Gran Turismo 7 is a 2022 sim racing video game created by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the eighth main game and the thirteenth overall in the Gran Turismo series, following Gran Turismo Sport (2017). The game was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Gran Turismo 7 includes virtual reality (VR) support through PlayStation VR2, which was added for free in the game.
Critics generally gave the game positive reviews, praising its graphics and gameplay. However, some players had negative reactions, criticizing the use of microtransactions and the need for repetitive tasks to progress. The game received many low scores from players on Metacritic, resulting in the lowest Metascore for a Sony-published title.
Gameplay
Gran Turismo 7 includes the return of the single-player campaign, called GT Simulation Mode. Other returning features are traditional racing tracks and vehicles, Special Events, Championships, Driving School, Tuning Parts Shop, Used Cars dealership, and GT Auto. The game also keeps new features from Gran Turismo Sport, such as GT Sport Mode, Brand Central, and Discover (now called Showcase). Players must complete tasks called "Menu Books" in the GT Café to unlock features like multiplayer, all tracks, and all cars.
The game includes dynamic time and weather effects, which were also in Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6. Even though the game has a single-player campaign, like Gran Turismo Sport, players need a constant internet connection and a PlayStation Network account to save their progress. The game’s creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, explains that this rule helps prevent cheating. However, Arcade mode can be played without an internet connection.
The PlayStation 5 version uses the console’s improved processing power, ray-tracing hardware, custom solid-state drive, Tempest Engine, and DualSense controller to support features like advanced haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, real-time ray tracing, 3D spatial audio, and faster loading times. The PlayStation 5 version runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with high dynamic range support, which is a major improvement over the original PlayStation 4 version, which runs at 1080p. Drivers from the Gran Turismo esports competition, the Gran Turismo World Series (previously the FIA-Certified Gran Turismo Championships using Gran Turismo Sport), appear as AI opponents and License Test coaches.
Development
In a July 2019 interview with GTPlanet, a fan website for the Gran Turismo series, Yamauchi said the next Gran Turismo game is currently being developed. Yamauchi confirmed the game would focus on improving the classic Gran Turismo experience and added: "I think the next title we create will combine the past, present, and future – a complete version of Gran Turismo."
Gran Turismo 7 was announced during Sony's PlayStation 5 (PS5) reveal event on June 11, 2020. Like earlier versions, the game was made by Polyphony Digital and released by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PS5. tri-Crescendo helped by creating background models for the game. The game was first planned to release in 2021 but was delayed to 2022 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the video game industry. It was released for PS4 and PS5 on March 4, 2022.
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton returned as the Maestro of the series, a role he previously held in Gran Turismo Sport. On the day of the game's release, Gran Turismo 7 was taken off sale in Russia, though Sony had not officially decided to do so at the time. On March 9, four days after its release, PlayStation announced it would stop selling its games, including Gran Turismo 7, in Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Polyphony Digital's sound design team tested over 50 types of microphones to record the best car sounds. They recorded cars on special machines called dynamometers in Japan, Europe, and North America. Additional recordings were made while cars drove on closed tracks. Microphones were placed near the engine, exhaust, and inside the car's cabin. Tire noises on different surfaces were also recorded. The game uses a special audio technology called ambisonics to create realistic 3D sound.
On March 7, Columbia Records and Sony Interactive Entertainment released a soundtrack album titled Find Your Line (Official Music from Gran Turismo 7). The album includes songs inspired by the game, performed by artists such as GoldLink, Bring Me the Horizon, Nothing but Thieves, Idris Elba, Major Lazer, Rosalía, Lil Tjay, and Jawsh 685. In June, the FIA announced it would use Assetto Corsa Competizione as the platform for the 2022 Motorsport Games after agreeing to temporarily pause its partnership with Polyphony until the game's platform became more stable.
The 1.29 update was released on February 20, 2023, and included support for the PS VR2 and a limited-time event showing a new AI called Sophy. This AI would adjust to the player's skill level and use advanced techniques like drafting. The 1.32 update, released on April 27, 2023, continued the game's partnership with the Super Formula Championship by adding the Dallara SF23 after its debut in the 2023 Super Formula Championship. When the game first launched, it included the Dallara SF19, a car previously featured in the earlier title, Gran Turismo Sport.
My First Gran Turismo
On December 6, 2024, the free-to-play game My First Gran Turismo was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The game is like a demo version of Gran Turismo 7 and includes 18 cars and three tracks. Players can use the cars in the main game once they are all unlocked. The PlayStation 5 version of the game works with PlayStation VR2.
Reception
Gran Turismo 7 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, a website that collects and summarizes game reviews. Early tests of the game's VR support on the PS VR2 were mostly positive, with one editor calling it "the best console virtual reality experience to date."
Ars Technica disliked the game's monetization system but praised how license tests were implemented. It noted that "Polyphony has struck a good balance here. The threshold for achieving a bronze finish in each test is relatively easy to reach, but getting all golds might be a time-consuming and frustrating experience, depending on your skill."
The Verge liked the game's use of DualSense features, writing, "it's the best showcase for the DualSense I've yet to see. The vibrations in the controller do a convincing job of simulating various surfaces, conditions, and degrees of traction… You can even feel the pressure release in anti-lock brake systems." Eurogamer enjoyed the GT Cafe, highlighting its characters and commenting, "Of all the many twists and turns… the visual novel might well be the most surprising yet. What's perhaps more surprising is Gran Turismo 7 lands it remarkably well, giving its campaign an oddball character all of its own."
Polygon called the game's visuals "cutting edge" but criticized how long it took to unlock cars, stating, "The rate at which you earn credits feels slow, with many desirable cars remaining out of reach long into the game… Just keeping up with the entry requirements of events can necessitate going off-piste to grind for credits." Destructoid liked the variety of ways to tackle courses, saying, "You can do a classic reverse racing situation, as well as dabble in parts of the track… take on time trials, free play lobbies (where you can just drive around and chill), arcade mode, and events."
Game Informer praised the driving feel, especially the handling of terrain, writing, "elevation changes, weather, driving surface, road bank, vehicle downforce, and countless other factors seamlessly contribute to whether you successfully carry your momentum into a turn or spin out into the grass." GamesRadar+ enjoyed the game's content, calling it "an absolutely gargantuan game," but criticized its performance, noting hitches and occasional crashes. IGN felt Gran Turismo 7 recreated the spirit of prior entries but noted the car selection was limited compared to competitors like Forza, commenting, "With a few exceptions, most manufacturers' ranges tend to top out at around 2017. If you're expecting to see quite a few high-profile cars from the last two or three years here, like the latest McLarens or any Tesla built since 2012, you may be disappointed."
Gran Turismo 7 was the subject of review bombing on Metacritic two weeks after its release, following changes made to the game through patches. It received the lowest Metacritic user rating for a game published by Sony. Criticism focused on its aggressive use of microtransactions and the focus on grinding to unlock in-game currency and content. Players mentioned that updates to the game increased the time needed to grind, as well as reduced the amount of rewards gained, feeling it encouraged spending real-world money on microtransactions. The pricing of items was labeled by some as being too expensive, as certain cars could cost as much as US$200. The game's 1.07 version update led to a downtime that lasted 30 hours due to server maintenance; the always-online DRM requirement meant players were limited to the game's offline modes.
During the first month of release, Polyphony president Kazunori Yamauchi wrote that while he wished for players to enjoy content without microtransactions, he felt it important that cars reflected the prices of their real-world counterparts to "convey their value and rarity." His statement drew some criticism. Several days later, Yamauchi apologized for the outage and the changes made to the in-game economy, and announced Polyphony would implement a series of updates from April 2022 to make progression fairer. As compensation, all players who had bought the game before March 25 would receive one million credits—the equivalent of US$10—of in-game currency, available until the following month.
In Japan, it launched with 139,964 physical units sold in its first week, making it the best-selling game of the week. It sold over 190,000 physical units in Japan during its launch month, making it the second best-selling game of the month in the country (below Kirby and the Forgotten Land). By March 26, 2023, 300,682 units of the game had been sold in Japan.
In the United States, it set a franchise record with the highest-grossing launch month sales for a Gran Turismo title, despite ranking number two in its debut month (second only to Elden Ring). It became the 13th best-selling game of 2022 in the US.
In the United Kingdom, Gran Turismo 7 was the best-selling game in its first week of release and remained number one the following week. It reached number 1 in Switzerland. In Germany, over 200,000 units of the game had been sold by the end of March 2022. By the end of January 2023, over 400,000 units of the game had been sold in Germany.