Motorsport Games CEO says Le Mans Ultimate on consoles “makes sense”

Le Mans Ultimate hit Steam Early Access earlier this week, and so far we’re chalking it up as a win even in an unfinished state. As our review says, “the handling model is detailed and engaging enough that it's a treat just to turn laps and run races". The problem if you’re a console gamer? It’s only on PC.

Or is it? Well, yes, inarguably so at present. But Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood recently told Racinggames.gg that a console launch is very much part of the publisher’s ambitions.

“If we get the wheel turning on PC and people are really enjoying the product, the ecosystem, the online platform we’re building, and the content we have planned, I think it makes sense to go to consoles,” said Hood.

The old world wisdom was that sim racing happens on PC, while console players much prefer racking up bodycounts in endless rounds of Call Of Duty or opening FUT packs.

As though the enduring popularity of the PlayStation-exclusive Gran Turismo series wasn’t enough to disperse that vapour cloud of utter nonsense, more recent success stories like Assetto Corsa Competizione on PS5 and Xbox have reminded the industry that people like playing meaty driving sims on every platform. Meaty driving sims like, oh we don’t know, Le Mans Ultimate.

“We’ve already got some expertise bringing a complex piece of software to console,” said Hood. “We’ve done it previously [with NASCAR 21: Ignition]. We know the engine can run on the modern consoles and that’s a great stepping stone for us.”

However, we shouldn’t expect a console version overnight. It’s only just launched in Early Access on PC, which means the game itself is still in active development. And while Microsoft’s Xbox Insider Program offers some way to connect players with pre-final versions of games, Sony’s not into the idea. So Le Mans Ultimate would need to hit a final release on PC before it packs its bags and begins the journey to consoles.

One to take a long view on then, if you’re an endurance racing fan without a PC at present. In the meantime, there’s always our picks for the best racing games on PS5, or Xbox.