Without being too snobbish, your average console racing fan will judge AC on its graphical performance first and foremost. It has to hold its own against the likes of Forza, Gran Turismo (whenever the hell that may be) and Driveclub. They will also judge it on content and career mode and this for me is potentially a bigger issue facing AC on consoles.
It is a bit difficult to compare a PC with a Console. The Hardware in a modern Console is from it's architecture close to a PC, but has less power compared to a modern PC. The GPU in a PS4 can be compared with a AMD R7 265 for example. The Reason is quite obvious - modern Hardware is expensive and it isn't that much needed in a console (only Singlescreen, lower Resolutions etc.). But as a benefit for the Consoles - as there is only one Hardware-Variant in a console, the games can be highly optimized on that Hardware. And thats the point were some Gaming-Studios struggle while porting a PC-Game to a Console.
We can split that hair endlessly. What I say and mean and what I am after is that for the very vast majority of players multiscreen setups and 4K resolutions play no role ion their daily dose of gaming - not on consoles and not on PCs. I focus on comparing where the comparison affects the most people. And that is not the exotic die-hard hardcore cockpit simulationists. In late summer or early autumn we will see what Kunos had achieved on PS4. I predict they will once again let their critics fall silent. The claims in the past of what they would not do and would not be able to and what they have promised and did not deliver and so on, are legion. At thgeir office, they chuckle about it, and once in a while have released a long, long list with such claims - and the time stamp when they had proven them wrong, point by point. I think it will not be different this time. They admitted they struggled in the beginning, when they had their first build for PS4, they said they were shocked and had just frame sin the one digit range, I think. And then they started to do their magic. Now they seem to be at 60 Hz, so they said some weeks ago - and no compromise on the physics front. That is what counts. There is no racing title on consoles that can rival with AC's superior physics or even comes close to it - this is their bid that they placed, the niché they sought for themselves, the base from which they start to challenge the established big players on consoles. Not numbers, gimmicks and candy stuff - but serious driving quality. We will see whether that bid was clever or not. I think they have good chances to convince enough players and make the endavour economically profitable. There are reasons why I hold Kunos in as high esteem as Sector 3. Both developers show incredible passion and dedication for what they do. The only difference is that Sector3 has masters regulating them, and Kunos has not, they are still very independent in the cooperation they have arranged with their publishing partner. and why should they have given their independence up back then?
No hair splitting, just plain numbers. 1080p is neither die-hard nor exotic and when one piece of tech struggles delivering that while on another that has been the standard for years (and that second system can surpass that by x4 in the meantime) then there's no realistic way of arguing that those two systems perform on the same level. You're an AC fan and that's fine, but if that leads to defending everything they do against even basic numbers and facts then that diminishes credibility in my personal pov. And if personal experience equals empiricism then the subjective notions of those saying the latest changes feel like "dumbing down" or accommodating to lesser expectations or standards is just as valid as your subjective appraisal.
Originally I pointed at that consoles have the specs to run any racing sim's physics just fine, and then the rest came in. Somebody said that Kunos probably works on needing to tone done AC (regarding the experience, the driving, the physics), and I do not believe that until I see it, and Kunos themselves repeatedly have vigorously denied that. The default player setup on PC is one screen, and the default setup on consoles also is one screen. That is what the very vast majority of players are using until today - or do you want to bet against that? And this setup, this context is what I am linked to. BTW, my single screen 24" standard monitor for PC - has a resolution of 1920x1050, too - like my slightly bigger TV that also has a 1920x1080 resolution and that has a PS4 attached to it. Lets stop trying to make things more complicated here than they ever were. The point I wanted to make is pretty obvious, I still think. And that was not about counting individual pixels.
Answer from Marco Massarutto ..."Ok, let’s stop these ridicolous rumors. Kunos Simulazioni is not going to be purchased by Turn10. We met them for the first and last time in 2015 at the E3. Nice people, nice conversation, but that’s all. Any negotiation has never been started. And the only reason why we have never mentioned any “Assetto Corsa 2” yet, is because we are still working on the first one, not because we are going to sell our Brand. But it’s funny to see how some people like to waste their lifetime. And should tell a lot about the reliability of some so-called-sources."...
Well yes, but what does that mean? Running only the physics code without any visual output is probably one of the lesser demanding things about a racing sim in terms of computation needs. Translating (animating, rendering, shading etc) that data into 3D images in real-time is what needs all that power modern systems are packing. So it's not totally irrelevant how capable a system is overall, especially if you're working with an APU like the consoles do. And again, I'm not talking about what's commonly used but the basic capabilities of a system. If one system is capable of creating 4k outputs while the other barely manages to create 1080p outputs then from my pov those two systems can't be said to be operating on equal levels, that's all I'm saying. I'm not saying AC is bound to fail on consoles, but I read some comments on the latest changes that made it sound like Kunos do have to sacrifice some depth for the sake of (console) usability. I can't pass judgement on those statements but it wouldn't surprise me if they were correct, in fact it would be more of a surprise to me if console AC would turn out to be the exact same as PC AC, exactly for the aforementioned reasons.
If pCARS is able to run acceptable on consoles, there is no reason why AC couldn't. Porting from PC to a console is hard, but skilled developer should be able to handle it. I don't think the AC physics is absolute pinnacle of sim racing, but I REALLY doubt they would ruin PC version in the process of porting it to console. I can imagine they can make some compromises in console version if needed, but PC version surely is not and won't be affected by it.
We will see, Christian, what AC will be like on consoles. What outsiders have commented it to be, is not the point of interest - it is Kunos alone who really know what is currently going on behind the curtain - and so far whenever I read them commenting on the console project they deny there will be major changes. The menus will look differently - but they stubbornly insist on that the driving will be the same experience like on PC, and that is what counts. Some weeks ago I posted a link - I think I did, at least I planned to do so - to some I think magazine editor who was allowed to drive an early console build - and who then said that those people fearing the driving would be compromised, can rest assured - he did not realise any changes there. What i can imagine is that the car fields of certain mod tracks (greater than 24 cars for example) will be limited to 24 max. Maybe not all apps there are will be available from within the running tracktime session, lik it is now. But that are minor things. Maybe the graphics will be slightly different. Still: on the physics and the racing and the AI I do not worry. They know too well that these driving-related things are what explicitly are their power arguments to dare challenging the competiiton on console markets. If they let these get compromised, they would plan their own suicide, so to speak, becasue by content alone they cannot beat or even just hold their ground in the face of the mighty Gran Turismo empire, and others. AC's weapons are of quality, not quantity. Corrupt the quality - and you corrupt the "mission".
All the reports from people who got to play initial builds of Assetto Corsa on PS4 state that the games runs very smoothly and looks the same as on PC. Consoles are less powerful than PCs, but can handle the physics just fine. Personally I don't believe that any changes to the tire model have anything to do with making the game easier for console players. I just read the most recent stuff on PRC and while it all maybe right, I am unable to reproduce any issues mentioned there (like not being able to kick the back end of an SLS on corner exit). What I did notice though is how Assetto handles throttle inputs in certain conditions. Especially at lower speeds and when trying to get the car going from a standstill. When I push the pedal and RPMs hit the redline in most cases there is some wheel spin and then the RPMs drop and my burnout fails miserably. Sometimes I get the car rapidly moving with a tail of smoke, in other cases there is a lot of noise and then everything calms down in an instant. It gets even weirder when I am parked on the grass. In some situations I can push the pedal to the metal and it takes ages before the RPMs begin to rise. It's as if there was some hidden traction control or launch control there. I use a Logi DFGT and do not have a clutch, so to me, this seems to be related to the automatic clutch assist. What is even more weird is that when I assign the controls from scratch, Assetto always reports that it adjusted the assist to match my wheel, but neither auto-clutch nor auto-blip is checked. You know what is even more weird? When I use an Xbox controller, this does not happen - RPMs are always consistent with my throttle input. Now I may be wrong here, since I don't know much about cars, tires and all that stuff, but people who claim there is something wrong with Assetto's physics, might want to try and investigate controller profiles and assists in the game.
A serious question - has anyone seen an AC PS4 video with more than 15 cars on screen? All of the videos I've watched haven't shown a single race with a full grid (e.g 24 cars at Spa). I know Alan from Team VVV and he is positive about the PS4 version of AC being close to the PC experience; it seems the dumbing down rumour has gained a lot of traction over the last few months and with the various tyre and physics updates to AC being debated ad nauseam. What has annoyed me since the console versions of AC being announced is that we PC gamers are paying for DLC that the console versions get 'free'. I guess the payoff for us is mods are free and consoles won't likely get these. The current console specs are okay tech wise; it's the lackluster CPU that I see as the major issue - hence Sony making the Neo with a reported speed bump for the CPU along with a large performance increase in GPU likely for their VR headset. Time marches on in the tech world rather quickly and with the GPU's Nvidia have announced with the 1080 and 1070 and we wait for AMD to reveal what they have...I'm happy to be a PC gamer first and foremost.
Without consoles I'd have never played the Project Gotham Racing series and that would make me sad as I wouldn't have this: Released back in 2007 and still is awsome to play, especially in the rain. It's not a sim but it's a shitload of fun.
I do not share that sentiment, since people were free at all times to pay what stuff was worth it for them, and we certainly do not expect as everyday consumers that prices for products endlessly stay the same over time. We could as well complain about that if we buy a VW Golf today we need to pay more than people buying a Golf twenty years ago. Additionally, PC people - especially of the first hours with Early Access - were able to get hilarious discounts. All DLCs get released with price reductions in the first week(s), and see later sales, too. I have not bought a single item at regular price, always with I think -30% to -50% discount, including the main program. Probably around 50 Euros for AC plus all three Dreampacks so far. - On the size of the car field, I am clueless, but said earlier that i could imagine they indeed limit the number of cars. There are mod tracks for AC that are badly optimised that send my machien struggling with even 13 cars, other tracks I can run with 36 cars, AC by default has not more than I think 26 cars on some default tracks. I expect a limit below that, 24, maybe even 16 cars. But i recall the times of TOCA and TOCA2, when 16 cars was pretty much the rule. Not to mention: rivalling titles on PS4 like Gran Turismo: is it sitll limited to 6 cars these days? I think for PS FOUR there even is no GT released so far, they are still at PS3, aren't they. In the end, what counts is how the car drives for the player, and how the AI of those AI cars is that he meets on the track. Empty Box in one video once made several good arguments for voluntarily limiting the number of AI cars, improving race quality that way. However, I of course understand the argument for having 60 cars scrambling from the starting line... I once had Gran Turismo (1) on PS1, long time ago. 5 or 6 cars only. Still, what a blast it was to duel with them. If you have an AI that keeps the field close together, lower car numbers do not count that much. If you have an AI stretching the field quickly, you can have 40 cars - and still feel all alone on the Nordschleife, possibly.
Tomorrow I'll eat Chinese but drive Japanese. Those poster walls at Black Cat County were right. LINK - preview photos
It looks like a fun selection of cars. I plan to pick it up for the 370Z. I had a 2004 350Z back in the day. Hopefully it will bring back some memories.
Released just minutes ago, currently downloading. Download is 760 MB, 5 Euros (Germany). That money gives you: - Mazda MX-5 2015 - Mazda MX-5 CUP - Mazda RX-7 Spirit R + tuned version - Toyota Supra MK IV + time attack and Drift version - Toyota AE86 Trueno + tuned and Drift version - Nissan 370Z NISMO - Nissan GT-R R34 Skyline V-Spec Tracks-wise, Raceroom and Assetto Corsa share comparable prices (AC Dreampacks 2 and 3 with one track additional to the cars cost 8 Euros, leaves around 3 Euros per track, Nordschleife pack costs 10 Euros still). But on the cars, Raceroom cannot compete with Assetto's killer prices. Not to mention the occasional free giveaways, both track and cars. Again a very aggressive - and thus attractive for the customers - pricing policy practiced by Kunos. P.S. Also a bunch of fixes and fixings and tunings. Namely the GT3 class aerodynamics were edited according to latest nput by the car brands engineers, now brnging the various cars closer to each other in lap times (by aerodynamics only, not by changing their HP ) I have not tested it, but the changes seem to be liked by people. And the Mercedes AMG GT3 got a major overhaul as well, again by latest technicians' input. Reprts are saying it is much more favourable a car now. AC now is officially version 1.6 . P.P.S The Mazdas are battle cuties for sure.
I spent the evening trying out the new cars and I must say they are enjoyable. It's nice to have a few more obtainable sports cars in the line up instead of the exotic supercars I have no chance of driving in real life. However, when driving in AC, there are times I start to question the behavior of some cars compared to others. For example the MX5-Cup can turn on a dime at any speed whereas the Supra Time attack will understeer all day long. I feel like my corner speeds are about the same but the handling is completely different and almost the opposite of what you would expect. I found myself braking 50 meters sooner than I thought I would have to in the supra and 50 meters later than I thought in the MX5. It could be a sense of speed thing... I'm not sure. Just when a sim leaves me questioning how and why a car is handling the way it does, it breaks the immersion a bit. That said the cars taken by themselves are a blast to drive and I can see myself devoting a few more hours to AC in the coming weeks.
I picked up AC in the 40% off Steam sale today, having only played R3E and a little GTR2 and Forza Apex before (for racing sims) and was expecting something pretty good, but, compared to R3E, on first impressions I'm pretty disappointed. The track and car graphics IMHO seem considerably worse somehow (and this was running on pretty high settings, I tweaked things upwards until I was getting down to about 70fps with my 970M), not just the models, but how the cars move on the track,for example (can't quite describe it properly, sorry). The tracks also seem to have no "life" to them (e.g. static crowd and little track scenery) and driving the cars felt quite "detached" (admittedly this was with just an XBox 360 controller, but I haven't experienced this as much in R3E, nor Forza Apex or even GTR2), even with trying some different controller settings. Also when I tried viewing the cars in the showroom, which I was quite looking forward to, I dropped to about 5fps and it was unusable (unlike the showrooms in Forza Apex, which are fantastic, even if the sim aspect of the game isn't great), this despite my dedicated Nvidia 970M GPU showing as activated (is this a bug?) I do realise some of this may be down to not using the right graphics or controller settings or other settings, so am prepared to give it another go, but am not sure what I'm doing wrong - any suggestions? Is AC worth persevering with? At this point I'm tempted to ask for a refund, though, even though I got the sim for 40% off, so don't want to spend more then 2 hours (think that's the refund limit) in the game until I'm sure things will get better. I'm not trying to be a troll, I wanted to like AC, as an alternative (not replacement) to R3E (different cars, tracks, physics model etc.), but currently I'm really disappointed in it. Maybe I should explore Automobilista instead?