Sony's racing game Gran Turismo 7 has taken another leap forward in artificial intelligence with the release of GT Sophy 2.1, marking a new era in racing game AI opponents.
The latest update builds upon Sony AI's impressive achievement from 2022, when their GT Sophy AI dominated professional players with a stunning 104-52 win record. Now, the team has refined this powerhouse AI into something more suitable for everyday players.
GT Sophy 2.1 brings expanded capabilities across 19 tracks, up from the previous nine locations. Players can now customize their racing experience against the AI in ways previously unavailable, including options for damage simulation, fuel management, tire wear, and penalty systems.
The AI comes with three difficulty settings - easy, medium, and hard - offering appropriate challenges for different skill levels. Unlike its earlier versions that were practically unbeatable, the current hard setting provides a challenging but achievable target for experienced players.
What sets GT Sophy 2.1 apart is its racing behavior. The AI demonstrates sophisticated racing tactics, showing both aggression and vulnerability. It can seize opportunities to overtake while also being susceptible to pressure and mistakes, creating a more authentic racing experience.
"We have worked closely with Polyphony Digital to explore how AI can enhance gameplay and create more dynamic and fun racing experiences for players of all skill levels," said Kaushik Subramanian from Sony AI, highlighting the team's focus on player enjoyment rather than pure AI dominance.
The new system appears to adapt to player skill levels, adjusting its performance to maintain competitive racing. This dynamic difficulty adjustment shows in the progress bars displayed during custom race setup, suggesting the AI tailors itself to individual player capabilities.
This update represents a notable advancement in racing game AI, addressing one of the genre's persistent challenges - creating realistic and engaging computer-controlled opponents. While the feature is currently limited to certain tracks, it marks a promising direction for the future of racing games.