- Patch update #34: Smarter traffic and better accidents - 27 August 2026
Vehicles Added a new sport bike model (inspired by Aprilia Tuono V4 1100) Added a truck turntable trailer Added ragdolls to bicycle and motorbike riders Added reflective paint to trucks and trailers Added driver models Added registration plates Improved motorbike animations Improved vehicle lights Improved the autopilot mode Maps Added German traffic signs and rules Improved traffic signs and lights Added loading/unloading ramps to the Lakeside Hill map Added a roundabout to the Lakeside Hill map Added realistic bus stops to the Windridge City map Reorganised obstacles on the Windridge City map Vehicle Physics Rehauled motorbike driving physics and control modes Improved crashed motorbike revive procedure Improved wheel contact forces Improved differential steering in tracked vehicles Tuned powertrain parameters AI Traffic Added bicycles to traffic Added motorbikes to traffic Added truc…
- Patch update #33: Upgraded rendering - 16 June 2025
Graphics Improved global illumination Improved sky and clouds Improved shadows Improved reflections Added volumetric fog light scattering Upgraded water (waves, caustics, underwater volume) Performance Updated graphics quality options (restored settings to defaults) Improved VR performance (switched to single-pass rendering) Improved overall rendering performance Vehicle Physics Adjusted combustion engine throttle curve and lag Added the speed limiter to trucks Adjusted retarder levels Added realistic automatic gearbox shifter option Adjusted the power steering curve Steering Wheel Improved FFB calibration logic Updated FFB settings Added FFB center force filter Improved surface roughness vibrations UI Added the green RPM range to the dashboard panel Optimised input actions filtering Improved HUD text rendering
- Patch update #32: Four seasons - 18 April 2025
Weather System Split months into four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) Improved rainy weather with wet reflective surfaces, puddles and raindrop ripple animations Added lightning storm Added Winter snow cover on terrain, buildings, and vehicles Added Autumn vegetation colours Added wind effect (visual and physical) Improved sleet and hail Graphics Balanced sky scattering intensity and night lighting Improved car paint material Improved vegetation visuals (terrain, grasses, flowers, and trees) Added grass interaction Input Improved steering wheel force feedback controller Added force feedback calibration system Configured default calibration data for popular steering wheels (Thrustmaster T300RS/T500RS/T-GT/PC-Racer, Logitech G920/G29) Added default action bindings for Thrustmaster T500 RS Gear Shift Vehicle Physics Adjusted tyre friction depending on the weather conditions Improv…
- Patch update #31: Smooth driving and new buildings - 15 November 2024
AI Traffic Reduced vehicle blocking on intersections Fixed incorrect road intersection priorities Gentler vehicle acceleration Improved pedestrian paths Fixed incorrect turn indicator Fixed vehicle skin variants Vehicle Physics Improved automatic gearbox gear shift logic Added more engine and gearbox variants to trucks Improved engine torque curves Fixed engine stalling for vehicles with automatic transmission Tuned car suspension damping Improved loaded wheel dynamic radius Improved motorbike lean forces Improved forklift lift mechanics Improved vehicle spawn positions Maps Added new tenements to the Lakeside Hill map Added street lamps Improved French traffic signs Graphics Added Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) Fixed missing vehicle wheels in the mirror picture Input Added engine vibration effect to the steering wheel force feedback Added new motorbike control modes Fixed gear shi…
- Patch update #30: Abundant AI traffic and a new motorbike - 9 August 2024
AI Traffic Increased traffic density around the player Increased the maximum number of AI vehicles and pedestrians Increased AI vehicle controller speed and improved steering trajectory Improved pedestrian behaviour and reduced getting stuck Smoothed AI paths Added an autopilot controller (experimental) Vehicles Added a naked bike inspired by the Honda CB 750 Reduced headlight intensity and added shadows Fixed the visibility of the front and rear lights Improved rear-view mirrors Adjusted interior dashboard emission Added a gearbox sound when shifting without the clutch Vehicle Physics Improved ABS (reduced brake distance) Improved ASR (reduced wheel acceleration slip) Improved automatic transmission logic Improved throttle controller and adjusted engine torque curves Fixed wheel contact angle calculation Increased the tyre grip of vintage cars Tuned vehicle suspension stiffness Adjuste…
- Patch update #29: GPS navigation and a tractor - 26 October 2023
Bugfixes Fixed the license error showing for some Steam users (the error may still show for users with aggressive anti-viruses like Avast) Vehicles Added a new agricultural tractor inspired by Case IH Maxxum 135 Added an articulated trailer for the tractor Added a tandem trailer for the tractor UI Added the possibility to move and resize HUD panels Added a HUD minimap panel Added an interactive map view (scroll to zoom, LMB drag, RMB to set a new destination) Added route navigation GPS Improved camera calibration settings Improved mirror calibration settings Fixed top bar button click (sometimes it failed to register click) Fixed slider delay in the general settings panel Translations Added Ukrainian language Maps Added proper bollards for French roads Changed road priorities Fixed road decal colors Separated a grass surface material Performance Optimised windshield raindrops VR Updated…
- Patch update #28: Weather effects - 9 August 2023
Graphics Added day-night cycle and weather effects Added volumetric clouds and fog Added windshield raindrops Optimised camera rendering Added experimental support for DirectX 12 and Vulkan Vehicle models Added new vintage cars (inspired by Mercedes W123, BMW E32, Lada Granta, Vaz Okta, ZAZ 965) Added car paint variants Added windshield wiper animation Added head lamp emission Optimised vehicle models Vehicle physics Adjusted drivetrain and wheel inertia Improve truck tyre friction curves Maps Enlarged roundabouts and improved roads on the Windridge City map Optimised building models (Windridge City, Urban City, Earthworks Site) Optimised trees and grass Improved scene object loading (streaming) Rebuilt lighting on maps Countries Added Slovenian road signs and translations (thanks to Sim 83) Input Improved steering wheel force feedback Added Thrustmaster PC Racer default bindings Added…
- Patch update #27: New wheels - 27 September 2022
Vehicle Physics Upgraded rubber tyre simulation Improved tyre grip and skid Improved anti-roll bar simulation Reorganised steering geometry Added caster and kingpin angles Added variable steering ratio Improved differential steering (tracked vehicles) Separated suspension bump and rebound damping Improved traction control (ESC) Added automatic transmission decoupling when braking Tuned vehicle parameters (steering angle, engine, transmission, suspension, tyre, brakes) Steering Wheel Improved force feedback calculation Normalised and tuned steering wheel forces Added variable steering effort Added steering wheel rotation angle to the settings Separated centring, collision, resistance, and vibration effects (which can be adjusted in the settings) Added the option of hiding the steering wheel Added optional steering wheel auto-centring on reset Maps Reorganised roads and roundabouts on the…
- Patch update #26: City Driving - 8 March 2022
What's New Added traffic offence detection Added country-specific traffic rules and road signs Added many performance optimisations Expanded the AI traffic system Artificial Intelligence Improved AI vehicle goal selection and path generation Ensured that AI vehicles select a correct lane on an intersection Enabled AI vehicles outside the city centre (Lakeside Hill map) Reduced the probability of deadlocks Increased AI vehicle speed Vehicle Physics Added gear P for the PRND gearbox Improved automatic gear change logic Improved the torque curves of selected engines Vehicles Added a new Volvo coach bus Added a new tandem trailer Added complete sets of mirrors to trucks Improved body and suspension parameters of several vehicles Maps Extended AI space in the Windridge City map Improved roads and buildings on the Lakeside Hill map Added Polish, French, and British road signs Enabled left-han…
- Free beta access with Playtest - 10 September 2021
We gave away over 2000 free Steam keys to our most engaged community members during the last two years of development. Unfortunately, we reached the maximum number of beta keys for a game in a pre-released stage, and we cannot request more until a full release. Fortunately, we can continue inviting new beta testers with the Steam Playtest system. Playtest is a new feature that allows you to quickly request beta access to our game by clicking on a button on the Steam store page. Go to the eXpanSIM store page Click "Add to your wishlist" Click "Request Access" You will be notified when your request is approved.
- Patch update #25: Trailers - 10 September 2021
What's New Added car trailers Added new truck trailers Added trailer selection to the vehicle card Performance Reduced UI overhead Optimised the Lakeside Hill map Fixed HUD unnecessary memory allocation Fixed log stack trace overhead Vehicle Physics Improved wheel lateral friction forces Improved Ackermann steering angles Adjusted the torque converter capacity for cars Maps Improved lighting and reflections on all maps Added vibration on a cobble stone surface Improved road textures on the Lakeside Hill map Improved road geometry here and there Vehicles Set interior camera as default Improved car paint materials Input Removed keyboard and gamepad steering capping depending on vehicle speed Adjusted the dead zone of a gamepad Extended DirectInput device support Improved Logitech G29 support Added custom actions for special scenarios UI Improved vehicle preview images Added power and torq…
- Patch update #24: HDRP and replays - 15 June 2021
Unity's HDRP (High Definition Render Pipeline) is a new set of tools that unlock the power of modern graphic cards and allow achieving better visuals. We invested a lot of work to convert all graphical assets to the new system during the recent months. However, it is only the first step of the migration process. We decided to release the current progress, although we have not reached the full power of HDRP yet. There are many parameters that still need to be tuned for the best visuals and performance. We plan to introduce all the advantages of HDRP step by step in future updates. What's New Migrated the project to HDRP Added the possibility to record and replay the simulation Added calibration settings for both the single screen and the surround mode Driving School (*) Added learner profile list Added training selection menu Added training summary and statistics Added basic vehicle oper…
- Patch update #23: Surround rendering - 12 April 2021
What's New Added the surround rendering mode Added ESC (Electronic Stability Control) Added AI vehicles to the Windridge City map Added a new semi-trailer truck Vehicle Physics Improved ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) Improved gear shifting smoothness for automatic gearboxes Reduced car engine brake Fixed throttle dead travel for combustion engines Lowered the centre of mass of cargo for trucks Maps Added more details to the Lakeside Hill map Improved lighting on the Lakeside Hill map Replaced grass rendering engine on all maps AI Added road priorities and speed limits Fixed AI vehicle gear selection VR Added Oculus VR app launch option Increased hand hold distance Reduced virtual steering wheel force feedback Updated Varjo plugin UI Improved UI layout for triple screen Replaced the old intro with a static image Added vehicle thumbnails Added map thumbnails Added loading screen Input Add…
- Patch update #22: Autodrome - 26 February 2021
What's New Added a new Hawk Autodrome map (WIP) Added a new Lakeside Hill map (WIP) Added a new Polish police car Added a new Polish ambulance car Added a new Polish fire truck Added a new compact car Added a new sedan car Added a new van Added a new truck Added skidpad challenges (WIP) Input Added the possibility to edit VR controller bindings Fixed force feedback for the virtual steering wheel UI Added optional engine start on throttle input Improved input bindings panel Other Integrated a bug reporting system Known Issues VR mode may fail if the VR device sleeps or stops tracking during loading Some VR inputs may not be detected (still investigating the problem)
- Patch update #21: VR controllers - 19 February 2021
What's New Added support for VR controllers Added an Australian police car Virtual Reality Added animated VR gloves interacting with a vehicle cockpit Added VR camera rotation calibration Added support for HP Reverb G2 Added support for Varjo Fixed SteamVR launch issue Physics Added non-linear throttle progression for better engine power control at low RPM Visuals Improved animations of the forklift Level Design Improved the height of shelves in the Warehouse map Input Improved detection of input devices (twin joysticks are now distinguished properly) UI Changed the order of engines in the dropdown list Fixed some UI bugs Other Updated Unity version Replaced OpenVR with OpenXR library Known Issues Not all vehicles have a fully interactive interior There are shadow rendering differences between the left and right eye in VR VR button bindings are hardcoded for now (they will be configurab…
- Patch update #20: Excavator - 27 November 2020
What's New Added an excavator with a controllable boom, stick, and bucket Added a new Earthworks Site map for excavator scenarios Physics Added dynamic terrain Added power consumption of hydraulic actuators Visuals Improved pedestrian ragdolls Added forklift lever animations Other Added credits Work in Progress Creating a new big map Migrating to the High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP) Extending AI behaviour Known Issues SteamVR needs to be shut down before launching eXpanSIM (SteamVR will launch later automatically)
- Patch update #19: Forklift - 16 November 2020
What's New Added a forklift truck with controllable equipment Added a new Warehouse map for forklift scenarios Physics Added hydraulic actuators Added basic vehicle buoyancy and water drag Improved aerodynamics Added a double brake system Changed gear selection for manual gearboxes - gears can only be changed with the clutch pressed User Interface Added a vehicle type filter to the vehicle selection panel Added AI vehicle and pedestrian sliders to the map selection panel Added HUD widgets for controlling hydraulic equipment Added quick start scenarios to the welcome panel Fixed monitor DPI handling Input Added range and gear split to a manual gearbox SDK Added stable ABI for sustaining backward compatibility (see \\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\eXpanSIM\\SDK\\README.md) Added turret telemetry Work in Progress Adding an excavator with the ability to dig in the ground Creating a new big map M…
- Patch update #18: Pedestrians - 9 October 2020
What's New Added AI pedestrians (adults and children) Added translations (EN, PL) Artificial Intelligence Added the pedestrian system Improved AI system performance Physics Added pedestrian ragdolls Vehicles Added a fire truck variant for left-hand traffic Improved the Solaris bus model Improved collision models Level Design Added pedestrians to the Urban City map Improved curbs on the Urban City map Improved traffic lights readability on the Urban City map Improved lighting on the Urban City map User Interface Added translations (more languages soon) Reorganised UI handling layer Improved loading and added a loading splash Input Added retarder level actions Audio Improved collision audio and small fixes SDK Added engine load to the DashboardState Other Migrated the project to Unity 2020.1 Updated XR management and OpenVR integration Work in Progress Adding more traffic rules Creating a…
- Patch update #17: Traffic signals - 28 August 2020
What's new Added the detailed interior to the coach bus Added headlamps, horn, turn and hazard warning signals Vehicles Added the door open/close feature to the Solaris bus Improved materials of the Solaris bus Improved gear ratios for the Solaris bus gearbox Environments Enabled traffic lights for the Urban City map Improved building materials in the Urban City map Physics Improved the calculation of internal combustion engine torque maps for different loads Improved throttle control of all internal combustion engines Artificial Intelligence AI-controlled vehicles stop at traffic lights AI-controlled vehicles use turn signals AI-controlled vehicles are aware of the player-controlled vehicle and predict its path AI-controlled vehicles spawn with random skins Fixed a rare collision case caused by not yielding priority Optimised the performance of the AI system Audio Improved engine sound…
- Patch update #16: Early AI traffic - 10 July 2020
What's new AI traffic on the Urban City map Physics Enabled physics state interpolation for dynamic scene objects, which makes smooth object motion for a low physics simulation update frequency Vehicles Improved Solaris bus model and materials Audio Normalized the volume of vehicle sound effects Tuned selected car engine sounds Known issues The AI system is still in development: AI-controlled vehicles are present only on the Urban City map The behaviour of AI-controlled vehicles is simple and limited AI-controlled vehicles may get stuck on road intersections (deadlock) Wheels/tracks don't interact with other vehicle's body Some audio effects may be muted in close proximity to other vehicles Traffic vehicles are not optimised yet
