WRC 9

WRC 9 is a rally simulation based on the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship. You drive licensed rally cars over asphalt, gravel and unpaved roads and race against the clock. The game was developed by KT Racing and published by Nacon.

The focus is on precise vehicle control, the co-driver's calls and finding the fastest line on changing surfaces.

WRC 9 was released on Sept 3, 2020 first for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. The versions for Xbox Series X|S and PS5 followed with the launch of the new console generation in November 2020. The game came to Nintendo Switch on March 11, 2021.

On PC the game first launched on the Epic Games Store. The Steam release followed on Sept 16, 2021.

WRC 9 is available natively for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The Xbox versions support Smart Delivery, so one license allows playing on both Xbox generations.

The PS5 version uses, among other things, feedback from the DualSense controller. The Nintendo Switch version is a standalone console version.

WRC 9 is about completing stages as fast as possible without mistakes. The stages feature changing sequences of corners, elevation changes and road surfaces. You manage the throttle and brake, correct the car on loose surfaces and react to the co-driver's pace notes.

A small driving error costs time. The difficulty comes mainly from combining knowledge of the course, vehicle behavior and consistent line choice.

Additional vehicles and content are available for WRC 9. These include the 1984 Audi Quattro A2, the 1999 Toyota Corolla WRC and the Barcelona Super Special Stage. The Career Starter Upgrades pack makes starting a career easier thanks to more experienced team members.

FIA Rally Star is also available as additional content. The packs should be considered separately from the base game.

WRC 9 requires Windows 10 64-bit, at minimum a Core i3-2100 or AMD FX-4350, 4 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 650 or Radeon HD 7770. Installation requires 30 GB of free storage and DirectX 12.

Recommended: a Core i5-6600 or Ryzen 5 1600, 6 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 590.

WRC 9 expands the choice of rally locations with Kenya, Japan and New Zealand. The stages place different demands on pace, grip and braking.

The three locations add to the well-known rallies from the World Championship calendar.

WRC 9 contains more than 100 stages. Short technical sections alternate with faster ones. What matters is not only engine power, but also how well you adapt to the surface and the course layout.

WRC 9 features licensed drivers and cars from several WRC categories, plus more than 15 historic rally cars. The older models feel noticeably different from modern works cars and expand the selection beyond the season cars.

The handling physics make asphalt, gravel and snow feel different. Accelerating, turning in and braking require a different rhythm on each surface.

Feedback through the wheel or controller also helps you judge grip.

The co-driver calls corners and hazards before they come into view. WRC 9 uses revised callouts, which matter most on unfamiliar stages.

If you read the hints early, you can brake more precisely and need to correct mid-corner less often.

In career mode, you don't just drive individual rallies, you develop your career and your team. Decisions about building your team accompany the races and give championship progress a longer-term structure.

Club mode lets you put together your own rally championships and challenge other drivers on set stages. This adds self-organized competitions to the official season in WRC 9.

WRC 9 offers single-player rallies and, according to the platform descriptions, local and online multiplayer. On Xbox, local races for two people and online competitions for up to eight people are listed.

Console online features may have platform-dependent access requirements.

The Standard Edition includes the base game. The Deluxe Edition also includes extra content such as the Toyota Corolla 1999, the Barcelona Super Special Stage and career start upgrades.

These extras don't change the fact that both editions are based on the same game.

The PC version supports German, English, French, Italian and Spanish on-screen text and voice audio, among others. Additional languages are available depending on the version.

Input can use the controls of each platform. The PC version supports both controller and wheel players.