Assetto Corsa coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016

[Ross Balfour]

Kunos Simulazioni has announced Assetto Corsa will be available on Xbox One and Playstation 4 in 2016.

After rumors and pictures of the Playstation 4 developer kit floating around the Kunos Simulazioni office, it is now officially confirmed: the Italian studio will team up with 505 Games to bring Assetto Corsa to the Playstation 4 and Xbox One platforms (full press release below). The popular racing sim will appear in console-land in 2016, though there's no exact release date for now.

You can take a look at the console launch trailer above, and interestingly, it looks like the console version will feature all the contents released so far on PC along with some spiffy new toys like the Audi R8 LMS Ultra, the Bonus pack cars like the Toyota GT86, the Audi Quattro and what looks like the 2015 Ferrari F1 car.

It'll be interesting to see if the team will update Assetto Corsa's core features for the console release, or perhaps add a slightly more fleshed out career mode.

What do you think of Assetto Corsa going to console? Let us know in the comments!

Calabasa, Calif. – June 3, 2015 – 505 Games today announced a partnership with Italian developer Kunos Simulazioni to publish the current generation console versions of Assetto Corsa, the highly acclaimed racing game. Currently available on Steam, Assetto Corsa is regarded as one of the most authentic racing simulators on the market.

Aptly branded “Your Racing Simulator,” Assetto Corsa ups the simulation stakes by emphasizing and focusing on pure physics realism, with precision accuracy across every aspect from the meticulousness car handling to the laser-measured tracks.

The standout stars of the game are of course the cars themselves; Assetto Corsa has partnered with the most prestigious automotive manufacturers to license life-like models of the genre’s biggest stars, from Ferrari to Fiat, from McLaren to Mercedes, and Lamborghini to Lotus.

Players are able to further deepen their playing experience by adjusting the handling and race set-up of each and every car in-game, whereby cars can be individually tuned to cater for your personal racing style. The overall racing experience can be further modified by adjusting everything from driver attributes to collision damage, to deliver a thrilling and true racing experience. All of these features together breed the realism that Assetto Corsa is known and celebrated for.

Making its console debut in 2016, Assetto Corsa will bring specific features such as​

• Over one hundred high-performance cars, including the Team Lotus 98T, the Pagani Zonda R, the Ferrari LaFerrari, the Mercedes C9 and the McLaren MP4-12C GT3
• Over twenty different track configurations, including famed courses such as Silverstone Circuit, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, and Nürburgring-Nordschleife
• Single and Multiplayer racing modes, with customizable Race Weekends, preset Challenges or full-scale Career Mode
• Refined race-craft AI, with up to twenty-four cars competing for the podium places in the PC version of the game

Based in Rome, Kunos Simulazioni is a development studio specializing in the creation of business simulators for the most influential Italian automotive companies – including Ferrari. This collaboration diversifies 505 Games’ product portfolio with the addition of a high-octane adrenaline pumping racing title.

Asseto Corsa will be making its E3 debut this year showcasing brand new PC content, and will be released on PS4 and XBOX One in 2016. Assetto Corsa is available now for PC download via STEAM.​

 

[Robert Walker]

I'd just like to point out that some people are getting ahead making claims that Kunos should not forget the community that has made AC a success.
Firstly, it began with netkar and the community on that was very small in comparison. Firstly because lack of cars and tracks, and it was far more unforgiving than AC.
I kind of felt like some others on here when AC really took off. I felt that Kunos had sacrificed some realism to cater for casual gamers. It's the casual gamer on steam that has made the game a real success. This is why there are so many smashes on public lobbies, these people play with different intentions than us on here.
So to some extent AC has already been 'dumbed down'. I don't think the fact it's going to console will actually change much.

 

[Grand Tourist]

I'd just like to point out that some people are getting ahead making claims that Kunos should not forget the community that has made AC a success.
Firstly, it began with netkar and the community on that was very small in comparison. Firstly because lack of cars and tracks, and it was far more unforgiving than AC.
I kind of felt like some others on here when AC really took off. I felt that Kunos had sacrificed some realism to cater for casual gamers. It's the casual gamer on steam that has made the game a real success. This is why there are so many smashes on public lobbies, these people play with different intentions than us on here.
So to some extent AC has already been 'dumbed down'. I don't think the fact it's going to console will actually change much.

So actually I am taking more credit for us the community than is fair. Like I said, new on the block and idealistic ideas, but still...community will be on the map someday. I promise.

 

[Jake Fangio]

The viewpoint of a publisher on this topic:

Console games are played by people who want to have fun for 15-60 minutes 2-3 times a week and therefore are not interested in investing any time in learning something.
Pick up your controller and feel like a hero on the get-go.

Lowering the threshold and shortening game sessions by game design is what has happened over the past 10 years to all genres to appeal more to this audience.

A console controller isn't a very precise input device and it's short on available buttons.
(Double-keybinding is just a thing because consoles don't have 100+ keys available)
So how are you countering that?
* Be more forgiving with steering input and throttle/breaking inputs.
* Make sidestrips (gras most often) less lethal
* Increase damage resistance

Which doesn't matter if that only applies to the console version, but as this means more development time to have more than 1 version around, such changes are usually applied to all versions of the game.

I give Kunos the benefit of doubt, but i'm around for too long to be as optimistic as some here.

I'll admit I didn't consider the controller issue,and the above is very relevant.My bad,but Thiers always the console players are inferior argument that gets so boring.

 

[LTC_Mike]

I think it's good news for all AC fans. It shows they're definitely going to be developing the game into next year, I had been somewhat concerned that they'd lose interest in the game now that it was officially released and they'd made the bulk of the money available on the PC market. The console market gives them a new goal and new money to chase.

Everything that people complain is lacking in AC, namely the single player side of things will need to be introduced to the game before it can hit the console market. This means better AI, better single player campaign, single player pit stops. Now Kunos have a very real reward waiting for them when they complete these features.
...

Well, maybe you should remember how much things have been told to KUNOS during the EA phase to be included/improved into AC to have success on the PC side of SimRacing. And maybe recall the open letter from RD to KUNOS concerning lots of that things still missing after release step was made.

What ensures you that KUNOS suddenly changed their minds when moving to consoles and let them improve/include that long reminded and awaited things? I am sure they won't dumb their physics / driving model for that move but their still small developer resources have to be stretched now for 2 more platforms - and these will be the core developers and not "only" some good 3D artists and designers that maybe you could even get within the community for free, but really programmers that (need to) know the engine and other core stuff very well... I really think KUNIS over stresses its possibilities and that would be bad for the actual user base and not be better for the future customers.
Just my 2 cents and I really like to get surprised by KUNOS if I am wrong at all

 

[Turk]

Well, maybe you should remember how much things have been told to KUNOS during the EA phase to be included/improved into AC to have success on the PC side of SimRacing. And maybe recall the open letter from RD to KUNOS concerning lots of that things still missing after release step was made.

I remember all that but I wasn't worried. I had patients and I'm seeing these things get resolved with every update. I appreciate business have setbacks and that with the best of intentions they can fall short. But Kunos seem to have a clear path as far as I can see and I'm satisfied with their progress. I'm not a hardcore gamer though, I get to play AC a few times a week so I guess those that have put in more hours than me have spent more time waiting.

What ensures you that KUNOS suddenly changed their minds when moving to consoles and let them improve/include that long reminded and awaited things?

Like I said in the original post, the console release gives them a financial goal to improve the single player for console. Before the announcement I would have been more worried that there was no major incentive to improve the parts of the game that need improving. But with a console release looming they need to fix these issues and I don't see them fixing them in consoles only.

 

[Grand Tourist]

You know I suggeted to Kunos, in a personal post, to imply the feature of tuning and upgrading your car by the ability to earn money in a career mode and buy the parts for tuning/upgrading your car ( this is still simulation as this happens in real life racing too...replacing engines, broken parts, exhausts,...). I said this would reach a wider audience on pc racing and be in their own advantage for sales as they would offer a more complete game. Having a decent career and upgrade mode appeals not only to the every day racer, but also to the more casual racer.
I did not get any reply to this, off course, I got the wind in my face from quite a few community members rattling about the core of simulation (tuning/upgrading = simulation too) and about noobies and kids with overpowered monstrous cars ramming you off track....anyway no real sense arguments to me.
I wonder how those people must feel now? Knowing little kids and casual console gamers will play their beloved racing sim in a way they have feared for all that time. Off course, they won't ecounter them if they keep pc racing in AC and it might just yet turn in their advantage as the "casual" gamer will maybe change platform from pc to PS4/XBox.
Also, I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that it might be really necessary for Kunos to keep competitive with PCars, Gran Turismo, Forza,...they will have to meet the demands of the console gamer and be forced to have a decent career and upgrade mode (having raced GT1 to GT5 from PS1 to PS4 I know what I'm talking about). I am sure they will offer a complete game or thàt community will eat them alive for sure.
And with pointing out to what I just said, I would like Kunos ask this question :
"Why does it take you just 1 year from now to be prepared for console gaming and offer a complete game on PS/XBox and yet you haven't fixed any of the issues that really matter to the pc gamer/community they have asked you for so long?"
Because you can not ridicule me and say you still need to start fixing it with just one year to go.
The worst form of communication is the silent form, Kunos excels in this. They must know much more yet they keep this community waiting and waiting and they will have lost AC lovers to PCars already merely by not responding properly.
Silence is not always golden, Kunos!

 

[Turk]

They must know much more yet they keep this community waiting and waiting and they will have lost AC lovers to PCars already merely by not responding properly.
Silence is not always golden, Kunos!

There is a reason for that though, they were pretty open towards the beginning of the project. They gave out some estimations, gave people an idea of what they were aiming for, showed some content. but the general public doesn't really have any appreciation for what businesses have to go through, how there are inevitably setbacks, delays, realizations that certain things are not possible or more difficult than the business thought. People where taking any bit of information Kunos gave out as a solemn promise rather than an estimate.

Of course the people with the least appreciation are the most vocal and went into hysteria whenever their expectations weren't met. Any information they gave out came back to bite Kunos on the ass and it lead to a lot of negativity online.

Kunos have told us what content is coming and that it will be coming throughout this year, they've told us they'd give us a release date as soon as they have one. I really don't know what more you expect them to do? What more do you need to know?

 

[Grand Tourist]

Well there's a clear pro and con side on this matter, I will not argue about this anymore anywhere... time will tell and prove me wrong or right and all words and arguments will have been in vain and a complete waste of time. I realize that now.

 

[assettonoob]

The viewpoint of a publisher on this topic:

Console games are played by people who want to have fun for 15-60 minutes 2-3 times a week and therefore are not interested in investing any time in learning something.
Pick up your controller and feel like a hero on the get-go.

Lowering the threshold and shortening game sessions by game design is what has happened over the past 10 years to all genres to appeal more to this audience.

A console controller isn't a very precise input device and it's short on available buttons.
(Double-keybinding is just a thing because consoles don't have 100+ keys available)
So how are you countering that?
* Be more forgiving with steering input and throttle/breaking inputs.
* Make sidestrips (gras most often) less lethal
* Increase damage resistance

Which doesn't matter if that only applies to the console version, but as this means more development time to have more than 1 version around, such changes are usually applied to all versions of the game.

I give Kunos the benefit of doubt, but i'm around for too long to be as optimistic as some here.

Exactly. As the game is now reviews will be terrible on the PS4/Xbox One. People put up with problems, and a steeper learning curve on the PC, because it's a niche racing game. On consoles gamers are used to big budget releases for the mass market. AC needs a decent career mode, better AI, assists, etc so it's playable on controllers by people with poor skill.

The GTR console port for the Xbox 360, 'Race Pro', is probably the most frustating, boring game I've ever played with a controller. AC will get a similar response from reviewers if they don't improve it. It will be reviews and sales are good, as Kunos will have a lot of extra money to make a better AC sequel.