Assetto Corsa Released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4

[Paul Jeffrey]

Kunos Simulazioni and 505 Games have, finally, released Assetto Corsa in Europe for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Bringing the popular PC simulation to console gamers for the first time.

Following several delays, Assetto Corsa has been released in Europe for console players to enjoy, placing firmly in its target sights the mainstay console racing giants Forza Motorsport and Gran Tourismo. Highly regarded by PC gamers as a detailed simulation, with laserscanned circuits and true to life driving physics, the attention to detail that has been lavished on Assetto Corsa in recent years will bring a new definition of simulation to console players.

Assetto Corsa has been in development on PC since 2013, with several sizable updates to the core game physics and ample first class content added to expand the already impressive list of cars and tracks. Utilising the experience gained during the development of Assetto Corsa on PC, Kunos have been working hard in conjunction with their publisher 505 games to optimise the game for console players. New menu and UI screens have been added, bringing about a modern, fresh feeling to the navigational areas of the sim. Kunos have been at pains to maintain both the console and PC versions of Assetto Corsa remain identical under the hood, allowing Xbox and PlayStation gamers the same opportunity to experience the advanced driving experience that has made Assetto Corsa such a popular title with PC sim racers in recent years. Marco Massarutto of Assetto Corsa released a recent posting on his personal Facebook page, responding to rumblings within the community that AC on console will not offer the same experience as PC players. The post in full, and community comments, can be seen in the Assetto Corsa sub forum here.

UPDATE:
New Assetto Corsa launch trailer for European release below:

Check our recent article to view the list of compatible controllers for Assetto Corsa on PS4 and Xbox One, and check out the AC release trailer here if you haven’t already seen it.

Assetto Corsa will be available on console for players in North America on August 30th.

PC players will be receiving update 1.8 and the new Trpl3 DLC later today. Keep an eye out at RaceDepartment for more information once the update has been released.

Got the game, now join the discussion. Head over to the Assetto Corsa forums for news and community discussion regarding the game. PC players can take advantage of our substantial mods database and Modding Discussion forum, and sign up to some of our regular club racing events.

Have you got your copy yet? First impressions positive? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[led00m]

Wonder why some are always on a high horse just because they're on PC. Joining the AC franchise on console just now, I must say I hope the game is better than my first experience with the community around here.

I'm not on a high horse, I enjoy consoles and PC but anything I've found up to know is an arcady graphics game rather than an actual sim. Then you have all the console peasants crying that they can't drive a car on AC because they're not used to it and claim the game to be broken

 

[Austin Ogonoski]

No.
Framerate issues are not the kind of issue you are defining as "show stopping."

At this point, AC2 could be a blank word document and I'd be told "you just don't understand the point of this project!"

 

[TheGrunt]

I wish them well, but I'm highly doubtful that this game will win the hearts of many console racers. There sure are people who know what to expect, but I think they are far lesser minority than sim racers in PC gaming scene. And majority of those who know what to expect are already PC sim racers. So, to succeed, AC needs to find new players from those who are accustomed to Forzas and GTs and what they offer. It won't be easy and if release is yet riddled with technical issues, at least with Xbox version, it just is like a slap to the face for many people, who are accustomed to the Forza or GT polish.

All in all I really can't quite get it why AC console release is even a good business decision. I have latest Forzas for Xbox One and I definitely can see the thinking behind the design choices for those games: game needs to offer enjoyable driving experience and low initial learning curve with game pads, huge amounts of cars and tracks and a lot things to do. AC, like many PC sims, are almost the opposite.

In my opinion AC's strengths, that is more refined driving physics compared to the simcades, huge modding scene and dedicated servers for multiplayer are either almost meaningless for average gamepad console player (the physics) or non-existent or watered down in console release, like modding or multiplayer structure currently is. The whole concept of typical sim racing game just feels bad in consoles. It is almost the same like trying to port FSX/Prepar3d or X-plane to the consoles; Technically doable for sure, but the strengths those flight sims have would vanish under the technical and usability issues and most likely would fail to attract any reasonable player base, because the simmers are already flying with their high-end computers and controllers on PC platform.

Altough I'm not a AC fan and play it very rarely, I'm just glad if I'm wrong in this, but this game may bomb badly on consoles.

 

[Brownninja97]

Are we seriously trying to downplay framerate issues by passing them off as a personal preference?

not preference, its personal experience. Fact is some people are having very little framerate or the bigger issue frametime issues. My brothers ps4 copy has had zero frame related issues but it does tear. Not disregarding peoples problems but it is quite curious how a same spec system is having so many differences, i understand the binning process can effect lifetime performance but that should conclude to very minor differences. This is like having a spec serious with LMP1s and LMP1Hs together.Well lets see what happens from here, a rocky start is bad but its not too late for them if they can fix the issues. Bit lucky when the benchmark to beat is Project cars and everyone has taken out whatever pent up rage they have on no mans sky

 

[seanvdburg]

At this point, AC2 could be a blank word document and I'd be told "you just don't understand the point of this project!"

Could be. But that's not what I told you.
You also missed a part in your quote.

 

[Colin Knowles]

I'm not on a high horse, I enjoy consoles and PC but anything I've found up to know is an arcady graphics game rather than an actual sim. Then you have all the console peasants crying that they can't drive a car on AC because they're not used to it and claim the game to be broken

This console peasant knew exactly what he was getting
Laser scanned tracks should be the norm on any so called sim

 

[thewarmer]

Big deal GT5 had screen tear & choppy FPS a lame game mode poor sound GT 6 did not improve much over that.
But GT fans will defend it to the bitter end.

GT 5 should have bombed for sure but it did not.
P-Cars was plagued with several well reported issue's up on release.

Both the above had massive budgets behind them in one form or another.

Both were backed by very loyal fans willing to put down anyone who dared talk down these games.

Moving AC onto console was always going to be a gamble but one that had to be made for sure if their is to be future for the AC series with out struggling as they have with passed projects.

AC as lot of weak points compared to its very polished & well establish rivals in the form of GT & Forza series of driving game's

The same fan base has been playing GT & later Forza games since the Xbox & PS Consoles came out way back now.
P-cars is still also new to Console though SMS dipped their toes in the water back with NFS Shift games.

If its not slick & polished & with and easy to plug & play simple progression & AI that is not to challenging then it will not work .

It more difficult with Console players if some effort is needed.

Some will make the effort.

But others just want instant play maybe for about 30 mins max .

So AC console will not be what most have been use to & if they do no play PC Sim's then it will be a real shock.
Even Dirt Rally played it safe its fun but its not a full blown sim so still good enough for the Console market.

You have to respect the developers of AC for pushing a sim on to Console & its going to require a bit of hard work to make it work by the looks of it.

It can be done though. given time some may start enjoying the game for what it is & not just another Console clone Car game in the mold of GT & Forza .

Players need to give more than a few hrs play before trashing it , like all good things in life if some thing is good its worth spending some time learning it before passing judgment.

 

[Brandon Wright]

Can people read?

The low scores are because the game is extremely buggy even by shovelware standards. People can't even enjoy the raw driving because the game is spazzing out at them.

The fact that there's nothing to do in game is why people are being like "wait, why am I putting up with this?"

Or not. On a forum I'm visiting there are a few people like yourself who can only ever see the negative in anything and they're like "I saw a moment of screen tear, this game is shovelware rubbish!". Then there are a lot of reasonable people saying "OMG, this is sublime! A moment of screen tearing here or there but I barely notice it and I'm not having any other issues but the driving is awesome, the frame rate is solid, and the AI is even pretty good! Love this game!". The people I know that have it already are saying they're quite pleased with it and that it's in far better shape than PCars was at launch. But then again they don't have to make up sensational headlines for their tabloid rag website...

 

[Kakusso]

Probably putting a simulator on a console is a bit of a contradiction. Time will tell.

 

[Shiven]

Mine is installing at the moment on PS4, no clue if multiplayer us working. When do we start a league?

 

[Austin Ogonoski]

This is just getting sad...

 

[Esotic]

Yes, AC may lack some sort of tutorial to help with the learning curve...

I think this is the single greatest missed opportunity with AC in it's current state (on both PC and Console). A proper sim (which it is) should be more about developing the drivers skill than how many cars you can pass while starting last in a 5 lap race. GTR2 had pretty good training sessions, and even GT6 attempts to teach proper driving/racing techniques with the licensing challenges.

I would like to see AC succeed on the consoles, but I am not surprised that they are getting hammered by people expecting features found in most console racing games. The sliver lining on this dark cloud is that Kunos are actively developing the game at a fairly amazing pace, and a good majority of the criticisms/complaints are fixable. No game in modern history has release "fully finished", so I look forward to seeing them continue to develop and perfect AC, both on PC and Console.

Cheers,

Dave\Esotic

 

[Nick Gregory]

Or not. On a forum I'm visiting there are a few people like yourself who can only ever see the negative in anything and they're like "I saw a moment of screen tear, this game is shovelware rubbish!". Then there are a lot of reasonable people saying "OMG, this is sublime! A moment of screen tearing here or there but I barely notice it and I'm not having any other issues but the driving is awesome, the frame rate is solid, and the AI is even pretty good! Love this game!". The people I know that have it already are saying they're quite pleased with it and that it's in far better shape than PCars was at launch. But then again they don't have to make up sensational headlines for their tabloid rag website...

More often than not, the "reasonable people" are the rabid fanboys who would probably go so far as declare a vendetta if you so dare to criticize AC for any reason. For some reason or another, AC seems to attract the more rabid of them within the sim racing community.

 

[Rob]

Mine is installing at the moment on PS4, no clue if multiplayer us working. When do we start a league?

Good luck with that. If you can avoid having an epileptic seizure from the screen tearing, try clicking "Online."There you will find about 30 or so "rooms" that have been pre-made for you by Kunos. (So, I hope you like their choices). Once in, invite your friends to play demolition derby with 12 year old kids across the globe. It's called "Orwellian Online" I think. Oh, you want to create rooms yourself? No comment.

But for God's sake man! Don't come on here and tell us if you have a negative experience. Because they don't like your message, they will attack you, the messenger. Who are they? They are PC players who want to make sure that we only compare a game that they have never played on console to a game that they can play (online, and without tearing) just fine on the morally superior PC.

P.S. - If you have a Fanatec wheel, hurry up and play before you download the "day one" patch. That patch de-installs all software that allows you to use your Fanatec. Ordered by Sony.

 

[Brandon Wright]

More often than not, the "reasonable people" are the rabid fanboys who would probably go so far as declare a vendetta if you so dare to criticize AC for any reason. For some reason or another, AC seems to attract the more rabid of them within the sim racing community.

That's a pretty bizarre claim. Considering today is their first time playing it, how can they be fanboys? Especially considering some of them had already decided the game would probably suck based on some of the early reviews, then they played it and totally changed their minds. Sounds more like you have a vendetta for anyone who doesn't think AC is rubbish. The haters of AC are just as rabid as the fanboys in my experience (see the post above mine for confirmation).

 

[AndrewBo]

Okay, back on topic gentlemen........

 

[Brandon Wright]

Okay, back on topic gentlemen........

No worries, I'm done, no value in that debate.

 

[Nick Gregory]

Okay, back on topic gentlemen........

Par for the course for AC threads innit?

 

[Blimey]

That's a pretty bizarre claim. Considering today is their first time playing it, how can they be fanboys? Especially considering some of them had already decided the game would probably suck based on some of the early reviews, then they played it and totally changed their minds. Sounds more like you have a vendetta for anyone who doesn't think AC is rubbish. The haters of AC are just as rabid as the fanboys in my experience (see the post above mine for confirmation).

I would like to believe that the people who bought AC on consoles aren't already playing it on PC, but I just can't, seems like the same people to me.

 

[Deleted member 130869]

Whatever happens from this consume experience, I hope future updates or new PC racing games bring back a focus on game design and improved single-player experience. Across the board.