Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Discussion Thread

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The Season 5 Patch 1 Update came through with relatively few bugs. DLC packages for real money offered two more widebody cars (R35 and M4 Comp) which were far superior to the normal versions in game but far too expensive when wrapped in packages including clothing, stickers, wheels, liveries, etc. Default setups were both reasonable. Force feedback was decent.

DLSS 4.5 for users of high end series 5 Nvidia Graphics cards gave us a decent framerate boost by allowing us to drop from DLSS 4 Quality to DLSS 4.5 Performance mode without losing significant graphical fidelity. End result, slightly better fps.

The biggest bummers in the patch: Lambo Huracan nerfed by 83 points and thus slowed by about a minute on Ruby Crown. Both R8 Special Editions nerfed (27-33 points if I recall). AMG GT BLack Series (Casino Car) also nerfed, but only by 11 points which honestly didn't hurt it much. There may be more nerfs, but I haven't been able to check them all out yet.

In summary then, the title continues to limp along while we wait for rendering pipeline optimizations which should appear in February. Till then, unless you have high end hardware and can tolerate wildly fluctuating framerates, I suggest only buying during a considerable sale or continuing to hold off. That said, I continue to enjoy the title despite it all.

If I recall correctly, they updated their Logitech SDK which broke DFGT compatibility. And, some Logitech users are still reporting odd behavior in game (as if the wheel spring only affected steering in one direction). As, for Moza, I personally have no issues but Moza in combination with the Xbox compatible wheel, may result in some binding issues.

I also continue to have over 1000 hours in game because the force feedback wheel handling model makes tuning the cars very rewarding, even when it relies on unconventional methods. I continue to test and enjoy 70 different cars on the Ruby Crown (a 35-42 min race against up to three others with 4 AI cars OR solo with 7 AI cars).
 
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fwyflyer
The Season 5 Patch 1 Update came through with relatively few bugs. DLC packages for real money offered two more widebody cars (R35 and M4 Comp) which were far superior to the normal versions in game but far too expensive when wrapped in packages including clothing, stickers, wheels, liveries, etc. Default setups were both reasonable. Force feedback was decent.

DLSS 4.5 for users of high end series 5 Nvidia Graphics cards gave us a decent framerate boost by allowing us to drop from DLSS 4 Quality to DLSS 4.5 Performance mode without losing significant graphical fidelity. End result, slightly better fps.

The biggest bummers in the patch: Lambo Huracan nerfed by 83 points and thus slowed by about a minute on Ruby Crown. Both R8 Special Editions nerfed (27-33 points if I recall). AMG GT BLack Series (Casino Car) also nerfed, but only by 11 points which honestly didn't hurt it much. There may be more nerfs, but I haven't been able to check them all out yet.

In summary then, the title continues to limp along while we wait for rendering pipeline optimizations which should appear in February. Till then, unless you have high end hardware and can tolerate wildly fluctuating framerates, I suggest only buying during a considerable sale or continuing to hold off. That said, I continue to enjoy the title despite it all.

If I recall correctly, they updated their Logitech SDK which broke DFGT compatibility. And, some Logitech users are still reporting odd behavior in game (as if the wheel spring only affected steering in one direction). As, for Moza, I personally have no issues but Moza in combination with the Xbox compatible wheel, may result in some binding issues.

I also continue to have over 1000 hours in game because the force feedback wheel handling model makes tuning the cars very rewarding, even when it relies on unconventional methods. I continue to test and enjoy 70 different cars on the Ruby Crown (a 35-42 min race against up to three others with 4 AI cars OR solo with 7 AI cars).
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Each updates I lauch the game just to see how it elvoves and I quit it about 20 minutes later, there is no point of wasting time on this
On PS5 performances are still really bad, the game still feel empy and generic, bad design decisions remains

I's now 2 years since the game is out and still isn't fix, they put expensives micro transactions, promises a lot and keep pushing back the things people are waiting the most, but they are really to implement sitting option for avatars and payed dlc, seriously ?

I was expecting a lot for this game, it could been great, but right now it's just a half bake generic crap with rotten core mécanics, and by may it will be long forgoten with FH6 coming

What I was expecting, and what I expect for a new TDU make by competent and pasionnate people :
  • Luxury and realistic tone, no childish street vs sharp non sense
  • Physical concessions made by brands like the old TDU
  • A location that match luxury and cruising identity (sunny, beautiful landscapes)
  • Races inspired by real events (ex gunball, sport car rallys)
  • Realistic traffic and city with life !
  • Housing related to social status and car collection like old TDU
  • Interresting missions with a story and a purpose
  • Only soft customisation or no customisation at all, this not the focus of the game
  • Simcade gameplay with a greater focus on realism (like no ABS or TCS on vintage cars)
  • separate online mode with up to 10/12 people with no country limitations
  • a range of cars maching the tone and the identity of TDU, exclusive and luxury cars

This is few key ideas I have for this franchise, this is too much change for TDUSC to his core, and KT is nowhere able to deliver
I wish this sad épisode will end with KT, and I wish some other studio could bring back TDU again and start fresh
 
Keeps coming up at "almost tempting" prices, but im being staunch Ive a ton of half baked driving games with less than 10hours on them... This is firmly NFS territory of mediocrity and poor design choices, the gameplay on the demo was hiss...
 
evldave333
Keeps coming up at "almost tempting" prices, but im being staunch Ive a ton of half baked driving games with less than 10hours on them... This is firmly NFS territory of mediocrity and poor design choices, the gameplay on the demo was hiss...
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If you have a good direct drive wheel and a really good computer with top notch graphics and an nvme.2 ssd, it is worth playing. But, if you have anything less than a 4070ti, you probably want to stay away until March when the first PC optimizations are supposed to be in.

Meantime, I am still playing the heck out of it because I really enjoy tuning the cars and feeling the changes in their force feedback. If you are a tuner, you'll find this VERY challenging though as a lot of the tuning features were clearly programmed by non car people and hence do not follow logic nor experience. Tuning is a matter of test and feel and modify...
 
Been playing the game recently on a mid-low tier laptop and it runs fine at lowest settings. I hope season 5's update 2 will correct the enormous late-terrain loading my big PC has since apparently the devs are gonna do PC improvements work.

I'm enjoying this game and The Crew Motorfest due to FOMO being lower than before.
 
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Johnny Caisse
Been playing the game recently on a mid-low tier laptop and it runs fine at lowest settings. I hope season 5's update 2 will correct the enormous late-terrain loading my big PC has since apparently the devs are gonna do PC improvements work.

I'm enjoying this game and The Crew Motorfest due to FOMO being lower than before.
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The next update circa Feb 14 is specifically console optimization. PC optimizations start in March in theory.
 
fwyflyer
The next update circa Feb 14 is specifically console optimization. PC optimizations start in March in theory.
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At least it's still planned.😊

Also I wonder if the devs will increase the level cap at some point again.

I wouldn't mind getting prestiges like in Forza Horizon 4 and 5 even if it would be just for show! 👍
 
fwyflyer
I was considering a VPN to start anew on the European servers. If it was relatively easy to copy my setups over, I probably would.
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I wonder if the devs at some point will allow players to run some quick races vs. AI. Probably not until Offline is added or not at all, right?

Edit: I also hope legibility of the HUD and map objects will get improved.
 
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Johnny Caisse
I wonder if the devs at some point will allow players to run some quick races vs. AI. Probably not until Offline is added or not at all, right?

Edit: I also hope legibility of the HUD and map objects will get improved.
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[Providing explanation for those who haven't played yet...]
Most of the game currently IS racing against the AI as you can rarely find another human player in game. So, when you enter a race lobby, you have the choice to opt for SOLO (against 7 AI) or MULTIPLAYER (against at one more human players and enough AI to fill an eight car roster.) MULTIPLAYER gives a 50% bonus. SOLO gets a bonus based on difficulty where EXPERT maxes at a 40% bonus.

As for quick races, we teleport to the nearest Store/Gas station/Meeting place and drive to each race (no more than a minute or two of driving to get there). So, I feel like we already have quick races vs. AI.

As for the map itself, it has been slightly re-organized but I agree that it is still far too busy and it still lacks decent filters. So, while we can filter for Live Events, Crown Races, etc., we still can't filter for eligible races for our currently selected car or even car type [Daily Driver, Country Car, Grand Touring, Supercar, or Hypercar]. As a result, after purchasing a new car, it is often a daunting task to find a dry course to test it on and tune it on. This is especially the case with outlier cars, like pre-1970 cars, low power level cars or extreme power level cars. I am completely dumbfounded by this MAJOR FILTERING omission.
 
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fwyflyer
[Providing explanation for those who haven't played yet...]
Most of the game currently IS racing against the AI as you can rarely find another human player in game. So, when you enter a race lobby, you have the choice to opt for SOLO (against 7 AI) or MULTIPLAYER (against at one more human players and enough AI to fill an eight car roster.) MULTIPLAYER gives a 50% bonus. SOLO gets a bonus based on difficulty where EXPERT maxes at a 40% bonus.

As for quick races, we teleport to the nearest Store/Gas station/Meeting place and drive to each race (no more than a minute or two of driving to get there). So, I feel like we already have quick races vs. AI.

As for the map itself, it has been slightly re-organized but I agree that it is still far too busy and it still lacks decent filters. So, while we can filter for Live Events, Crown Races, etc., we still can't filter for eligible races for our currently selected car or even car type [Daily Driver, Country Car, Grand Touring, Supercar, or Hypercar]. As a result, after purchasing a new car, it is often a daunting task to find a dry course to test it on and tune it on. This is especially the case with outlier cars, like pre-1970 cars, low power level cars or extreme power level cars. I am completely dumbfounded by this MAJOR FILTERING omission.
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My bad 😅 meant to say... er, what was it called... instant challenges vs. AI. I don't dare doing those vs. players because I'd get beyond roasted and probably rammed. It's specifically for the trophy.
 
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Short update. Season 5 Patch 2 came out today. Despite the extensive patch notes, some Logitech wheelbase issues remain unfixed. Moza wheelbases are no longer showing 1:1 movement in the in-car steering view and Moza lost significant ffb strength and fidelity. For the moment, Moza users are having to reduce wheel range in wheelbase software in order to re-gain ffb effects, etc. It is nowhere near as good as it was prior to the most recent patch. This leads to significant degradation in lap times.

As for the Hellcat, fortunately the turbo upgrade was not stripped from the Hellcat which makes sense because a turbo and a supercharger basically do the same thing. And, whether it sounds like a turbo or supercharger is nowhere near as important as preserving boost in general.

As for the most recent DLC, parts upgrade costs are still bugged.

So, don't get your hopes up. This patch was a net downgrade for PC users.

Consoles were supposed to have seen significant graphical optimizations but jury is still out on said optimizations.

PCs wont see graphical optimizations until [at least] March.
 
Last edited:
fwyflyer
Short update. Season 5 Patch 2 came out today. Despite the extensive patch notes, some Logitech wheelbase issues remain unfixed. Moza wheelbases are no longer showing 1:1 movement in the in-car steering view and Moza lost significant ffb strength and fidelity. For the moment, Moza users are having to reduce wheel range in wheelbase software in order to re-gain ffb effects, etc. It is nowhere near as good as it was prior to the most recent patch. This leads to significant degradation in lap times.

As for the Hellcat, fortunately the turbo upgrade was not stripped from the Hellcat which makes sense because a turbo and a supercharger basically do the same thing. And, whether it sounds like a turbo or supercharger is nowhere near as important as preserving boost in general.

As for the most recent DLC, parts upgrade costs are still bugged.

So, don't get your hopes up. This patch was a net downgrade for PC users.

Consoles were supposed to have seen significant graphical optimizations but jury is still out on said optimizations.

PCs wont see graphical optimizations until [at least] March.
Click to expand...
I did a quick test yesterday on PS5 pro, graphics seems a tad better, performance also in graphics mode, I've not tested performance mode, and game seems to finaly stop crashing randomely on PS5
HDR is broken, all blacks are now kind of dirty grey, they removed the sliders to set the HDR (hight and low point)
Adaptatives triggers are still bugged on dualsense, they are all full force and no way to set them to another ratio, this is a issue since the launch of the S5

Otherwise, nothing really change, game is still poor, the good and interesting stuff are locked behind a FOMO system and is still repetitive as hell

There is still this always online non sense, still the obligation to get trought this soulless suite & lobby, still the same traffics with mustang and ranges that is nowhere like real HK traffic (did they ever get there ?)

I could have been way better
At this rate this studio may deliver a complete game in 2 years if they survive
On my side, I don't find anay motivation to play this game more than 20 min at each update, there is so much more better games right now and FH6 is going to kill it, they missed the train
 
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kartman21
Last chance to grab new players, desperate mesure, soon it will be on game pass
I'm really angry to myself for having paid full price for this...
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It works though. I’ll give it a go now, even if it’s only to cruise around and explore.

(Game is also on sale at the moment for £10, which is actually the same price as the PS Plus Extra sub for 1 month.)
 
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Fezzik
It works though. I’ll give it a go now, even if it’s only to cruise around and explore.

(Game is also on sale at the moment for £10, which is actually the same price as the PS Plus Extra sub for 1 month.)
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The game is easily worth £10, even if you just play the "base content" I.e. the map exploration and "career mode" stuff.

Avoid the Alpine as your starter car as that handles dreadfully.
 
I did a ultimate playthrought before I uninstaled the game, physics are really weird and what pissed me (a lot) is how the HK city is so dead, seriously, did the dev ever go to HK or just watch youtube video ? There is no imersion to the culture, even the traffic is WTF (despite taxis)

Sleeping dogs make a HK city so much more interesting and alive than this TDU HK

This game is a huge missed oportunity
 
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kartman21
I did a ultimate playthrought before I uninstaled the game, physics are really weird and what pissed me (a lot) is how the HK city is so dead, seriously, did the dev ever go to HK or just watch youtube video ? There is no imersion to the culture, even the traffic is WTF (despite taxis)

Sleeping dogs make a HK city so much more interesting and alive than this TDU HK

This game is a huge missed oportunity
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I think the Dev simply bit off a whole bunch more than it could chew. Moreover, I don't think the Dev had anywhere near enough experience with multiplayer games to offer an "MMO Racing" game, much less an entire game world worth walking around in. That said, the roots showed promise. The follow through not so much.... I don't think there has ever been slower patching of a "live" game in the history of "live" games. They claim they will support the game for at least two years and probably more. Unfortunately, two years of Dev's support isn't worth much when done at such a snail's pace or when introducing so many game breaking bugs while attempting to patch other bugs. As for understanding TDU DNA and drip feeding new content, do you really think TDU DNA includes offering taxi drives to clients who may puke in your car or complain when you exceed the speed limit? The fact that they haven't even begun to make this game run at 60 fps even on low settings on mainstream computers just boggles my mind. Moreover, how can you possibly hope to make money on a PC title where only godly computers stand even a chance of running the title satisfactorily?
 
traxion.gg

Nacon temporarily suspends stock exchange trading, requires “rapid implementation of a financial restructuring”

Bigben Interactive’s bank blockage and failure to pay part of €43 million in owed bonds have escalated Nacon’s level of financial stress.
traxion.gg traxion.gg


Nacon temporarily suspends stock exchange trading, requires “rapid implementation of a financial restructuring”​

Thomas Harrison-Lord
Thomas Harrison-Lord
Bigben Interactive’s bank blockage and failure to pay part of €43 million in owed bonds have escalated Nacon’s level of financial stress.
Bigben Interactive’s bank blockage and failure to pay part of €43 million in owed bonds have escalated Nacon’s level of financial stress.
Image: Nacon's Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

Nacon has temporarily stopped trading publicly, as the gaming company suffers from the ramifications of its parent company’s debt struggles.

The French gaming giant is owned by Bigben Interactive, which has a 56.72% stake. On 17th February 2026, BBI announced that it had failed to secure the €43 million it required to pay owed bonds.

In this instance, the banks it was dealing with refused to release the necessary funds. Consequently, it said it would explore “the possibility of resorting to procedures designed to facilitate the restructuring of its debt under the supervision of the commercial court.”

At the time, Nacon said it would be “carefully studying the consequences of such a situation on its own activities and the financing associated with them.”

Nacon logo

Now, however, on the 20th February, things have escalated, with the pausing of trading on Euronext Paris stock exchange. The tone of Nacon’s release is sterner, too:

“The Company [Nacon] announces today that this situation is having a significant impact on its own activities.

“The Company’s [Nacon] liquidity position requires the rapid implementation of a financial restructuring with its creditors in order to ensure the continuity of its operations.

“The Company [Nacon] is considering the use of procedures aimed at facilitating the restructuring of its debt under the supervision of the commercial court.”

Nacon is a large gaming company, producing gamepads, headsets and accessories, alongside its own development studios and a publishing arm.

WRC Generations' Leagues progress now rectified
WRC Generations – Nacon’s most recent WRC game, ahead of an all-new title planned for 2027
In the racing game segment, it is behind Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, plus the upcoming Endurance Motorsport Series, a rebooted MXGP series and has the World Rally Championship licence. A new WRC game by Nacon is expected in 2027. It also recently published Rennsport on PlayStation and Xbox.

“In light of the above, the Company announces that it has requested Euronext Paris to suspend trading in its shares ISIN : FR0013482791 as of market opening today. It has also been decided to suspend the liquidity contract on Nacon’s shares,” it said.

“The suspension will remain in effect until further notice is published by the Company, expected in the coming days.”
 
nukleabomb
traxion.gg

Nacon temporarily suspends stock exchange trading, requires “rapid implementation of a financial restructuring”

Bigben Interactive’s bank blockage and failure to pay part of €43 million in owed bonds have escalated Nacon’s level of financial stress.
traxion.gg traxion.gg


Nacon temporarily suspends stock exchange trading, requires “rapid implementation of a financial restructuring”​

Thomas Harrison-Lord
Thomas Harrison-Lord
Bigben Interactive’s bank blockage and failure to pay part of €43 million in owed bonds have escalated Nacon’s level of financial stress.
Bigben Interactive’s bank blockage and failure to pay part of €43 million in owed bonds have escalated Nacon’s level of financial stress.
Image: Nacon's Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

Nacon has temporarily stopped trading publicly, as the gaming company suffers from the ramifications of its parent company’s debt struggles.

The French gaming giant is owned by Bigben Interactive, which has a 56.72% stake. On 17th February 2026, BBI announced that it had failed to secure the €43 million it required to pay owed bonds.

In this instance, the banks it was dealing with refused to release the necessary funds. Consequently, it said it would explore “the possibility of resorting to procedures designed to facilitate the restructuring of its debt under the supervision of the commercial court.”

At the time, Nacon said it would be “carefully studying the consequences of such a situation on its own activities and the financing associated with them.”

Nacon logo

Now, however, on the 20th February, things have escalated, with the pausing of trading on Euronext Paris stock exchange. The tone of Nacon’s release is sterner, too:

“The Company [Nacon] announces today that this situation is having a significant impact on its own activities.

“The Company’s [Nacon] liquidity position requires the rapid implementation of a financial restructuring with its creditors in order to ensure the continuity of its operations.

“The Company [Nacon] is considering the use of procedures aimed at facilitating the restructuring of its debt under the supervision of the commercial court.”

Nacon is a large gaming company, producing gamepads, headsets and accessories, alongside its own development studios and a publishing arm.

WRC Generations' Leagues progress now rectified' Leagues progress now rectified
WRC Generations – Nacon’s most recent WRC game, ahead of an all-new title planned for 2027
In the racing game segment, it is behind Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, plus the upcoming Endurance Motorsport Series, a rebooted MXGP series and has the World Rally Championship licence. A new WRC game by Nacon is expected in 2027. It also recently published Rennsport on PlayStation and Xbox.

“In light of the above, the Company announces that it has requested Euronext Paris to suspend trading in its shares ISIN : FR0013482791 as of market opening today. It has also been decided to suspend the liquidity contract on Nacon’s shares,” it said.

“The suspension will remain in effect until further notice is published by the Company, expected in the coming days.”
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That's a damn shame. I was starting to enjoy TDU Solar Crown with AI drivers as competition. What would happen if the company closes? The game just vanishes?
 
Sad story, but all the bad decisions they have made lead to this...
Regarding TDU they made lot of promises, I doubt they succeed to keep it
I just want them to stabilize it, get rid on the online component and move on
Maybe the best for the license is selling the IP to a competent studio and stop wasting time and money on this crap
 

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