At its core, BeamNG.drive is a driving sim unlike any other, powered by an uncompromising real-time soft-body physics engine. “When console?” is a question we’ve been asked, in some form or another, for the better part of a decade and I’m excited to be able to say we’re bringing our world of cars and chaos to PlayStation 5.
While the game is best known for its spectacular car crashes, they are merely an outcome of the physics doing its job underneath. In BeamNG.drive, every component of the vehicle is simulated individually as a network of nodes and beams that can flex under load, deform, or even break outright when pushed too far. As a result, vehicle behavior is never scripted, but emerges from those tiny interactions, allowing the game to produce true-to-life handling dynamics with incredibly accurate damage modeling. And all of it happens really fast — the physics engine updates at a rate of 2kHz — meaning the vehicle is being fully re-evaluated two thousand times every second.
This system allows for things that are normally impossible to depict outside of pre-rendered cutscenes. Damage is not cosmetic, and no two crashes feel alike. Take a buggy across rocky ground or hit a curb at the wrong angle and you can trace how every impact gradually propagates through the structure of the vehicle, part by part, just like it would in real life. The freedom to experiment is near-limitless.
A versatile lineup of a thousand detailed vehicle configurations is on offer for any type of automotive enthusiast. Chasing lap times? Supercars, sport cars, and muscle cars are warmed up and waiting. Picking up groceries? Grab an SUV, a minivan, or one of those intentionally questionable mid-90s sedans. Urban chauffeuring? There are buses, taxis, and a limousine at your service. Dirt is your final frontier? Purpose-built desert trucks and rock crawlers will get you there, probably. Having a rough day? An entire fleet of heavy machinery is standing by, ready to help you “accidentally” drop a 40-ton marble block onto an unsuspecting van. All of this is accompanied by a large selection of trailers and props, ranging from a simple traffic cone all the way to a giant spinner to wreak havoc with.
For those who like to tinker, customization is available across the board, and depending on the model, it can be remarkably extensive. Start paint-deep or dig in and swap the engine, suspension type, change drivetrain layout, fit different wheels and tires, sprinkle in some aftermarket performance parts – until you’ve engineered a creation that Theseus himself wouldn’t be able to recognize. Every tweak will be reflected in how the car feels on the road, and you can take it even further with adjustable sway bars, ride height, tire pressure, locking differentials, high/low range transfer cases, triple-bypass shocks on the off-roaders, adaptive spoilers, and much more. Whether you’re chasing a personal best, picking a line through technical terrain, or reversing a loaded trailer into a tight dock, BeamNG.drive meets you where you are.
There’s plenty to discover as you test out that fresh custom setup. The game comes with a dozen open-world maps, featuring coastal, mountain, desert, industrial, and suburban environments, all packed with a variety of gameplay experiences. Players who enjoy a more structured approach can make use of the mission system that offers a selection of races, time trials, police chases, and other challenges, while Freeroam mode is perfect for exploring the world on your own terms, with simulated traffic or without. There’s no wrong way to play.
The level of fidelity and depth that BeamNG.drive is known for is a serious challenge on any platform. To preserve what makes the experience special, extensive optimization and careful refinement were required under the hood across performance, controls, interface, overall usability, and many other systems. Bringing BeamNG.drive to consoles has been a complex undertaking for the team, and this milestone reflects the enormous effort that went into navigating countless technical challenges and meeting unique architectural demands.
In all ways, BeamNG.drive has always been a labor of love – starting from a humble tech demo to the massive community the game boasts today. Releasing on PlayStation 5 is a huge achievement for us, and we’re looking forward to sharing this adventure with the console audience.
