Update 1.29 launches today for Gran Turismo 7 and not includes some new additions but also full compatibility for PS VR2’s launch later this week. Let’s dive in.
Update 1.29 includes the following:
- Gran Turismo Sophy A.I.
Gran Turismo Sophy is a revolutionary superhuman racing AI racing agent developed in a collaboration between Sony AI, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Polyphony Digital. “Gran Turismo Sophy Race Together” mode gives Gran Turismo players of all levels and abilities the opportunity to go head-to-head against GT Sophy in GT7. The special mode, available as a time-limited in-game event (From Feb 21 to end of March), is a first look at GT Sophy in GT7 and is designed to maximize the fun and excitement of racing against GT Sophy for everyone. Player feedback on this initial special feature will be used to continually improve the GT Sophy Race Together mode feature for future releases.
In GT Sophy Race Together mode, players can race against GT Sophy in a series of four circuits of increasing difficulty, as a Beginner / Intermediate / Expert driver. In each of the four races, the player races against four GT Sophy cars of different performance levels. Players can also challenge GT Sophy in 1VS1 mode, where GT Sophy and the player race one-on-one with identical car configurations and settings, which showcases the superhuman racing skills of GT Sophy. The excitement of GT Sophy Race Together mode is enhanced with GT7’s new emoticon feature, which displays emoticons on the GT Sophy cars throughout the race to react to the in-game action.
- PlayStation VR2 Support:
With the 1.29 update at no additional cost, players will be able to for the first time experience all the races and game modes (excluding ‘2P Split Screen’ mode) with a whole new level of realism. PS VR2 players will also be able to access an exclusive ‘VR Showroom’ area from their ‘Garage’ or the in-game car dealerships where they can admire all the stunning details of the ultra-high-definition car models in a variety of locations and lighting settings.
GT7 takes full advantage of PS VR2’s next-gen features – Utilizing specially optimized HDR tone mapping, as well as foveated rendering from the eye-tracking feature (a technology that renders areas of the screen that the player is directly looking at in high definition), and dynamic 3D audio support, players will experience a whole new dimension of highly immersive gameplay.
- The Return of Grand Valley
A Gran Turismo classic, Grand Valley returns to the series with an all-new look. The full ‘Highway 1’ layout is a challenging course featuring full-throttle high speed sections along with tight winding technical corners. The shorter 2000m ‘South’ layout features harsh elevation changes and blind corners to keep drivers on their toes. An expansive environment where the ocean meets the mountains, as well as large bridge and tunnel sections makes for a dynamic location that recreates the excitement of driving the world’s great winding seaside roads.
- Five New Cars
- 1965 Honda RA272
- 1970 Citroen DS Pallas
- 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
- Italdesign Exeneo Vision Gran Turismo Street and Off-Road
- Scapes Additions
‘‘Drift Stage’ and ‘Move the camera up and down’ have been added to the featured section. Support for drift photos has also been added with this update. A tutorial will be available the first time you play after the update, which guides you through the steps for taking drift photos. Follow the on-screen advice and have fun shooting the perfect drift shots.
PS VR2 Impressions
Once getting setup and acclimated to GT7 in PS VR2, the experience is absolutely something special. Before I get to that though, I want call out a few exceptions.
First, most of us who grew up racing with a controller use the thumbsticks to make corrections in steering. It’s the nature of the input. Well as you may imagine, this is not nearly as smooth as the turning of a wheel. While in VR this jerkiness (at times) can really show itself and make you feel a little dis-jointed. I’ve yet to try it, but I imagine playing GT7 in PS VR2 with an actual wheel would be by far the superior experience.
Second, I don’t usually have any issues with VR but after a few races I felt a bit nauseous. It became better once I continued to acclimate my eyes to the experience, but it’s something to be aware of. I’ll report back on this as I play more.
Now, those call outs complete, I can say that GT7 on PS VR2 is something special. The sheer ability to feel as though you are actually in a car and thus, have full awareness and vision of your surroundings, is game-changing. As I enter corners I’m able properly gauge my position relevant to the other cars on the track and choose the right line for each situation. While that sounds like something relatively small on paper, in terms of digital racing it’s incredible. I’m really enjoying my time with this and will have a lot more soon!
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