Forza Horizon has popularised open-world racing games. The latest entry, Forza Horizon 5, was the biggest launch in Xbox history. Since it launched in November 2021, FH5 has been played by 18 million people. But does Gran Turismo 7 have open world to compete with Forza Horizon? Let’s find out.
Does Gran Turismo 7 have open world?
Unfortunately, Gran Turismo 7 does not have an open world. Whereas Forza Horizon 5 lets you freely explore a diverse open world set in Mexico, you can only race on closed tracks in GT7. This is unlikely to change, as the Gran Turismo games have never had open worlds.
That said, we would love to see an open-world Gran Turismo spin-off. With Gran Turismo’s huge car list, stunning graphics, and realistic driving physics, an open-world GT game would give Forza Horizon some serious competition.
Alas, Polyphony hasn’t announced plans to develop an open-world Gran Turismo game. Given that Gran Turismo games take years to develop, Polyphony is unlikely to develop an open-world spin-off as this would delay the development of the next mainline GT game.
For now, Polyphony is focusing on content updates for GT7. It’s a missed opportunity, as Sony doesn’t have a direct competitor to fight Microsoft’s Forza Horizon.
Track list
While GT7 doesn’t have an open world, some of GT’s most iconic circuits are back in GT7 after being absent in GT Sport, including High Speed Ring, Deep Forest, and Trial Mountain.
In addition, GT7 features an abundance of real-world race tracks such as Brands Hatch and the Nurburgring. In total, there are 34 locations and over 90 layouts. More tracks will also be added to GT7 in free updates, so we’re hoping to see tracks like Apricot Hill, Autumn Ring, and Midfield Raceway return.