Assetto Corsa

Assetto Corsa is a racing simulation from the Italian studio Kunos Simulazioni. It focuses on precise handling, faithfully recreated race cars and well-known circuits. Instead of an open world, players drive on purpose-built tracks, work on lap times or race against each other.

Many tracks were measured using laser scans. Driving physics, tyre behaviour, aerodynamics and car setup are key parts of the simulation.

Assetto Corsa was released for Windows PC on Dec 19, 2014. The PlayStation 4 version hit the market in Germany on Aug 24, 2016, and the Xbox One version on Aug 25, 2016.

Release dates for the console versions vary by region. In North America, sales began on both consoles on Aug 30, 2016.

Assetto Corsa was released natively for Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The console versions can be played on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility. There is no separate PS5 or Xbox Series version of the original Assetto Corsa.

The PC version has its own features, such as VR support, a track editor and options for user-created content. The scope and controls therefore differ from the console versions.

Assetto Corsa offers free practice, time attacks, single races, race weekends and championships. In race weekends, practice is followed by qualifying and then the race. AI can control rivals, or you can replace them with online races.

Before a drive, players can adjust the car setup, among other things. Different driving aids make it easy to start with a controller, as well as driving with a steering wheel and as few electronic aids as possible.

Assetto Corsa has released numerous paid vehicle and track packs. The three Dream Packs add the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Brands Hatch, among others. The Japanese Pack adds Japanese sports cars, while the Red Pack includes Italian race cars and the Red Bull Ring.

Three Porsche Packs, the Ready to Race Pack and the Ferrari 70th Anniversary Pack expand the car selection. The Ultimate Edition bundles the base game with the major official add-on packs. Which content is included depends on the specific edition and platform.

The Windows version of Assetto Corsa requires at least an AMD Athlon X2 at 2.8 GHz or Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, a DirectX 10.1 compatible graphics card and 15 GB storage. Recommended are six processor cores on AMD or four on Intel, 6 GB RAM and a more powerful DirectX 11 graphics card.

The original requirements list older Windows versions. The current Steam client requires Windows 10 or newer. For VR, players need suitable PC hardware and SteamVR or Oculus PC.

Assetto Corsa calculates many vehicle properties while you drive. These include tyre wear, temperature and varying grip on the track. Aerodynamic parts and, on suitable cars, energy recovery also affect handling.

Grip on a track changes as tyres wear down over the laps you drive. If you want to get faster, you need to know more than just your braking points. Tyres and setup matter too.

Assetto Corsa lets players drive on well-known circuits such as Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Imola, Silverstone and Mugello. Many tracks were recreated using laser scans to capture elevation changes, corner layouts and surfaces more accurately.

There are also practice tracks, drag racing areas and purpose-built circuits. Expansions add the Nordschleife and Brands Hatch, among others.

The car selection includes street cars, classic racing cars, GT cars and open-wheel single-seaters. The licensed brands include Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Lotus, Audi, Lamborghini, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz.

Each vehicle differs in drivetrain, weight, tires and braking behavior. The official add-on packs expand the selection with more road and race cars.

In career mode, players compete in a series of events. Individual time trials and special tasks are good for practice, while custom championships link several races together.

A race weekend can include practice, qualifying and the race. There are also drift and acceleration tasks. Race aids can be adjusted to suit your experience.

On PC, Assetto Corsa supports keyboards and controllers, as well as numerous steering wheels, pedals and other input devices for racing simulations. A multi-monitor view and TrackIR are planned.

For compatible VR headsets, the PC version offers support via SteamVR or Oculus PC. The console versions have different device and feature limits.

On PC, Assetto Corsa can be extended with self-made cars, tracks and other content. The developers provide tools for preparing cars and tracks for the simulation.

These options clearly set the Windows version apart from the console versions. User-made content is not automatically part of the official game.

Assetto Corsa offers single-player races against AI and online races against human opponents. On Xbox One, the version supports online races with two to 16 people according to the Xbox Store.

The PC version has its own online and race server features. Multiplayer options, additional content and available lobbies can differ between platforms.

The PlayStation 4 version of Assetto Corsa supports German on-screen text. On Steam, the PC version lists English, Italian, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese as official interface languages.

If you expect German menus on PC, check the language options of the specific edition.