10 Forza Horizon 6 Tips Every Player Should Know Before May 19

Premium Edition Early Access is live RIGHT NOW (started May 15). Standard release lands May 19 — day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. After 14 years of fans begging for Japan, Playground Games delivered Metacritic 92, IGN 100, Eurogamer 100, OpenCritic 91 with 100% of critics recommending it. Whether you're 4 days into Premium Early Access or counting down to Tuesday's standard launch, here are 10 tips that'll save you grind and unlock the best parts of Japan from your first dive.

Tip 1 — Set Your Driving Line to "Braking & Turning Only"

The full racing line creates dependency — you'll race the line, not the road. Switch to "Braking & Turning Only" in the difficulty settings menu and you keep the corner-prep cues without the constant on-track guidance.

You'll be slower for the first 2-3 hours, then significantly faster forever after. Worth the trade.

Tip 2 — Take a Photo at the Start of EVERY New Car

Forza's been quietly rewarding photo collection for years and most players never bother. Snap a photo the first time you sit in any car — you get a small credit bonus for first-time photography.

Five seconds before each race, hit Photo Mode, click once. Across a 30+ hour playthrough this stacks into hundreds of thousands of free credits.

Tip 3 — Hunt Regional Mascots for 1 MILLION Free Credits

200 adorable regional mascots are scattered across Japan's 7 regions. Drive over one and you bank 5,000 credits. 200 × 5,000 = 1,000,000 credits just from running over cute cartoon characters.

This is the fastest way to build your bank balance early game without grinding race events. Don't ignore them when you spot one on the map — even a 30-second detour is worth it.

Tip 4 — Switch to Performance Mode (60 FPS) on Xbox Series X|S

On Xbox Series X you choose between Quality Mode (4K / 30 FPS) or Performance Mode (dynamic 4K / 60 FPS). For Tokyo's heavy traffic and the new Touge Battles, the 60 FPS responsiveness wins every time.

Even Series S gets 1080p / 60 FPS in Performance Mode — a massive win for the cheaper console. Switch it on first launch, never look back.

Tip 5 — Listen for Skill Songs on the Radio

FH6's 9 radio stations randomly play "Skill Songs" — track the right one and your skill combo multiplier explodes for the song's duration. Massive Mastery Point gains.

Most players race in silence or skip ads. Just leave the radio ON, even at low volume. The notification icon pops when a Skill Song hits — go nuts on stunts and drift chains until it ends.

Tip 6 — Buy Aftermarket Cars Right When You Find Them

Aftermarket Cars are scattered across Japan — already tuned with aggressive bodykits, sold at a discount vs Autoshow prices. Examples: a Rocket Bunny Honda S2000, Mazdaspeed Autozam AZ-1, Duke Dynamics McLaren 570S.

They cycle in rotation (Aftermarket Cars are the FOMO fix replacing past-Festival Playlist exclusives). If you see one matching a race campaign restriction nearby — grab it. Discounted hot-tuned car ready to race.

Tip 7 — Hit Speed Traps and PR Stunts Between Races

The final Wristband progression tier requires significant Festival XP — pure race XP isn't enough. PR stunts (speed traps, drift zones, danger signs) deliver massive Festival XP per attempt.

Don't fast-travel everywhere. Driving between races, smash every speed trap and drift zone you pass. The XP compounds and saves you 5+ hours of late-game grind.

Tip 8 — Use ANNA AutoDrive + Cinematic Mode

Set a waypoint on the map, hit D-pad Left and ANNA takes the wheel — your car drives itself across Japan. Press Left Bumper while AutoDrive is engaged and Cinematic Mode kicks in: UI disappears, dynamic camera angles, your road trip becomes a movie.

Perfect for grabbing a drink, screen-recording footage, or just appreciating Mount Fuji at sunset without fighting traffic. Bonus: D-pad Down then Up activates Drone Mode — useful for hunting Barn Finds and Treasure Cars.

Tip 9 — Take Touge Battles Seriously (Memorize Before You Race)

The new Touge Battles are 1v1 downhill duels at night on 5 specific mountain passes — Hakone, Mt. Haruna, Bandai Azuma, Norikura Skyline, Arahiyama Takao Parkway. One bad corner destroys your run.

Drive each touge route in Free Roam first before entering competitive Touge Battles. Memorize the corners, the camber, the elevation changes. Precision beats raw power every time on touge.

Tip 10 — Visit Car Meets in the Shared Open World

Car Meets are now integrated into the shared open world — no loading screens, no matchmaking. Drive past a meet and you see real players standing beside their cars, tunes and liveries available to download instantly.

Each region has its own car culture meet. Show up, browse builds, snag free community tunes, and discover Autoshow stock versions of crazy modified cars you spot in the wild. Best place to find inspiration for your own builds.

Where to Get Forza Horizon 6 Cheaper

Xbox Store: Premium Edition $119.99 (early access live now), Premium Upgrade Bundle $59.99 (smartest Game Pass path), Standard $69.99 (May 19, free with Game Pass Ultimate / PC Game Pass).

Related Reads

• Forza Horizon 6 Early Access Is Live — Day-One Verdict on Japan's Massive Map
• Forza Horizon 6 Premium Edition Early Access — Is It Worth $120?
• Forza Horizon 6 Is Killing the Festival Playlist FOMO Problem
• Forza Horizon 6 Best Cars Ranked by Class — Top Pick for Every Tier
• Forza Horizon 6 Japan Map Revealed — Tokyo, Mt. Fuji & 670+ Roads to Explore