The Assetto Corsa Competizione console update is now available, adding a new tire model and 400Hz physics

Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) publisher 505 Games had previously announced that update v1.8 – available on PC since November 2021 – will be released in September this year. True to its word, the update rolled out today to both the Microsoft and Sony flagship consoles with several physical improvements and content updates.

The game was developed for PC by Kunos Simualzioni, but its console port was managed by Untold Games, who also handled the console conversions of Control and Journey to the Savage Planet. The console versions of ACC were plagued with graphic and online bugs, with development for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 editions halted.

The 17,446GB v1.8 update also paves the way for the console release of ACC’s recent PC DLC packs, with the Challengers pack and American Track pack set to release as early as November 10th.

In terms of content, the liveries of the 2021 season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe should be included, with the championship being playable in single player mode. The patch notes state that the BMW M4 GT3 was added to the game in V1.8, but it has actually existed on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of ACC since their release (albeit with only one livery choice).

The graphics have been polished, with the developers focusing on rain effects and shaders. Physics have been heavily overhauled, with a new tire model reportedly offering more realistic heating and wear characteristics – including flex and camber modelling.

ACC’s console physics refresh rate has also been bumped up to 400Hz, which should offer more detailed force feedback and realism. Numerous other aspects of ACC’s tire and suspension model have also been improved, including simulation of bumps, tire slip angle and brake pipe operation.

It’s also now possible to create custom grids with the new Open Series menu, merging the single brand Supertrofeo (ST) and Cup (CUP) classes into one GTC class for online use (expect this to be the Ferrari Challenge and latest Lamborghini, Porsche and BMW branded cars once the Challengers Pack DLC releases on November 10th).

Speaking of multiplayer – a contentious topic among console ACC players – no specific connectivity improvements were mentioned in the v1.8 update. In a further blow, the PC version’s excellent CinemaHUD screenshot mode also missed the cut, with no word on if it will appear in future updates.

Have you tried ACC’s Console Update v1.8? What is your opinion on the new tire model and is multiplayer a smoother experience now? Let us know in the comments below.

Assetto Corsa Competizione PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S v1.8.0 changelog

GENERAL:

• Added Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe 2021 season as bonus content with all entries, liveries and drivers and championship season.
• NOTE: Certain entries are subject to DLC ownership.

GRAPHIC:

• Updated global lighting and exposure on all tracks.
• Overhaul of various track-related shaders.
• Overhaul of various auto-related shaders.
• Overhaul of the skybox.
• Improved blurred rim shader.
• Improved autospray effect, especially in light/medium wet conditions.
• Improved render logic for raindrop effects to follow the updated spray effect.
• Improved the appearance of the rain shader in external cameras.
• Adjusted the shadow bias of car headlights to prevent lights from penetrating walls at close range.
• Updated track HLODs.

HOW TO PLAY:

• Added Open Season, which merges all game content into a “sandbox” season with grid customization.
• NOTE: Individual Official Seasons remain playable without changing their previous functionality.
• Added an option to shuffle the opponent grid to the Custom Race Weekend and Quick Race game modes in the Open Season.
• Use the Shuffle Grid sliders to set the autogroup prevalence in the grid.
• The GT3 car group has an additional setting for the preferred generation of opponent cars (all, before 2019 or new generation).
• Added Open Series championship mode with customization of starting grid (car groups) and track grid.
• Auto-generated custom cars are now grouped into teams in both single brand custom mode and the Open Series Championship.
• Revised driver assignment system to support custom grids and various driver count requirements.
• Removed duplication of logins between the 2019 GTWCH and IGT seasons.
• Optimized AI logic for strategic decisions reacting to weather changes.
• Improved AI genome in Bathurst, Barcelona, ​​Laguna Seca and Kyalami to reduce the likelihood of unwanted driving errors.
• Improved weather model: Variability (=randomness in MP) now affects the variation and frequency of weather cycles:
• Higher variability now translates into greater variation and less predictability in the length of individual weather cycles (time between peaks).
• High variability can produce both rapid changes and longer periods of weather (or both together) within the same weekend simulation.
• Low variability results in smoother weather cycles, similar to the pre-update model.
• Revised pit speeding thresholds that were often too permissive both when entering and exiting the pits.
• Fixed an invalid lap in race sessions (also in multiplayer results) qualifying for fastest (purple) lap of personal and session.
• Added countermeasures against erratic driving before green lights in Hotlap and Hotstint game modes.
• Replay: Reworked Replay tire rotation matrix calculation to avoid misalignment between tire and rim (and reduce storage space).
• The improvement is backwards compatible, while newly saved replays should take up less disk space than before.

User interface:

• Revised the season selector header in the single player menu.
• Added GTWCHEU season selector 2021 in single player.
• Added selection of open series in single player mode.
• Added colored session labels in the replay menu.
• Added indicator for the session’s fastest (purple) lap holder in the leaderboard, leaderboard, and timer widgets.
• Added pit stop indicator and session fastest lap on leaderboard HUD overlay.

PHYSICS:

• Physics engine optimizations: variable component tick frequency, optimized multithreading traxion.
• This may not result in an absolute max FPS gain, but significantly lower single-thread occupancy and late strides are to be expected, especially on larger grids.
• 400 Hz physics refresh rate.
• Improved tire flex.
• Improved fall simulation, especially with high positive fall values.
• Improved outer, middle and inner tire heating relative to camber.
• Improved outer, center and inner tire wear versus camber.
• Improved camber boost simulation affecting slip angles and forces. Recognizable by the high camber values ​​over curbs and bumps in the longitudinal direction.
• Improved surface temperature tire simulation. A wider range of heat generation.
• Improved heat production under extreme conditions (burnouts, donuts).
• Improved heat production in relation to tire pressure.
• Improved core temperature maintenance. The tires dissipate heat much more slowly now, you don’t have to wait until the last moment to get on the grid.
• Completely revised and improved combined grip simulation.
• Completely revised and improved tire vibrations at high speed and high slip angles.
• Improved slip angle/ratio simulation related to cold and overheated tires.
• New viscoelastic rubber friction model.
• Improved dynamic tire properties in different temperature conditions.
• New damping simulation for rubber bump stops.
• Implemented shock absorber damping values ​​for all cars.
• Improved engine throttle simulation.
• Improved launch control.
• Improved rev limiter behavior (soft limiters on some cars).
• Improved traction control simulation.
• Improved simulation of brake pipe heating influence.
• Improved behavior of wet tires (note: not necessarily easier).
• The simulation of braking efficiency and performance has been improved.
• Improved course grip simulation on and off the racing line.
• Improved ambient and track temperature delta.
• Added a condition that simulates fog and dew during the night at certain temperatures.
• Improved simulation of certain track conditions, including puddling speed.

MULTIPLAYER:

• Reworked vehicle groups, merging the CUP and ST groups into a single GTC group for matchmaking and server filtering.
• Note that CUP and ST are still represented as separate subgroups on the course map, leaderboards and results.
• Stats: Revised and merged grouping of stats per circuit.
• Note that the tracks are only separated per season, while an older season can produce faster lap times due to the higher grip of the track (e.g. the fresh asphalt at Silverstone 2018).
• Multiplayer track seasons are now deprecated and all track configurations point to the Open series (currently matching the latest 2021 season, see physics notes).
• Note to admins: The old season suffixes in the server configuration will remain for legacy functionality, but they will no longer create a difference in the track/BOP version!
• The server track configuration (event.json) should use the non-suffix version in the continuation, e.g. B. “Misano” instead of “misano_20XX”.
• Note to users: Regardless of server configuration, multiplayer will always use the latest single player Open Series configuration.
• Further revised last corner penalty thresholds with widget formation type when the back of the field is likely to get a green light inside or out of the last corner.
• Ratings: Fixed an issue that could incorrectly generate 100 (or 00) CC ratings in Spa.
• Protocol change – old server versions are obsolete and not registered on the backend.