Precise driving, a demanding community, and a legacy as heavy as a carbon pulley on the hood—that’s Assetto Corsa Evo. Every patch this simulator releases doesn’t just add features; it redefines the relationship between player and track. Update 0.2 is no exception, unleashing a storm of excitement, doubts, and heated debates across forums and social media.
This time, the conversation has focused on a key topic: performance.
A Noticeable Boost… But Not for Everyone
Right after the patch dropped, comments about a substantial improvement in overall performance started flooding in. Menu animations feel smoother, practice mode runs more fluidly, and transitions between screens are faster and cleaner. Some users report noticing a major difference within just five minutes of gameplay. For a title still in early access, that’s already an achievement.
However, as is often the case with PC optimizations, the experience isn’t uniform across the board. While many celebrate a tangible increase in frame rates and overall stability, others report freezes, stuttering, or even worse performance than previous versions. Some players with high-end GPUs like the RX 6900XT or RTX 4080 noticed micro-stutters on every lap, especially at the newly added Circuit of the Americas.
These discrepancies sparked debate: is it truly an improvement if it’s not consistent across all hardware? For many, the answer is yes—for once, a “performance improvement” patch note feels real. It’s not just marketing—it’s a noticeable change, at least for a significant portion of the community.
VR and GPU Bottlenecks: A Mixed Bag
One of the most talked-about areas has been VR (virtual reality) support. For VR-only players, the patch brought mixed results. Some are pleased with the disappearance of dashboard flickers and smoother motion, while others say the game has become nearly unplayable. Drops in FPS, visual artifacts, pixelation in one eye, and a still underwhelming FSR implementation have undermined the experience. In some cases, users had to lower settings to minimum just to reach 40 stable FPS.
There have even been reports of the game not utilizing certain GPUs’ full potential. Despite showing 99% usage, some high-end cards only draw 140W—far below the 220W seen in other titles. This raises suspicion of bottlenecks in rendering and GPU workload management.
Noteworthy Improvements in Visuals and Triple-Screen Support
Still, it would be unfair not to recognize what has been optimized well. Triple-screen support has been praised as one of the best in the genre. For certain car models, distortion between side monitors is minimal, enhancing immersion and realism—especially in open cockpit cars like GT3s.
Visually, the game has taken a step forward. Tree rendering has improved, though MSAA is still needed to avoid artifacts. Flags now wave more realistically, and reflections have been refined. These small details don’t affect gameplay but enhance the atmosphere. Like stepping onto Donington Park on a cloudy morning, where the asphalt subtly reflects the sky—you’re not just playing; you’re there.
Crashes, Bugs, and a Divided Community
At the other end of the spectrum, some users couldn’t even launch the game post-update. Antivirus issues, profile errors, or crashes when applying settings have frustrated many. It’s a tough reality: for some, the update is a step forward. For others, a regression.
This duality has sparked a deeper question: how should we measure progress in an early access title? Unlike fully released games, development simulators like Assetto Corsa Evo evolve through risky stages. Improving the foundation may break what used to work. It’s part of the process—though not always easy for those who just want to sit down and drive.
Subtle Yet Impactful Technical Tweaks
The update also introduced minor-looking but significant technical changes. Frame pacing errors were fixed, improving the sensation of speed. Now, 60 FPS feels more stable, even during rain or heavy traffic. Some circuits were also optimized to reduce unnecessary texture loads, resulting in shorter load times and lower GPU usage.
An unexpected highlight? The giant flag on COTA’s main straight. It’s not a joke. Many users noted its realistic movement and size, calling it a lap reference point. These quirky details show the devs’ commitment to atmosphere, even in seemingly trivial elements.
The Road Ahead
In summary, version 0.2 of Assetto Corsa Evo is a complex update. It brings visible improvements for many, especially in overall performance, visual smoothness, and graphical fidelity. But it also shows that the road to version 1.0 is full of technical challenges and hard decisions. Some see it as a milestone. Others, a red flag.
As a true simulator, Assetto Corsa Evo keeps challenging us to adapt—to calibrate expectations and read between the lines of every gear shift. Because if this community has proven anything, it’s that they’re not after a pretty game. They want a real experience—even if it takes curve after curve to get there.
You can buy it from 23 euros in our Instant Gaming link:
See you on the track!
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