Forza Motorsport release time & New Zealand trick explained
The Forza Motorsport release time is coming up soon, so fans will need to be prepared if they want to jump on at launch. Forza Motorsport brings the series back to its racing sim roots, after a few years where the focus was largely on the Forza Horizon spinoff series.
The release time of the game can change depending on where you are in the world, prompting many to use the old New Zealand trick to get early access. For an explanation of that trick and when you can start playing, here is our Forza Motorsport release time guide.
What is the Forza Motorsport release time?
Typically, there are two kinds of release times for games; either they release at midnight on release day in all regions, or they release at a set time globally, meaning a different time in different regions.
Forza Motorsport seems to have done both, as the release time per region is different between Steam and Xbox platforms. The latter includes the Xbox PC app, meaning PC Game Pass subscribers will be jumping on at the same time as Xbox players, but at a different time from those who purchase the game on Steam.
- Check out our list of Forza Motorsport's fastest cars in each class
Xbox & PC via Xbox app release time
Click to enlargeAbove are the exact release times for Forza Motorsport across the world. You'll notice that, in the majority of regions, the game will be released a minute after midnight on release day, which is October 10.
This changes once we get to the Americas, as the game is releasing simultaneously across the US, meaning a midnight launch on the East Coast and a 9 PM launch in the West.
For the most part, if you want to play Forza Motorsport at launch and you are playing on Xbox or PC via the Xbox app, with Game Pass or not, you will be able to play from 12:01 AM on October 10, 2023.
- We have the full Forza Motorsport cars list, check it out to see if your favourite made the cut
Steam release time
Click to enlargeAs you can see from the image above, the release time on Steam is different in each region. This is because the game is launching globally at the same time on Steam, meaning time zones must be taken into account.
This is why players on the Pacific coast of North America will be able to play Forza at 9 PM on October 9, while folks in New Zealand will get it at 5 PM the following day. Both of these times happen simultaneously.
- Here are all Forza Motorsport achievements & how to unlock them
How to do the 'New Zealand trick' to play Forza early
Click to enlargeThe New Zealand trick is a method that has become popular among gamers who simply cannot and will not wait through the last handful of hours before a game releases. To that end, there are ways to get around the wait time and trick your console into believing you are in New Zealand.
This method is much easier to do on Xbox than PlayStation, but as Forza Motorsport is an Xbox exclusive, that won't be an issue.
- First, go to your console Settings and select System
- Go to Language and Location and change your location to New Zealand
- Restart your console and you will be good to go
From the time of posting this article, performing this trick will allow anyone in North America, South America, the UK, Western Europe, or Central Europe to play Forza Motorsport instantly.
That is it for our Forza Motorsport release time guide. For more, head to our Forza Motorsport homepage for guides like how to change difficulty settings and Forza Motorsport wheel support.
