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Assetto Corsa PS4 v1.14 Players of Assetto Corsa on PlayStation 4 will be delighted to hear that the update they have been waiting for has gone live, as at long last custom/private lobbies and custom championships are now a real thing thanks to this patch. And that’s not all players will get, as this update is a chunky one in free bonus content too. Providing something for both racers and drifters, the ‘Highlands’ track which is based in Scotland, is the latest environment to be added to the game. Made up of four layouts that offer their own set of challenges. New cars are on the agenda too, with five in total (3 being completely new) being added, and even though they are totally free, they are certainly not crap. There's a Group B rally legend Audi Quattro S1 E2 , a Le Mans winning Mazda 787B... and a Mazda MX-5 NA to take control of. That last one may not sound that special, but let’s remember, the MX-5 (Eunos) is lauded as one of the best drivers cars around and so when paired with the excellent physics of AC, it should be a real joy to play with. The physics engine gets an upgrade too, with the v10 tyre improvements coming to console after a solid showing on the PC. And finally, with Kunos keeping to their word from what seems a long time ago, owners of Porsche Pack Volume 3 will have the 911 RSR 2017 added to their game as a free update to that DLC.

The Crew 2 Is Real Our suspicions about a possible The Crew 2 being in the very near future were right, as it has been confirmed that a sequel to the gigantic open-world racer is on the way. First noticed through a tweet posted by the gamesindustry.biz Senior Editor, which in itself brought about a small period of thinking and confusion as to whether it was to do with something for the current game or a new one entirely, we only had to wait a matter of minutes before the game's official twitter awoke to share a link to the official Ubisoft forums with an accompanying The Crew 2 logo (see main image), and the text “Beyond the road”. Knowing that Ubisoft have confidence in the series and developer Ivory Tower to push ahead with a sequel, is great to see. And hopefully the next game will expand on what the original did, improve on the aspects that players have fed back to the team, and will blow us away yet again with a vast environment where total freedom is paramount. This reveal about a new game in the series naturally has us raising some questions: Where will it be set? Will it have Porsche? What on earth does "beyond the road" mean? These answers and more will become clear at E3 no doubt, as this is where Ubisoft have become masters at revealing more about the games we know about... and then blowing us away with those we don't. As long as we don't end up with a repeat of another '2' from before, good times should be ahead! [via @TheCrewGame]

Assetto Corsa Console Update - Get Ready! The big Assetto Corsa console update (v1.14) that will add the ability to create custom lobbies, the new ‘Highlands’ track, and deliver five free bonus cars, is coming to PS4 players on May 17th. Announced on the official social media pages of the game the latest update which was detailed only recently is the BIG one for many console players, as it will give them the ability to set up their own racing lobbies online and also allow for the creation of custom championships offline. Therefore, whatever kind of racer you are, there's something here to keep you interested. It was expected that this update would likely be more towards the end of May rather than only a number of days after the earlier announcement by the team. However in saying that we are still waiting to hear about the Xbox One release. But with this being Kunos, at least we know we will be informed about whatever is happening with it, and hopefully Microsoft will supply them a drop date that they can then shout out. Many console players will be excited about the landing of this update as it brings a lot of extra content by way of the new Scotland-based 'Highlands' track (PC announcement trailer below), which was created in partnership with nVidia and Sparco because “the perfect track does not exist”. Ignoring the sales pitch, the new track and their layouts is designed to thrill and test players’ bravery with its high-speed sections along narrow roads that are littered with boulders along the edges. Factor in five new pieces of free machinery such as the Mazda 787B and this update will not only have current and previous players jumping back in, but could also sell the game to those who have waited. And if the update proves reliable, it would be hard to argue that won't be the case. [via Assetto Corsa Facebook]

Assetto Corsa “Ready To Race” DLC An all-new premium DLC car pack is heading to Assetto Corsa next week and it is very much squarely aimed at the racing enthusiast, with the forthcoming release presenting a package that caters to multiple racing flavours. Coming first to players on the PC through Steam on May 18th, and then (much?) later for those on PS4 and Xbox One, this newest pack provides the “most wanted” ready to race models from Audi, Lotus, McLaren and Toyota. Assetto Corsa - “Ready To Race” Cars Audi R8 LMS 2016 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi TT Cup 2016 Audi TT VLN 2013 Lotus Eleven Maserati MC12 GT1 McLaren 570S McLaren P1 GTR Toyota Celica ST185 Turbo Toyota TS040 Hybrid As can be seen from the list above, the term “Race” is being broadly stretched, as with the inclusion of the Lotus 3-Eleven we must be looking at the local trackday kind, whereas the McLaren 570S must mean the manner in which speeding away from the lights in the city is one too. Obviously I am joking here, though the McLaren road car does seem a bit of strange one you have to admit. [gallery type=rectangular" link="file" size="small-post-image" ids="6920,6928,6926,6924,6919,6921,6922,6927,6923,6925] There will be an update (v1.14) released on the same day and some of what this will address is shown below. Further details about the “next major Steam update” to be revealed over the coming days. Assetto Corsa PC – v1.14 Update Info Added wind algorithm Added AI Aggression selection More AI differences within a single lap to generate more battles Added AI wing setup variations New AI algorithms for understeer detection and downshifting Improved Downshift Protection Updated Steam statistic reader to synchronize steam achievement [via Assetto Corsa Facebook]

DiRT Rally Free Play One of the best rally-racing simulations around at the moment is available to play for free over this weekend. And if you like what you see, then there is a 70% discount on the full game as part of the current ‘WEEKEND DEAL’ promotion on Steam. The ‘DiRT Rally Free Weekend’ allows the game to be played for free until 8PM GMT/UTC on Sunday, May 14th, with the promotional discount ending later the following Monday, at 5PM GMT/UTC. Regarded as one of the best Codemasters has ever produced, DiRT Rally's realistic physics and unforgiving nature, has gained it a loyal and passionate following. So much so, that its handling dynamics will be found in the next of the DiRT series, DiRT 4. With the team appearing to realise that offering players a choice of how their game will play, is something they do actually want. (I've been saying 'options are good' for ages!) And when you look at the direction they are taking their games now, it is kind of funny to think back to that whole "only 5%" thing from a few years ago. Best experienced with a wheel but not exactly lacking with the use of a pad, DiRT Rally is a game that is rewarding by being so punishing. The thrills felt at near-totalling your car as you chase those sector times, catch the wheels as you land from a big jump, and avoid those sheer drops, all in an effort to survive until the end of the stage, is one that got lost from racing games for a while. Even Codies distanced themselves away from it, but now they are back at it, and things are as better than ever. And for those who have systems capable of providing a good VR experience, the excitement is taken up yet another notch. Whatever type of racing fan you are, don’t miss out on at least giving it a try! [via Steam]

Assetto Corsa Console Update v1.14... update The team behind Assetto Corsa are eager to keep their console population informed about what is going on with the approaching BIG v1.14 update. Unfortunately that doesn’t include a release date, however in a posting by publisher 505 Games we learn of everything it will have when it does come. For many online racers it will be the arrival of Custom Lobbies that will be the best thing, whereas those who play offline will enjoy being able to create their own Custom Championships. And if you’re sick of the view from the cockpit position then smile, as this is now possible to customise during a session. But that’s just the tip of it, as there is an astonishing amount of FREE bonus content landing also. The “Highlands” track, based in Scotland, is the first of these, PC players have been able to enjoy this and its four configurations for a while now, but in what we hope is not too long. so too will those on PS4 and Xbox One. Highlands – The original layout, 8152 meters long, filled with fast flowing path with curves and several jumps. Highlands Long – An extension of the original layout, 12191 meters long and has all the characteristics of the original layout. This layout features some slower curves, a fast series of left and right turns, after a passage between rocks and the distinctive 3km long “Cabhag straight” Highlands Drift – A configuration born to create long powerslides with supercars and hypercars. At 5167 meters long, this layout features long, flat and smooth curves, perfect for holding a constant power slide. The “tower lùb”, guards the surroundings at the top of the hill. Highlands Short – The shortest configuration, only 1714 meters, but based entirely inside the city. Incredibly intense and requires the concentration of a pro. Should you have exhausted the usage of the current available vehicles then smile, as five more are on their way and they won’t cost you a thing. The selection is extremely varied, with two from Mazda that could not be any more different to each other (unless one of them could fly), an Audi rallying legend, a 1200bhp producing bi-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo, and an extremely nice sounding BMW M4. Those last two are kind of already existing examples in new clothes but for no cost to us, we’ll take it. Assetto Corsa – PS4 / Xbox One Free Bonus Content Highlands (4 layouts) Audi Quattro S1 E2 Mazda MX5 NA Mazda 787B BMW M4 Akrapovic Lamborghini Gallardo SL Step3 There is also a quite substantial upgrade to the physics engine, with the new v10 tyre physics added along with the following: UPGRADED PHYSICS ENGINE * Updated minimum pressures and optimum pressures for various cars. * New v10 tyre wear algorithms more sensitive to load for all cars. * Graining is now reducing when driving in good temperature conditions. * New and updated V10 street, semislick, vintage, and race slicks tyres for all cars. A total of 151 cars updated. * Updates for cars that already had V10 tyres. * Updated chassis balance and inertias for all 151 available cars. * Updated engine coast braking for street cars. * Updated Brake heat for the following cars * Shelby Cobra * Lamborghini Miura * Alfa Romeo GTA * Abarth 595 * Ford Escort RS * Ford GT40 * Lotus 25 * Lotus 49 * Maserati 250F 6C and 12C * Lotus 72D * Ferrari 312T * Ferrari F40 Don’t worry premium content buyers, you’re not being completely left out, as if you splashed out on the Porsche Pack Vol. 3 (or the Porsche Season Pass) then you will find the 911 RSR 2017 will be yours. Just like they promised. Providing there are no other delays with submission or anything else unforeseen, the long-awaited update should be with us at some point this May. [via 505 Games] *main image is from the PC announcement earlier in the year