Sony’s Latest Gran Turismo: A Free, Kid-Friendly Edition

Polyphony Digital, the creative mind behind Gran Turismo, is rolling out a new version of Gran Turismo 7 this Friday, aptly named “My First Gran Turismo.” While it may sound like a trimmed demo of the famed “real driving simulator,” this version is more than meets the eye. It’s reaching out to a broader range of players, spanning ages “7 to 77,” as the official site puts it, aiming to entice both seasoned sim racers and newcomers who have yet to get behind the virtual wheel of Gran Turismo.

Interestingly, this endeavor seems to draw some inspiration from Sony’s kid-friendly product lines of the 1980s.

Rather than just scaling down Gran Turismo 7, My First Gran Turismo crafts a welcoming experience for beginners. Gamers will have the chance to collect 18 vehicles, participate in three different races, engage in time trials, and earn licenses that teach specific driving skills. Polyphony Digital has also sprinkled in fascinating snippets of car history and trivia, promising to make players automotive buffs in no time. The menu interface has been simplified significantly to get everyone straight into the excitement of the game.

In a heartfelt message on the PlayStation Blog, Kazunori Yamauchi, the president of Polyphony Digital, shared, “This experience holds a special place in my heart, as it pays tribute to the origins of the first Gran Turismo, where players of all generations discovered the joys of driving.” He envisions My First Gran Turismo as a way to introduce the young to the thrills of racing or to rekindle an old love for driving, making it an engaging and immersive experience for drivers of all ages and skill levels.

Yamauchi also emphasized that My First Gran Turismo is about “embarking on a personal driving journey.” It’s designed to help players “build confidence one lap at a time,” offering new challenges that gradually enhance their driving prowess.

The name My First Gran Turismo nostalgically nods to a previous line of Sony gadgets from the 1980s. Back then, Sony created smaller and vividly colorful versions of devices like the Walkman and cassette recorders, known as My First Sony products, typically decked out in bright red. My First Gran Turismo embraces this concept, featuring a vividly red main menu with a Lamborghini Countach as the inaugural vehicle that catches the player’s eye. And with its large yellow “Start” button, it offers a refreshing contrast to the complex navigation of the full Gran Turismo 7 experience.

Set to launch as a free download on December 6 for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, My First Gran Turismo lets players carry over cars acquired in this version to the complete Gran Turismo 7 game, bridging the gap between new players and the full racing experience.