Demo discs were a staple of the PS1 era, providing curated snippets of upcoming games for players to test out while waiting for the next big release. While digital demos have become commonplace on PS5 as well, a new free-to-play standalone version of Gran Turismo 7 takes the idea to a new level.
Out December 6, Sony is calling My First Gran Turismo a “special free-to-play invitation” to get new players to tryout the 2022 entry in its long-running racing franchise. The standalone download for PS4 and PS5, which won’t be locked behind a PS Plus subscription, includes the following:
- Three Time Trials
- Three Music Rally stage
- A full suite of License Tests
- 18 unique cars
- Kyoto Driving Park, Deep Forest Raceway, and Trial Mountain Circuit
- Support for PS VR2 (on PS5)
“This experience holds a special place in my heart, as it pays tribute to the origins of the first Gran Turismo, where players of all generations discovered the joys of driving,” wrote franchise head Kazunori Yamauchi over on the PlayStation Blog. “Whether it’s introducing kids to the joy of racing for the first time or reigniting a forgotten passion for driving, My First Gran Turismo was designed to be both approachable and immersive, created for everyone, with no limits on age or driving skill level.”
The release comes alongside PlayStation’s ongoing 30th anniversary event. The original Gran Turismo was one of the games that help put PlayStation on the map back when it entered the console race against Sega and Nintendo in 1994. The first game went on to sell over 10 million copies. Gran Turismo 7 is also a great game outside of its modern car economy grind and microtransactions. It even has four-player splitscreen. The full game is normally $70 on PS5, but is currently marked down to $30 for the next couple of weeks.
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