Milestone has announced today what many people already expected, but it’s nice to get the confirmation: Ride 4 will be releasing on PS5 and Xbox Series X, and there will be a free upgrade for current-gen players.
In the exhaustive press release, the publisher has declared that Ride 4 will release on January 21st, 2020 on PS5 and Xbox Series X. If you buy Ride 4 on PS4, you’ll be able to get a free version on PS5 at no extra cost until April 30th, 2021, and that covers DLC packs, too. Players on Xbox One will get the next-gen version via the Xbox Series X Smart Delivery feature, also at no extra cost.
The publisher also lays it on thick about the next-gen machines being very capable, with the game able to run at 60fps with a resolution “up to” 4K. The wording there implies that the game won’t run at native 4K at all times, or maybe it will, but only on one of the consoles. We’ll have to wait and see. Either way, the developer promises that the riding experience will be more “precise, satisfying and natural” thanks to the extra power of the next-gen consoles.
On PS5, players will experience haptic feedback via the PS5’s DualSense advanced haptic feedback, letting players feel the vibrations like never before. Gas and brakes will have their own resistance, too, and the SSD will result in “significantly reduced” loading times which means less time in loading screens and faster steaming of textures, meaning far less pop-in while players are hitting the high speeds.
In Ride 4, Milestone partnered with two of the most iconic brands of the two-wheel world, Yamaha Motor and Bridgestone. Yamaha Motor, Milestone’s main partner for Ride 4, will be also featured on the Steelbook of the boxed RIDE 4 Special Edition, dedicated to the iconic Yamaha R1 2020 that will also allow access to the Season Pass.
Paolo Pavesio, Marketing and Motorsport Director, Yamaha Motor Europe commented:
“with Milestone and RIDE 4 we have taken great steps not only towards our fans and customers but towards the motorcycle lovers as a whole. For us as a company it is important to nurture the passion and open our family to all those whose hearts rev together with ours, using on-line experience as an entry door to “real” motorcycles or either to stretch the off-line experience to moments when you have to stay at home. At the end, it is simply a different expression of the same emotion, therefore it is no coincidence that Yamaha is among the pioneers of the eSports world, injecting our signature racing DNA.
In this important year when we are celebrating 65th anniversary, we have chosen Milestone – a partner that shares our values and vision of innovation and adrenaline – in order to “bring the game to the next level” and proof that on one side we are proud of our heritage, but on the other we are looking forward to the next 65 years… at least! To be honest, I cannot wait to get a copy of RIDE 4 in my console…”.
“As a global leader in mobility solutions, Bridgestone has always embraced the spirit of the true riders, supporting them with its products and technology, whether they are travelling with their bike, enjoying a beautiful scenery or racing at 300 km/h on a track”, commented Nico Thuy, Head of Motorcycle Business at Bridgestone EMIA. “This partnership with Milestone and RIDE 4, gives us the opportunity to get even closer with this passionate community, letting them experience our vast portfolio of premium motorcycle tyres even when they are competing online or simply relaxing with a ride in the virtual world”.
Today also marks the beginning of Ride 4 digital pre-orders: anyone who pre-orders the Standard Edition on PS4™ and Xbox One, will get a Bonus Pack with 2 iconic bikes, 5 new events and 1 additional achievement/trophy, while the Special Edition pre-order Bonus Pack will, contain 4 iconic bikes, 10 new events, 2 additional achievements/trophies and 3-days early access before launch. On Steam, the pre-order Bonus will guarantee a 10% discount on the game price, 2 iconic bikes, 5 new events and 1 additional achievement.
You can pick up your copy of Ride 4 on PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 8th, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions releasing January 21st, 2021.
