F1 25 Interview – Path Tracing, LiDAR Scanning, My Team Mode, and More

by

In preparation for the upcoming release of F1 25, senior creative director Lee Mather, creative director Gavin Cooper, and producer Si Lumb graciously addressed some of our pressing inquiries. They discussed enhancements to visuals and racing dynamics, largely due to the studio’s application of LiDAR technology for scanning racetracks.

To begin with, what are the biggest changes that are coming to F1 25?

Gavin: In F1 25, we’ve got a host of major updates that we can’t wait to unveil to our players. First off, the popular My Team mode is getting its biggest overhaul since it was first introduced! Now, players will step into the role of an Formula One team owner, focusing not just on managing the team, but also both drivers within it. This shift in focus adds a new layer of depth to the gameplay experience.

The high-octane racing game, Braking Point, is once again here! Konnersport is back as a formidable force on the racetrack, striving for championship titles. For the first time, gamers can expand their Konnersport adventure across various game modes after completing the main storyline. This includes taking on new challenges in Driver Career or managing their own team with My Team. Additionally, those who own Iconic Edition will get to enjoy additional post-launch content inspired by the movie “F1,” featuring the APXGP team from the upcoming film.

We’ve added LIDAR technology to various circuits to boost authenticity and realism. For the first time ever in official F1 games, players can race on tracks like Silverstone, Zandvoort, and the Red Bull Ring with a unique twist – reversed track layouts, providing an exciting new perspective to the racing experience.

Once again, Braking Point makes a comeback! Konnersport re-enters the racing circuit as a well-known force, aiming to fight for titles.

How much will the LiDAR scanning of tracks affect the second-to-second driving gameplay?

LIDAR-scanned circuits bring advantages to players regardless of their skill levels. For those who are meticulous and value the intricacies and subtleties of a racetrack, LIDAR ensures an unparalleled precision in the placement of track ribbons and curbs.

Beyond these benefits, there’s more to it. The game offers an accurate replication of the surroundings of the racetrack for all players. From the grandstands to the terrain, what spectators witness in reality and on television is authentically mirrored within the game.

Our LIDAR circuits stand out because they gather real-time data directly during a Formula One race weekend, providing the most precise and current depiction available.

What connection does the newest installment of Braking Point make with the narratives we’ve encountered in the earlier games?

In the upcoming installment of Braking Point, we’ll see how it connects with the earlier chapters, focusing on the Konnersport Team composed of Aiden Jackson, Devon Butler, and Callie Mayer.

The series “Braking Point,” debuting in 2021, revolves around Aiden Jackson, a newcomer striving to establish his reputation amidst fierce competition with Devon Butler, a ruthless driver who stops at nothing for success. The narrative resumes in “F1 23,” where we meet Konnersport, a fictional team, and Callie Mayer, the first female driver to win the F2 Championship. In this continuation, Butler’s perspective on racing evolves, opening doors for Mayer to enter the F1 arena. After two grueling seasons, the team makes substantial advancements, climbing up the ranks and paving the way for the upcoming “F1 25.

However, even if players haven’t played the earlier games, they can still immerse themselves in the narrative and have a comprehensive gameplay experience.

What kind of features and enhancements can one expect in My Team?

Gavin: This year, our Team is looking forward to a variety of fresh features and enhancements, with one of the major transformations being a modification in role definitions. Earlier, players assumed both the roles of Team Owner and Driver, which is not common in the sport. To better mirror the real-world setup, we have revamped the system so that players now dedicate themselves entirely to the duties of a Team Owner, leaving the driving responsibilities separate.

In this updated strategy, there’s a stronger focus on controlling both drivers in the team. During race weekends, it’s now up to the players to decide which driver takes the track. The system for player advancement has been polished as well — Team owners will strive to increase their team’s popularity rating by accomplishing goals and triumphing against rival teams in crucial competitions.

Outside of the usual path, our team’s operations are now managed from a fully restructured Team Headquarters – an adaptable space that grows in scope, personnel, and activity as our team’s influence broadens. Making decisions about workforce size, investment in development, and maintenance costs for facilities will be crucial, as the owners must skillfully allocate resources to maintain budget constraints.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed the game developers have cleverly segmented Research and Development into separate domains, offering me, the player, greater tactical flexibility when it comes to manufacturing and deploying parts. For instance, whipping up a single part from an upgrade package is a breeze, but deciding who gets it first can have profound effects on their morale, potentially shaping future contract discussions.

As a passionate supporter, I’m thrilled to share that our team’s role has been reinvented to truly mirror the real-world setup. Now, I find myself immersed in the challenges and rewards of being a Team Owner, focusing exclusively on this exciting role.

How much will the new sponsor decals feature affect income in My Team?

Gavin: The number of sponsor logos you can place on your vehicle within my team is restricted. This limit is tied to your Fan Score, which grows as you achieve team achievements, compete against rival teams, or excel during Grand Prix weekends. As your Fan Score rises, your team will gain more prestige and have the opportunity to secure additional sponsorships, thereby allowing for more decals on your car.

Each decal you place in a designated spot brings you money, however, the impact lessens as you add more. To motivate you to adorn your car further, especially for new teams trying to keep their heads above water, we created a system. However, we didn’t want to limit players’ creativity by requiring them to apply a fresh decal every time a new slot becomes available. Consequently, the later slots yield less cash compared to the earlier ones. If you prefer maintaining your design, the missed additional income won’t significantly impact your gameplay.

Initially, during the game, you’ll find that you can collaborate with a restricted set of potential sponsors. However, by arranging the ‘sponsor exploration task’ amidst the racing weekends, you can progressively gain access to more partnership opportunities.

As a team owner, one aspect of your job involves managing the relationship between your current season-long title sponsor and potential future sponsors. While your title sponsorship deal provides a substantial portion of your income, it’s also prominently displayed on your vehicle. Over time, developing a strong rapport with this sponsor can lead to additional decal options, special liveries tailored to the sponsor, or even unique opportunities.

Balancing loyalty to your current title sponsor and exploring lucrative offers from other potential sponsors is an ongoing challenge that comes with the role of team owner.

Are interviews coming back in F1 25?

In the game Braking Point, characters such as Aiden and Callie will conduct interviews, offering fully-voiced, realistic responses that fit seamlessly into the narrative. These interviews can vary based on events like crashes, victories, or significant rival interactions. With advancements in technology like Nvidia’s Audio2Face, these interviews now appear more lifelike, mimicking real TV broadcasts more closely.

In Career Mode, you encounter more difficult scenarios. With numerous potential outcomes and narratives, creating interviews that are genuine and significant becomes challenging. Determining what’s pertinent in any given situation, not just during a race, but throughout the developing season is a complex endeavor. Moreover, without voice acting for actual drivers, the interviews might lack the impact that makes them worth experiencing.

In the current version of Career Mode, you won’t find interview segments, but rest assured, we’ve left the possibility open for their return in the future. We’re committed to developing the mode thoughtfully and comprehensively, ensuring it can accommodate interviews effectively when the time is right.

The plot enables us to design custom interviews depending on whether the driver experienced an accident, a victory, or a significant incident with competitors.

Are there any plans to bring classic F1 cars?

Although Braking Point 3, My Team, and the updates in LIDAR technology and reversed tracks won’t be featured this year’s edition, there’s still a continuous discussion about them for future games.

What kind of improvements have you made to the handling and physics this time around?

For the game F1 25, there have been various adjustments made to the car’s feel. The fundamental handling model was constructed based on player feedback from F1 23 and F1 24. We invited sim racers and content creators to our studio in November to test an early version of the game and fine-tune the model to establish a well-balanced and secure platform with less understeer and a more responsive rear during acceleration.

Some of the main improvements include:

  • Balancing the transition between mechanical and aero balance to ensure the cars feel exciting and dynamic across all speeds.
  • Updating the gearbox and transmission to deliver seamless gear changes that don’t upset the car’s balance.
  • Applying insights from the F1 Sim Racing tournament to fine-tune ERS, DRS, and slipstream behaviour, promoting effective overtaking in both single and multiplayer racing.
  • Modifying tyre wear values to enable more varied tyre strategies, offering teams greater flexibility in how they run their race.
  • With the wide range of setup options in F1 25, players can also fine-tune the car to match their driving style.

Can you talk us through the various customization options available as far as car set up goes?

In F1 25, the car setup provides experienced players with the chance to adjust the vehicle’s feel and speed according to their preferences. Building a fast car isn’t solely dependent on raw performance; it also relies on the player’s confidence and their ability to drive and race consistently.

In this game, users have the flexibility to customize multiple aspects of the vehicle’s settings to influence its handling and speed. They can manipulate the fuel load to alter the car’s weight, and they can fine-tune the aerodynamics, keeping in mind that adjustments to these parameters may affect the ride height and suspension setup as well. Other elements such as transmission, brakes, and tire pressures are also modifiable, offering players a variety of tools to shave off crucial fractions of a second for improved performance.

With Path Tracing, how big of a leap in visuals can we expect in F1 25 over 24?

In the game F1 25, implementing Path Tracing enhances the realism substantially, delivering more precise reflections, shadows, and ambient illumination for compatible computers.

With Path Tracing, light now takes every bounced path into account, including indirect lighting and multiple reflections. This results in a realistic dynamic interplay of shade, light, and color, mirroring real-world scenarios such as racing under thousands of lights in Bahrain or exploring the castle section in Baku during sunset.

Should your computer support it, Path Tracing offers the most lifelike representation of light interaction yet. It creates an environment that mirrors the actual track, enhancing the sense of reality within the game, especially for sports simulations where authenticity is key.

Beyond Path Tracing enhancements, we’ve boosted tonemapping for a more intense visual impact across all weather scenarios within the game. Additionally, our track surface shader has been refined to provide a closer representation of real-life racing circuits. Moving off the asphalt, LIDAR technology has played a role in making trees and foliage mirror their real-world counterparts more accurately. This includes adjustments to match the type, size, and shape of trees, along with new features like cherry blossoms being incorporated into Suzuka’s track design.

If your computer can handle it, Path Tracing offers the most authentic depiction of light interaction we’ve produced so far.

When it comes to the console versions, will there be enhancements exclusive to the PS5 Pro?

Lee is pointing out that the F1 25 game has been significantly improved thanks to all the advancements in graphics, gameplay, and player engagement that were introduced with the release of the upgraded PlayStation®5 Pro in November last year. These enhancements are part of the package.

  • Upgraded Quality Mode, now featuring on-track Ray Tracing using PSSR. We leveraged Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) to include more Ray Traced techniques on track for increased photorealism while maintaining the 4K/60Hz target.
  • Performance Mode now runs at 4K (on 120Hz screens only). Players choosing this high frame rate will enjoy a crisp, smooth experience and extra clarity from the increased resolution.
  • A new Resolution Mode delivers 8K/60Hz (on 8K screens only). Resolution mode also features Ray Traced Dynamic Diffuse Global Illumination (DDGI) on track. EGO’s full suite of RT DDGI, AO, reflection and shadow effects are enabled in 8K/30Hz for cutscenes, replay Flashback and photo modes.

We’re continually seeking out new methods to enhance and modernize across all platforms, and our dedication to providing an exceptional console gaming experience remains unwavering. For F1 25 this year, we’ve integrated a split-screen mode operating at twice the frame rate, allowing local rivals to enjoy Codemasters’ signature 60 Hz performance without any concessions.

Are there any plans to bring the F1 series to the Nintendo Switch 2?

Lee: There are no plans at the moment to bring F1 25 to the Nintendo Switch.

How vital will technologies like PSSR play in pushing visual fidelity further on PS5 Pro?

As a fan: I was thrilled to discover that the PlayStation®5 Pro boasts an exceptionally refined upscaler in PSSR. For some time now, upscalers have been instrumental in graphics technology, empowering rendering engines to boost fidelity within lower resolution images. With the aid of AI models, these upscaled images are then transformed into stunning high-resolution frames that can be further enhanced with post effects and fine-tuning. Initially, we hadn’t planned on incorporating PSSR in F1 24, as we were focusing on risk management. However, upon testing it, the upscaler proved so effective at converting lower resolution input into high-resolution output that we could utilize double resolution Ray Traced reflections as input and rely on the AI to deliver a significantly enhanced image quality. This was something our own TAA upscaler couldn’t accomplish. As we embark on F1 25 with a similar solution as F1 24, we can enjoy the same high-quality results, albeit with more LIDAR tracks for increased density and improvement that the Quality mode offers. Looking ahead, without any specific announcements, we are excited to investigate how other aspects of our title might benefit from technologies like PSSR, setting new standards for visual quality on console hardware.

Read More

2025-05-26 16:26