New tracks are always something to celebrate, and F1 23 will have two of them. One is the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, which is familar to MotoGP fans and saw it's first F1 race in 2020. The other is completely new to Formula 1 though.
The Las Vegas Strip Circuit is the latest street circuit to enter F1 and will be the third American race when it debuts in November. However, thanks to F1 23 coming out earlier than that virtual racers can try it out long before the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen get to race there.
Codemasters has given us all a first look at the Las Vegas Strip circuit with some early gameplay!
F1 23 Las Vegas
The gameplay release shows off a three-lap race at the new track and highlights a few features. The first is that the back portion of the grid, especially in My Team where there are 22 cars, will be on a corner, which is far from ideal!
The early part of the lap has a Singapore vibe, with a narrow track, close walls and some tricky corners. Once you hit the strip though, it is easy to see where you are.
Codemasters has had to painstakingly build one of the most recognisable pieces of tarmac in the world, and as you race towards the iconic casinos and landmarks on the massive straight you can see exactly why it was so hard to recreate!
The three-lap race also demonstrates some of the new HUD graphics and the Las Vegas pre-order bonus content you can get if you pre-order the game before 31 May.
As the video was released on the Formula 1 YouTube channel we can't embed it, but you can check it out on the link here.
F1 23 release date
The official F1 23 release date is set for 16 June, the earliest in a season that Codemasters has ever put the game out. Players can get their hands on the game even earlier though, as the Champions Edition comes with three days early access. That means you can get racing on 13 June.
Of course, you will have to pay a bit more for the privilege, but the Champions Edition also comes with a whole host of extras:
- Limited time Las Vegas Content (for pre-orders before 31 May)
- Max Verstappen Race Wear Pack
- Braking Point 2 Icons
- Braking Point 2 Vanity Items
- Dual Entitlement (for PlayStation & Xbox)
- Four new My Team Icons
- XP boost
- F1 World Bumper Pack
- 18,000 PitCoins