If last week’s keynote with Kunos Simulazioni’s Marco Massarutto detailing what’s to come in the third major update for Assetto Corsa EVO piqued your interest, you’re in luck: you can get to grips with it right now. Although there’s a catch.
As a quick reminder, update 0.3 will introduce the first step in the game’s multiplayer offerings, two new tracks, and nine new cars to thrash around the many twists and turns of the game’s current selection of track venues, in addition to performance optimizations, and new suspension and tire physics.
While the update itself still has no official release date set in stone, players can take the opportunity to test drive (pun thoroughly intended) the update as Kunos has released an “open” beta for 0.3. Yes, that’s a beta for an update for a game that is itself already in early access; what a time to be alive.
Luckily, as an open beta, there’s no restrictions on taking part other than being an early access player. All current owners of the game can now opt into a special test branch for 0.3, and take all of the content and features, including multiplayer, and put it through its paces.
That said, there are a few hoops to jump through:
- Find Assetto Corsa Evo in your Steam library and right-click on it
- Select “Properties”
- Select the fourth option down, “Betas”
- In the “Private Betas” section, insert the following password: h5gUeGopJOlM5yoJlgFu
- Click “Check Code”
- Select the “multiplayer-beta” from the “Beta Participation” drop-down menu
And that’s all. Once you’ve done this, a 3.8 GB update will begin, and once it’s completed you will be able to see everything 0.3 has to offer.
Fear not if all you want to do is get a quick peek and go back to the last stable build of the game and wait for the official release. All you’d need to do is select “None” from the same “Beta Participation” drop-down menu and your game will be returned to its previous state.
From our quick preliminary testing with the Ferrari F2004 around Spa using a pad, there’s an immediate difference in feeling in transitional grip. Slides feel far more progressive (not to mention recoverable) than before, and the audio is pleasing to our ears.
It’s worth pointing out that this test branch will only be available until the official launch of the third update. Although we don’t actually know when that’ll be, it’s likely to be sooner rather than later, so you’d better get a move on.
See more articles on Assetto Corsa EVO Early Acces and Assetto Corsa EVO Game Update.
