Gran Turismo 7 adds ‘superhuman’ AI racer and PSVR 2 support

Sony has released a new Gran Turismo 7 update that includes a new “superhuman” AI racer, which has defeated some of the world’s best pro players.

The “Gran Turismo Sophy Race Together” feature will be available for a limited time on the PS5 version of the game and will give Gran Turismo 7 players a chance to test their skills to the max.

GT Sophy is notable because of the learned ability to race well, as well as drive very fast without error. The Sony and Polyphony co-creation learned strategy and racing etiquette, making it a formidable opponent.

In a blog post, Sony says: “In GT Sophy Race Together mode, players can race against GT Sophy in a series of four circuits of increasing difficulty, as a Beginner / Intermediate / Expert driver.

“In each of the four races, the player races against four GT Sophy cars of different performance levels. Players can also challenge GT Sophy in 1VS1 mode, where GT Sophy and the player race one-on-one with identical car configurations and settings, which showcases the superhuman racing skills of GT Sophy.”

The AI tool’s “deep reinforcement” training had been the subject of a paper published on Nature last September, Ars Technica points out. Sony says feedback will be used to improve the feature for future releases beyond the Feb 21 to end of March window of availability.

Elsewhere patch 1.29 will bring support for the PSVR 2 mode, which will be available at no extra cost for those who’ve bought the game, and also includes the return of the classic Grand Valley racing locations.

Sony calls it: “An expansive environment where the ocean meets the mountains, as well as large bridge and tunnel sections makes for a dynamic location that recreates the excitement of driving the world’s great winding seaside roads.”