Today, the developers of BeamNG.drive release update v0.30 bringing a new car, a map expansion and, most interestingly, VR support. Here’s all you need to know.
Launched in 2015, BeamNG.drive has come along way throughout its early access development. In fact, it now offers a number of free roam maps, an expansive car list and brilliant soft-body crash physics to provide much fun.
In recent years, the game has gradually received many updates, the most recent of which releases today. Version 0.30 brings a slue of new content, plenty of fixes and one feature that is sure to get mouths drooling. Indeed, BeamNG.Drive is now available to play in VR.
VR Coming to BeamNG
With modern tech getting ever better, virtual reality is a standard part of racing games and sim racing. Many times, a ‘no VR, no buy’ mentality sweeps the community which, in today’s age, is totally warranted.
All those that only play racing games in VR will now get to purchase BeamNG.drive as update 0.30 includes the feature.
Despite presenting in an experimental form according to the developers, it seems to include many functionalities that other games miss out on. The in-cockpit camera and walking mode will both support VR with a simple on-off switch making screen gameplay easily accessible. Directional audio, position-aware mirrors and even 3D switches accessible through one’s hand-held controllers will provide a great sense of immersion.
To run BeamNG in VR, all you need to do is own an OpenXR-compatible headset and launch the game in SteamVR. A work in progress feature according to the devs, one cannot expect a polished product from the get-go. But the addition of virtual reality is certainly an exciting step.
New content
If you do not have a VR headset, there is plenty of new content to get your juices flowing for this new BeamNG update as well. Indeed, new places to explore and new vehicles to do it in both come in version 0.30.
First up is the Hirochi Aurata. A two-seat off-road buggy powered by a 3-cylinder engine, it will be perfect for small off-road races. A variety of modifications are reportedly available for this buggy ranging from low-level tunes to professional engine upgrades. Available as both a RWD and AWD, there are many options to play around with.
This vehicle will be perfect for exploring a sizeable expansion to the West Coast, USA map. Adding a new island location to the San Francisco-esque city, the expansion brings new roads and plenty of challenges. With a network of tunnels passing under the island, there will be lots to explore. But also many areas to test out the game’s infamous crash physics.
Finally, when you do end up stacking your shiny new car into a wall, BeamNG provides new trailers to easily drive back to the garage. The tilt-deck trailer will make for realistic car purchasing scenes. But also the opportunity to set up jumps with nothing other than a trailer. The enclosed cargo trailer is sure to feature in the many new challenges. Enabling players to deliver small items using a less powerful truck, there is a lot of potential there.
Fixes and Improvements
In addition to the headline features, BeamNG receives many improvements to both to its basic engine and some vital bug fixes in this update. The most prominent of which is surely a revamp to the gear shift system.
Rather than simply asking for a gear, each button press will be timed, with the game figuring out how urgent the shift should be. Therefore, one will notice sympathetic city driving gear shifts taking longer than the ruthless tug one would perform in a racing scenario. Over time, the different styles are sure to affect the gearbox’s reliability adding to the game’s immersion.
Elsewhere, fuel stations will work on all maps meaning longer play time will be possible. The UI markers will also be different in this newest version of the game. Furthermore, some changes to a selection of cars come with the update. Finally, the props list is now expanded for mission creators.
Will you try out this latest BeamNG.Drive update? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
