It felt implausible that we’d one day see the world’s favourite crash-em-up soft-body physics simulator running on a PlayStation 5, but here we are several months later, and it’s finally happening.
Set for release on the 19th of October, we’ve been given early access to the Alpha build of the Early Access title… so yes, the developers want to stress that this isn’t the game’s final iteration, so bear that in mind as we nitpick our way through the immensely popular open-world driving game.
Because of this, we’ll hold off on giving it a definitive score. However, we’ll run through our impressions of whether BeamNG can succeed on console, or whether it looks set to be a compromised car crash…
Background checks
For those wondering what on earth BeamNG is, it’s a driving sim with a host of intricate, physics-based mechanics. Perhaps its most prominent feature is its detailed damage model: vehicle bodies crumple, wheels detach and glass shatters.
In motion, it looks and feels incredibly realistic, with players using the game’s hilarious props and varied maps to create their own slice of driving fun. The game engine uses clever node-and-beam-like structures to simulate forces in real time, with different materials having different properties: so plastic is more likely to snap, and metal is more likely to bend.
Put simply, the end result is authentic-looking crash damage and hefty-feeling physics, with realistic transmission, engine and tyre modelling.
As a result, the Early Access title has morphed from a glorified tech demo into one of the most popular driving games on PC, attracting more players this month than genre behemoth Forza Horizon 6.
A console port makes sound business sense, then.
This time next year, Rodders, we’ll be millionaires…
Parity time
Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room: How could the Beam team take such an esoteric, all-encompassing driving experience and port it to Sony’s comparatively restricted console? To put this in stark focus, both versions of the game will be developed concurrently and remain in Early Access.
To achieve parity, I assumed that the PS5 version would be compromised in some form, either through missing features, less detailed collisions, or simpler graphics.
After playing this early build for the last few days, I’m convinced that the core BeamNG experience remains as enjoyable as ever on PS5, but there are some notable caveats.
Outback Bangers
Not all BeamNGs are equal
The biggest telltale sign that I was playing BeamNG on a lower-powered machine was the prevalence of game crashes. In reality, it was just one or two in random circumstances, but then I tried messing around with gravity settings (always a favourite pastime) in the ‘Cliff’ environment, and faced a constant barrage of failures.
During my testing, I encountered long loading times and lockouts, and I couldn’t get Replays to work correctly either. Less important, but still emblematic, is that motion blur doesn’t work at all in Photo Mode. Choppy frame rates also appeared during my testing, but this was largely an anomaly: on a base PS5, BeamNG mostly runs smoothly, perhaps aided by the distinctly low-resolution door mirror displays.
Crash damage is present and correct
In one Civetta Scintilla supercar scenario (Highway Loop 1), you race against three similar AI-controlled cars. However, the action chugs along, making the twitchy mid-engined beast even trickier to control than usual.
The performance strain AI cars put on the base PS5 is an obvious concern, with the majority of gameplay scenarios running with a default of four computer-controlled vehicles, not including parked cars.
You can add more if you like, but the consequences are pretty clear to see. Being able to comfortably add in extra cars and props is quite important for a sandbox driving game, I’d argue.
Now, I must stress that performance has almost always been an issue for me in BeamNG over the last 13 years or so (it’s a pretty resource-intensive game, what with all those physics), but it’s been less of a feature in recent builds. Here’s hoping these bugs get fixed in future updates.
However, the PS5 version still feels like it needs more work in this regard, since most players won’t have the benefit of using a keyboard for additional inputs. Essentially, the game has stacks of mappable functions and not enough DualSense 5 buttons to cover them.
But that’s the nature of BeamNG: its disparate array of vehicles and their individual functions sit behind several layers of radial menus; the game doesn’t hold your hand.
Wheelbase-owning console players will be pleased to know that steering wheels are compatible on PS5, and our Thrustmaster T598 worked straight out of the box, with inputs already mapped, although I still firmly believe the game is just as fun with a gamepad.
Drifitng is still hugely enjoyable in BeamNG
Eye candy
In terms of eye candy, the PC version looks much better, as it should, given the extra graphical horsepower available. However, the damage model is thankfully still presented in glorious detail. There’s simply nothing quite like it on PS5, which is surely the game’s biggest USP.
Although the visuals are a step away from the unflinching perfection of Gran Turismo 7, BeamNG still looks tidy, excelling in the sunset hours to infuse its vistas with wonderful realism (Johnson Valley’s desert region looks particularly incredible to my eyes).
PS5 Pro players can even take advantage of PSSR. This AI-powered upscaling system renders graphics at a lower resolution, then upscales the image to a higher resolution, improving visuals with less impact on performance. PC users will also get AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) sliders to play with in the new V0.40 update.
Pancake
Hustle and bustle
Thankfully, every game mode currently available in the PC version of BeamNG is also in the PS5 edition. This means players can tackle individual scenarios, do a bit of free-roaming, sample an ever-improving rally mode, or dive into the game’s work-in-progress career mode.
Most will naturally want to try the latter, but it doesn’t offer much longevity, since it’s still restricted to the West Coast USA environment and only features a loose collection of missions.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a few hours of enjoyable gameplay here, but if you’ve tackled the same missions on PC several times before (as career progress was frequently reset between builds), their appeal does diminish. Newcomers will love it, however, because it’s BeamNG, obvs.
Although introductory tutorials are available, navigating the game’s career mode peculiarities can be a headache, and the courier mission menus are particularly troublesome. It’s also difficult to modify your car in career mode, which may put some players off, and the mission structure lacks cohesion.
Thankfully, the driving physics are still a joy to wield, with drifting, off-road rallying and rock crawling all simulated beautifully. If you just want to kick back, relax and drive from one corner of a map to another, you can. It’s very zen, right up until the point you smash straight into a wall.
This used to be a Wigeon, probably
Modding
There are two caveats, though. Once PC players completed the abridged career mode, they could create their own crash-tastic scenarios and stunts using the World Editor, but this mode isn’t coming to the PS5. Likewise, online multiplayer isn’t in the game right now, but it’s planned for a future update at least.
Another major omission is modding. BeamNG on PC has its own in-game mod repository controlled by the developer; a similar system on PS5 would be a welcome addition. After all, SnowRunner, Project Motor Racing, and Farming Simulator offer comparable systems.
“Supporting mods on console is a unique challenge, and while the possibilities are being explored, the timing and scope cannot be confirmed at this stage,” an official statement explained. So don’t expect mods to appear on console anytime soon, but they could still play a vital role in extending the game’s lifespan through extra vehicles, environments and missions.
Arguably, no title is better suited to local split-screen than this, with its superb damage model as catnip for couch-based gamers. On PS5, you can play against three friends, either through free-roaming in each of the game’s environments or in tailored scenarios.
I tested this with my (very reluctant) wife and was immediately impressed by how smooth the graphics were. The biggest surprise, however, was the lack of soft-body collision compromise, with damage looking just as outlandish and realistic as in single-player.
Nothing’s more hilarious than seeing your friend roll their Pigeon in real time, or preventing a last-gasp car football goal with the vehicular equivalent of a two-footed tackle (also a great way to replicate the Top Gear challenges of yesteryear). One negative point: there are no AI opponents. Boo.
Split-screen multiplayer is a triumph
New stuff
The game’s V0.40 update also adds the Cherrier Percheron truck to its burgeoning vehicle roster.
Based on an early-noughties European lorry, the Cherrier joins the incumbent US-style Gavril T-Series in handling all your cargo-shifting needs. Naturally, it comes with a selection of chassis and body types and is perhaps the game’s most interactive vehicle yet, featuring openable storage lockers, multiple openable fascia panels and interior lighting.
It also debuts hydrodynamic braking, which operates separately from the truck’s normal disc-and-pad system to brake on descents. Essentially, it uses oil to create resistance in the transmission, crucially extending the life of the conventional braking systems while eliminating fade.
The new Cherrier has several options
The system produces 600 kW of braking force, but the extra heat it creates raises engine temperatures (the heat generally passes into the truck’s cooling system via an oil-water heat exchanger). So, keep an eye on that temp gauge during long descents – you wouldn’t want your trailer overtaking your truck, after all.
The latest TastiCola Driver scenario is a cool introduction to the new Cherrier, and I hope the Beam team adds more trucking content in the future. Perhaps a full tutorial on how to reverse park would be a good idea…
Vanishing Point
Despite its foibles, BeamNG offers something many PS5 owners have been crying out for: a proper driving simulator.
This build represents a solid, if flawed, start on console, but many hurdles remain if the game is to captivate its Sony audience. Performance and optimisation are huge issues, naturally, as is the incoherent career mode. Also, with the confirmed absence of the World Editor, modding and online multiplayer feel even more important to the future of the PS5 version, with official updates likely to be sporadic (based on the current update cadence, at least).
However, the new local split-screen multiplayer mode is an absolute triumph, and anyone new to the game will be equal parts gobsmacked and entertained by the wealth of driving fun and destruction at their fingertips – BeamNG really has no equal in these terms.
It’s a bit messy, it’s a bit janky, but it’s still BeamNG on PS5, and that in itself is an incredible feat.
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