REDMOND, Washington, April 20, 2026, 11:34 PDT
Preorders kicked off Monday for Microsoft’s Xbox Forza Horizon 6 limited-edition wireless controller and headset, with prices set at $89.99 and $134.99. The new gear is rolling out alongside one of the platform’s headline spring game launches. Xbox Accessories’ Omar Smith and Tristan Munley described the controller as “one of the most vibrant” in Xbox’s lineup, featuring a look inspired by Japan’s Touge roads. Xbox Wire
Timing’s key here. If you preorder through the Microsoft Store starting April 20, your order ships on or after May 19—lining up with the Forza Horizon 6 launch date. Broader retail sales won’t begin until May 21 or later. The game itself isn’t bundled, and Microsoft notes that pricing and in-stock status depend on the retailer.
Forza Horizon 6 shifts the open-world racing series into Japan. Xbox is calling it the franchise’s largest open-world driving game to date, boasting a lineup of over 550 real-world cars. The Japanese setting feeds straight into the accessory design—Touge, those tight mountain roads steeped in drifting tradition, shows up on the controller as a design motif.
The official word ends a brief period of leaks. Earlier this month, VGC reported the controller and headset details had surfaced, adding that the Forza Horizon 6 headset marks just the second limited-edition headset for Xbox Series X/S, following the Starfield edition.
The controller shows off a transparent cyan-blue top, splashes of metallic gradient, plus volt green, hot pink, and silver accents. There’s a metallic D-pad and two-tone rubberized grips as well. The headset matches the color palette, but tacks on custom sounds for things like powering on, pairing, and muting—a blend of Japanese V8 engine noise with the Forza Horizon 6 interface, according to Xbox.
The headset handles spatial sound, covering formats like Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone:X, all designed to drop audio effects around the listener. Battery-wise, Xbox puts the controller at up to 40 hours and the rechargeable headset at up to 20, but actual numbers will shift depending on how they’re used.
Pure Xbox listed the controller at £84.99 in the UK, while the headset was marked at £124.99. There’s also a matching 8BitDo Forza Horizon 6 charging dock, coming in at $34.99. That includes an 1100mAh rechargeable battery pack, which the outlet said should hit a full charge in about three hours.
The approach follows a familiar console strategy—launching special-edition hardware just ahead of a big game to entice collectors and franchise fans. Sony’s done this before on PlayStation, rolling out limited-run accessories like the Marathon-themed DualSense controller and a matching Pulse Elite headset, both of which have popped up on PlayStation Direct.
Supply and timing could be tricky here. Microsoft hasn’t revealed production numbers for the Forza Horizon 6 controller and headset, only confirming that they’ll hit early access on Microsoft Store through at least May 21—other stores will have to wait. When it comes to limited-edition gear, high demand can wipe out inventory fast, and release dates may not line up across regions.
For Xbox, accessories just layer in one more pre-launch lever, but the main play remains the same: Forza Horizon 6 has to do the heavy lifting. Branded hardware can cut a sharper profile for the debut. Still, it’s the game that has to make the sale.
