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!

 

[RC45]

I guess only time will tell. I think the complaints from the console crowd run a little deeper than simply patching bugs which was the case with pcars. A lot of console users are saying that the title is missing a number of "expected" features and game elements which I don't believe was really the case with pcars.

Doesn't bother me as such being a PC user, however I want to see the title do well on all platforms.

I am even more selfish, I just don't want a console launch failure (or success) to impact the future of the PC title at all. I don't want the PC title to get easier or get a new UI or lose modding support or lose Oculus support or even gain or lose features or modes because of the the console release - heck, I don't want KS to lose any money over the console release, I just want them to go back to concentrating on the PC title and make sure that any progression or change to AC be made purely on the merit of the existing sim-racer-driver community that currently enjoys the game on a PC.

 

[Skazz]

Having read through this thread (typical RaceDepartment sentiments on AC) made me wonder: how many people commenting in this thread actually own a console, let alone AC on console?

[for the record, I do own AC for PS4, but my conclusion is that RaceDepartment threads on AC-on-consoles are a waste of time and effort for all concerned]

 

[Metla]

Personally, I have 2 consoles set up at the moment, another 3 or 4 stashed away in storage, have owned around 15 or so all up

I dont own AC on console, But I wouldn't be put off by the negative commentary over the last couple of days, I simply dont want to shell out a few hundred dollars for a wheel in order to play a game I already have on a platform with a wheel (and a screen bigger then the one in my lounge)

 

[Alex Townsend]

Having read through this thread (typical RaceDepartment sentiments on AC) made me wonder: how many people commenting in this thread actually own a console, let alone AC on console?

[for the record, I do own AC for PS4, but my conclusion is that RaceDepartment threads on AC-on-consoles are a waste of time and effort for all concerned]

I have an Xbox One, (and a PS3 my fourth currently in pieces awaiting the YLOD repair), and I play Halo and Battlefield on it.
Why I would buy AC again on an inferior platform when I already own it, (plus all DLC to date), on PC with a wheel that works and a GTX 1070 on its way is beyond me.
If I received the game free on Xbox One due to owning it on PC I doubt it would get much use at all. The PC set up is where I sunk my hard earned money so I could enjoy all the top racing sims. Not just the ones that get ported to consoles...

 

[FA RACING 01]

Having read through this thread (typical RaceDepartment sentiments on AC) made me wonder: how many people commenting in this thread actually own a console, let alone AC on console?

[for the record, I do own AC for PS4, but my conclusion is that RaceDepartment threads on AC-on-consoles are a waste of time and effort for all concerned]

Luckily that's your personal conclusion. I do agree with you as far as this specific thread is concerned though as it turned into a debate on "viability" on console which none of us can influence anyway. But to be honest, I really don't care what the PC players think of console or why they have the right to be selfish. Quite a few posters on this thread brought me to that notion.

 

[Alex Townsend]

I don't see why there should be such a divide between console and PC users anyway.
Consoles are pretty much PCs now these days. You can see this once they're taken apart and in bits on your desk resemble what you have on a slightly larger scale under your desk or gaming monitor(s).

Kunos are testing the water with releasing AC on consoles. Unfortunately for them 505 looked as though they weren't up to the task within the timeframe given, or they themselves gave an unrealistic timeframe as to when the title would be converted to both Xbox One and PS4 thus giving us the mixed reviews we are seeing now.

AC threads for consoles deserve to be here every bit as much as PC sims. They are racing/motorsport influenced titles afterall, just as Gran Turismo and Forza have their own garages here on the site.
Just think of the uproar of the contingent of console owners here if they didn't have forums for them...

Still, first and foremost I see it like this, RD is a racing simulation forum where like-minded virtual racing drivers come to discuss titles, create leagues for us to race in and to offer help and assistance where they can on installs/hardware/sorftware problems etc..
Most of the titles that this site started with were on PC simply as that is where most real simulations start their lives. It's only recently that they have once again tried to bridge that gap of sim and game to entice the console using public into a more realistically simulated experience. (the last time sims tried the leap of faith before Project Cars and AC was GTR from SimBin - Which didn't do too well iirc)

Most PC players I hope want AC to do well on their console cousins. AC doing well outside the niche of PC only players with expensive systems and steering wheels, pedals, gear sticks and vibration equipment etc. to console players too will give Kunos more profit, more profit will hopefully equal more investment for cars and the money to include more laser scanned tracks, more money to spend on optimization and additional features too hopefully. Also, when the inevitable AC2 gets underway, we all want them to have the largest profits possible from the first title to make the second title even better for all of us.

If you only have a console with a control pad, so what, if you have a £4k+ rig with all the bells and whistles, good for you. But developers not doing well with their software means the same thing for both groups, no more sim titles if they lose money or cannot generate enough income to bother.

 

[St3fan]

Good to know the game is still hard. Since I bought AC a couple of years ago the game has become easier and easier for me. Now that I know that the game is still considered hard by reviewers, it must be me improved a lot through practice and dedication.

I was racing Formula V10 with AI in AMS the other day, and the pure joy of driving the car and listening to the engine noise is superb and makes me smile. Too bad the majority gamers are not into the racing sim genre and average console players and reviewers are missing such great experiences.

 

[Alex Townsend]

Total agree there Stefan
Thing is for a lot of people, myself included back in the day, consoles are the starting point as they're cheap, don't need any maintenance and upgrades and you can have some awesome online racing experiences on them.
For some of us it's the gateway to the desire of more. More realism, more in depth experiences. Some of us always wanted to be racing drivers and see the next step, in affordability terms at least, to try a bit of karting or rallying or track days. When we realise that it's a bottomless pit of money we don't have we go searching for the nearest possible option which in my mind is a little more on the serious side of simulation. Then we have the PC builds and the separate steering wheel pedals and gearstick. Some people just never have the extra urge and are quite satisfied with the console offerings with a pad on the tv.
Both forms of virtual simulation are valid just different in their cost and approach.

 

[Kenny Paton]

I suspect that many of us caught the bug from consoles, I think the first driving game I played on a home console was Night Driver on the Atari 2600 that I got for my teenage sons and that's a very long time ago. I loved the first 3 Toca games on the original Playstation which ran much smoother than my GPL game did on my PC back then.
Nowadays it seems as if it's not enough to support and enjoy something but you've got to denigrate anything that isn't it. Bit sad.

 

[Jake Fangio]

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

Is your real name Richard Cranium?.

 

[Stereo]

Did the software change before the release or something else change? The 2 examples you gave would be something that gamers would use. and should be tested right? Look if people are ok with unfinished and buggy releases with promises to fix who am I to argue.

They announced on stream today that it's related to the xbox voice chat. So I was a little off with "voice recognition" lol. But right ballpark, something running on the OS.

 

[Monstro]

Heh, was wondering this too. Since 1.8, I figured these forums and the AC forums would be swamped with "simulation value experts" with demonstrable proof!!!!! that the game was dumbed down since consoles just released. Welp, guess that change didnt actually happen whatsoever then huh?

But, dont worry, our resident simulation value experts started their crusade months ago claiming that the game was already being dumbed down back then.

*Yawn*

be honest please, it's an important thing when you want a real discussion
we just said that we are afraid that the game will change in the months to come cause console players will find AC too hard to play and we are afraid these console feedback users will change what the game is ( gameplay etc...) IN MONTHS TO COME!
guess what....that just what they say right now: "AC is not realistic, it's too hard, but not realisitic and blablabla...!"

We were right, so let's see the direction kunos will gave to his game in the... months to come.
they invested lot of money for console version, let's see what will happen.

We never said that kunos will make a different version at the release of the game on PS4/Xbox than pc version, we are not stupid...
But you are not honest, or u can't read....

excuse my english guys.

 

[ALB123]

be honest please, it's an important thing when you want a real discussion
we just said that we are afraid that the game will change in the months to come cause console players will find AC too hard to play and we are afraid these console feedback users will change what the game is ( gameplay etc...) IN MONTHS TO COME!
guess what....that just what they say right now: "AC is not realistic, it's too hard, but not realisitic and blablabla...!"

We were right, so let's see the direction kunos will gave to his game in the... months to come.
they invested lot of money for console version, let's see what will happen.

We never said that kunos will make a different version at the release of the game on PS4/Xbox than pc version, we are not stupid...
But you are not honest, or u can't read....

excuse my english guys.

The thing is, in this particular case, the console players are actually correct. The AI drivers ARE too fast, especially on the EASY settings.

Someone on the official AC forums ran Career Mode events on both the PC version and the console version (he owns both). The lap times of the AI drivers were like 4 or 5 seconds faster on console versions than the same AI drivers on the PC version. The human driver, however, was running basically the same exact times on his PC as he was running on the console. That's a substantial difference!!

Don't quote me exactly on the 4-5 seconds. It may not be entirely accurate. However, it is undeniable that Kunos needs to balance performance of the AI better on the console version...tone down the skill of EASY & MEDIUM AI drivers for sure.

 

[Monstro]

wtf, the AI drivers are too fast for console players with..... all assists activated.....?
Damn....
ahahahahahaha.
Hummm....sorry for sarcasm

 

[Yapci]

We got an alien here

 

[ALB123]

We got an alien here

Sure seems like it. The AI is substantially faster on the console compared to the PC. That's all. But, you know...

 

[Monstro]

wtf, the AI drivers are too fast for console players with..... all assists activated.....?
Damn....
ahahahahahaha.
Hummm....sorry for sarcasm

my bad , i should have precise that was a sarcasm in my last post.

OH wait....

EDIT: by the way guys, do you know what sarcasm means? otherwise this conversation is meaningless :/

 

[Blimey]

my bad , i should have precise that was a sarcasm in my last post.

OH wait....

EDIT: by the way guys, do you know what sarcasm means? otherwise this conversation is meaningless :/

That seemed more like an actual roast not sarcasm.

 

[AndrewBo]

 

[Turk]

I don't see why there should be such a divide between console and PC users anyway.
Consoles are pretty much PCs now these days.

I guess, in the same way that a fiat 500 is basically the same thing as a Ferrari 458.

Kunos have very little experience cramming stuff into the limitations of a console. It seems like the bigger studios get better at it as the life of the console goes on.

People new to sim racing need to know that it's more akin to a hobby than a game. People who try it the first time are going to be terrible. Just like if you go down to a golf course for the first time you're going to be crap at it. It takes not just practice, but coaching. To be good at AC you need to do what real race drivers do. Read books, learn about car balance, talk to people that know things. Perhaps thats just something "gamers" aren't used to. Most games have a pretty basic skill level requirement. Driving cars fast is complicated, there's a lot to learn.

I think once console users get over the initial shock they may learn to enjoy AC for what it is and stop complaining it's not something else.