American Truck Simulator Update 1.50 Improves Graphics and Reworks UI

The latest patch for American Truck Simulator is just about to be delivered, bringing some significant upgrades to the game. Combined with the new Nebraska DLC, let’s take a look at what’s coming to the states in the American Truck Simulator 1.50 Update.

Trucking similarities

Just like Euro Truck Simulator 2’s 1.50 Update, American Truck Simulator’s (ATS) 1.50 Update brings significant improvements to the in-game renderer. Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) has been introduced to reduce jagged edges and flickering in high-resolution rendering.

Shadows are also upgraded thanks to TAA, with smoother transitions between light and dark areas of the map. Particles and light flares have also been improved, smoothly fading out when near geometry.

Smoke has an enhanced volume, both when lit and when in the dark. Dynamic lighting has also been improved, increasing performance in night scenes.

User interface rework

Substantial changes to the UI are also coming to ATS. These will enhance the player interaction experience while also enabling more features to be accommodated.

For the most part, the new UI is an evolution of the previous iterations, however, players can now navigate menu screens with a controller or wheel. This eradicates the need to reach for the keyboard every time players enter a garage or job site.

The biggest change comes to the Home screen, where a new Status Bar has been included. New fonts and icons have also been created, making the UI look much clearer in both 2K and 4K resolutions.

California rework

The third phase of the California rework is included in the ATS 1.50 Update. This phase focuses on Central California, with six cities receiving a complete rework. These cities are San Francisco, Oakland, Stockton, Santa Cruz, Huron, and Fresno.

The city of Oakdale has also been removed from the game, with the cities of San Jose and Modesto being added as replacements. All roads in this area have also received attention, including CA-1, US-101, I-5, CA-99, US-395, and more.

Finally, the stunning Yosemite National Park has undergone significant enhancement, making it even more beautiful. Check out the full California rework trailer below:

Truck changes

The trucks themselves have also undergone some changes in American Truck Simulator’s 1.50 Update. In particular, the International LT and International LoneStar have seen revamped interiors, with the LT also seeing a refreshed exterior and the addition of the S13 variant.

New chassis fairing extenders, bumper and grille options, FlowBelow fairings, blindspot detectors, and a shorter day cab chassis have also been introduced. New functioning cabin physics have also been included, fulfilling a highly-requested feature from fans.

The Western Star 49X will receive an exclusive edition featuring specially crafted official exhaust systems for both the daycab and sleeper variants. These boast the Western Star brand, making them stand out even more.

Lane assistant

The newest driver aid coming to the game is Lane Assistant. This system uses two different modes to keep drivers between the lines when driving.

The first mode simply warns players when the truck drifts out of the lane, giving drivers the chance to self-correct. The second mode uses auto steering to steer the truck back in line. Neither systems engage when turn signals are active, so as to not distract when turning.

Both modes are also only active when speeds exceed 35 mph (55 km/h) so they won’t cause trouble when navigating through towns, cities, or industrial complexes.

American Truck Simulator 1.50 Update changelog

There’s a lot of new and improved content coming to American Truck Simulator in the 1.50 Update. SCS Software has been handy enough to produce a video explaining all the changes, which you can watch below:

The 1.50 Update arrives today at 7 pm CEST (6 pm BST/1 pm ET/ 10 am PST) to coincide with the release of the new Nebraska DLC, which adds 12 new cities to explore including Lincoln, Omaha, North Platte, and Grand Island. The full changelog for the 1.50 Update is listed below:

Map

• California Rework – Phase 3

Vehicles

• International LT S13

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• International LoneStar (interior) and LT (exterior & interior) rework
• Lane assistant feature added
• New exhausts added for Western Star 49X

UI

• Substantial UI design update (Home screen redesign, persistent Status Bar, Quick Menu, new fonts, icons and more)
• Settings options show information about what they do

Visual

• Improvements in the rendering system
• Temporal Anti-Aliasing feature added
• Cascaded shadow updates
• Soft particles
• Lit/shadowed smoke
• Far shadows
• Optimized light computation
• Frame rate limiter added

Sound

• Brake squeaking sounds added

Are you excited to hit the road in American Truck Simulator’s 1.50 Update? Let us know in the comments below!

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