AC Console Preview "Engineered to Perfection"

[Paul Jeffrey]

505 Games and Kunos Simulazioni continue the drive towards Assetto Corsa's upcoming release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with a new console trailer featuring some of the finest content to be found in any racing game.

With a release date slated for June 2016, Kunos are firing up the promotional push before the studio take on the mighty Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport franchise on PS4 and Xbox One respectively.

"Made with real manufacturer data and telemetry, the game provides pure driving realism in every area, from bespoke handling, to precision physics, to nearly 100 cars in meticulous detail. Drive dream cars from leading manufacturers on laser scanned real tracks, in the most realistic racing simulation there is..."​

The PC version of Assetto Corsa recently reached version 1.5 to much acclaim among community members and the team behind the title are committed to continue advancing the game in what is already a highly competitive and crowded marketplace for sim racing enthusiasts.

With Project CARS recently releasing on both console and PC it will be interesting to see how Assetto Corsa faces up to its main cross platform rival in the coming months. Assetto Corsa is available to purchase right now on Steam for Windows PC and the console edition will be available in all good retailers June 2016.

RaceDepartment have a dedicated Assetto Corsa forum for news and discussion around all versions of the title as well as a substantial mods section for PC racers who wish to customise their edition of the game with new and interesting community-made content.

For those who wish to test their skills against fellow sim racers in a friendly and safe environment head on over to the Assetto Corsa Racing Club for regular events held for all skill levels across a variety of fun content.

Will you be buying AC on console when it releases? If so what is your console of choice? How do you think the game will stand up against rival Forza, Gran Turismo and PCARS? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Metalogic]

Is the AI any better now, compared to say Raceroom Experience? This is one of the things that put me off the game.

 

[Bernd Graf]

No, I won't be getting the game on console because I haven't owned a console since the PS2 and I value my money. But in all honesty I do wish them success, and I can't wait to see how it will actually be received on the consoles because till now I find most of the console people I talked to seemed rather excited and looking forward to AC. After the monumental cockup of PCars on consoles, now it's time to wait and see how AC (mis)manages it's baggage. Also, the added bonus of it being an AC launch is the immense certainty of browsing through endless threads/posts on the interwebz preaching about how bad it is right up until the launch, which clearly works considering how terribly AC is doing on the PC. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

But what do I know, I'm not an armchair expert.

Yeah, on forums everywhere there's been a spike in "Kunos has essentially poor physics" comments -- comments which have plagued every dual-platform game since the beginning of time. Expected, but still frustrating, since many of these people remained silent while Kunos took the lone road of PC development for several years. Nothing's changed about the game--if by "change" we mean drastic alteration in company mindset, focus, product, and ethos. In all these areas Kunos remains the same if not in a stronger fashion than since the first tech preview in Summer 2014. What has changed is Kunos' implementation and diversification of "your racing simulator." Here, some fans are curiously hypocritical in their reception/reactions.

 

[Grand Tourist]

Love this sim racer everyday more and more. Never stop developping it lease Kunos. Love.

 

[poet]

I wonder if Kunos upped their game with career mode for console release?

No.

When the career/game was in Early Access it was complained about much, and Kunos said it was just a placeholder and was definitely getting changed.
When they released the game as version 1.0 it was the same awful grind-y campaign, just with a few more levels of the same added.

They originally planned to upgrade it for the console release but then decided not to.
Poor decision imo.

 

[Rastas]

There is no sim like AC, I'm talking about the pure driving experience. No other sim gives you so much immersion that you are really driving a beast of a car. I don't care about the pit-stops, and all the other things you guys mention, I just enjoy getting into my Z4 GT3 and racing around the Nordschleife with other folks online.

So, just to support Kunos - day one purchase on my PS4 too.

For me AMS,GSC ,RF2 are better sims then AC in physics\FFB

 

[David Dominguez]

I'm sure the consoles release will be a success, they know how to promote their game and it has very appealing licenses for the masses, plus good driveability with gamepad, which is very important. Those who want/think that it will be a failure will be disappointed I think.

 

[Rob]

I think I'll buy it for my son, so he can enjoy with it on the console gamepad for a while, .... hopefully trying to delay the moment he'll outclass me with a wheel

Nah. Just get your son a wheel and he'll have a $1000 "PC"

Seriously, it's hard to get some perspective from console racers who want a serious SIM (like Project Cars, and unlike the rest), versus those console players who want convenience, a game every year, and think a wheel is not worth the money (because many want a wheel and can't afford it). I'm not subjugating them in this reply, but recognizing their competing interests. To me, that's the biggest issue when searching for accurate console "reports" of a pre-release game. As Project Cars has proven, testing and/or reporting from a PC "experience" on a console game, is inaccurate.

And PC users are marginally better. Although they have the desire, expertise, and SIM mentality, they are on a completely different platform that changes from user to user. (Even the devs at Kunos admit you can squeeze more out of a console, all else being even, because it's a NOT upgradable). While I can empathize with their sometimes apparent frustration toward the average console user (we still can't get on to their website to prep for the game), many of us only race when gaming, have raced IRL before (thus, too stupid for PC due to impacts), and want as pure a SIM as possible on the console. Now...we are getting there. I know several Microsoft and IBM employees who design and fix computers, but prefer the console now that the UDP stream is free and the physics are catching up. No interest there (or need, really) to go triple screen or mod everything.

DiRT Rally and Forza (I just sold FM6) have taught me that a rock solid multi-player and 60fps/1080p are entirely possible on the console. Project Cars has taught me that dynamic weather, perfect immersion, top notch physics, and 3rd party telemetry/spotter apps are a reality for any console user. There are also very few weaknesses with the A.I. on Project Cars. If anything, Project Cars flopped (but is making a comeback, I assure you) on the console because of multi-player, not anything this video touts. You simply could not form a reliable room for months. I'm not sure any console game could survive that. And sadly, I'm not entirely convinced they could even if they wanted too, as Microsoft and Sony hold many of the cards there.

The way I see it, Kunos has a giant opportunity here. Forza will be crap as usual. No competition there (or, better, allow Forza to weed out the arcade users). Project Cars is past its sale date. They were the Gunieu Pigs...and I will forever respect them for it. But if Kunos and 505 get the multi-player stable and reliable, then the rest will likely take care of itself and they will own the first complete SIM on the console. The market is massive, I can assure you. And Turn 10 is freaking the hell out right about now. If this pushes Forza into the "SIM" realm (like it did Dirt) then all the better.

 

[Tim Davila]

I'm sure the consoles release will be a success, they know how to promote their game and it has very appealing licenses for the masses, plus good driveability with gamepad, which is very important. Those who want/think that it will be a failure will be disappointed I think.

I also think kunos has a great oportunity to fill a void, afaik console players are very much looking foward to AC hit the market.
It will be huge success very probably.
I hope it does, more juice for everyone on PC and Consoles.

 

[Deleted member 151827]

Wonder if Fanatec wheels will be supported on ps4?

 

[Queequeg]

Not when they skype with the devs

I'm sorry noone wants to Skype with you. You should get a RD premium package and join us on Teamspeak!

 

[Caliper]

I love this game but I too feel the game is missing some key features for a console release. But as mentioned before, there is a market for this, there are many good players who enjoy console racing and are just fed up with GT, FM and are also not very tech wise to get a proper PC and go sim racing, like my brother, I can't convince him to get gaming rig and wheel to play online and do racing like we did as kids on the PS2.
I wish KS and 505 games the best on the console release and hope it's good enough to keep them going, if the game keeps solid physics as in the PC and solid multiplayer they will surely get from me 2 console copies.

 

[Rob]

I love this game but I too feel the game is missing some key features for a console release. But as mentioned before, there is a market for this, there are many good players who enjoy console racing and are just fed up with GT, FM and are also not very tech wise to get a proper PC and go sim racing, like my brother, I can't convince him to get gaming rig and wheel to play online and do racing like we did as kids on the PS2.
I wish KS and 505 games the best on the console release and hope it's good enough to keep them going, if the game keeps solid physics as in the PC and solid multiplayer they will surely get from me 2 console copies.

If Codemasters can do it, then Kunos surely can.

 

[DewCrew88]

Because a beta tester talk to Kunos devs about bugs it automatically means they spill the beans to the tester? Pretty weird statement if you ask me.

Believe what you want, everything James has leaked has been verbatim from the mouth of a beta tester.

I'm sorry noone wants to Skype with you. You should get a RD premium package and join us on Teamspeak!

Believe me having people to speak with isnt a problem, on my computer or real life.

 

[Lorenzo Bonder]

Even better....

 

[Alexandre Costa]

For me AMS,GSC ,RF2 are better sims then AC in physics\FFB

Totally agree!!! ISI physics rocks

 

[Tr3voRR]

Zero sight of the F138 since we saw the 1st video announcement for console...

 

[Grand Tourist]

Zero sight of the F138 since we saw the 1st video announcement for console...

F138? Enlighten me please.

 

[Deleted member 161052]

What is that car at 1:02 in the video?

F138? Enlighten me please.

He means the Ferrari F138
It was in the console trailer back in June last year.

 

[Tr3voRR]

What is that car at 1:02 in the video?


He means the Ferrari F138
It was in the console trailer back in June last year.

Yep and not even a written mention about it... I hope it didn't end in the bin.

 

[Hsmmer]

As the usual suspects have arrived again to stir things up in this thread I'll just warn you up front to stay on topic.

" ...................the most realistic racing simulation there is."

No right of reply?
You re-print statements that aren't allowed to be discredited or refuted ?

Well then I will just say in my opinion the above statement is brash and unsubstantiated.