Live For Speed to receive dynamic lighting and day-to-night cycle in new graphics update

It’s been years in the making, but veteran racing sim Live For Speed will soon receive a series of graphical improvements.

The 2002 title has long been a fan favourite thanks to its tight physics and comprehensive tyre model, but in terms of eye candy, the game has looked antiquated for well over a decade (which equates to nearly‘half a Scirocco,’ in LFS terms).

However, in a YouTube Premiere this evening (8th December 2025), the team behind LFS revealed a host of graphics improvements which are set to debut during a public beta later this week.

The video showcases the game’s upcoming day-to-night cycle, and it looks suitably impressive in action (witness the mechanical clock tower working overtime!), but the dynamic lighting updates are arguably even more substantial, allowing real-time shadows and better reflections.

Tracks

Circuits like the Kyoto Ring, South City, Westhill and Fern Bay look to have been given a visual spruce-up, although there were sadly no further teasers of the new Bancroft Autodrome and Fairfield Test Centre tracks.

Lights, camera, action

However, we did get a preview of the game’s auxiliary lights system in action, thanks to what looks like a good old-fashioned cops ‘n robbers car chase, which will surely work well in the game’s renowned cruise and drift servers.

The lights were also shown working on a safety car, a fire and rescue vehicle and will almost certainly be enabled on a previously previewed tow truck.

Although the graphics look to be a hefty improvement on the game’s incumbent visuals, the reality is that LFS will probably still lack the modern bells and whistles of sims like iRacing, Le Mans Ultimate and Assetto Corsa EVO.

For example, judging from the latest previews, it appears that LFS’s new graphics system won’t feature depth-of-field effects or dynamic weather, let alone motion blur. So, although the improvements are most welcome, the game is unlikely to wow a mainstream audience. 

However, for those more concerned with how a sim feels, LFS is still worth trying today, especially with such a passionate and active community surrounding it.

Are you impressed with Live For Speed’s new graphical previews? Let us know in the comments below.