Kazunori Yamauchi, the CEO of developer Polyphony Digital, has indicated that Gran Turismo 8 is already in the works in a recent interview. In fact, he already has a theme in mind for the game. This reveal comes alongside the announcement from CES 2023 that Gran Turismo 7 will be compatible with PSVR 2 in an update on February 22.
Yamauchi believes VR will begin a “new era” in racing games
In an interview with Japanese outlet Game Watch, Yamauchi responds to a question about whether he thinks there’s anything that the Gran Turismo series hasn’t been able to achieve yet with modern hardware or elements. He says:
Actually, there is a theme. I’m starting to run towards the next one, but I can’t tell you yet. It’s a pity that I can’t talk much (laughs).
In addition, Yamauchi believes that PSVR 2 will usher in a “new era” of racing games, noting that “the driving experience and racing experience itself can now be done as much as the real thing.” This hints that Gran Turismo 8 might have VR support as well, though it’s unclear if the game will be released during the PS5 lifecycle.
He also reveals that PSVR 2 support was always a target for Gran Turismo 7, with the game shooting for 4K at 60 fps right from the start for future compatibility with the headset.
Yamauchi notes that “some people think that VR is ‘immediately drunk’ when put on their head,” but he hopes that the forward movement of the car in Gran Turismo 7 will significantly reduce motion sickness for players using PSVR 2.
