Radio stations are a huge part of the vibe in Forza Horizon 6, especially while cruising through Tokyo highways, mountain Touge roads, and long Day Trips across Japan. Thankfully, changing stations is very simple once you know the controls. This guide covers how to change radio stations in FH6, the default controls on PC and Xbox, and why it’s actually worth cycling through every station at least once.

How to Change Radio Stations in Forza Horizon 6

Players can switch between radio stations using either:

  • keyboard controls on PC
  • D-Pad controls on Xbox controllers

Here are the default radio controls in FH6.

PlatformPrevious StationNext Station
PC- Key= key
XboxUnboundD-Pad Right

On PC, players can freely move forward or backward between stations using the Minus and Equals keys.

On Xbox, only the “Next Station” button is mapped by default, meaning players can only cycle forward through radio stations unless they manually remap the controls.

Why You Should Listen to Every Radio Station

Even if you already have a favorite station, it’s actually worth cycling through all of them at least once.

This is because DJs become unlockable friends after they properly introduce themselves during live broadcasts. Once unlocked, they contribute toward your Discover Japan Journal progression.

So while changing radio stations may seem like a small feature, it actually helps with:

  • Discover Japan progression
  • unlocking Friends category rewards
  • exploration immersion
  • discovering new music styles

This works especially well while doing:

How to Change Radio Controls

Yes. Players can fully remap radio station controls through the Settings menu.

  1. Open Settings
  2. Navigate to Controls
  3. Select Change Input Mapping
  4. Change the radio station bindings
  5. You can switch to the Controller or Keyboard as needed

However, it’s usually recommended to leave the default layout unchanged unless you are comfortable customizing controls. Accidentally overwriting important keybinds can make driving controls feel awkward later.

If you plan on heavily customizing your controls, our complete FH6 controls guide covers all major keybinds and controller settings.

How Many Radio Stations Are in FH6

While the full station list is still expanding, Forza Horizon 6 includes multiple music genres ranging from:

Each station has its own DJ personality and broadcast style, which helps make long drives across Japan feel much more alive.

Best Time to Use Radio Stations

Personally, radio stations feel best during slower exploration moments instead of competitive races.

Cruising through:

  • neon Tokyo streets
  • bamboo forests
  • mountain passes
  • coastal roads

With music playing in the background honestly adds a lot to the atmosphere of FH6.

The stations especially shine during:

  • Day Trips with Mie
  • Discover Japan activities
  • free roam exploration
  • long highway drives

Personally, I really like how much personality the radio stations add to the game. Some of the DJs feel surprisingly memorable, and the stations make free roam driving much less repetitive during long sessions.

At the same time, I do wish Xbox had a default “Previous Station” button mapped since cycling through every station one-by-one can sometimes feel annoying while driving at high speed. Still, the overall radio system does a great job of making Japan feel more alive while exploring the open world.

For more controls guides, Discover Japan progression easter eggs, hidden things and glitches, collectibles, car lists, and gameplay systems, check out our complete Forza Horizon 6 wiki hub.