‘Assetto Corsa EVO’ Debuts in Early Access on PC VR Headsets, But Holding Off Might Be Wise

Assetto Corsa EVO has just made its debut on Steam under Early Access, marking the latest chapter in the popular racing game series. It’s now available for both flatscreen play and PC VR headsets. However, initial feedback is quite divided, with many VR enthusiasts advising potential buyers to hold off for upcoming patches aimed at addressing the game’s current optimization issues.

KUNOS Simulazioni, the creative minds behind the original Assetto Corsa (2014) and its successor, Assetto Corsa Competizione (2018), have launched Assetto Corsa EVO as their highly anticipated follow-up. This Early Access release features five tracks, 20 cars, single-player mode, SteamVR headset support, and even caters to those using triple screen setups.

Although the developer has promised that the full game will eventually feature a comprehensive array of content, including 100 cars, 25 tracks, an open-world map, and both career and multiplayer modes, VR users are currently expressing dissatisfaction with the game’s state.

Feedback from the community is flooding in, with over 2,700 reviews contributing to its ‘Mixed’ score on Steam. While some users note the absence of certain features that KUNOS Simulazioni assures are on the way, complaints about VR performance are louder and more direct. As it stands, the game’s optimization for VR seems inadequate, rendering it almost unplayable.

A Steam user named Poloman comments, “I won’t delve into the performance problems since this is early access, but VR is simply unplayable at present. On a 3440×1440 resolution, I get 150 fps, but in VR, it struggles to hit beyond 30 FPS.”

Mattios shares similar frustration: “Even with an RTX 4090 and i9 13900k, the VR experience is unplayable at the lowest settings, shooting for merely 80hz. It’s plagued by latency spikes. Meanwhile, the flatscreen version manages well, running at just 80% GPU and 10% CPU without upscaling.”

Dan’s review adds, “I can’t recommend it as is, due to insufficient performance optimization for VR. My Radeon 7600X + 7900 XT manages only 50 fps on a Quest 3 with Link and OpenXR, using minimal graphics settings and with just a single car on track. This doesn’t include visual glitches, mainly noticeable in menus. Plus, the default FFB settings are not what I expected from Kunos. I’d suggest waiting for the upcoming patches.”

Historically, KUNOS Simulazioni’s Assetto Corsa titles have taken a similar path with their Early Access releases, slowly rolling out new features over time. VR has played a pivotal role in all previous games, even if not available right out of the gate.

Back in 2013, the original Assetto Corsa was an early VR adopter, providing experimental support for Rift headsets, later expanding to other headsets in 2017 with OpenVR integration. Assetto Corsa Competizione fully embraced VR only a month after its traditional monitor release.

KUNOS Simulazioni promises that the final 1.0 version will be ready “within less than a year from starting Early Access,” and enthusiasts are hopeful for significant VR optimizations before then, making it deserving of its $32 price.