Assetto Corsa is hugely popular among racing fans.
Gamers love it for its moddability, but it's perhaps best known for how realistic it is. In fact, it’s widely considered the most realistic racing sim around - superior even to the likes of Gran Turismo and Forza.
But just how realistic is Assetto Corsa?
Passion project
Assetto Corsa is the product of Rome-based developer Kunos Simulazioni - whose headquarters is literally inside the Vallelunga Circuit. Their website states their location helps them to “live and breathe” the world of motorsport on a daily basis.
The small indie developer had been developing Assetto Corsa for years before its original release back in 2013. And you get the feeling it's been something of a passion project for the team.
Their focus was on making the most realistic driving experience possible, with an emphasis on car physics and tyre simulation. Then there’s tracks, which, thanks to laser-scanning technology, have every bump and change in the road surface to give the player the ultimate in track realism.
Racing setup
Assetto Corsa literally translates to "Race Setup" in English, and there's a good reason why.
The game also offers an extensive selection of options within the car setup menu. Players can choose from a maddening choice of custom tyre pressures, gear ratios and suspension settings, alongside multiple other factors that will impact how the car performs on track.
In fact, the scale of the variables on offer reflect the choices and options available to real-life racing drivers.
Expert opinion
Earlier this year, RacingGames.GG spoke to Scott Mansell, a racing coach who helps drivers – including sim racers – fulfil their potential.
When we asked him which which game is the most realistic and the best experience for drivers, he told us: “There are a number of sims that give a very good experience, but if we’re using the sim to train for the real world then I always suggest Assetto Corsa and iRacing.
“The physics, depending on the cars, are very good and they’re certainly good enough to figure out and work on your technique and adaptability. It’s never going to be exactly the same, but these platforms are close enough for you to figure out what is fast and that can be transferred into anything.”
You can read his full his interview with us right here.