Gran Turismo PlayStation 4 players rejoice, Gran Turismo 7 will be launching on both PS4 and PS5!
Photo credit: Sony
As we reported last month and has now been confirmed, Gran Turismo 7 will launch for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
When revealed back on 11 June 2020 during Sony’s PS5 reveal stream, it seemed that GT7 was set to be available only for the latest PlayStation console. The game will be able to run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, taking advantage of the ninth-generation hardware.
Initially slated for a late 2021 release date, Polyphony Digital delayed Gran Turismo 7 by a year to give them as much time as possible to perfect the game. However even with this extra year, there were still fears from plenty of the playerbase that they wouldn’t be able to get the game.
Ever since its release, the PS5 has had significant supply issues and inflated prices, so there are still plenty of people unable to get one. This is what caused Polyphony to make the decision to allow the game to run on the PS4.
This will be the first primary release for the Gran Turismo franchise on more than one generation of console. The first two titles in the series released on the original PlayStation, the third and fourth on the PlayStation 2 and with the PlayStation 3 came the fifth and six instalments. Then for the PlayStation 4 there was Gran Turismo Sport, the most recent title which is seen as a soft spin-off due to its more online-focused gameplay.
In a PlayStation blog which confirms that players who buy the title for PS4 will be able to upgrade it when they get a PS5 for a small fee, Sony CEO Jim Ryan had the following to say:
I also want to confirm today that moving forward, PlayStation first-party exclusive cross-gen titles (newly releasing on PS4 & PS5) – both digital and physical* – will offer a $10 USD digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5. This will apply to the next God of War and Gran Turismo 7, and any other exclusive cross-gen PS4 & PS5 title published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Opinions divided
Whilst this news will bring a sigh of relief to those unable to obtain a PS5, it is nevertheless a point of contention. Those who already own a PS5 believe that this will mean that Gran Turismo 7 will be toned down so that the gap between PS4 and PS5 versions won’t be very big. The aim behind this would be to better facilitate cross-play.
There are plenty of games that span both Gen 8 and 9 consoles, such as F1 2021 which even allows PS4 and PS5 players to compete in the same lobbies. However it’s also possible that the two GT7 versions will be vastly different, which will act as an incentive for players to upgrade to PS5 while simulataneously letting them access the game until they can make that step up.
FIA Gran Turismo Championship competitor Lewis Bentley pointed out the difficulties that will come with having the game on both generations of console when it comes to the online competitive racing. This will inevitably cause friction within the FIA GTC if the PS5 version features tangible advantages.
Do you think the PS4 version of GT7 compromise the PS5 version too much? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
