The rebirth of Rennsport: racing sim is coming to console, and rethinking its monetisation

If you’ve been keeping your distance from Rennsport until now, you’re not alone. The racing sim has notched up its fair share of controversies since it emerged at the height of the lockdown era sim racing boom, and while the driving’s never been less than solid, there’s been a whiff of mystery about its startup developer Competition Company, skepticism towards its esports involvement, and outright hostility for its monetisation strategy.

The sim entered open beta on PC back in 2023, but in the maelstrom of having to clarify why its unique tradable vehicles bought with real-world money weren’t NFTs, topics like how the roster of GT cars and real-world circuits actually feel to drive were, understandably, shuffled down the order.

Competition Company is very aware of this. So for 2025, the messaging is much simpler: it's bringing Rennsport to console, with a new build with handling improvements unified across platforms, and rethinking how you pay for it.

Simpler, and more encouraging. As much as the esports landscape needs support from more titles and developers, competitive scenes usually develop gradually around titles that offer a high enough skill ceiling and spectator feature. Coming out of the gate as an esport is a bit like giving yourself a nickname - as much as you might like the idea, it’s for other people to decide. Rennsport went against that grain, featuring in ESL competitions with its very earliest builds.

But now, the focus is back on the core experience. Not just for the esports aliens who can effortlessly tour the circuit three seconds a lap than you’ll ever manage, but for everyone else, too.

As we settle into a sim rig at the Overtake offices in Cologne for a feel of the new build, a few things strike us: first, this Unreal Engine-powered GT3 racer feels comfortingly familiar after the time we’ve spent in ACC. Second: we could definitely have braked later for that corner. Third: this will spice up the console sim racing scene no end.

That’s why the news that Rennsport’s partnering with publisher Nacon for a PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release later in 2015 feels like a significant chapter in this sim’s odd tale. Yes, Gran Turismo 7’s a meaty sim in its own right, but it’s also a vast suite of other solo and online experiences. There’s ACC, of course, and its successor Evo, but while we’re in a transitional phase between Kunos’ imperious racing titles it’s uncertain how well-served hardcore console sim racers will be once Evo hits a 1.0 release.

Competition from, well - from Competition, can only be a good thing. Particularly when the core driving feels this enjoyable.

Tyre temps need to be managed very carefully. Huge chunks of time can be gained under braking if you get your revs and gearing right. The Porsche 911 GT3 R we spend most of our time with feels lithe and full of information. When you put it on the ragged edge flat out through Eau Rouge and Radillion, it squirms and complains with authenticity.

The visuals are absolutely up to the job, too, capturing each circuit's undulations and trackside furniture with impressive detail and convincing lighting. Sound has had some mixed reception before, but the individual samples and cues blend together well in the mix now.

These aspects were never the major bones of contention, though. Rather, Rennsport’s free to play model and vehicle acquisition system left players confused and suspicious. And while Competition isn’t detailing exactly how that model’s changing yet, it is at least confirming that it is, indeed, changing, across the board. Rennsport’s imminent console versions will be crossplay-compatible between PC, PS5 and Series X/S, and the team have been working hard behind the scenes, they say, to ensure identical performance on any platform.

It’s all encouraging to hear. Rennsport has more to prove before it finds its way back to mainstream awareness, but it’s started 2025 in the right direction.