SCS has upgraded both Euro Truck Simulator 2 & American Truck Simulator with some major improvements, and it seems they may work even better on the upcoming Steam Deck now.
We'll go over some of the extra content for each below, but first, some tech changes have come to each game. For starters, gamepad support on both has been greatly improved. A big change considering all the different controls needed, with the primary aim to allow navigating the entire UI without an addition device. They said they plan to keep making improvements on this too.
Another big change is the inclusion of SDF (Signed Distance Fields) fonts, which "allows texts and fonts to be displayed perfectly in any resolution, scale, or distance".
Together, those two changes should mean the experience on something like the Steam Deck to be dramatically better!
Both games also received World Map Legend Filters, an Interior Cabin Sound Update to more closely mimic what you might hear in real-life inside and loading screen images. A bigger one though is the inclusion of Dumper Trailers that are ownable and fully customizable, ready for "transporting bulk materials and depending on their length are best suited for different cargos".
Absolutely amazing to see how long they have been supporting these games.
Plenty more can be seen in the release videos below:
Direct Link
Direct Link
- You can buy ETS2 from Humble Store and Steam.
- You can buy ATS from Humble Store and Steam.
Steer with stick, mouse look with pad. It was very buggy switching menus. But if you don't switch menus and only drive it works very nice. I have tried an ETS2 kind of game at someones home with a PS3 and real racing gear, but they don't have free look around. I'd rather have the free look around than a pedal.
I hope that maybe one day the steering can be done with pad (sliding round like a steering wheel), and mouse look with gyro...
gyro on the steamdeck would almost be immersive, because you move the deck and you look left and right (at the steamdeck) to watch for crossing traffic.
With a lot of physical effort, you can move your deck around to look at mirrors at which point the mirror gets zoomed in, left, right, traffic light, etc... But I doubt any nerd can keep 600g in front of him like this for more than a few minutes. Actually we should do this... Our shoulders need exercise. Trust me. After almost 40 years behind a screen you get calcified tendons due to chronic inflammation and then you suddenly find yourself exercising in the gym, trying to pause the calcification.
Hmmm, the steamdeck doesn't have
All of these improvements only occur because of the funding from the DLC they release. This is one of a few games I pay for DLCs with gusto, since not only I receive new content that wasn't available at launch, but the core game continues to receive meaningful improvements on a regular basis.
Same. As long as it doesn't turn into something akin to Paradox (EUIV, CK etc.) or The Sims DLC money milking machine, I'm totally fine with buying map expansions for this game. Don't spend much on skins and other cosmetic stuff though as the cost can easily pile up.
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