February 2013: Obama is President, the PS4 has not yet been released, the iPhone 5 and 4th generation iPad were cutting edge, and it will be another three and a half years until an Apple TV with gaming capability hits shelves, sparking the idea for this website.

Six and a half years feels like an eternity in the tech-based industry of gaming, but that’s how long I’ve been playing and writing about Real Racing 3. In that length of time, many franchises would’ve released half a dozen sequels, but the fact that Real Racing has been sitting on number 3 since 2013 is an indication that Firemonkeys is doing alright with its racer.

Earlier this week, Firemonkeys unleashed the latest in RR3’s long, long line of free content updates – version 8.0.0. What’s so significant about this update that warrants it being a freshly numbered version?

Two words. Well, one word, and one number.

Forumla 1.

 

Forumla 1 is a hot property to license, and gaming studios do not invest in it lightly. For Firemonkeys to go all in on F1 at this stage in RR3’s lifespan is an indication that not only is RR3 doing well for itself, but also that we probably shouldn’t be holding our breath for Real Racing 4.

What sort of F1 goodness is version 8.0.0 hiding under its bonnet then?

Released to coincide with the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix so players could be racing the same track at the same time as Lewis Hamilton, Firemonkeys has put its all into 8.0.0. You can check out the full patch notes right here, but some highlights include five Grand Prix special events, earning yourself a 2019 F1 race car for each event you complete, and the option to play as your favourite real-world F1 driver.

Players will start off with a gifted F1 Academy Car, and after having earned M$2,000,000 in the update’s new Motorsports currency (ugh), you’ll have the choice to buy any of this season’s F1 cars.

There’s a crazy amount of stuff shoehorned into this update, including some non-F1 cars,  a new track, and a lineup of events over the coming weeks in which to earn cash for those cars.

It’s been a while since I’ve been behind RR3’s wheel, with all the Apple Arcade craziness going on, but it’s been good to be back and fits like an old hat, despite the free-to-play currencies being tipped a bit too heavily towards Firemonkey’s end at times. Any chance we can get RR4 for Apple Arcade? That would surely be a big win for fans, and a nice compromise between free-to-play and premium.

As always with RR3, the cars handle beautifully, and sound fantastic, with gameplay as smooth and crisp as you would expect on an Apple TV 4K. This is absolutely the pole position racing game for the Apple TV platform.

F1 hitting RR3 has been one of many big surprises for Apple TV gamers this year, and with Apple’s surprise end-of-year event coming next week, I’m thinking we should brace ourselves for some more big announcements.

Before I sign off for the evening, if you’re after some racing of the less realistic, and more kart-like kind, Table Top Racing: World Tour – Nitro Edition hit earlier this week as well, and it’s fantastic. Read ATVG’s story right here.

Go. Have fun.

If you’re new to The Apple TV Gaming Blog (ATVG), or just new to Apple TV gaming in general, or both, then the best place to get acquainted is our Best Apple TV Games of 2019 article. You’ll find a great collection of games to play, and a bunch of useful links to our previous site content. Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.