Gran Turismo 7 Power Pack review – GT7’s first paid-for DLC goes hardcore

Three years after its initial release, Gran Turismo 7 gets its first DLC that isn’t free, but if you’re a dedicated fan there’s a lot to tempt you into buying it.

One of the less obvious victims of Microsoft’s current video game woes is Forza Motorsport, the Xbox’s leading driving simulator and key competitor to Sony’s Gran Turismo. While the arcade fun of the more open world, and distinctly less serious, Forza Horizon persists, that’s now a franchise that’s also available on PlayStation 5. That leaves PlayStation as the undisputed king of driving games, a position cemented this week with Gran Turismo 7’s first paid-for downloadable content.

Since its release in 2022, Gran Turismo 7 has received numerous completely free updates. Along with bug fixes and minor quality of life improvements, it’s regularly added tranches of new cars, the occasional new or revamped track, and support for PlayStation VR2 – instantly making it one of the best VR games ever made. You really can’t fault the generosity, which has provided a steady stream of fresh content to explore in the three years since its launch.

The latest free update includes two new tracks and the data logger, which lets you see full telemetry for your car for the duration of a race replay – so you can analyse the precise physics and state of its systems at any point during each lap. It’s unlikely to be of much interest to all but the most obsessive petrol heads but demonstrates the extreme levels of geekiness simulators inspire in their fans.

Also arriving for free was a bunch of new cars, including two Ferraris and a hilarious race tuned Renault Espace, along with the addition of Dunlop tyres for anyone previously left bereft by their inability to burn that particular variety of rubber. It’s another complimentary cornucopia, and for those who play regularly, adds extra goals to achieve and cars to buy, keeping the game relevant. Like the staggering level of new material regularly added to No Man’s Sky, it’s an object lesson in genuine fan service, and a credit to Sony.

To go along with all that munificence, Gran Turismo 7 has also now received its first piece of DLC you have to pay for separately: Power Pack. Accessed via a three-masted sailing ship in the bay, that constitutes the game’s main menu, you’re taken to a new interface dedicated to proper racing. That’s to say, rather than the usual potpourri of cars and tracks that comprise the main game’s events, in this one each of its 50 events is far more like real world racing.

That means you start with a practise session, giving you an unlimited number of laps to get to know the track, and the car you’ve been issued. Power Pack doesn’t rely on vehicles unlocked in your garage, instead giving you three options for each race: a base car and two lesser models, which compensate by giving you higher rewards for winning. Driving multiple practise laps before each event lets you discover the nuances not only of the circuit, but also your chosen car.

It also gives you time to experience the full splendour of its driving model and handling physics, which remain amongst the best in the business. Stripped of any kind of frippery, this is just you and your simulated car, with none of the time rewinding and head shaking dudebro commentary of Forza Horizon. There isn’t even music by default, saving its licensed soundtrack for replays only.

You can see your lap times improving as you get to know every corner, when to brake, and what gear to use as you power out of them. When you feel as though you’re good enough, it’s time to move onto qualifying, which gives you a fixed time limit during which you need to set your fastest lap, which dictates your place on the grid for the race itself. There’s always other traffic on the track during qualifiers, adding to the pressure, since overtaking slower cars forces you to deviate from the racing line.

Then it’s on to the actual race, many of which are considerably longer than similar events in the base game. Along with the time you plough into practise and qualifying, and the need to pay an entry fee for each event, it adds to the pressure to perform, making messing everything up on the final lap extra frustrating, although to be fair to the game engine that’s not an issue we had particular problems with.

Another new feature for Power Pack is Sophy 3.0, Gran Turismo 7’s enhanced rival driver AI. The good news is that races now feel palpably more challenging, with top of the podium finishes both rarer and much harder fought than used to be the case. You can often spend an entire lap fending off or trying to overtake a single adversary, and because it feels as though there’s more riding on each race, it’s an additional source of adrenaline.

The final part of the package is 5 million in-game credits. It’s an interesting decision, and appears to be there to help justify the purchase price, which might seem a little steep when compared with the volumes of free extras players have been used to. On the PSN Store, those credits alone would set you back £24.99, effectively making the rest of the DLC gratis, but it shows how sensitive Polyphony must feel to the cost.

In any case, after so many unpaid updates, it would be churlish to criticise this one for charging real money. Its far more detailed race events bring a different level of focus to each track and car, fundamentally changing the cadence of the game and giving its superbly realised handling model space to shine. If you love Gran Turismo 7 enough still to be playing it, Power Pack delivers a welcome hit of pure driving, a return to the essence of the franchise.

Formats: PlayStation 5
Price: £24.99
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Release Date: 4th December 2025
Age Rating: 3

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