Why Gran Turismo 7 should not be compared to Forza Horizon 5

Last night, PlayStation showcased 30-minute gameplay footage of Gran Turismo 7 on the PS5, and it looks stunning. Players could get a good look at Sony’s upcoming racing simulator during the State of Play as it revealed tons of information about the title.

After PlayStation revealed Gran Turismo 7, racing games started trending in the gaming community, and many started comparing the latest installment of Gran Turismo with Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5. A debate that shouldn’t even exist in the first place.

Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Turismo 7 are very different games with their own USPs to justify their uniqueness. PlayStation’s Gran Turismo series is a direct competitor of Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport series as both franchises deal with legal racing on circuits and tracks.

However, Forza Horizon 5 offers an entirely different experience. The game is set in an open world map based in Mexico, where races usually occur on the streets and off-road. Technically, players can explore their driving abilities a lot more in Forza Horizon 5 than Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport.

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Should Gran Turismo 7 be compared to Forza Horizon 5?

Both are racing simulator games, and that’s where the similarities end. Many users new to the racing genre might want to compare these two racing simulators, but both titles bring very distinctive experiences to the table.

The upcoming Gran Turismo will be the best track-focused racing simulator as of now. Comparing it to something like Forza Motorsport 7 will be harsh considering the latter was released back in 2017.

The recent State of Play revealed that the game had received significant enhancements in the visuals as well as game physics. The producer of the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi, also said that gamers would be able to enjoy the “most complete” GT experience in Gran Turismo 7.

To back up this claim, the developer has revealed some impressive details that fans can expect. This includes a diverse list of over 400 cars, 97 different layouts, and 34 locations that have been confirmed till now.

Apart from the campaign mode, a new Gran Turismo Cafe has also been introduced where players can compete in championships and races from a menu to collect different cars.

Track racing in first-person view (Image via PlayStation)

The game will offer all new features available in the next-gen PS5, like Ray Tracing and haptic feedback. However, according to various reports, users might not be able to enjoy the former during races, which will only be available in garage menus and cut-scenes.

GT7 will also recreate the real-time weather effects on the tracks to offer the most premium simulation experience.

Interestingly, Forza fans are already demanding that Xbox incorporate all the new features from Gran Turismo to the upcoming Forza Motorsport.

In terms of pure gameplay and delivering the same driving experience, Gran Turismo 7 does a better job than Forza Horizon 5. The Horizon series offers a more laid-back racing experience that appeals to the masses.

Meanwhile, games like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport offer a more authentic and accurate racing simulation in which gamers generally have to use a steering wheel controller to get the most out of their games. Both are among the best racing simulators and are well appreciated by the gaming community.

Gran Turismo 7 is set to release on March 4 and will be exclusively available on the PlayStation.