Forza Horizon 6 on Steam Deck: First Impressions and Performance

Quick performance summary

• Device: LCD Steam Deck
• Settings: Auto-detected Low preset
• Performance: Around 45 FPS with the in-game frame limit set to 60
• Noticed drops: Heavier vegetation and crashing through bushes
• Overall first impression: Better than expected for a brand-new Horizon release on a handheld

I picked up the $119.99 Premium Edition on Steam for the four days of Advanced Access, and at exactly 9:01 PM Pacific, Steam started decrypting the preload files.

I was especially excited to try Forza Horizon 6 on the Steam Deck because I’ve always liked the Horizon games, and seeing a huge open-world racing game running on a handheld still feels impressive to me.

The game automatically detected the Steam Deck and set everything to Low settings, but it still looks great. The cutscenes especially look really good on the handheld screen, and the world still feels detailed while driving around.

Performance has been solid so far. On video, I set the FPS limit to 60 so the game wouldn’t be capped around 30, and with that change I’ve been getting closer to 45 FPS. I still noticed some dips when crashing through bushes or driving through heavier vegetation, but outside of those moments it’s been running better than I expected for a brand-new Horizon release on a handheld. Xbox supporting more handheld devices lately probably helped optimize games like this for portable play.

I haven’t gotten too far into the game yet, but I’m already looking forward to exploring Japan more. I’ve been to Japan before, so driving through these environments brings back a lot of good memories. The atmosphere, the roads, the lighting, and the overall feeling of the world already remind me why Japan left such a strong impression on me in the first place. One of my favorite ways to take it all in has been using drone mode, which is perfect for getting a better look at the scenery and soaking in the views.

That’s probably my favorite part of Forza Horizon 6 so far. It’s not just the cars or the racing. It’s getting to revisit a place that already meant something to me through the game’s version of Japan.

Early on, the Horizon Festival meetup sequence introduces a few of the starter cars. I picked the 1989 Nissan Silvia K’s, but you can switch over and use any of them.

• 1989 Nissan Silvia K’s
• 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205
• 1970 GMC Jimmy

The game also starts handing out other cars pretty quickly, and the Premium Edition includes a bunch of extra cars right away too.

That opening festival atmosphere already feels special. The Japan setting gives the game a completely different vibe compared to previous Horizon games, and even in the early hours, it already feels like a proper Horizon experience. The soundtrack helps a lot too, and so far I’ve really liked what I’ve heard while driving around.

A lot of the mountain driving especially gives me Initial D vibes and reminds me of playing those games back in the day. That kind of road design fits this setting perfectly and makes cruising through those areas feel even more fun.

These are still early impressions, but so far Forza Horizon 6 feels promising on the Steam Deck. Between the better-than-expected handheld performance, the soundtrack, the mountain roads, and getting to explore a version of Japan again, this already feels like a game I’ll keep coming back to.