Is there free roam in Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition?

As a passionate sim racing gamer and content creator, I get asked often – can you free roam in Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition? Is there an open world?

The answer is no – out of the box, Assetto Corsa Ultimate focuses purely on closed circuit racing with laser scanned tracks. No official free roam mode exists.

However (and this is an emphatic however), thanks to the incredible modding community, you CAN transform Assetto Corsa into essentially an open world driving game and explore miles of open roads!

Keep reading as I breakdown what‘s included with Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition, compare the titles in the Assetto Corsa series, showcase some jaw-dropping free roam mods, and explain why a racing wheel is so important.

Everything You Get in Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition

So what exactly does the Ultimate Edition of Assetto Corsa include compared to the standard version or follow up title Assetto Corsa Competizione?

Ultimate Edition gives you EVERYTHING:

• Base Assetto Corsa game
• Prestige car pack – 10 cars
• Three Porsche packs – 20 cars
• Red pack – 10 cars
• Ready to Race pack – 15 cars
• Japanese pack – 15 cars
• Ferrari 70th Anniversary pack – 10 cars

That‘s over 90 extra vehicles on top of the standard game‘s already impressive lineup of 88 cars.

For tracks, you get:

• 33 track configurations
• 16 different real world circuits
• Including legendary tracks like Spa Francorchamps, Nurburgring Nordschleife and Laguna Seca

All circuits are laser scanned for pinpoint accuracy.

So in summary – 178 cars, 33 track layouts. Utlimately Edition really means ultimate!

Content Comparison Table

As you can see, Assetto Corsa offers a broader selection of vehicles and tracks compared to the later Competizione title which narrows down on GT racing.

Modding Magic – Assetto Corsa Free Roam Maps

Now back to the key question – is free roaming possible in Assetto Corsa?

While again I must reinforce there is no OFFICIAL free roam mode…the magic of modding opens up Assetto Corsa into a truly incredible open world driving experience.

The modding community has created intricately detailed maps and environments with open highways, functioning traffic, small rural towns and huge metropolitan cities to explore.

These free roam mods blend perfect physics with rich, expansive worlds. Check out just some of most popular maps below!

Top 10 Must-Try Assetto Corsa Free Roam Maps

• LA Canyons – Wind through the epic canyon roads around Los Angeles with beautiful scenery
• Lake Louise Open World – Drive through quaint mountain towns and along icy lakes
• Shutoko Revival Project – Cruise the Tokyo highways and city streets with AI traffic
• PCH1 Pacific Coast Highway – Take in the ocean views while tearing up the California coast
• Ridewood – Explore forests, farmlands, valleys, highways and small towns
• Romagna – Feature rich Italian map with Dynamic time/weather. Race the Ferrari 488!
• FD Japan – Inspired by the drifting scene, slide around factories and proving grounds
• FC Japan Touge – Epic downhill drift mountain passes with intense AI battles
• Ardeca – Beautiful Spanish coastal city withPlayable police chases, stunt events
• Hirochi Raceway – Fictional Japanese track through cities, farmland, mountains and beaches

As a sim racing fanatic, being able to apply Assetto Cora‘s legendary physics model to these sprawling worlds is an incredible experience unlike any other racing title.

And with mods like simulated police chases, populated cities, dynamic time/weather and more – you can essentially transform Assetto Corsa into an open world racing paradise!

Enhanced Immersion With a Racing Wheel

While Assetto Corsa is certainly playable with a gamepad, I cannot overstate how much a proper force feedback racing wheel improves the experience.

With precise steering inputs, pedal controls and detailed force feedback, a racing wheel setup allows much finer control of weight transfer, slip angles, under/oversteer and more.

This transforms the driving realism drastically – you can feel the grip through the wheel, modulate throttle/brakes perfectly. Ultimately you form an incredible connection to the vehicles and environments.

Short of actual racing, a racing simulator like Assetto Corsa paired with a performance wheel/pedal set is the closest you can get to truly driving.

And when exploring the free roam maps, that enhanced immersion pays dividends in delivering absolutely jaw dropping experiences.

You owe it to yourself as gamer try Assetto Corsa with a proper racing rig!

Key Takeaways

So in summary:

• Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition does not include an official free roam mode
• But INCREDIBLE fan made open world maps exist
• These maps blend physics with rich, expansive environments
• Transforming Assetto Corsa into an open world driving paradise!
• A racing wheel setup massively enhances immersion and realism

While out of the box Assetto Corsa focuses purely on circuit racing – the incredible mod support enables so much more.

You can spend hours exploring epic environments like the LA Canyons, blasting down Pacific Coast Highway, drifting mountain passes or just cruising through photorealistic cities.

I hope this breakdown helps explain what Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition includes, how modding enables open world driving, and why a racing wheel is so important!

Let me know if you have any other questions – and enjoy those mods!