F1 23 is officially revealed, and EA Sports is bringing PC VR back to its annual racing series this June.
Note: This article was updated on May 10 to reflect EA's statement about plans to support PSVR 2, Quest 2 and other VR platforms. The original piece, published May 3, continues below.
After supporting PC VR in F1 22, it's little surprise to see Codemasters confirm that it's back once again. Unveiled earlier today after several previous teases, F1 23 features the usual roster updates you'd expect from an annual sports series, alongside two new tracks; the Las Vegas Street Circuit and the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar. That includes "legacy circuits" like Circuit Paul Ricard, Shanghai International Circuit, and the Algarve International Circuit.
There's a few larger changes, too. Braking Point returns with a new narrative-driven story mode, this time based around the fictional Konnersport Racing Team. F1 World streamlines online elements into one hub, while a new vehicle upgrade system awards "Tech Points" for improvements after hitting set criteria. Red flags during races, a new 35% racing distance and handling upgrades are also promised.
Codemasters is keeping busy in VR recently. Alongside F1 22 and Dirt Rally 2.0, January saw GRID Legends become Codemasters' first native Quest 2 release, though we weren't terribly fond of this port in our review. As for F1 22, we enjoyed it in our Recommended review, believing it offered an enjoyable VR update for the annual series but conceded it needs further work.
Codemasters has captured Formula 1’s more thrilling aspects brilliantly in VR for F1 22 and I’ve never felt so immersed in a racing game before... While I’m sad to see the story mode go and didn’t care hugely for F1 Life, I can see F1 22 appealing to both long-term series fans and newcomers seeking a fresh racer.
F1 23 arrives on June 16 for PC VR or June 13 if you pre-order the Champions Edition. When asked if there are any plans to support PSVR 2, Quest 2 or other VR platforms, an EA representative told UploadVR that "F1 23 will only support VR on PC."
Henry Stockdale
