Whoever suffers from acute sim racing underload on the latest console generation and is looking for sweat-inducing tasks will find what they are looking for in Assetto Corsa Competizione.
In May 2019, Italian developer Kunos Simulazioni, together with publisher 505 Games, released Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) back on PC. Since then, the game has become an integral part of sim racing eSports.
Many of the virtual GT series are held here. Most recently, Kamil Pawlowski was able to fulfil his dream of the Ferrari Drivers Academy via the Ferrari eSports Series. At the eRace of Champions 2022, ACC was used as a platform for the virtual ice course created by mod. Former F1 sim racer Lucas Blakeley used it to lay the foundation for his eventual victory over Sebastian Vettel on the real track.
Since 24 February 2022, the popular sim racing platform has also been available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series XS for €39.99. Those who already own the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version released in 2020 can now take a quick leap into the air – you’ll get the new version for free and can simply take your save game over with you.
Polishing the sheet metal properly
A lot of things have been reworked compared to the eighth console generation. With 4K resolution and stable 60 frames per second, the developers have made a visible leap.
Track environments appear more detailed – tree tops and lawns have contours for the first time, the shadows are more authentic. The designs of the cars are smoother, stickers are richly contrasted, dashboards and interiors seem more rounded. Only the view in the rear view mirror continues to reveal a somewhat pixelated image.
Assetto Corsa Competizione holds the licence of the GT World Challenge. Official GT3 cars, tracks and drivers are included in the game. For PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series XS, the liveries of the past 2021 season of the FIA GT Series make their way into the game.
In addition, there is the “2020 GT World Challenge” DLC and the BMW M4 GT3 on top. In multiplayer, lobbies can be created for private races with up to 30 participants.
You can race in career, championship, quick race, practice or multiplayer mode. The latter is, of course, the heart of the game – ACC already has the word “competition” (Italian: Competizione) in its name. Even 24-hour races with day/night cycles and changes in the weather are possible.
Take a firm grip, please
However, the line of fidelity to reality might seem unusually hard for console gamers at first. Assetto Corsa Competizione is sim racing in its purest form. Tracks were integrated into the game using laser scanning technology. Every bump, every little stone, the radius of the curbs – everything corresponds to the condition of the course at the time of the scan.
The racing cars were created by means of a mathematical model: tyre adhesion and development, aerodynamics, suspension and electronic systems are authentically reproduced. The weather and motorsport-related eventualities have a dynamic effect on the course of the race. When it rains, the vehicle floats over occasional puddles. Drivers have to adapt to changing conditions every lap.
Although there are aids such as traction/stability control and ABS, it is not easy to get started in sim racing even with these – especially with controller control. Although this is offered, it only helps to a limited extent to achieve maximum control over the vehicle. Despite the PS5 dualsense controller, the feedback required only reaches the sofa driver in a filtered form.
To be able to enjoy the ACC racing experience in all its glory, you need the appropriate equipment such as a steering wheel and racing seat. This clearly sets Kunos Simulazioni’s racing game apart from competitors such as Gran Turismo 7 and F1 2021, which can do sim racing but always guarantee an easy entry.
On the other hand, ACC also offers a real racing feeling against the AI. In wheel-to-wheel duels, the artificial opponents show their true skills. The winner is not the one with the most spectacular dive bomb, but the one who prepares his overtaking manoeuvre tactically and accurately over laps. In the end, however, the high standard ensures more offline fun and long-term motivation as you master the game.
Big-Race Brother is watching you
Once broken in, Assetto Corsa Competizione is pure driving pleasure. A unique selling point on consoles, because pioneers like iRacing, rFactor 2 and RaceRoom have not yet dared to take the plunge.
Even the adequate setting of the car can take a lot of time. The car has to be adjusted to the track and driver’s needs via menus and selection options. In addition, the FIA’s entire catalogue of penalties is active. Bumpers, shortcuts or driving too fast in the pit lane are punished – always.
For multiplayer races, the game’s scoring system becomes relevant: Driving actions are scored by the game and ranked within track knowledge, control, consistency, basic speed and safety.
A low score leads from online restrictions to exclusion for special events. Skill must be experienced offline. Clean and foresighted driving is rewarded. But let’s be honest, who wants to be cleared off the track in the last bend before the supposed victory?
A filter system creates an overview in the various online lobbies. A selection for favourite tracks, internet connection, region and score should lead to preferred races and leagues in a targeted manner.
(Online) false start?
But ACC does not come without problems on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series XS. The reason for this is primarily an older version than is already available on PC, PlayStation 4 or the Xbox One.
Many bug fixes, graphics updates, more stable online races and a retreaded driving system only came with version 1.8.0 (currently 1.8.13). Currently, only version 1.7.10 is available on the ninth console generation.
The somewhat more unpredictable driving behaviour of the cars compared to the current version on the other platforms is clearly noticeable here. In addition, there have always been connection problems online, which currently lead to more orphaned lobbies. Crossplay could prevent this problem after the announced update to the latest version and bring players of all platforms together. However, this is not planned at the moment.
Conclusion
Quick success will be rare in Assetto Corsa Competezione – especially with a controller. Time is needed for useful results.
However, if you want to take your time, ideally have a steering wheel set-up and have been underchallenged in terms of racing on console, you should definitely take a look at the sim racing classic.
The authentic driving experience, the penalty catalogue, the score system and the superbly acting AI automatically make ACC the console leader in terms of sim racing. A unique and challenging console racing experience is guaranteed in Assetto Corsa Competizione even without the latest version of the game.
However, this applies almost exclusively to the offline modes. There is little going on online at the moment. Due to the established leagues, which mainly take place on PC, the situation in the lobbies will probably not change in the foreseeable future. Crossplay is therefore almost inevitable in the future in order to be able to bind players regardless of the platform and offer competitive virtual racing.
