PC VR Debut: ‘Assetto Corsa EVO’ Enters Early Access, Yet Patience Might Be Wise

Yesterday marked the Early Access debut of Assetto Corsa EVO on Steam, bringing the beloved racing series into a new chapter. Available for both standard screens and PC VR headsets, the game has sparked a mixed bag of critiques. VR enthusiasts, in particular, are sounding the alarm, suggesting potential players hold their horses until patches improve the game’s shaky optimization.

KUNOS Simulazioni, the minds behind the original Assetto Corsa from 2014 and its 2018 counterpart, Assetto Corsa Competizione, have rolled out this much-anticipated successor. Within this Early Access version, players can enjoy five tracks, choose from 20 vehicles, dive into single-player mode, and benefit from SteamVR headset compatibility, not to mention triple screen support.

Even with promises of a more extensive content rollout featuring 100 cars, 25 tracks, an open world map, career mode, and multiplayer action, the current offering has left VR users feeling underwhelmed.

Feedback is flowing in, with over 2,700 reviews painting a ‘Mixed’ picture. While some users are holding out for the future features KUNOS promises, many are laser-focused on the VR experience. The consensus? It’s not up to snuff, with performance issues rendering it nearly unplayable in virtual reality.

“I won’t comment on the performance issues as it’s early access,” shares Steam user Poloman, “but for VR, it’s a no-go. I get 150 fps on 3440×1440 but just 30 FPS in VR.”

Another user, Mattios, echoes this sentiment: “Unplayable in VR with a RTX 4090 and i9 13900k even at the lowest settings. Latency spikes make it impossible to play at any setting,” he explains, though he notes that on a flat screen, the game runs smoothly, tapping only a fraction of the GPU and CPU.

User Dan similarly advises caution: “In its current form, it’s hard to recommend, at least for VR. My Radeon 7600X + 7900 XT manages 50 fps on a Quest 3 with Link and OpenXR, and that’s with minimal graphics settings and just one car on the track,” he says, also highlighting unexpected visual glitches and lackluster FFB settings. He recommends waiting for updates before diving in.

Historically, KUNOS Simulazioni has charted similar paths with previous Assetto Corsa releases through Early Access, gradually unlocking more features over time. While VR wasn’t always available on day one, it has become a key part of the franchise’s identity.

The original Assetto Corsa was ahead of the VR curve, offering experimental support for Rift headsets as far back as 2013 and broadening its horizons in 2017 with OpenVR adoption. Competition enthusiasts saw full VR features a month after its monitor debut.

KUNOS insists the game will reach its full 1.0 version in less than one year from this Early Access start. As enthusiasts of immersive racing, we’re eager to witness the necessary optimizations surface, especially if VR is to justify the $32 asking price.