“Assetto Corsa EVO” Debuts in Early Access for PC VR Headsets – Why You Might Consider Waiting

Yesterday marked the much-anticipated arrival of Assetto Corsa EVO on Steam, launching in Early Access. This latest addition to the racing franchise is available both on flatscreen and PC VR headsets, but the reception has been a mixed bag. Particularly among VR enthusiasts, there is a growing buzz around the game’s need for optimization, urging potential buyers to wait for patches that could smooth out the rough edges.

Developed by KUNOS Simulazioni, the masterminds behind the original Assetto Corsa (2014) and its successor Assetto Corsa Competizione (2018), Assetto Corsa EVO has been long-awaited. This Early Access release puts forth an engaging offering: five tracks, a fleet of 20 cars, and single-player gameplay, along with robust support for SteamVR headsets and triple-screen setups.

While KUNOS Simulazioni assures fans that a bounty of additional content is on the horizon—promising a grand total of 100 cars, 25 tracks, an open world map, career modes, and multiplayer features—current VR users seem a bit underwhelmed with the game’s state upon release.

Feedback is streaming in, and with over 2,700 reviews at hand, the game currently stands at a ‘Mixed’ rating. Though some discontent stems from missing features that are slated for future updates, the critique from VR users is more straightforward. The game’s performance in VR is faltering, rendering it nearly unplayable for some.

Take Steam user Poloman’s experience, who remarks, “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.”

Another player, Mattios, who runs a powerful RTX 4090 and i9 13900k, notes, “Unplayable in VR with lowest settings, even aiming for just 80Hz. The persistent latency spikes make it impossible to play at any setting. Flatscreen works fine, maxed out it barely puts a scratch on the GPU and CPU without upscaling.”

Dan shares a similarly disappointing experience, saying, “I can’t recommend it in its current state. The VR performance optimization just isn’t there. Running a Radeon 7600X + 7900 XT, I get a mere 50 fps on a Quest 3 with Link and OpenXR — and that’s with only one car on track in practice mode, and everything set to minimum graphics. Plus, there are visual glitches, mainly on the menus. And the default FFB settings are far from what I’ve come to expect from Kunos. Best to wait for upcoming patches before even considering it.”

Historically, KUNOS Simulazioni has embraced a similar trajectory with Early Access launches for their Assetto Corsa series, so the gradual roll-out of features shouldn’t come as a shock. While VR wasn’t always a day-one focus, it has undeniably become a key aspect of the series.

The original Assetto Corsa was an early VR pioneer, providing experimental support for Rift headsets back in 2013 and expanding in 2017 to include more headsets through OpenVR. Assetto Corsa Competizione also embraced full VR support a month after its debut on traditional monitors.

KUNOS Simulazioni has scheduled the complete 1.0 release to be finished “within less than one year from the start of Early Access.” During this interim, we’re crossing our fingers for significant optimizations that will justify the $32 price tag for VR aficionados.