Following the PS4 and Xbox ports released in 2020, Assetto Corsa Competizione has received an upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It’s out now on digital stores, with a physical release following on 24 February. Owners of the original PS4 and Xbox One ports can also download the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S update for free.
The update gives Assetto Corsa Competizione a next-gen coat of paint, with higher-fidelity 4K graphics and smoother performance running at 60fps.
In an extensive interview with GTPlanet, Kunos Simulazioni’s co-founder Marco Massarutto revealed new details about the future of Assetto Corsa. Massarutto also provided an insight into the porting process on next-gen platforms and revealed future DLC plans for ACC.
No PSVR 2 support planned
With ACC now available on PS5, we were hoping Kunos Simulazioni will add PSVR 2 support in a future update. However, Massarutto revealed there are currently no plans for PSVR 2 support in ACC.
This could change in the future, however. Since the hardware is still in early development, Kunos will monitor the VR headset's capabilities before deciding whether to add PSVR 2 support. We aren't getting our hopes up though, as ACC is a notoriously demanding game to run in VR, even on a powerful PC.
The next-gen version of ACC also won’t have cross-play support across different platform generations. This means you can’t race against PS4 players on a PS5, for example.
Massarutto explained ACC doesn't have cross-play because the higher resolution and frame rate would give next-gen players an advantage online. The next-gen versions also have private lobbies, which are not supported on last-generation consoles or PC.
New car and track pack
ACC’s next-gen port was handled by Untold Games, an Italian studio that specialises in Unreal Engine. Splitting resources allowed Kunos Simulazioni to work on updates for ACC and Assetto Corsa 2.
The next-gen upgrade is not the only update planned for ACC this year. A new car pack will launch in “early spring,” followed by a new track pack in the summer.
A teaser has already confirmed the car pack will include the Lamborghini Huracan ST Evo II, Audi R8 LMS Evo II, BMW M2 CS Racing, Ferrari 488 Challenge, and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992. More cars are also planned, but licensing agreements are still being finalised.
As for the track pack, Massarutto teased the new circuits will expand ACC beyond the GT World Challenge Europe. A recent teaser already hinted that Circuit of the Americas will be included in the DLC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbg2e8541c8
Unfortunately, one track you will never see in ACC is the Nurburgring Nordschleife, despite fan requests.
“All of our gamers are asking for the Nordschleife in Competizione, but they never will see it! I know that it’s bad news, but actually, the Nordschleife is our favourite track as well. Every year we spend a week there for R&D activities, for fun, and so on, so you don’t have to convince me! But the Nordschleife is not part of the SRO calendar.”
Assetto Corsa 2 will have a brand new engine
Beyond ACC, Kunos Simulazioni is already working on Assetto Corsa 2, which is slated for a 2024 release. Details about the sequel are scarce, but Massarutto confirmed it will run on a new in-house engine like the original game. Kunos did consider using Unreal Engine 5 in AC2, however, as ACC runs on UE4.
“Kunos Simulazioni is not a gaming studio, it’s much more a technology provider, and ‘accidentally’ we also make racing games!”