Fans have been calling out for a change like this for quite some time, and soon, their request could be answered thanks to an all-new user interface (UI) arriving for racing simulator rFactor 2 on 27th January 2022.
The PC-based sim, used for recent racing esports events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, has long been lauded for its excellent tyre model, and equally criticised for its menu layout. This new update will see a ground-up re-designed for the UI.
A fresh approach
The biggest change, based upon the released images so far, appears to be the main home screen. On the ‘Race’ tab, it’s simply broken down into three, large, sub-categories: single-player, multiplayer and competitions. Just below that is a news section, which we assume will be updated on a regular basis.
So, now, if you’d like to race on your own, join friends or try to qualify for a new esports season via the Competition System – such as Formula Pro or Le Mans Virtual Cup – it should be more straightforward where to head upon booting the sim.
Car and game setup
Should you like to deep-dive into camber angles or tyre pressures – and let’s face it, in a sim, you do – then the car setup screen has also been given a facelift.
According to developer Studio 397, it will provide “clearer navigation, an easier layout and simplified user flow with fewer pages.” We’ll have to try it over the coming weeks to see if this has been successful.
Similarly, the settings for the platform have been refreshed, with difficulty presets just three two clicks away from the home screen and detailed graphics options all grouped together.
Livery edits
How you change the design of your livery or paint scheme will also be new as of next week, as you’ll be able to see your car within a showroom setting and then alter colours from a menu on the fly.
The livery editor, or ‘Edit Skin’ in rFactor 2 parlance, at first glance, offers a slicker way of natively changing the look of your car.
Further details soon
According to the Studio 397 team, this will launch without the need of the optional Release Candidate version of rFactor 2 and is also just the beginning.
“We are taking a phased approach to how we structure further UI updates, with January 27th marking the first of these.”
The news follows a December update that reduced loading times. Further details will also be released about the UI improvements ahead of its launch and when it lands next Thursday. For now, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
