After 13 years of waiting, publisher Nacon has finally, finally revealed that Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on Thursday, September 12, 2024. The current-gen racer was previously expected to arrive by the end of March, but hey, it’s better late than never.
The grand unveiling of the Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown release date came as part of a new two-minute release date trailer for the racing game. Regardless of whether Solar Crown’s final form is actually any good, developer Kylotonn certainly knows how to make a beautiful open-world game – Hong Kong Island looks incredible.
From old-school VW Beetles to Bugattis, Audis, Lambos, and Mercs, I’m not in the least bit worried about it lacking car variety. It even looks like Kylotonn has managed to cram a Citroen Dolly in there at around the 1:08 mark – unbelievable scenes. If going off-road is more your vibe, the trailer further showcases rough ‘n’ ready options like the Range Rover Sport, G-Wagon, and a particularly bouncy-looking buggy.
Pre-orders for the game are also now live on Amazon. Both the PS5 and Xbox versions will set you back $59.99 each. Meanwhile, over in the UK, the PS5 and Xbox versions can be yours for £44.95 respectively.
Back in January, Nacon revealed in an earnings report that Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown would finally materialize by March 31, ending a 13-year wait for the racing series’ next installment. However, the due date cruised by without anything to show for it, once again leaving us in the dark.
As April and most of May zoomed by, it was looking pretty rough – it’s clear that there had been another delay, but how big would it be this time? Then, on May 28, Nacon posted that it had “some exciting things to reveal” at ActuGaming’s French Direct. I dared to dream, and we were rewarded with this latest news.
Last year, Sam got hands-on with Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown at Gamescom. Back then, the game lacked visual polish, but it had its driving mechanics down. The biggest qualm though pertained to the MMO elements of the new PS5 game and new Xbox game, as the grind required to unlock its sportiest models was, quite frankly, absurd. Even if the game itself looks as good as its trailers now, I can’t imagine players will stick around for long if they have to grind upwards of 80 hours for a Bugatti Veyron. Hopefully, the requirements have since been tweaked.
If you’re looking for more racing action to tide you over until then, peep our best PS5 racing games and best Xbox racing games lists – I’m confident you’ll find exactly what you’re after there. Additionally, be sure to drop our Google News feed a follow – you’ll be the first to know if there are any further updates to Solar Crown’s development.