If you have even a passing interest in motorcycles you’ll likely have heard of the Isle of Mann TT race. Held on public roads on a small island located in the Irish Sea almost every year since 1907, the Tourist Trophy has claimed dozens of lives over the years and even nine-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi declared it too dangerous for him to enter.
But footage of PlayStation game Ride 4 on PS5 looks so insanely realistic, it gives those of us with similar concerns about self preservation to Rossi (and a whole lot less talent) a little taste of what it must be like to be hurled along a tiny two-lane road, flat-out in the company of a bunch of other lunatics.
Obviously we wouldn’t dream of suggesting that a video game comes anywhere close to replicating the sensations experienced by the riders, the fastest of whom lap the course at an average of over 120 mph. And the fact that you can bump into the back of other riders without immediately requiring hospital attention, or worse, isn’t remotely realistic.
But the graphics really are incredible. The Ride series dates back to 2015, and Ride 4 appeared in 2020 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It looked good then, but played on the newer PS5 at 60fps the game is transformed. Apart from the quality of the scenery and the reflections in the convex mirrors, little touches like the vibrating brake master cylinder reservoir show real attention to detail.
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The dry weather racing looks impressive enough, but it’s nothing compared with what it looks like in the wet. Since I live in the UK where the weather seems to be perpetually damp and overcast, I’m not sure I’d want to fork out $50 to ‘escape’ to the same kind of environment.
But seeing that road surface glistening really does ramp up the drama, making the whole experience feel even more exciting than it does in the dry. And I’m not even playing! I’m just watching it on YouTube!
Though the Isle of Mann course is probably the most famous one in the game, there are plenty of other alternatives, including GP tracks and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Here’s hoping the upcoming Gran Turismo 7 release looks this good. Judging from the footage we’ve seen so far, the omens are good.