Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios have decided not to bring the full Forza 6 experience to Windows straight away. Instead, they want to test the waters for the game existing on PCs while developing the technology underneath that makes it possible to run Forza on Windows. The established racing franchise is an iconic console brand and the companies are unsure how accepting PC gamers will be.
The market is difficult for Microsoft to enter. The PC already has its fair share of racing games launched within the past 18 months. Assetto Corsa, Project CARS and DiRT Rally have largely quenched the thirst for modern driving games, focusing on intense simulation that more befits a PC experience.
The PC landscape is very different than that of the one-size-fits-all console market as racing fans are likely to have invested in specialist hardware such as multi-monitor setups and force feedback steering wheels and pedals. Microsoft and Turn 10 will have to deliver if PC gamers are to become hooked on Forza.
Forza Motorsport: 6 Apex brings what Microsoft is calling a “curated” Forza 6 experience to the table. It is based around a 12-event “Showcase Tour” that introduces players to the franchise and cars using cutscene videos narrated by automotive stars including James May and Richard Hammond, presenters of the BBC’s Top Gear until last year.
63 fully-functioning cars are included, each with a working cockpit and full damage model. The line-up hasn’t been revealed yet but includes the 2017 Ford GT, 2014 Audi #2 Audi Team Joest R18 e-tron quattro and the 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455. The cars can be raced on 20 tracks in six locations: Brands Hatch, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Rio de Janeiro, Sebring International Raceway, Yas Marina and the Top Gear test track.
The game is built on top of an updated version of Turn 10’s proprietary ForzaTech game engine. It has ported the engine to run on DirectX 12 and Windows 10, making a PC version of the game possible. The DirectX 12 version of ForzaTech can be run in resolutions up to 4K and at 60fps, upping the Forza visuals beyond anything seen before.
The detailed damage model, interior cockpit system, night racing and rain effects of the console edition of Forza 6 have been retained in Apex, giving PC players a good overview of what the franchise can offer. Essentially, this is the point of Apex though: a taster of what could come next should gamers accept it.
Forza Motorsport 6: Apex will be launched in the Windows Store this spring and will be completely free to play. It is likely that future Forza titles will be available on the Xbox One and Windows 10 as Microsoft is currently converging PC and console gaming towards a centralised Xbox service.
Today, Microsoft revealed the cover car for the next version of Forza, widely expected to be the third open-world Forza Horizon game while Turn 10 develops Forza 7 for launch next year. The next game, whether it be Forza Motorsport 7 or Forza Horizon 3, will be headed by the 770-horsepower Lamborghini Centenario, capable of reaching speeds of 350km/h.
