So far, detailed racing simulations have only been available on PC. But that could possibly change soon. A new acquisition by the developers of iRacing provides the first clues.
iRacing has been one of the most renowned racing simulations for years. To offer its fans a realistic racing experience, professional racing drivers supported the development. However, those who want to savour this experience can only do so on the PC.
But that could change in the future, at least that’s what a new deal suggests. After the developer studio bought up Orontes Games last month, it has now also taken over Monster Games. They are best known for the NASCAR Heat series.
Input for console version?
The special thing about it is that these racing games have been around for over 20 years across platforms – on PC and Xbox as well as PlayStation. So it’s quite possible that the staff will be working on a console version of iRacing in the future, but there is no official statement on this yet.
But: buying up studios is not a cheap undertaking, so there must already be a thought behind it. Especially since iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations should have seen the latest developments.
Neither their production nor their competitor RaceRoom, for example, became the first racing simulation to win an Olympic medal. That honour went to Gran Turismo Sport, which is available exclusively on the PlayStation. The reason for this should be obvious.
All players would have to be on board
It’s aimed at all players: so it doesn’t matter whether the cars are steered through the corners using a controller or a steering wheel. There are no advantages or disadvantages. It’s different on the PC. Here, you don’t drive with keyboard and mouse or gamepad.
Instead, the setup often consists of a steering wheel, pedals and a special gaming chair to which everything is attached. This is because iRacing is now designed for this with its detailed settings. This also raised the level, which means: if you want to succeed, you have to invest money in your equipment.
No career mode = flop?
Another question is whether the competitive focus would go down well with PlayStation or Xbox players. The developers of Gran Turismo have already had to make such an experience. With the “Sport” variant, the focus was on competition for the first time, there was no career mode for single players – for the first time. This caused a lot of frustration among fans, which is why Polyphony Digital reacted just two months after release and added a kind of career.
What could a console version look like?
Therefore a model like Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione would be conceivable. The latter version includes more settings, but also fewer different tracks and cars to make the existing ones more detailed.
A model like Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon, on the other hand, is rather unlikely, as the focus here is on action, staging and story. That would fit iRacing rather less.
