F1 23

It’s that time of the year again when Codemasters releases a new racing sim based on the official Formula One and Formula 2 Championships. F1 23 is based on the 2023 season and launches on June 16th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. After last year’s underwhelming showing, what’s new this year? Let’s look at 13 things you should know.

Braking Point 2

This year’s iteration sees the return of Braking Point, with Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler returning as part of the new Konnersport Racing Team. This time around, Devon’s sister Callie Meyer is in the spotlight as an F2 championship winner debuting in Formula 1. Family drama and other intrigue are promised along with various twists and turns. However, you can also make different decisions to raise your Performance or Reputation, which affects dialogue choices during pressers and leads to unique bonus objectives in the next race based on your answer. Whether you’ll encounter branching decisions or any major effects on the story remains to be seen.

Updated 2023 Cars

As players control updated 2023 cars, Codemasters promises a better balance between tyre grip and aerodynamics. Improved traction from the new physics should make cornering, braking and handling feel better. Previews for these changes to traction and acceleration sound positive, but it’s easier for wheels to lock up while braking. You’ll need to readjust how you approach suspension, brake pressure and so on when setting up your car for the best results.

Precision Drive

Another major change to the controls relates directly to your input device of choice. Precision Drive promises that controller users will have “a more direct feel for greater accuracy,” which should be noticeable in every situation and cater to several driving styles. Of course, how it’ll compare to the traditional racing wheel setup remains to be seen, but it’s a nice option for controller-focused players to have.

F1 World

Remember how F1 22 introduced F1 Life, adding nothing but some interiors with customizable furniture that your avatar could hang out in? F1 World builds on that legacy, featuring…the same main menus where avatars, including your online friends, hang out in interiors of your choice. However, this time, it seeks to ease new players in with different events, eventually unlocking new, increasingly difficult challenges in solo and multiplayer modes. You also have Weekly Grand Prix and Scenarios, which replace Featured Events. New race suits, liveries, and helmets can be unlocked as you progress.

Licence Level

F1 World also adds a new safety rating system, determined by your Licence Level. Race cleanly and follow the rules, whether you’re playthrough Series events, and you’ll see it improve. Comprising ranks A-D, you’ll gain access to different options at each, like full damage at Rank A and collisions disabled in multiplayer at Rank D. You can also disable it during custom games, or race at lower Licence Levels for a more relaxed experience.

New Circuits

F1 23 features two new tracks – the Las Vegas Street Circuit and the Losail International Circuit. The former is created using “thousands of reference photos and substantial photogrammetry data to offer the authentic experience, even before it’s raced in the real world,” as per Electronic Arts. Losail, on the other hand, had “official FOM computer-aided design combined with ArcGIS World Atlas aerial imagery, height data, and photogrammetry” used to capture the track.

Aside from these, you can look forward to tracks like Circuit Paul Ricard, the Algarve International Circuit, and Shanghai International Circuit, even though they’re not in the 2023 calendar.

VR Mode

Following its introduction in last year’s game, Virtual Reality Mode returns in F1 23. How exactly it’s changed in this year’s release remains unknown, but one thing is for sure: It won’t be available for PlayStation VR2. Whether this will change down the line is also yet to be confirmed. In the meantime, the PC version is the only place you can play in VR.

Red Flags

Last seen in F1 2014, Red Flags return in F1 23, adding more drama to a race. They can occur during weather conditions like extreme rain, the AI or other drivers while playing online. Depending on the incident, you’ll need to repair your vehicle, change tires, and much more, altering the overall race strategy, though there are settings to adjust Red Flags if they’re too oppressive.

35% Race Distance

Another new feature is the introduction of 35% Race Distance, which requires less time investment, compared to the 100 percent, 50 percent and 25 percent options in F1 23. Mandatory pit stops still apply, but this should provide an interesting change of pace for the player base at large.

$70 Price Tag

Unfortunately for players on all consoles, F1 23 will retail for $70, as opposed to last year when the previous-gen version cost $60, and the current-gen retailed for $70. However, PC players, who paid $60 for last year’s Standard Edition, will also need to pay $70 for this year’s title. On the bright side (if you could call it that, pre-orders get the F1 World Starter Pack and 5,000 PitCoin for in-game spending.

Dual Entitlement

While the pricing for all consoles is annoying, there is a silver lining. Purchasing the game on Xbox or PlayStation grants Dual Entitlement, which means you’ll own it on both PS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. Smart Delivery is also supported on Xbox, so save data should carry over between generations. The same should apply to PlayStation as well. Yes, it would have been better to have it at $60, but at least you get it across both generations without fuss.

Cross-Platform Play

Regardless of your platform, cross-platform play is confirmed, allowing Xbox, PlayStation and PC players to play together. However, there’s the question of whether it will be available at launch. F1 22 also promised crossplay but released it after launch. Codemasters hasn’t explicitly confirmed it, so we’ll have to wait and see. Split-screen multiplayer is also returning, so you can still play with your friends locally.

PC Requirements

If your computer sat well with F1 22’s PC requirements, then good news – F1 23’s are more or less the same. You’ll need Windows 10 64-bit (Version 21H1 or higher), 80 GB of installation space, and DirectX 12, regardless of your other hardware. The minimum hardware required includes an AMD FX 4300 or Intel Core i3-2130, 8 GB Ram and a Radeon RX 470 or GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. For VR, you’ll need a Ryzen 5 2600X or Core i5-9600k and an RX 590 or GTX 1660 Ti. Ray tracing requires a Radeon RX 6700 XT or a GeForce RTX 2060.

The recommended requirements include a Ryzen 5 2600X or Core i5 9600K, 16 GB RAM and an RX 590 or GTX 1660 Ti. VR requires an RX 6700 XT or RTX 2070, while ray tracing at these settings demands a Radeon RX 6800 or GeForce RTX 3070.