It is a fantastic time to be a racing videogame fan. Between the latest Need For Speed: Unbound, the ultra-successful Forza Horizon 5 arcade, and the sim-cade Gran Turismo 7, gearheads have no shortage of great games to race the best cars in the world in the best environments. The latest Gran Turismo entrant in the franchise by Sony is Gran Turismo 7, which released in 2022. A fantastic sim-racing game with the most impeccable visuals and handling dynamics, Gran Turismo 7 undoubtedly leads the way when it comes to a proper racing simulator. However, the Forza series from Microsoft is soon to catch up with their latest entrant, Forza Motorsport this year in 2023.
Forza Motorsport will be the eighth title in the famed series with the same name, and it will compete directly with GT7. From everything we have seen so far about the next Forza Motorsport, it does look like Gran Turismo 7 will have its work cut out for it to stay at the top of the hill. Both games are fantastic simulators with stunning visuals and an exhausting list of great cars. As such, here are 5 reasons why we think the 2023 Forza Motorsport will blow Gran Turismo 7 out of the water, and five reasons why we'd still rather stick with Sony's racing sim.
9 Forza Motorsport 2023 Won't Have The Micro-Transaction Ordeal Like GT7 Did
Every game that requires players to pay real-life money to progress faster than other players raises eyebrows everywhere. Sadly, the initial months of Gran Turismo 7 were marred by microtransactions as developers Polyphony Digital scrambled to fix early issues with cars being earned too easily in the game.
This is exactly where the upcoming Forza Motorsport could quite easily make up ground over its Sony competitor. Microsoft could capitalize on GT7's failings when it comes to microtransactions by simply not having them in the game or not letting credits-for-cars affect in-game progress.
8 Gran Turismo 7's Virtual Reality Version Is Truly Groundbreaking
Virtual Reality technology in gaming has been making significant strides lately. Most recently, the new Playstation VR system, paired with Gran Turismo 7's VR version, has proven itself to be a truly groundbreaking experience for gamers.
A stunning game on its own, the VR version of GT7 truly takes the racing experience to another level. Critics have given GT7 VR rave reviews which it rightly deserves. Microsoft, on the other hand, has not been too keen on pushing VR in their games, especially Forza Motorsport 7 and the upcoming reboot of the game. Even if VR were to be offered on Forza Motorsport 8, it would remain exclusive to the Xbox console, without ever coming to PC.
7 Real-Time Ray Tracing Promises To Make The New Forza Motorsport Look Better Than Gran Turismo 7
Any great game is defined by just how realistic and beautiful it looks, especially when a racing game is concerned. Sony's Gran Turismo 7, on both the PlayStation 4 and 5, looks extremely beautiful, no doubt. However, what defines great visuals today is real-time ray-tracing technology which makes light and reflections stand out phenomenally well, giving games a hyperrealistic look.
While GT7 on the PlayStation 5 does have a performance mode where it employs ray-tracing only in cinematic replays and the in-game photo mode, the 2023 Forza Motorsport will have real-time ray-tracing in the game. The fact that Microsoft's game will also run on the more powerful Xbox Series X and powerful PCs guarantees that the new Forza game will look undeniably better than GT7.
6 It Will Be Tough For Forza Motorsport 8 To Make Players Leave The Remarkable Gran Turismo 7
It would have been rather easy for the upcoming soft reboot of the Forza Motorsport game to bring in players of Gran Turismo 7 over to their side had the game been disappointing or bad. However, after a few initial missteps, Gran Turismo 7 has only been going from strength to strength.
GameRant reviews the GT7 game at a solid 4 out of 5 stars, with IGN rating the game 9 out of 10 as well. This makes for a compelling game that will be hard to leave, seeing how the new VR version makes Gran Turismo 7 feels like an entirely new experience worth experiencing.
5 Gearheads And Gamers Will Have An Easier Time Earning Newer Cars In The 2023 Forza Motorsport
When Gran Turismo 7 launched, it was a cakewalk to earn in-game credits and buy even the priciest and fastest of cars. To fix that issue, the game's developers went too far in the other direction, making it an impossible slog and grind to earn new cars in the game.
Sure, eventually the game found its footing, but it also gave way for Forza Motorsport to take notes. We confidently expect that the Next Forza Motorsport won't have any such issues when it comes to grinding it out for hours just to get one new car in the game.
4 It Is Only Gran Turismo 7 That Offers Players A Ride Behind Official Futuristic Concept Cars
An exclusive and popular feature of the Gran Turismo franchise is the 'Vision Gran Turismo' cars that are featured in the games. A series of concept cars, these VGT cars are made by developers Polyphony Digital in collaboration with a cross-section of the world's top automobile manufacturers.
The Vision Gran Turismo cars originally featured in GT6, and then have been a staple in the series. These futuristic concept cars feature great hypercars from makers like Dodge, Bugatti, Ferrari, and McLaren, among others. Not only are these the fastest and most stunning cars in the game, but these VGT cars are also exclusive to Sony's racing franchise, giving the series a leg up over its Forza rival.
3 Forza Motorsport 8's Dynamic Weather Will Offer Rain On Every Single Track, Unlike GT7
One of the biggest talking points for 2022's GT7 was its impressive new dynamic weather system. Races can go from sunny to rainy before you cross the finish line, and the dynamic weather sure keeps things interesting. However, the strange catch is that dynamic rain isn't offered on every single map in Gran Turismo 7.
The new Forza Motorsport 8, however, will feature developers Turn10 Studios' own dynamic weather system which players will be able to enjoy on every single map and track in the game. Every gamer has a right to make any map their favorite, and not being able to enjoy one of the game's best features on any particular track is a disservice that the 2023 Forza Motorsport game will certainly avoid.
2 Gran Turismo 7 Has Always Had Better Physics Than Forza Motorsport
For the longest time, Gran Turismo players have always had the bragging rights of having the more advanced and realistic physics engine in the game. This adds a truly realistic feel to the handling and weight of the cars in the game. Compared to the latest Forza Motorsport installment, which was the seventh installment, GT7 undeniably has a superior physics engine.
While Microsoft and Turn10 Studios have announced that the new, rebooted Forza Motorsport in 2023 will feature revamped physics this time around, the franchise has always had lighter feeling physics which could still fall short of Sony's flagship racing game.
1 The 2023 Forza Motorsport Will Also Be Available To PC Gamers Upon Launch, Making For A Bigger Audience
The Gran Turismo game franchise has always been exclusive to Sony's PlayStation consoles. The Forza series, however, be it the sim-cade Motorsport entrants or the Horizon arcade games come on both PC and Xbox consoles.
This will be the case for the upcoming soft reboot of the Forza Motorsport game as well, which will come to Xbox Series X/S as well as PC. Not only does this ensure a bigger player base for Microsoft's new game, but it also promises to have a bigger list of cars, seeing how even the last Forza Motorsport game had more cars than GT7 currently does.
Sources: forza.fandom.com, gran-turismo.fandom.com, racinggames.GG, GameRant