Microsoft and developer Turn 10 finally gave us a look at the new Forza Motorsport and boasted about the game’s features, such as real-time on-track ray tracing and a 48x boost in the series’ physics simulation, this past Sunday.
Forza Motorsport on PC
As per the sources, the ad was somewhat deceptive in that it suggested the Forza footage was being played on an Xbox Series X. Microsoft later explained that the film was shot on a PC, but that the Xbox Series X should provide a comparable visual experience.
After that, a new Forza Monthly was released today, and creative director Chris Esaki had a lot to say on the game’s visual tech, physics, and time-of-day system, among other things. If you have some time on your hands, you may watch the entire webcast below.
Remarkably, Esaki went into detail on what Turn 10 means when they declare Forza Motorsport offers a 48x improvement in physics simulation; figures like these are normally just tossed out by companies without much explanation.
As per Esaki, each tire now has eight points of contact instead of one, and physics data is updated six times as frequently as before. They arrived at the 48x value by multiplying the 8 points of contact by the 6x faster upgrading.
About the Physics and Ray Tracing
Esaki also discussed some of the other parts of the very complex racing mechanics in the upcoming Forza. For example, each track contains a full day-night cycle, which affects your handling by changing the temperature of the surface. On tracks, there’s also dynamic rubbering, which causes roads to get sticky as worn tire rubber accumulates.
In terms of aesthetics, Esaki emphasizes that every track, even old favorites, will be constructed from the ground up using the new engine and that ray tracing will be used on track during gameplay rather than simply during replay like in Gran Turismo 7. Replays, on the other hand, will benefit from full global illumination as well as ray tracing for even better-looking lighting.
Esaki also talks about the game’s brand-new career mode, multiplayer, and other topics. If you’re looking for every tidbit of information, watch the video. In the spring of 2023, Forza Motorsport will be released for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
