EA Sports has made “significant updates” to the physics and handling in F1 2024, resulting in cars that “feel more alive” and give players “more control.”
F1 2024, the latest entry in the long-running series, will be released on May 31, though you get three days of early access if you buy the Champions Edition. And now, EA Sports has lifted the lid on the revamped handling system teased in February.
The developer has made several changes to physics and handling, which culminate in what EA Sports calls the EA Sports Dynamic Handling model and form “the most important part of any racing game.”
In an F1 2024 preview event that Dot Esports attended, further details were provided about the changes and how they’ll impact players when they hit the track—and it certainly seems like the alterations will make a difference.
Casey Ringley, F1 2024‘s senior game designer and vehicle handling lead, explained they made the changes “with the goal of giving the player more control of the car than ever before,” including new tire modeling.
With the changes in place, the driving style of each player will “significantly influence tire performance and wear,” according to Ringley—so players will need to be strategic in the moves they make when battling their rivals.
Lee Mather, senior creative director, said these changes “bring it in line” with what fans see in Formula 1 races across the globe and are also reflected in adjustments to the Power Unit, making cars provide “useful feedback” like they would in the real world.
We’ll have to wait to see exactly how the changes feel when we get behind the wheel in F1 2024 next month, but they certainly seem encouraging. Interestingly, Ringley compared the handling with that of F1 2022, a popular entry in the series, which provides further hope.
