The inaugural PlayStation was released in Japan on December 3, 1994, marking the forthcoming 30th anniversary of Sony’s successful entry into the gaming industry. To commemorate this milestone, Polyphony Digital, the studio behind Gran Turismo, is developing a “free trial version” of Gran Turismo 7, which aims to capture the essence of the “very first GT experience.” This edition will be aptly named My First GT.
While specifics about the release are currently limited, Sony announced the title in a blog post highlighting various ways it plans to celebrate three decades of PlayStation. The information shared includes:
My First GT. This holiday season, players can look forward to a free trial version aimed at attracting a variety of players, regardless of skill level, to the acclaimed Gran Turismo 7. This upcoming offering will feature favorite cars, tracks, and racing events that evoke the nostalgia and excitement reminiscent of the initial GT experience. More details on My First GT will be available for all PS5 and PS4 users this holiday.
What we do know is this: It’s free, it’s intended to entice players to GT7, similar to a demo, its content draws inspiration from the original game, and it will be available on both PS4 and PS5. There seems to be a slight distinction between “My First GT” and the message, as it particularly references GT1.
Gran Turismo 7 already includes numerous elements that harken back to GT1, such as tracks like High Speed Ring, Trial Mountain, Deep Forest, and Grand Valley; along with iconic cars like the Castrol Tom’s Supra, Dodge Viper GTS, Subaru Impreza Rally Car, and many beloved ’90s JDM models. If Polyphony opts to delve into the PS2 era of the franchise—which would be exciting—it could also include Laguna Seca and the Mazda 787B. Regardless, we can easily imagine the types of car and track combinations this release will aim to replicate.
On a personal note, I hope this demo highlights the music and graphic design from the original title—think black backgrounds and yellow buttons, along with a healthy dose of Isamu Ohira’s jazz. (Allowing players to select Jason Page’s western soundtrack would be the ultimate nostalgic tribute, though that seems unlikely.) We can only wait and see how Polyphony plans to evoke that familiar atmosphere. Longtime GT fans might remember creator Kazunori Yamauchi’s ambition to develop a “Gran Turismo for Boys”, targeting a younger demographic; in a way, the title My First GT could be seen as the culmination of that vision.
It’s worth noting, though, that while “Moon Over the Castle” has its charm, it doesn’t quite compare to the Manic Street Preachers’ remix featured in the introduction of GT1’s U.S. release.
Lastly, the introduction of a trimmed, free version of GT7 would be an ideal chance for Kazunori Yamauchi and his team to present Gran Turismo to a PC audience. This approach was successfully implemented by Turn 10 Studios with Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, which served as an abbreviated PC version preceding the full launch of FM7 on Windows. The significant Nvidia leak from late 2021, referred to as “Jensen’s Prophecy,” suggested that a GT7 PC port was underway, and Yamauchi himself hasn’t dismissed the possibility since then.
Nevertheless, Sony’s intentions are clear: This offering is meant exclusively for PS4 and PS5 users. Given the special occasion of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, this focus seems appropriate. Personally, I have invested over 500 hours into GT7 since its release two and a half years ago, and I am eager to see how My First GT will pay homage to the remarkable legacy of The Real Driving Simulator.
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