 and Expansion 2 could become massive additions.

Many longtime Horizon players already expect:

• A Tokyo-inspired expansion
• A mountain drift expansion
• Underground street racing themes
• Seasonal weather-focused DLC

Even if none of those rumors happen, the franchise’s expansion track record is already extremely strong.

Buying expansions separately later will likely cost more overall than getting them bundled in Premium.

VIP Membership Explained

VIP Membership is another major Premium feature.

This system is designed for players planning to invest significant time into the game.

Typical VIP benefits include:

• Double credit rewards
• Weekly bonus payouts
• Exclusive cosmetics
• Special house perks
• Free wheelspins
• VIP-only rewards
• Faster progression

Casual players may not care about these bonuses.

But highly active players absolutely notice the difference.

Why VIP Matters Long-Term

Horizon games revolve heavily around collecting.

Many vehicles cost millions of credits, especially:

• Hypercars
• Rare classics
• Auction-exclusive cars
• Festival reward vehicles

VIP perks help players build wealth much faster.

Over hundreds of hours, the credit bonuses alone can save enormous amounts of grinding.

Car Pass and Extra Vehicles

The Premium Edition also includes the Car Pass plus additional themed vehicle packs.

This means players receive a constant stream of post-launch cars over time.

Why This Is Important in Japan

Japan is one of the most iconic automotive cultures in the world.

Fans are already hoping for:

• Nissan Skyline variants
• Toyota Supra models
• Mazda RX-7 builds
• Honda NSX generations
• Mitsubishi Evo collections
• Rare tuner legends

The Car Pass will likely become especially valuable because Playground Games can continuously add legendary Japanese cars throughout the game’s lifespan.

For collectors, this alone adds huge value.

The Deluxe Edition Problem

Interestingly, the Deluxe Edition may actually make Premium look better.

The Deluxe Edition includes:

• Base game
• Welcome Pack
• Car Pass

But it does NOT include:

• Early access
• Expansions
• VIP Membership

That creates an awkward middle ground.

Many players online are saying:
“If I’m already spending $100, I might as well spend slightly more and get everything.”

As a result, many fans are choosing either:

• Standard Edition
  or
• Premium Edition

While completely skipping Deluxe.

Best Option for Game Pass Players

Game Pass changes the buying decision significantly.

Since FH6 launches day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, subscribers already receive the base game automatically.

That means many players can simply buy:
The Premium Upgrade Bundle.

This gives access to:

• Early access
• VIP Membership
• Expansion Pass
• DLC packs

Without paying for the base game itself.

Financially, this is probably the smartest overall choice for Xbox and PC players already subscribed to Game Pass.

Who Should Buy Premium Edition?

Premium Is Worth It If You:

• Love the Horizon franchise
• Plan to play for months or years
• Enjoy online multiplayer
• Care about collecting cars
• Want future expansions
• Want early access
• Usually buy DLC anyway

For these players, Premium likely provides excellent long-term value.

Who Should Skip Premium?

You probably do NOT need Premium if:

• You play casually
• You rarely finish racing games
• You don’t care about DLC
• You mainly want to try the game briefly
• You already feel overwhelmed by live-service games

In those situations, Standard Edition or Game Pass is likely enough.

Community Reactions So Far

Community response to Premium Edition has been mostly positive.

Many longtime fans instantly pre-ordered after seeing:

• The Japan setting
• New highway systems
• Improved graphics
• Drift-focused environments
• Expanded progression mechanics

Some players online even describe FH6 as their “dream racing game.”

However, there are still cautious buyers who prefer waiting for reviews before spending $120 upfront.

That hesitation is understandable given the modern gaming industry’s history of problematic launches.

Final Verdict — Is Premium Worth It?

Forza Horizon 6 Premium Edition is expensive.

There’s no way around that.

But unlike many overpriced deluxe editions in modern gaming, FH6 Premium actually includes meaningful long-term content:

• Major expansions
• Early access
• VIP progression benefits
• Car Pass support
• Extra vehicle packs

If you’re the type of player who spends hundreds of hours in Horizon games, the Premium Edition is probably worth every dollar.

If you only plan to play casually for a few weeks, the Standard Edition or Game Pass version is the smarter option.

Ultimately, the Premium Edition is designed for dedicated Horizon fans — and for those players, it may become the best way to experience one of the biggest racing games ever made.