Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7
Information
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Developer	Polyphony Digital
Publisher	Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform	PlayStation VR2 (VR mode); PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (base game)
Device	PlayStation VR2
Operating System	PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Type	Game
Genre	Sim racing
Input Device	DualSense controller, compatible racing wheels
Play Area	Seated
Game Mode	Single-player, Online multiplayer
Release Date	Base game: March 4, 2022; PS VR2 update (1.29): February 21, 2023
Price	Free VR upgrade for existing owners
App Store	PlayStation Store
Website	https://www.gran-turismo.com

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See also: VR Apps and VR Games

Gran Turismo 7 is a sim racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It launched on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on March 4, 2022. On February 21, 2023, a free update (version 1.29) added full virtual reality support through the PlayStation VR2 headset on PS5, making the entire game playable in VR rather than a separate mode or demo.

The VR upgrade arrived one day before the PlayStation VR2 hardware went on sale (February 22, 2023). UploadVR described the game as a PlayStation VR2 launch title. Every car and track in the game is playable in VR, and the implementation uses PlayStation VR2 hardware features including eye tracking with foveated rendering and dynamic 3D audio.

Gameplay

Gran Turismo 7 is a racing simulator covering road cars and race cars across real and fictional circuits. Modes include a single-player campaign built around the "GT Cafe" (a series of car-collection menus that structure progression), the competitive online "Sport" mode, arcade races, license tests, and time trials. The base game shipped with about 420 cars and expanded through free updates; later versions list more than 500 cars and over 100 track layouts.

In VR the player races from a first-person cockpit view. The PlayStation VR2 headset's position tracking ties the in-game viewpoint to the player's actual head movement, so the driver can look into corners and check mirrors and apexes by turning their head, while the car interior is rendered in stereoscopic 3D. Sony's promotional material highlighted a "VR Showroom" added by the update, where players can inspect car models in high detail across twelve selectable backgrounds.

VR support is not limited to a single mode. The official documentation states that the upgrade applies to "every race and game mode" with one exception: 2P Split Screen is not compatible with PlayStation VR2. Standard online multiplayer, including ranked Sport-mode racing and lobbies, can be played in VR. Reviewers noted that menus, replays, and mid-race pit stops are presented on a flat screen rather than in the stereoscopic VR view.

The PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers are not used; VR play requires a DualSense controller or a compatible racing wheel. When played with a DualSense, the game supports the controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

Development

Gran Turismo 7 was directed by Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of the Gran Turismo series, at Polyphony Digital, a first-party studio owned by Sony. The base game was the eighth main entry in the series and the first numbered entry to release on PlayStation 5.

Polyphony Digital had previously shipped VR features in Gran Turismo titles: Gran Turismo Sport (2017) included a limited "VR Tour" mode for the original PlayStation VR that allowed only one-on-one races against a single AI opponent. The Gran Turismo 7 PlayStation VR2 update was a broader implementation that covered the full game. The VR mode renders at 60 frames per second and uses reprojection to output at the headset's 120 Hz refresh rate.

The update used PlayStation VR2 specific hardware features. Eye tracking drives foveated rendering, which concentrates rendering detail in the area the player is looking at to reduce the workload elsewhere; the update also added optimized HDR tone mapping and dynamic 3D audio. The same 1.29 update introduced the "Gran Turismo Sophy" AI in a limited-time "Race Together" mode, separate from the VR feature.

In November 2024, update 1.54 added PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements. Polyphony Digital stated that PlayStation VR2 rendering quality was improved on PS5 Pro, with smoother motion via the headset's positional reprojection, although the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling used for flat-screen play on PS5 Pro was not applied to the VR view.

Release

Platform / version	Date	Notes
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5	March 4, 2022	Base game release (flat screen)
PlayStation VR2 (update 1.29)	February 21, 2023	Free VR upgrade on PS5; rollout began February 20, 2023 at 10pm PST
PlayStation VR2 hardware launch	February 22, 2023	VR upgrade shipped one day earlier; reviewed as a PS VR2 launch title
PlayStation 5 Pro (update 1.54)	November 21, 2024	Adds PS5 Pro enhancements, including improved PS VR2 rendering

The VR upgrade was delivered free to existing owners of the PS5 version; no separate VR edition was sold.

Reception

The base game was well received by critics. The PS5 version holds a Metacritic score of 87/100 and the PS4 version 82/100. It won Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards 2022. Within the first two weeks after launch, the game was review bombed by players on Metacritic over its microtransactions and the time required to earn in-game credits, with some cars priced at the equivalent of about 200 US dollars in real money; Polyphony Digital subsequently apologized and adjusted credit payouts.

The PlayStation VR2 version was received positively as a showcase for the headset. UploadVR, reviewing it on February 24, 2023, called Gran Turismo 7 with PlayStation VR2 "a must for racing fans" and "one of the most potent racing sims ever to grace VR," praising the cockpit detail, mirrors, and weather effects in VR while noting limited comfort options and that menus, replays, and split-screen remain outside the stereoscopic VR view.