Steam Autumn Sale 2023: Racing Games & Sims On Sale

Thanks a lot for the summary Yannik!

What's going on with Studio397?
Where are the good offers for rFactor2?
They just don't get it - these marketing geniuses
Do they think they don't have to offer something just because it's going well at the moment?
I've been waiting for the sale and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I'd really like to buy some content but with this weak and limited offer unfortunately it's not going to happen, what a pity.

Then I'll leave my money with Reiza
Automobilista 2 currently has really good offers, that's how it works!
Now Reiza just has to manage to get better online racing for this damn cool sim, then everything will be fine.

@LowFuelMotorSport You have saved rFactor2, why don't you finally implement Automobilista2?
And what do you want with EA's WRC???

Thanks for compiling the list Yannik. Would be nice if the table was sortable by discount or price though

CD Keys also has a Black Friday sale with a few sims cheaper than Steam e.g.

AC £2.59
AC DLC £0.69/0.99/1.29
AC Ultimate £4.99
ACC £6.79
ACC GT Pack £5.49
AMS2 £5.79
RF2 £3.49
WRC Generations Fully Loaded £9.99

These are all UK keys, buyers elsewhere might need to get keys for their region. No, I'm not an affiliate, just thought this might help someone.

Time to finally pick up the AMS2 DLC for me and try that RX mode!

Edit: £28.79 for the AMS2 Season Pass if you already own AMS2 and buy the bundle that includes the base game.

8bar said:

What's going on with Studio397?
Where are the good offers for rFactor2?

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I dunno, but 14 GT3 cars for €18 sounds like a nice deal to me. 4 (British) tracks for €15 isn't that much either in my opinion. The base game being only €7 is very cheap too since the online system is free of charge otherwise.
Sure they could have added better packs (like combinations that will be used in upcoming weeks/ seasons), but they need to make back some of the investments because I don't think the studio is making big bucks with the small (but growing) user base.

Fucitol said:

I dunno, but 14 GT3 cars for €18 sounds like a nice deal to me. 4 (British) tracks for €15 isn't that much either in my opinion. The base game being only €7 is very cheap too since the online system is free of charge otherwise.
Sure they could have added better packs (like combinations that will be used in upcoming weeks/ seasons), but they need to make back some of the investments because I don't think the studio is making big bucks with the small (but growing) user base.

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That's why I explicitly wrote that I would like to buy content,
I have nothing against €7 for the sim.
But if you've supported rFactor since the first version like me, then you certainly have most of these 14 GT3 cars in the second version too.
I don't even want to know how many of them I've paid twice in different packs.

What about these longtime supporters who have already put a lot of money into rFactor and now only need one or two new tracks or are only missing a few new cars?
Studio397 do not care about them at all.

Look at Automobilista2, each track has been reduced by half!

I bought F1 23 last weekend (for a go around Las Vegas) and it's definitely worth upgrading from '22. I really enjoyed the LV track and the FFB was night & day better.

Was strongly considering AMS2 Season Pass, but I've just done my annual assessment of where AMS2 currently is, and for me it's still not worth the extra expense. Compared to AMS1 the sequel is a step back in almost every way (obviously not including graphics) and it just doesn't scratch my "sim" nor "fun" itches. Just tried some Porsche / Boxer action around Suzuka on both titles - got well into AMS1 and could barely be bothered finishing a lap on AMS2 as it was so lacklustre. They probably should just give up on 2 and use what actually worked well from 1 and make a 3! Simple maths that.

Also tempted to finally jump in to rF2, but while the experience seems worthy, the high price bar for just an ok amount of content doesn't really entice investing in(?)

Think I'll hold back till at least Xmas if not another year, and maybe just get IOM TT3 instead - which BTW (RaceDepartment) is missing from your list.

Was willing to buy the clearly unfinished EA WRC game if it was on sale for a decent discount. Nope. So will now only buy it if it ever gets polished to release state, which may be never. ...But I'm sure WRC '24 will be better

RF2 may be on sale, but the DLC isn't, only a small handful, I was hoping they would.

£2.50 for AC it’s outrageous, considering how utterly amazing it is with all the mods installed. Having just finished a few races on it tonight I can’t believe how good it is what is on offer with the mods. I suppose everyone has it already but if not wow it’s mental value.

Large Style said:

I bought F1 23 last weekend (for a go around Las Vegas) and it's definitely worth upgrading from '22. I really enjoyed the LV track and the FFB was night & day better.

Was strongly considering AMS2 Season Pass, but I've just done my annual assessment of where AMS2 currently is, and for me it's still not worth the extra expense. Compared to AMS1 the sequel is a step back in almost every way (obviously not including graphics) and it just doesn't scratch my "sim" nor "fun" itches. Just tried some Porsche / Boxer action around Suzuka on both titles - got well into AMS1 and could barely be bothered finishing a lap on AMS2 as it was so lacklustre. They probably should just give up on 2 and use what actually worked well from 1 and make a 3! Simple maths that.

Also tempted to finally jump in to rF2, but while the experience seems worthy, the high price bar for just an ok amount of content doesn't really entice investing in(?)

Think I'll hold back till at least Xmas if not another year, and maybe just get IOM TT3 instead - which BTW (RaceDepartment) is missing from your list.

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I have both AMS1 and AMS2 here and I can't confirm what you write at all.
In the beginning I was also disappointed with AMS2, but after the 1.5 update at the latest, there is no better simulation on the market for me.
In my opinion, Reiza just needs to work on the online racing, then it will be perfect.

Maybe there's just something wrong with your settings?
Maybe you just haven't spent enough time with AMS2?
If you write that you can barely complete a lap with just one car, then that could actually be the problem.

For me, Formula 1 from EA Sports has nothing to do with simulation.
Unfortunately it's been an arcade game for years, nothing more.

Large Style said:

Think I'll hold back till at least Xmas if not another year, and maybe just get IOM TT3 instead - which BTW (RaceDepartment) is missing from your list.

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Thanks for the hint, I've added the TT IOM titles to the list

Unfortunately, tables cannot be sorted, so we have to make do with the alphabetical order.

Meant whimsically, I've read about you AMS2 types and your beliefs that it's "a [near] perfect simulation". I'm not trying to argue opinion as that's pointless, but you are actually wrong.

8bar said:

...after the 1.5 update at the latest, there is no better simulation on the market for me.

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My biggest gripes with AMS2 are the physics (too slidey still, even with 1.5) and the FFB doesn't communicate anything much other than the tyres and the body weight feel takes a major back seat. Feeling the weight of the car on the tyres is just as important as feeling the tyres, so you know, you can feel the overall limit. Going around Suzuka in AMS1 you can feel and keep the car balanced on that limit (which is so challenging, rewarding, and fun) while AMS2 just tells you when the tyres are gripping and sliding, and therefore feels incomplete. If I can't feel everything I need, then I might as well just use a controller. In AMS2 I drive by what I know should be done and not by what I feel. AMS1 is much more simulation orientated (as that game engine was used for real F1 simulators) while the Madness Engine of AMS2 is only really capable of a average-to-meh racing game and that's it.

8bar said:

Maybe there's just something wrong with your settings? Maybe you just haven't spent enough time with AMS2?

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There's very little to adjust with the settings, and I'm not modding the game (presuming it's like PC2) to improve the FFB. That'd be pointless anyway as the underlying physics aren't there enough to feed a FFB system anyway. Also, I spent around 2 hours testing AMS2 yesterday using various tracks and cars, and it was immediately apparent that while it might be entertaining for some, it just feels incomplete and lacks the 2 elements that are essential for me for a racing title - to feel the car & tyre balance so I can push and lean on it's limits, and for it to be fun. You only need to check the settings and do a lap or two in a small few varying scenarios to ascertain what the title offers and doesn't, which is what I did. Maybe my G29 isn't well accommodated for in AMS2 and I know it's a budget wheel, but it works well enough for me to have lots of fun in other titles so again your favourite game is lacking. I do actually really want to like AMS2 hence why I keep coming back to see if it's "gotten there" but it just hasn't (yet). 1.5 was supposed to be a game changer and for me it wasn't enough, and now waiting on December's supposed big update to see if that improves anything. My main point from the start though was that AMS1 had so many great qualities that were dumped purely to go to a more modern engine with better graphics, which in that regard worked, but for the sake and cost of the actual physics & racing, which being a racing game is rather dumb.

8bar said:

For me, Formula 1 from EA Sports has nothing to do with simulation. Unfortunately it's been an arcade game for years, nothing more.

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Who said anything about F1 23 being a simulation? I didn't. I just said I thought it was much improved over 22. Yes it's been an arcade-type series for a long while (probably since 2014 onward) but 23 is a worthy step up and I bought it after just 20 minutes of playing the trial, because again that's all you need to get the gist of if a title is good and fun. Have you even tried 23? Plus, respectfully, the irony wasn't lost on me of your F1 arcade statement while defending AMS2 as a near perfect simulator. Really?

Yannik Haustein said:

Thanks for the hint, I've added the TT IOM titles to the list

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Thanks @Yannik Haustein. I've heard TT3 is a great title so I'd hate for it to not get some deserved attention & sales. List order's not important

Large Style said:

Meant whimsically, I've read about you AMS2 types and your beliefs that it's "a [near] perfect simulation". I'm not trying to argue opinion as that's pointless, but you are actually wrong.


My biggest gripes with AMS2 are the physics (too slidey still, even with 1.5) and the FFB doesn't communicate anything much other than the tyres and the body weight feel takes a major back seat. Feeling the weight of the car on the tyres is just as important as feeling the tyres, so you know, you can feel the overall limit. Going around Suzuka in AMS1 you can feel and keep the car balanced on that limit (which is so challenging, rewarding, and fun) while AMS2 just tells you when the tyres are gripping and sliding, and therefore feels incomplete. If I can't feel everything I need, then I might as well just use a controller. In AMS2 I drive by what I know should be done and not by what I feel. AMS1 is much more simulation orientated (as that game engine was used for real F1 simulators) while the Madness Engine of AMS2 is only really capable of a average-to-meh racing game and that's it.

There's very little to adjust with the settings, and I'm not modding the game (presuming it's like PC2) to improve the FFB. That'd be pointless anyway as the underlying physics aren't there enough to feed a FFB system anyway. Also, I spent around 2 hours testing AMS2 yesterday using various tracks and cars, and it was immediately apparent that while it might be entertaining for some, it just feels incomplete and lacks the 2 elements that are essential for me for a racing title - to feel the car & tyre balance so I can push and lean on it's limits, and for it to be fun. You only need to check the settings and do a lap or two in a small few varying scenarios to ascertain what the title offers and doesn't, which is what I did. Maybe my G29 isn't well accommodated for in AMS2 and I know it's a budget wheel, but it works well enough for me to have lots of fun in other titles so again your favourite game is lacking. I do actually really want to like AMS2 hence why I keep coming back to see if it's "gotten there" but it just hasn't (yet). 1.5 was supposed to be a game changer and for me it wasn't enough, and now waiting on December's supposed big update to see if that improves anything. My main point from the start though was that AMS1 had so many great qualities that were dumped purely to go to a more modern engine with better graphics, which in that regard worked, but for the sake and cost of the actual physics & racing, which being a racing game is rather dumb.


Who said anything about F1 23 being a simulation? I didn't. I just said I thought it was much improved over 22. Yes it's been an arcade-type series for a long while (probably since 2014 onward) but 23 is a worthy step up and I bought it after just 20 minutes of playing the trial, because again that's all you need to get the gist of if a title is good and fun. Have you even tried 23? Plus, respectfully, the irony wasn't lost on me of your F1 arcade statement while defending AMS2 as a near perfect simulator. Really?

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Thank you for the explanation.
Firstly, if I were you, I wouldn't say that the opinions of others are wrong, especially if you think EA's Formula 1 is great.
I hear the same thing every year: it's been improved
Secondly, on the one hand you write that you can't manage a single lap in AMS2, on the other hand that you drove for 2 hours - that's kind of a contradiction.

The G29 steering wheel can definitely be a point.
Nothing against my old Logitech steering wheel, but switching to Fanatec was like the difference between night and day.

Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against AMS1, although it really had a lot of bugs, but AMS2 is definitely a big step forward for me in every direction since the last update.
But that's okay, everyone is allowed to have their opinion.

One more hint:
For me, rFactor2 was always ahead of AMS1 especially in terms of physics, driving feel and much more.
AMS1 has not been supported for a long time, rF2 is currently experiencing its revival thanks to LowFuelMotorSport and their own new online racing system.
For currently 7€ for the main game, you're not doing much wrong.
If you don't like AMS2, then my tip would be: just give rF2 a chance.

8bar said:

Thank you for the explanation.
Firstly, if I were you...

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I was just joking about anyone being wrong. Humour doesn't always translate on forums.

I repeatedly kept attempting a clean lap for around 2 hours - if it became unclean or I crashed out then I restarted the race. As I couldn't get a decent feel in AMS2 then this happened a lot, or I just restarted out of frustration as stuff was happening unexpectedly / without warning. I was mainly also going around Nordschleife too.

Yeah I'd like to upgrade from my G29 one day, but as said, it works well enough for me for now. I have a medical disability where I can't do much nor for long, so a weak wheel suits my current needs.

Glad you like AMS2 though and yeah my opinion doesn't matter one jot.

I've owned rF2 for years now, but rarely touch it. When I do I enjoy it, and last years sales I considered buying content, but I wasn't keen on the tracks they offered then so just left it and topped up my Raceroom account instead. A retest is definitely due while the sales are on, just in case there's some gems in there. Thanks for the recommendation though

ACC COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION!
If you have any ACC dlc wishlisted and just check it and consider the discount not good enough (like me) - try checking the store page anyways because you might get a good deal on the 'complete your collection' option. I had everything except Challenger Pack and 2023 GT World and the C.Y.Collection was less than either one by itself.
Anyhoo - hope it helps someone ^_^

thundercat said:

ACC COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION!

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Good tip thanks, I'm pretty sure I've got everything but I'll check that out.

I spend untold more on software these days .