From a news published yesterday on the official Assetto Corsa Competizione blog we know that version 1.8 is being ported to consoles and will arrive in September this year.
Official notes:
Assetto Corsa Competizione Console 1.8 and DLC Update
We’re back with another console update and this time we are really getting into the details around the 1.8 version of the game and when DLC content will come to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
What is the 1.8 Update?
The 1.8 update which already exists on PC, allowed us to make the best GT3 simulator on the market, even better! The update has a huge focus around the physics, the handling of the cars, and the feel that you receive through your racing wheel as you pump in the laps around your favourite circuit. The brilliant development team at Untold are continuing to update the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S and they are creating a bespoke experience which maximises all the best hardware available to them on these consoles. Below we take you through what to expect as the big changing points for 1.8.
Tyres are a huge focal point as part of the 1.8 update. The new model causes the tyres to be more sensitive over the course of a race which can change a number of things with your possible driving style. Scrubbing the tyres can lead to increased wear and loss of grip, this will reduce the longevity of the rubber and could result in a drop off in lap times. Scrubbing and sliding are not the only things that can further impact wear. Set up plays an even more important role and adjusting camber can greatly alter the grip of the outside, middle and inside of the tyre.
Alongside this, the 1.8 update brings changes to the tyre’s temperature window. Heat generation is improved and tyre temperatures won’t drop off anywhere near as quickly as they once did. This allows you to get out on track right away to maximise running time without risking the lap time.
Additionally traction control simulation is greatly improved and will feel even more realistic, allowing you to balance your settings and fine tune the traction control between ultimate pace and on track safety. These changes paired with an improved suspension model will allow you to feel like you are at one with the car!
Also, if you’re someone who loves to race in the rain, then you’re in for a treat! The wet weather tyre has been greatly improved and provides a much more realistic feel for the driver through the force feedback. The new wet weather tyre model reacts in an even more realistic way to puddles, wet curbs, paint on track and changing conditions. Although the model is new, it doesn’t mean it’ll be any easier to drive in those difficult conditions!
So why is update 1.8 and the DLC taking a while to arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
Well, some of you may be thinking “this should be easy, just copy and paste the coding from PC and apply it to console!”. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. Untold are taking every single car, every single corner which includes the curbs, the run off areas both in the wet and dry across every single track in ACC and they are applying unique coding to each of these areas to ensure that it works exactly as intended. As I am sure you can imagine, even with a team working hard on these updates, it is a very particular job that needs love, care and a lot of attention to detail to ensure the physics work as close to the PC version and real life as is possible with the technology available. This in turn will give you the best possible experience.
Untold are having to recreate the 1.8 version to make it applicable to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, ensuring that all the features included work as expected. They are then using the PC version as an example and a model to base the results off of.
The main game and all the content that comes with that is of course the priority so every single person who races ACC can get the best possible experience. So, once the main game physics have been applied and the team are happy with the results, they then begin applying all of the 1.8 changes to all the DLC related cars and all the DLC tracks, and this is why DLC will arrive after patch 1.8.
So, when will they arrive?
The Untold team are working as fast as they can to apply the improvements but as explained above, this isn’t a simple application. So, we are aiming to have 1.8 available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S users by the end of Summer in September. This time frame should allow our team to have everything working exactly as intended. The DLC will then follow on from that, arriving on console with the 1.8 update applied sometime between November and the end of the year. We appreciate that this timeline requires patience and we want to thank you in advance for having that level of patience with us. We want to deliver the best possible product to you and we believe this is the timeframe that allows us to do it.
Stay tuned for further updates and until next time racers, see you on the track!
– Sam, Assetto Corsa Community Manager
