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

Yesterday marked a significant milestone for the racing game community as Assetto Corsa EVO revved up its engines for Early Access on Steam, enticing gamers on both flat screens and PC VR headsets. However, the reception has been mixed, especially among VR enthusiasts, who are voicing concerns about the game’s current optimization issues and advising potential players to brace for future updates.

The brains behind this anticipated launch, KUNOS Simulazioni, are the creators of the earlier hits Assetto Corsa from 2014 and Assetto Corsa Competizione, released in 2018. Their latest offering, Assetto Corsa EVO, in its Early Access stage, presents players with five tracks and a selection of 20 vehicles. It also supports single-player modes, SteamVR headsets, and even triple-screen setups.

While KUNOS has assured the community that more content is on the horizon—including an impressive lineup of 100 cars, 25 tracks, an open world, career modes, and multiplayer options—VR gamers find themselves caught in a loop of disappointment. Many argue that the game, as it stands now, needs further refinement.

With over 2,700 user reviews so far, Assetto Corsa EVO clocks in with a ‘Mixed’ rating. Critics acknowledge the absence of certain promised features, but the loudest outcry seems to stem from the VR crowd, who find the game barely playable due to poor optimization.

Take, for instance, Steam user Poloman, who shares, “I won’t comment on the performance issues, as this is early access, only remark is that VR is currently unplayable. I have 150 fps on 3440×1440, but can’t get more than 30 [FPS] in VR.” Similarly, Mattios notes a particularly frustrating experience: “Unplayable in VR with a RTX 4090 and i9 13900k at lowest settings (only targeting 80hz too). It has constant latency spikes making the game unplayable at any setting. Flatscreen works fine, maxed out it barely hits 80% GPU and 10% CPU usage without upscaling.”

Another VR user, Dan, states, “Can’t recommend it in its current state, performance optimization is just not there, at least for VR. [I have a Radeon] 7600X + 7900 XT getting 50 fps using a Quest 3 with Link and OpenXR, with just one car on track during practice at the lowest settings. That’s ignoring the visual glitches, mainly in the menus. Plus, the default FFB settings weren’t what I expected from Kunos. All in all, best to await forthcoming patches before considering it.”

Historically, KUNOS Simulazioni’s Assetto Corsa titles have eased into the market through Early Access, so the gradual rollout of features is somewhat anticipated. Even though VR support hasn’t always been front and center right at the start, it remains a vital component of the series.

The initial Assetto Corsa was a vanguard for VR enthusiasts, offering early compatibility with Rift headsets way back in 2013, and expanding support with OpenVR in 2017. Full VR capability for Assetto Corsa Competizione was introduced a month post its debut on standard displays.

As KUNOS assures fans that version 1.0 will likely be ready “within less than one year from the start of Early Access,” there’s hope, mixed with expectation, for substantial improvements in VR. For now, the race is not just on the tracks but towards a polished, VR-friendly experience that justifies the $32 price tag.