When does Forza Motorsport release in early access and on Game Pass?

You can play Forza Motorsport up to five days early through a certain edition or add-on.

By purchasing the Premium Edition, you will not only unlock a number of extra cars and cosmetics, but also receive five days of early access.

As with Starfield earlier in the year — and we assume many Microsoft first-party releases going forward — those with the standard edition (which includes those on Game Pass) or Deluxe edition can also gain early access by purchasing the Premium Add-ons Bundle.

Whichever way you gain access — early or on the full release date — know that Forza Motorsport’s release differs whether you are playing through Steam or one of Microsoft’s storefronts.

When does Forza Motorsport unlock in early access on Xbox Series and Windows Store?

Image: Xbox Game Studios

Forza Motorsport’s early access will be available at midnight on Thursday, Oct. 5, local time for those with the Premium Edition or Premium Add-ons Bundle on Xbox Series consoles and Windows Store.

The exception is those outside of EDT (including CDT and PDT) will see a release on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The Forza Motorsport early access release times are as follows:

• 9 p.m. PDT on Oct. 4 for the West Coast of North America
• 12 a.m. EDT on Oct. 5 for the East Coast of North America
• 12 a.m. BST on Oct. 5 for the U.K.
• 12 a.m. CEST on Oct. 5 for west mainland Europe
• 12 a.m. JST on Oct. 5 for Japan

When does Forza Motorsport unlock in early access on Steam?

Elsewhere, Forza Motorsport will release on Steam at 12 a.m. EDT globally on Thursday, Oct. 5, for those playing in early access.

This corresponds to the following times in regions across the globe:

• 9 p.m. PDT on Oct. 4 for the West Coast of North America
• 12 a.m. EDT on Oct. 5 for the East Coast of North America
• 5 a.m. BST on Oct. 5 for the U.K.
• 6 a.m. CEST on Oct. 5 for west mainland Europe
• 1 p.m. JST on Oct. 5 for Japan

When does Forza Motorsport release on Game Pass?

For those accessing through Game Pass, you have to wait until Forza Motorsport’s full release date of Tuesday, Sept. 10 before you can begin playing.

However, there is a workaround of sorts; if you want early access without paying for the full Premium Edition, you can instead opt for the Premium Add-ons Bundle ($40) since you have access to the base game through your subscription.

The downside here is you don’t “own” the full game, meaning if you let your subscription lapse, you’ll still lose access to Forza Motorsport. However, if you plan on keeping Game Pass going, it’s cheaper than purchasing the full Premium Edition bundle, which comes in at $99.

If you unsubscribe and re-join later, you’ll still have access to the Premium Add-ons Bundle benefits you purchased, and can also continue your save progress from where you left off.

Image: Xbox Game Studios

Forza Motorsport full release date: When does Forza Motorsport go live for all players?

If you are purchasing the base game, or accessing through a Game Pass subscription, Forza Motorsport will be available on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the same times as above — essentially midnight local time, or in the evening of Monday, Sept. 9, for those in North America outside of the EDT timezone.

Tuesday, Sept. 10, is also when the Xbox Cloud Gaming version of Forza Motorsport goes live — meaning you have to wait for the full launch before you can begin streaming.

Forza Motorsport file size

Whenever you start playing, know that pre-loads are available now, giving you ample time to download Turn 10’s latest racer.

According to the official Forza blog, the file sizes for console and PC are as follows:

• Xbox Series S: 100 GB
• Xbox Series X: 133 GB
• Microsoft Store (Windows 10, 11): 119 GB
• Steam: 118 GB (108 GB download size)