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Motorola Razr 2025: One-minute review

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

If you’re looking for the best folding phone in terms of value for money, the Razr 2025 is a sleeper hit that you shouldn’t skip out on. Although it’s not the best flip phone you can buy right now (that accolade goes to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 or pricier Razr Ultra 2025), it delivers a great experience at a much lower price than its premium rivals.

What's more, when you consider that its newly announced successor, the Razr 2026, costs more than the Razr 2025 did at launch, Motorola's previous-generation flip phone continues to look appealing almost 12 months after its initial release — not least because it's available at a substantial discount at the time of writing.

The Razr 2025 (which is known as the Razr 60 in certain regions) offers Motorola's core flip phone experience without the bells and whistles of the Razr Ultra. There are definitely trade-offs for its lower price — its two rear cameras definitely fall into the 'good, not great' category, and its MediaTek Dimensity 7400X chipset is decidedly mid-range — but while most phones age poorly a year or two later, the Razr 2025 remains one of the best-value flip phones you can buy, especially if style is your priority.

The World Cup edition (which I used to write this review) adds a little more uniqueness and pizazz to the Razr 2025 package with a textured eco-leather finish, but it’s ostensibly the same great experience you’ll find in the non-FIFA edition. It also comes at no additional cost, which is refreshing to see.

Motorola Razr 2025 review: price and availability

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Launched for $699 / £799 on May 15, 2025
• Can currently be bought for significantly less
• Not available in Australia

At launch, the Razr 2025 cost $699 / £799 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but it can now be bought for significantly less at third-party retailers like Amazon. The newer Razr 2026 (or Razr 70), by comparison, costs $799 / £799, which marks a $100 price increase in the US.

Then there’s the confusingly named Razr FIFA World Cup 26 Edition, which is a special, themed version of the Razr 2025 with identical specs. Although it was expected to be more expensive than the base model, Motorola is offering it at the same price. Better yet, at the time of writing, Motorola is running a promotion in the US that means the Razr FIFA World Cup 26 Edition costs just $600, making it $200 cheaper than the base Razr 2026. You'll also get a Moto Watch, Moto Buds Loop, and a Moto Tag thrown in for free, which is quite simply incredible value.

The Razr FIFA World Cup 26 Edition features green vegan leather, the FIFA World Cup 26 logo imprinted on the back in gold, and unique touches to the frame above the cover display. If you’re not a soccer fan, there are also a few beautiful other colors to choose from with the regular Razr 60: Gibraltar Sea (blue eco-leather), Parfait Pink, Spring Bud (the same as the FIFA World Cup 26 Edition without the branding), and Lightest Sky (white).

The cost of RAM and storage has skyrocketed in the AI era, which is a reality that's affected the price of the new Razr 2026 lineup. The FIFA World Cup Edition of the Razr 2025, meanwhile, doesn’t have a premium price tag, which is especially surprising given that World Cup-branded products usually attract a markup.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: specsMotorola Razr 2025 specs

Dimensions:

Open: 74 x 171.3 x 7.3mm / Closed: 74 x 88.1 x 15.9mm

Weight:

188g

Display:

Main display:
6.9-inch, foldable pOLED 1080 x 2640 pixels, 413 ppi
HDR10+, 120Hz, 3,000 nits peak brightness

Cover display:
3.5-inch AMOLED 1056 x 1066 pixels, 413 ppi
HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 90Hz, 1,700 nits peak brightness

Chipset:

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X

RAM:

8GB RAM

Storage:

256GB UFS 2.2

OS:

Android 16

Primary camera:

50MP, f/1.7
1/1.95-inch sensor
PDAF, OIS

Ultra-wide camera:

13MP, f/2.2, 120°
1/3-inch sensor, AF

Selfie camera:

32MP, f/2.4
1/3.14-inch sensor

Battery:

4,5000mAh

Charging:

30W wired, 15W wireless

Colors:

Spring Bud / FIFA World Cup Edition (green), Gibraltar Sea (blue), Parfait Pink (pink), Lightest Sky (white)

Motorola Razr 2025 review: design

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Razr Ultra-rivaling design
• Lightweight and premium-feeling
• Eco-leather finish

If you’ve used any Razr over the past few years, the Razr 2025 will be instantly familiar.

Motorola is incredibly consistent in the experience it offers in its flip phones, and aside from some slight adjustments due to the slightly smaller cover display on the Razr 2025, the experience is essentially identical to that of the more premium, much more expensive Razr Ultra 2025. In fact, Motorola’s consistency is such that last year’s Razr 2025 offers the same design experience as this year’s premium Razr Ultra 2026.

Measuring 7.3mm thick when unfolded and 15.99mm when folded, the Razr 2025 isn’t the thinnest or lightest phone on the market, but at 188g, it’s surprisingly light in the pocket. The eco-leather finishes on the rear provide a lot of welcome grip that you would otherwise need a case for on another phone, and I love that Motorola hasn’t opted for safe colors; vibrant colors have instead become a signature of the Razr lineup.

For many phones, the base model would only offer boring colors like black and white, with plastic or non–premium finishes. The Razr 2025 is different; while it doesn’t have the same premium finishes as the Razr Ultra — namely Alcantara leather and reclaimed wood — it still feels as premium in the hand thanks to the eco-leather.

Like the rest of the Razr 2025 and Razr 2026 lineups, the Razr 2025 has IP48 dust and water protection, meaning it’ll survive being submerged in 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. In other words, it won’t break if you get caught in a rainshower, and over the past year, I’ve had no concerns about its durability; I’ve even inadvertently dropped it, and it’s survived absolutely fine.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: display

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• 3.5-inch AMOLED cover display (90Hz)
• 6.9-inch OLED inner display (120Hz)

One of the most obvious tradeoffs between the Razr Ultra 2025 and the base Razr 2025 is the display. However, that statement comes with a key caveat: although it’s definitely a downgrade over the more premium model, it doesn’t detract from the overall experience, as both the cover display and the main display still offer great specs.

You’ll immediately notice the key differences between the Razr models when you look at the front: the Razr 2025 has a smaller 3.6-inch cover display than its pricier sibling. However, this is the same one used in the more-expensive-but-not-top-of-the-line Razr Plus 2024, and while it’s 0.4 inches smaller than the Razr Ultra's screen, it offers a near-identical viewing experience.

It’s worth noting that the 90Hz refresh rate of the Razr 2025's outer display is lower than the 165Hz refresh rate found on the outer display of other Razr devices, although you’d be hard-pressed to truly notice this gap. In many ways, it’s easy to forget that the Razr 2025's cover screen isn’t as technologically capable, especially as it’s extremely well-optimized from a software point of view.

Unfold the Razr 2025, and you get the same 6.9-inch display found on the Razr Plus, except it’s limited to 120Hz, versus 165Hz on its siblings. However, this isn’t really a limitation as it’s on par with the displays used by the best phones, which generally only offer a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: cameras

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• 50MP main sensor
• 13MP ultra-wide lens
• Good, but not great, camera performance

Like its siblings, the Razr 2025 features two cameras, but naturally, this cheaper model comes with some trade-offs. However, they aren’t as big as you might think.

The 50MP wide camera features an f/1.7 aperture, a 25mm focal length, and dual-pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and is the same as the one found in the Razr 2025's more expensive siblings. Like many of the best smartphone cameras, it uses an in-sensor crop to offer a 2x optical-quality zoom that’s generally good enough for most situations, but as some of my photos show, it can also be somewhat hit-and-miss depending on the overall scene.

The phone's 13MP ultra-wide camera also features a macro mode for close-up shots, and while it could be improved, it’s on par with the ultra-wide camera used in the more expensive Galaxy Z Flip 7. It does feel like an afterthought, but it’s particularly useful for taking group selfies. However, its position to the right of the two cameras and the wide 120° field of view mean you can inadvertently end up with the edges of your palm in the photo.

Selfies are where all Razr models shine, and the Razr 2025 is no different. The form factor makes it my favorite for group photos, and while the camera isn’t the best overall — and lacks the telephoto and polish of flip phones like the Honor Magic V2 Flip — it can take selfies that are vibrant and genuinely surprising.

Case in point? When the opportunity arose to take a selfie with Paris Hilton after her set during the Razr 2026 launch, the Razr FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition didn’t disappoint.

One of my favorite Razr features is the double-twist-to-launch, which lets you twist your wrist twice to quickly launch the camera. It works very well on the Razr 2025, albeit a tad more slowly than the equivalent motion on its siblings. That said, you can easily launch the camera and snap a photo within a couple of seconds.

Overall, then, the Razr 2025 isn’t the best camera phone by any stretch, but it is more than good enough for most people, and punches considerably above its weight given its price.

Motorola Razr 2025 review: camera samplesNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave Gondhia

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: performance

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• MediaTek Dimensity 7400X chipset is fine for streaming and scrolling
• ... but it struggles while gaming and switching apps

The lower price of the Razr 2025 means Motorola had to make some cutbacks somewhere, and these cutbacks are most obvious in the phone's underlying performance. However, as with the display, its lower specs are only immediately noticeable when compared to those of the best flagship phones, and for the most part, the Razr 2025 offers decent performance.

The Razr 2025 is powered by the Dimensity 7400X processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. While performance is smooth in general day-to-day usage, there is a noticeable slowdown under heavy use that doesn’t occur on the best phones, including slight stutters when gaming or quickly switching apps.

One thing that may prove frustrating over time is the phone's slower UFS 2.2 storage, which means it’s noticeably slower than its siblings at loading games or performing other resource-intensive tasks. However, this is only during the initial load of these apps, with in-app and gaming performance still smooth enough.

There are other trade-offs worth mentioning, including a lack of Wi-Fi 7, but these are all just nice-to-have features. Like the rest of the Razr 2025 experience, the underlying performance offers everything you need without the bells and whistles of a flagship phone, but you’ll be hard-pressed to notice these differences unless you actually look for them. The biggest surprise for me has not been the missing polish in the Razr 2025's performance, but how little I actually noticed it. If you can look beyond the specs sheet, there’s a strong chance you’ll find the same.

• Performance score: 3 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: software

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Runs Android 16 out of the box
• Motorola's cover screen optimization is the best around

Motorola has absolutely nailed its foldable software. In just four years, the company has built and refined its cover screen software in particular, and the result is that all Razr models offer a premium experience, even this entry-level model.

The Razr 2025's cover screen offers the same size and experience as the Razr Plus from 2024, and what sets it apart is the ability to use the front display as a small phone. This is core to Motorola’s flip phone approach, and is distinctly different from the competition, as every other flip phone only offers a curated selection of apps and widgets on the cover display — or, in the case of Samsung, requires several steps to enable any app to work on the front screen — but Motorola offers the best of both worlds.

The front screen is organized into a series of panels, each with specific use cases. The communications panel lets you set up one-tap shortcuts to contact your favorite people or perform common actions. This isn’t limited to regular apps; it also works across third-party apps, such as sending a Telegram message, making a WhatsApp call, or even posting to Instagram stories, all with one tap. There’s also a calendar that displays your upcoming schedule, and a weather panel.

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Then there are the apps and widgets panels, both of which allow the Razr 2025 to be a fantastic mini phone. You can add up to three panels full of as many apps and shortcuts as you like, and up to three more panels of the same widgets you’d use on your homescreen. These are not slimmed-down widgets like you’ll find on other phones, but the full, interactive widgets the app developer envisioned.

Then there’s gaming, and Motorola has preloaded several games onto the Razr 2025 from GameSnacks, a Google company, that make the Razr 2025 even more fun to use. Since the Razr reboot, they’ve become my favorite phones simply because it's so addictive and easy to game on their front screens. Yes, you won’t be running the latest AAA games on the front screen, but if you want something to pass the time and play one-handed while you’re in a queue, the Razr 2025 is the ultimate phone for it. One core downside, however, is that these games won’t work while you’re offline, such as when you’re on a flight without Wi-Fi.

Go beyond the cover screen, and the rest of the Razr 2025's software is equally great. It offers the core Android experience you’ll find on Google’s Pixel range, with a few Moto Actions that add features every phone should copy (the aforementioned double-twist-to-launch gesture, for example). There’s also Moto AI, and while the Razr 2025 ships with Gemini as the default voice assistant, it's also preloaded with Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot, should you wish to use something else.

• Software score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: battery life

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• 4,500mAh silicon-carbon battery yields around 1.5 days of use

Motorola deserves particular credit for consistently improving its batteries, and the Razr 2025 is no different. The phone's 4,500mAh silicon-carbon battery is 300mAh larger than that of the Razr 2024, and just 200mAh smaller than the battery inside the Razr Ultra 2025. But thanks to its smaller displays and less powerful processor, the Razr 2025 offers the best battery life I’ve experienced on a Razr.

For the most part, it’s on par with last year’s Razr Ultra, but for many people, it could prove to be even better, despite the considerable price difference between the two models.

Over the past two weeks with the FIFA World Cup 26 Edition, it’s never drained to empty in a single day, with most full charges lasting between 1.5 and 2 days of usage. The cover screen is so capable that I often use the front screen rather than the main display, which further extends battery life for most use cases.

Motorola doesn’t tell you exact usage and screen time between the cover and main displays, but my best guess is that it offers approximately seven to nine hours of screen time across both screens on a single charge.

When the battery runs low, the phone's 30W wired charging will recharge it to full in about 75 minutes. That’s not the fastest, but it’s only 15 minutes slower than the Razr Ultra 2025, despite the latter’s larger battery and much faster 68W charging. In comparison, the flagship Galaxy Z Flip 7 costs more and offers 25W ‘Superfast’ charging that takes around 90 minutes to fully charge the smaller 4,000 mAh battery, so Motorola deserves considerable credit here.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Razr 2025?

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)Motorola Razr 2025 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Motorola's Razr design is tried-and-tested, and absolutely wonderful. The FIFA World Cup Edition has a unique additional texture compared to the other colors.

5 / 5

Display

Aside from a smaller front display and a few cutbacks, this is an excellent all-around screen. No major compromises here.

4 / 5

Performance

This is where the Razr falls short as the Dimensity 7400X isn't the same processor you'll find in flagships.

3 / 5

Camera

The cameras are more than capable but somewhat inconsistent. Definitely not the best camera phone, but not the worst either.

3.5 / 5

Battery

Outstanding battery life that's on par with the best flip phones and won't disappoint.

5 / 5

Software

Motorola has tasteful software that truly addresses the problems and shortcomings of Android as a whole. It's just brilliant.

5 / 5

Value

Virtually the same phone as the Razr 2026, but cheaper and with better RAM and storage options. One year after release, this phone offers even more value for money.

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You don’t need the absolute best performance
This phone doesn’t have the latest and greatest Snapdragon processor, but that doesn’t affect daily usage. For the most part, it offers more-than-good-enough all-around performance for most people.

You don’t need the absolute best specs.
The Razr 2025's lower price means some tradeoffs are necessary, but you’d be hard-pressed to notice (most of) them. For the most part, the Razr 2025 offers the same great experience as the Razr Ultra at just over half the price.

You want a unique soccer-branded flip phone
If you want something to serve as a memento of this year’s upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in the US, Canada, and Mexico, this is one of the more unique options, especially in the beautiful green finish.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best flip phone that money can buy
If money is no object, don’t buy the Razr 2025. The lower price comes with some trade-offs, and there are definitely better choices out there, though they come with a premium price tag.

You need the best camera
If photography is important to you, the camera on the Razr 2025 might be slightly disappointing. Yes, it’s very capable — even in low-light, as my selfie with Paris Hilton showed — but other phones have better cameras.

You want premium finishes like leather and wood
If the array of Razr 2025 colors isn’t for you but you like the Motorola experience, the Razr Ultra comes in premium finishes, including reclaimed wood and Alcantara leather.

Motorola Razr 2025 review: also consider

The Razr 2025 is a great all-around flip phone, but it's not the only choice.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
If you want a flip phone, look no further than the Motorola Razr Ultra. It offers everything the Razr 2025 does, but it addresses all the small disappointments. There’s just one key problem — the price; the Razr Ultra costs almost twice as much as the Razr 2025.

Read our full Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 review

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
If you'd rather look beyond the Motorola experience, the obvious choice is the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but Samsung’s best flip phone doesn’t offer the same polished cover screen experience you’ll find on the Razr 2025.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review

How I tested the Motorola Razr 2025

• Review test period = 2 weeks
• Testing included = Everyday usage, including navigation, web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback, and reading e-books.
• Tools used = Geekbench 6, 3DMark, CellMark, native Android stats

I’ve used the Motorola Razr 2025 extensively over the past year, but for this review, I also used the FIFA World Cup 2026 limited edition for a couple of weeks, both while traveling and at home on Wi-Fi.

During my time testing the Razr 2025, I used it as my primary phone with dual eSIMs, one for a roaming carrier. My usage included everything from navigating using Android Auto and streaming video to reading books, playing games, and making and receiving phone calls.

First reviewed: May 2026

A mid-range phone that consistently punches above its weight, the Razr 2025 is still arguably the best-value flip phone for most people, especially as the 2026 version is more expensive.

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Forza Horizon 6 is the long-awaited latest entry in Playground Games’ open-world racing game series — and there’s a lot that’s been riding on this one. Many, myself included, found Forza Horizon 5 to be underwhelming. After that, Forza Motorsport — while decent at release — suffered from an array of glitches and poor post-launch updates.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: Xbox Series X|S, PC (coming to PS5 in 2026)
Release date: May 19, 2026

Even though it’s operating well within the series’ trappings, Forza Horizon 6 is a breath of fresh air. The setting of Japan doesn’t disappoint, with impressively varied biomes and sublime vistas. From Tokyo City to the Japanese Alps and the gorgeous countryside and quaint little villages dotted in-between, there’s a ton of brilliant environmental design to marvel at.

The game’s race events are greatly helped by this variety. The usual selection of road, dirt, cross-country, and street racing events is all still here. But clever routing and vehicle categorization make almost all of them feel one-of-a-kind. There are even a handful of purpose-built circuits and drag strips, with their own time attack events and leader boards.

The solo experience is by and large excellent, but Forza Horizon 6 does a much better job than its predecessors at encouraging you to enter multiplayer spaces. A new recommended event menu highlights ongoing multiplayer activities like Eliminator and playlist events. Car Meet locations let you hang out with players to check out their cars or start lobbies. Plus, fully customizable garages and an entire compound for you to build on are huge wins for the more creatively-minded players out there.

My favorite new addition, though, has to be the aftermarket cars you can find dotted about the map. These always have more oomph than stock vehicles you can buy in the showroom, and often come with unique aero or livery touches.

Throw in some of the best Horizon Showcase events to date and a further refinement of that wonderful ‘simcade’ handling, and you have what is the best Forza Horizon game to date. No small feat when the third and fourth entries in particular were so great back in the day.

I do have the odd qualm or two. Voiced side characters are still pretty one-dimensional, but decidedly less insufferable in this game. I’ve spotted some visual oddities, too, like NPC vehicles duplicating themselves occasionally when you rewind after a crash, or the camera freaking out a bit if you drive under a low-enough surface but overall, Forza Horizon 6 has been more than worth the wait.

Place, Japan

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you know one thing about Forza Horizon 6, it’ll be that it’s taken the open-world racing formula to Japan. Japan, by Playground Games’ own admission, has been the most-requested setting for a Horizon game among the fanbase. So the pressure to not disappoint said fans must’ve been palpable.

Fortunately for us, the developer has delivered one of the most striking, impeccably-designed open worlds I’ve seen in any game — let alone within the racing genre. Some of my previous favorites have been Forza Horizon 4’s United Kingdom, and The Crew Motorfest’s Hawaii but I think Forza Horizon 6’s Japan is more compelling than both in variety, level design, and just plain looks.

Virtual tourists will find much to love here. The sweeping highways, luscious countryside, temples and shrines off the beaten path, radio stations, quaint gardens and villages, docks, the coastline, and the Japanese alps off to the north. It’s seriously impressive just how much variety Playground Games has placed into a map that in reality isn’t all that much larger than Forza Horizon 5’s Mexico.

There are plenty of real-world locations to discover, too. Tokyo City is the most obvious, and it’s massive. It’s a real visual treat, with tons of winding slow-speed corners and subtle back alleys. You’ll spot some iconic landmarks here, too, such as Tokyo Tower and the Shibuya Scramble. Beyond the city, you’ll find plenty of iconic racing spots like the Daikoku Parking Area, the C1 loop, and yes, even Mt. Haruna where you can attempt intense touge race battles.

Really, the only glaring omission I can think of is Mt. Fuji. It does loom in the background, looking mightily impressive, but you can’t actually go there in-game. It's rather baffling considering the mountain and its surroundings featured prominently in Horizon 6’s original reveal trailer. Maybe it’s a location Playground Games is saving for a DLC expansion? We’ll have to wait and see.

Let's go away

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you’re familiar with the series, Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t change up the campaign structure too much, but there are some notable tweaks.

Your main goal in the campaign is to obtain higher tiers of wristband by participating in road, dirt, and cross-country races. And if you fancy a break from those, smaller activities like speed traps and danger zone jumps contribute to your campaign progress, too.

Each wristband tier is bookended by showcase events, which act as nice palette cleansers and set piece marvels. Showcases in this game aren’t my favorite in the series, but it’s hard not to grin from ear to ear when you’re racing a giant mech while Ado’s New Genesis blasts from your car stereo.

Best bit

(Image credit: Microsoft)

I'm in love with Forza Horizon 6's aftermarket car system. You'll find these dotted across the game's giant map, and are often seriously souped-up versions of iconic cars from a wide variety of manufacturers. You'll often get unique liveries by buying these, too.

I want to highlight the impressive event variety, too, in that Horizon 6’s wonderful map design allows for rapid and seamless changes to scenery. Tracks that start in the snowy alps can rocket down into rocky ravines.

Street races through Tokyo City can end in lovely countryside villages. The various actual circuits dotted around the map also have their own race events, and allow for a variety of surfaces and corner speeds. It’s all great stuff.

You have the usual Horizon Festival stuff, then, but another avenue of progression available to you in Forza Horizon 6 is labeled Discover Japan. This is a pretty clever repackaging of events like street races, side stories, smashing mascots and EXP boards, photography, barn finds, and general exploration.

I found these really nice to dip into when I wanted a break from more traditional racing, and it has its own progression rewards ranging from cars and credits to horns and clothing for your avatar. Like Forza Horizon 5, all progression is tracked in the handy Collection Journal, giving you pointers on what you can be doing next.

Start your engines

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Forza Horizon 6 would obviously be nothing without its cars, and there’s great variety here. You’re getting over 600 cars in the base game, and as you might expect, there’s heightened focus on Japanese manufacturers.

That means you’re getting everything from lovely little kei cars to roaring R-class hypercars and everything in between. It’s not all makes from Japan, though, of course. You can still expect tons of whips from international manufacturers; BMW to Volkswagen, Lamborghini to Ferrari.

You should absolutely be on the lookout for aftermarket cars — a new addition. As I said earlier, these are modified rides you can find dotted about the map. Many of them helpfully spawn near relevant race events, too, often giving you a chance to buy something seriously cool before signing up. Aftermarket cars and their parts seem randomly generated to a degree, meaning you can often find Legendary class cars in the middle of nowhere (though you’ll be paying a fair chunk of credits for these, mind).

Another neat addition are the Treasure Cars. There’s one for each region, making for nine in total. Unlike barn finds, the map won’t tell you the general area of where to find these. Instead, the Treasure Cars menu will offer a photo and some text, and you’ll figure out the location from there. Most of these were really enjoyable to find and, honestly, I wish there were more. Horizon as a series could really do with more cool little scavenger hunts like these.

That brings me onto customization, which for the most part is equally brilliant. Your personal garages (which are part of every house you buy on the map) are now fully customizable, and you can place down your favorite vehicles here, as well as add furniture and other visual flair. You can share these online, too, making garage customization a fun social endeavor.

This extends on a macro scale with the compound, which you can unlock early on. This is, essentially, a huge blank slate out in the countryside for you to build basically anything you want. You’ll work with prefabricated parts in the map editor, and you can make anything from custom circuits to even more ambitious projects like a driveable village, if you desire.

There is a bit of a learning curve involved, and it is a bit annoying that your compound is gated behind a loading screen (and thus separate from the rest of the map), but it’s really fun to tinker around with ideas.

Views for days

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Presentation is another highlight in Forza Horizon 6. In terms of visual fidelity, it’s not that far removed from the last couple of Horizon entries. But that’s not to say there haven’t been improvements. For one, cars look and sound fantastic, most of which have unique interiors and engine sounds.

Japan is rendered beautifully here. Playground Games has clearly put tons of time and effort into creating an authentic map. Draw distance is really quite breathtaking, but what’s most impressive is that there’s tons of elevation, winding roads, and obscured sightlines. That means you’ll never quite be able to see the whole map from any given vantage point, making your journey through it feel much more immersive.

There are some visual oddities to make note of. There’s a bit of noticeable pop-in with distant objects; most notable when you’re on the highway or within Tokyo City. I also had a few instances where, upon using the rewind mechanic, a vehicle I collided with would duplicate itself. A bit strange, but likely something future patches can hone in on.

I’m a big fan of the licensed soundtrack this time around, too. I was worried that the game would pay lip service to just a few Japanese artists, but I’m happy to be wrong. The new Gacha City Radio station houses the lion’s share, but tracks from Japanese groups are shared across pretty much all radio stations.

It’s a lot of acts you’ll probably recognize, including Ado, Babymetal, Yoasobi, Creepy Nuts, and Hikaru Utada among others. But there are loads of bangers from overseas, too. Even some of my favorites have shown up, including Spiritbox, Ninajirachi, Turnstile, Biffy Clyro, and Linkin Park.

Should you play Forza Horizon 6?

(Image credit: Microsoft)Play it if...

You love Japan
This is an easy one. Forza Horizon 6’s rendition of Japan feels like a real love letter to the country. Tokyo City and its surroundings are utterly beautiful, and I think it’s the best map a Horizon game has featured to date.

You want to collect tons of cool cars
Every notable manufacturer under the sun is present and accounted for, with tons of love gone to Japanese makes and models in particular. Chuck in barn finds, Treasure Cars, and the new aftermarket cars, and there’s a dizzying amount to collect.

You enjoy multiplayer and social elements in your games
Forza Horizon 6 has done a great job fixing up its multiplayer suites, which could be rocky in prior entries with frequent convoy and event dropouts. In my testing for this review, I found multiplayer to be largely seamless. And I can’t wait to jump back in to really get stuck into garage customization and car meets.

Don't play it if...

You were hoping for a real overhaul
In terms of overall game flow and progression, Forza Horizon 6 isn't anything out of the ordinary when compared to other titles in the series. If you've recently dabbled in a past Horizon title, then you might feel a little fatigued here.

Accessibility features

Like prior games in the series, Forza Horizon 6 offers an array of accessibility features. Difficulty options are robust, letting you set AI capability and assists like traction control and anti-lock braking. Meanwhile, subtitle customization and screen reader options are available in the accessibility tab. You can also slow down offline game speed if the default action is a bit hard to keep track of.

In the visual accessibility tab, you can adjust game and user interface motion blur, as well as alter environmental color filters with the deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia colorblind sliders. There is a robust high contrast mode available, too, letting you add highlights to terrain, cars, objects, and more.

How I reviewed Forza Horizon 6

I played 20 hours of Forza Horizon 6 for this review. That was enough to progress through the entire campaign, and unlock the endgame Legend Island location. In that time, I participated in almost every race event, and tackled a handful of street races and Discover Japan objectives like barn finds, side stories, and the like.

I primarily played Forza Horizon 6 with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and greatly enjoyed the haptic feedback it provided during play. I also played on PC, able to run the game at High-Ultra settings with an Nvidia RTX GeForce 5060 GPU.

First reviewed May 2026

Forza Horizon 6 is a huge improvement over the fifth entry, and a reminder of what makes Playground Games one of the best studios in Xbox’s repertoire.

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