Hype: What Can We Expect From Forza Motorsport 7? (Video)

March is coming to a close which means June is just a short while away and June means the E3 Expo is nearly here!  If you have been a fan of the Forza Motorsport racing game series then probably know that each year they alternate a new game announcement.  Since last year was when Forza Horizon 3 made its debut, it is not crazy to think that this year is when Turn 10 Studios and Microsoft will likely announce Forza Motorsport 7.

What makes things even more interesting is Microsoft is also getting ready to announce their new, more powerful Xbox One console currently known as “Project Scorpio”.  With a new Forza game being announced at the same time as a new, more powerful Xbox console, we figured now would be a great time to start speculating on what we could expect from the next entry in the Forza Motorsport series.  Let’s begin, shall we?

4K Forza

One of the marquee features of Microsoft’s Project Scorpio Xbox Console is the ability to play games natively in 4k resolution.  Since nearly every Forza Motorsport game has served as a technical showcase for its respective Xbox console, I think it is safe to assume that Forza Motorsport 7 will probably have the ability to run at a 4k native resolution.  The real question here is the frame rate.  Almost all Forza Motorsport games run at 60 frames per second (fps).  However, pulling off that frame rate at 4k resolution is no easy task, even for Project Scorpio despite Microsoft’s claim that it will be the “most powerful home console ever made”.

Will hardcore racing game fans still welcome 4k resolution if it means dropping the frame rate?  Or will Project Scorpio really be powerful enough to manage 4k gaming at 60fps?  If we had to make a guess we are going to speculate that when playing Forza Motorsport 7 on Project Scorpio there will be an option to turn 4k resolution on or off but when its on the frame rate will drop to 30fps.

We hope we’re wrong about that but considering how much money it takes to build a PC capable of 4k 60fps gaming, its hard to imagine Project Scorpio being able to do that considering it will likely be in the $500-$700 range.  To learn more about Project Scorpio, check out the video below.

 

Project Scorpio video:

 

Forza Motorsport VR

The second most-touted feature of Project Scorpio behind 4k gaming is that the console will be VR capable.  VR gaming on the PC has taken off within the last three to four years but so far the only console to take advantage of VR is the PlayStation 4/PlayStation 4 Pro with Sony’s PlayStation VR headset.  While Microsoft is not developing their own VR headset, they do have a partnership with some of the leading VR headset companies like Oculus.  Microsoft wants Project Scorpio to be a valid choice for gamers looking for VR experiences and I can’t think of a better way to show that off than presenting the next Forza Motorsport game in VR.  Just imagine having a Playseat Racing rig complete with an Oculus rift running off Project Scorpio while playing Forza Motorsport!

Porsche cars available at launch.  No more Porsche Expansion!

At the end of 2016, news broke that Electronic Arts (EA Games) licensing deal with Porsche came to an end.  EA’s strangle hold on Porsche is the reason why most console racing games released over the last several years did not include Porsche cars at launch.  This included Forza games as well until Microsoft worked out a deal with EA that allowed them to add in Porsche as DLC but, since Microsoft likely had to pay a hefty price for the privilege, that cost was passed on to Forza players in the form of a paid DLC expansion.

With EA and Porsche’s deal officially over, Forza Motorsport 7 could be the first game in the series since Forza Motorsport 2 to have Porsche in its car list at launch.

Off-Road racing

Forza Motorsport has always been about straight up asphalt track racing.  Fans of the series have long craved the ability to do rally racing and other forms of off-road racing in a Forza game and they eventually got it, but not in Forza Motorsport.  Only Forza Horizon games have offered the opportunity for players to go off the paved path and race on dirt, gravel, and most recently, snow.  However, we have a sneaking suspicion that Turn 10 studios may actually bring some off road racing options to the Motorsport series.  Though, if they do include dirt racing, it will likely be pretty limited as they still want players to do most of their off-road hijinks in Forza Horizon games.

Return of the Auction House

Technically, the Auction House made its return in Forza Horizon 3 but auctions haven’t been a feature in a Motorsport game for quite sometime.  The Auction House was pretty well-received in Forza Horizon 3, so we don’t see a reason why Turn 10 wouldn’t bring it (with some improvements) to Forza Motorsport 7 as well.  We just hope that in addition to the Auction House, Turn 10 also adds an option to “sell” a car in your virtual garage to make it easier to get rid of duplicate gift cars while still making a few credits at the same time.

We’ll stop the Speculation train here for now but chances are we’ll get it going again once we get closer to E3.  In the meantime, what do you think about our expectations?  Do you think we’re way off?  What are some of our expectation for Forza Motorsport 7?  Let us know in the comments below or tweet to us at @MotorworldHype!

*NOTE: Forza Motorsport 7 logo is a speculative rendering.