How online lobbies work in Gran Turismo 7

gamepur.com:

Gran Turismo 7’s most anticipated features include its re-hauled single-player campaign and its extreme new take on customization, but what about its online capabilities? Since introducing online racing lobbies, the series has garnered a strong audience of hardcore racers, mainly due to worldwide championships and unique events. Good news is, the newest installment has a similar variety of online options as its recent predecessors.

Mirroring Gran Turismo Sport’s online formula, drivers can play alongside friends and strangers by entering or creating a room (or “Meeting Place”). This is essentially works as a hub where drivers can send messages to each other, as well as invite other drivers. Meanwhile, this is where the Meeting Place creator can adjust settings such as race type, track selection, and car restrictions. From there, the Meeting Place creator can then begin a race at anytime.

For those feeling competitive, Sport Mode has returned once more, allowing skilled drivers to enter into Daily Races, limited-time events, and Championships. Unlike Meeting Places, these feature skill-based match-matching and do not allow you to invite friends. Although you can earn credits by partaking in these, Sports Modes mainly revolves around improving your Driver Rating — a mechanic that tracks your overall skill level and speed. In addition, your Driver Rating will dictate the skill of the driver’s you race against. So, if this is your first Gran Turismo experience, don’t expect to be too overwhelmed by the competition when starting out.

Related: How vehicle tuning and car customization works in Gran Turismo 7