F1 23: The wait's almost over - Tuesday is all about preparing for EA's best racing game

All day gaming goals? June 16? You bet. It feels like forever but the wait is almost over - the highly-anticipated Electronic Arts F1 23 racing game drops this week - Friday to be exact - and having tried out the Champions Edition? Holy tire marks smokes - it’s a whole new spin on the genre and sets the bar high with a premium approach to awesomeness.

Now granted, I really could have pushed this feature into the Previews, Reviews and More but when you’re talking about a high-energy game filled with quick turns, serious competition and an endless champagne bath for coming in the Top 3 racers after some intense laps packed with high energy and emotion? Yup - this is way more than going full throttle in Mario Kart.

EA continues to push the boundaries in gaming and puts an intense - in a good way - focus on making sure whatever title they’re working on deserves an entire team of product designers, behind the scenes personnel and production heads to give full attention to every last detail and while I’ll admit being more of a slightly advance newbie to the racing genre, the F1 franchise EA has fueled has drawn a line in the sand from its competitors - if we can even call them that.

Whether you’re the casual racing gamer or know the top Formula 1 racers around the country, there’s no better way to get loose yourself in a video game than what F1 23 has to offer.

Just to get some of the basics out of the way - F1 23 is for everyone - like, I really mean everyone. Whether you’re loyal to PC gaming and consider Steam the only type of platform you’re willing to game on or if you’re like myself and love the power of a next generation console in the form of the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 - you’re covered. Heck, even if you’re not ready for the upgrade F1 23 is available on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 - so no worries about obstacles getting into the best racing game on the market today.

For the folks loyal to the franchise and have played F1 22 through last night, you’ll love some of the new perks this time around including both the Braking Point 2 story mode giving you a serious cinematic presentation packed with a full-fledged storyline and F1 World pitting both the solo and multiplayer adventures all in one place. Matter of fact, let me get more specific:

Braking Point 2 - The enthralling narrative-driven story mode makes its return with even more drama and action waiting to unfold. Following the careers of young upstart, Aiden Jackson, and infamous protagonist, Devon Butler, the pair find themselves together at Konnersport Racing Team, the most recent team to join the F1® grid. Adding a host of new characters and racing challenges, there will be twists, turns, and pitfalls along the way. More info on Braking Point here.

F1® World - This exciting hub redefines the way in which players engage with different solo and multiplayer modes. It introduces a new progression system, daily, weekly, and seasonal content, an overhauled License Level and Ranked system, and many different ways to play. F1® World will introduce the complex world of Formula 1® to new players and help them get to grips with the game before launching a bid for the World Championship. More on F1® World here.

Oh wait, you need more? Of course - let’s be honest, for the standard price of next generation consoles going with $69.99 and if you’re pushing for the most premium experience, $89.99, for the Champions Edition - you might as well get blown away by even more perks and experiences in the new F1 23:

Refined Handling/Physics - Incorporating actual F1® team feedback, F1® 23's vehicle handling is significantly improved for both wheel and pad players. New vehicle physics give cars better traction when braking, accelerating, and cornering - allowing for more predictable behaviour. Plus, greater balance between aerodynamics and tyre grip results in a more realistic feel.

Precision DriveTM - Race wheel-to-wheel with more control, precision, and finesse enabled by a controller tech rewrite that delivers more confidence for controller players in crucial race moments. (Precision DriveTM is incorporated into all controller play).

Two New Circuits - Test your talent in the newest destinations in Formula 1®. Fly around Las Vegas under the iconic lights of the strip. Plus, head to Qatar’s Losail International Circuit. Both circuits have been meticulously recreated in-game using thousands of reference photos and photogrammetry data.

Fan Favourites - Following community feedback, Red flags return to add even more drama, with drivers and teams needing to rethink race strategies on-the-fly as the grid returns to the pits. Plus, 35% race distance makes its debut, providing the perfect sweet spot between short and long race options, allowing for realistic race strategy and setup where tyre wear remains a key factor without committing too much time to every race.

Colour and Lighting - A new colour encoding system, similar to that used in film and TV, along with lighting improvements have been implemented across the game, resulting in a more true-to-life visual experience.

Circuit Updates - Both the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, Spain and the Red Bull Ring in Austria have been updated to reflect the new layouts. Additionally, we’ve made several minor improvements to various tracks across the game, updating kerb profiles, adding more detail to off-track sections (the grandstands at Miami being a notable example) and more.

My Team & Career Improvements - A number of changes have been made to further improve players’ experience in the popular My Team, Career, and Two-Player Career modes, including updated driver ratings and facilities, stability improvements, several additions to the in-game presentation, and the same F1® 23 added benefits as in other areas (red flags, 35% race distance, Vegas, Qatar, etc.). F1® 23's three bonus tracks (Shanghai International Circuit, Circuit Paul Ricard, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve) can be added to Career calendars from year two onwards. The Champions Edition of F1® 23 also features 8 new My Team Icons including Nigel Mansell, Kamui Kobayashi, Pastor Maldonado, and Jamie Chadwick.

EA Racenet Overhaul - Forming the backbone of our League Racing system, create, join, schedule, and manage custom multiplayer championships directly from the web app. Plus, analyse telemetry data, lap times, and much more. Find out more by linking your EA account here.

Virtual Reality - VR offers the most authentic F1® experience imaginable on PC. These headsets are supported: Valve Index, Oculus Quest 2 + Link Cable, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Cosmos.

Now I could take the time to geek out over each specific highlight but where I thrive the most at is speaking to you - gamer to gamer - and letting you know my experience first getting put onto F1 22 last year, getting better and better with each race - and then loading up F1 23 this past week?

The presentation alone is super cinematic and comes with a clear, crisp introduction. As many games are starting to do more frequently, the title knows you could be a newbie, a slightly familiar gamer like myself or an all-out expert - each mode going with your comfort level and allowing you to control your vehicle to your liking.

And with the way EA is invested in each title, you can expect frequent updates and adjustments to make the gaming goals even more perfect for the next 12 months. The time to grind out on the most iconic and celebrated raceways is now. This Friday, June 16, buckle up for the ultimate thrill ride.