F1 2022 (or F1 22 as it’s now officially known) has been formally unveiled by Codemasters, the developer of the yearly Formula 1 series. The game will be released on July 1 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, making it the first F1 game to support virtual reality on PC.
We don’t know which VR headsets are currently supported by F1 22 when it launches on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Origin. If you possess an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, or Oculus Quest 2, you should be alright (via Oculus Link). A native release of Quest, PlayStation VR compatibility, or whether or not it will support the PlayStation VR 2 when Sony releases their new headset are all yet unknown at this time.
Is there anything else that has changed this time? As it turns out, there are quite a few. The Miami International Autodrome, a new venue for the Miami Grand Prix in 2022, also makes its debut with the customary roster revisions, including the entire lineup of all 20 drivers and 10 teams. It has also been created a new adaptive AI system for “inexperienced gamers,” changing AI vehicle speeds based on your performance.
Otherwise, the new “F1 Life” option has been announced, a customisable centre where you may gather “supercars, apparel, accessories and more,” as well as other items. Seasons 2021 and 2022 have been added to Formula 2, offering a practise field before taking on the big leagues in the real world.
For the third year in a row, My Team returns, allowing you to construct your own Formula One team and govern it in a racing management mode. This isn’t to be confused with Frontier Developments’ planned F1 Manager 2022 game, which has a similar but extended idea.
Virtual reality has the potential to alter the course of history.
However, we’re most enthused about F1 22’s compatibility for virtual reality. In my opinion, Codemasters’ choice is a great one. It’s frustrating that VR is presently only available on PC, but there’s a level of immersion VR provides that can’t be matched.
While F1 22 is the first racing sim to enable virtual reality, it is by no means the only one to do so. Even Codemasters’ own DiRT Rally 2.0 was able to put us in the driving seat with Gran Turismo Sport, Driveclub VR, Assetto Corsa, and even DiRT Rally 2. I haven’t tried them all, but what I have is something I’ve enjoyed.
While this isn’t the first racing game to use virtual reality, F1 22 has a unique appeal since it brings the world’s most popular race into virtual reality. Even while these games have always included cockpit views, you’re still constrained to observing things via a TV or monitor. Taking the leap into virtual reality puts us right in the middle of the action.
At the speeds F1 vehicles achieve, I think it would be terrible to battle head-to-head with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. We’ve all seen the savage battles for power that men engage in, and we know it doesn’t often end well. My point here is not to bring up the past year’s title-decider controversy, but rather to bring up the memory of Monza. Crashing is a common occurrence when points are at stake.
Even yet, seeing such near encounters is amazing, so I’m all for virtual reality immersion.