Formula One 2023 / F1 23

F1 23, also searched as Formula One 2023, is a licensed PC circuit-racing simulation from Codemasters and Electronic Arts. It combines official Formula One competition with a scripted driver story, long-form team management, online competition, split-screen racing, and a progression-focused F1 World hub. The important current-status detail is that the official title remains F1 23: it has not been rebranded into another edition, but its Steam listing is no longer available for new purchase.

How F1 23 plays on PC

The core experience is precision lap racing from selectable driving views, including cockpit and external perspectives. You manage braking points, tyre condition, fuel usage, ERS deployment, DRS timing, weather changes, pit strategy, and race incidents while trying to keep the car inside a narrow performance window.

F1 23 is more accessible than a specialist simulation because assists, AI difficulty, damage rules, steering options, and race length can be adjusted independently. New players can use braking and traction aids, while experienced drivers can disable assists and build a more demanding setup around manual control.

The handling model is designed to work with both a gamepad and a steering wheel. Codemasters also introduced Precision Drive, a control system intended to make pad driving more predictable without removing the need for smooth throttle, braking, and steering inputs.

Braking Point 2 and the story structure

Braking Point 2 is the game's most distinctive single-player campaign. It follows Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler as teammates at the fictional Konnersport Racing Team, mixing narrative scenes with directed race events, performance objectives, rivalry moments, and situations that can change how a chapter unfolds.

This is not a traditional open-ended career. Braking Point gives you specific goals, such as reaching a position, completing a target lap, managing tyres, or responding to an event under pressure. It is a useful introduction to F1 23's driving systems, but players looking for unrestricted championship progression will spend more time in Career and My Team.

Career, My Team, and F1 World

Driver Career lets you enter a championship as an individual driver, while My Team adds the role of team owner and driver. You make decisions about facilities, vehicle development, personnel, contracts, team performance, and race results, creating a longer management loop than the story mode provides.

The career structure is built around practice programmes, qualifying, sprint and Grand Prix weekends, research and development, resource management, and championship standings. You can run a full season or reduce the commitment with shorter race formats and custom calendar settings.

F1 World connects several race types through a separate progression system. Activities include Grand Prix events, Time Trial challenges, multiplayer races, and scenario-based content. Completing objectives can unlock car upgrades, liveries, race suits, helmets, and other rewards, giving the game a repeatable challenge loop beyond a single championship save.

F1 World also uses optional in-game purchases and PitCoin virtual currency. The base game is a premium product rather than a free-to-play title, while cosmetic and progression-related extras are layered onto the main racing package.

Race rules and authentic F1 features

F1 23 includes the official Formula One teams, drivers, cars, and circuits represented by its licensed championship package. The circuit selection includes the Las Vegas and Lusail venues, while the ruleset adds red flags and the shorter 35% Race Distance option for players who want more meaningful strategy without committing to a full-length race.

Race control decisions matter. Safety cars, formation procedures, penalties, pit stops, tyre compounds, weather transitions, and damage settings can all change the best approach to a Grand Prix. The result is closer to managing a race weekend than simply driving repeated laps against opponents.

F2 content is also available as a separate category within the broader F1 23 ecosystem. It provides a different balance of speed, grip, and racecraft, although the game's main identity remains Formula One competition rather than a multi-discipline motorsport sandbox.

Multiplayer and local racing

PC players can compete through online multiplayer, cross-platform competition, ranked races, unranked events, and custom championships. Racenet Leagues supports the organization of scheduled multiplayer series, making it useful for communities that want a more structured season instead of isolated matchmaking sessions.

The PC version also supports shared-screen multiplayer for local races. That is separate from online two-player career features, so buyers should not assume that every Career or My Team structure can be played cooperatively simply because split-screen racing is available.

For a different PC racing direction, players who enjoy detailed car control and event-based progression can compare F1 23 with technical rally simulations such as DiRT Rally 2.0, although F1 23 is focused on paved circuits, open-wheel strategy, and licensed Grand Prix weekends.

PC features, DRM, and localization

The Steam version lists VR support, Steam Workshop, Steam Cloud, achievements, Remote Play Together, HDR, Family Sharing, online player-versus-player racing, and shared-screen options. A compatible wheel is not mandatory, and the adjustable assists make a controller a practical starting point.

Steam identifies Denuvo Anti-Tamper and an EA Account requirement. The game is connected to Electronic Arts' account and launcher ecosystem, even when accessed through a Steam entitlement. Players should therefore distinguish platform ownership from the additional account requirement.

Supported interface and subtitle languages include English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Latin American Spanish, Dutch, and Arabic. Full audio is available in several of those languages, while Polish and Arabic are listed with interface and subtitle support rather than full voice audio.

Current name, editions, and buying context

The official branding is EA SPORTS F1 23, commonly shortened to F1 23. “Formula One 2023” is a useful search phrase, not a separate rebrand. The original Standard Edition and Champions Edition were different commercial packages, with the Champions Edition adding bonus items, My Team Icons, PitCoin, and other promotional extras.

There is no verified modern “Classic,” “Definitive,” or renamed replacement edition for F1 23. The key change is storefront availability: Steam still exposes the product page and ownership information, but marks the game as unavailable for new purchases. The EA page dedicated to F1 23 now redirects into the wider F1 franchise page, which currently emphasizes newer entries.

Players comparing it with an older Formula-focused simulator can also examine multi-class circuit racing in Automobilista. Automobilista offers broader motorsport variety, while F1 23 delivers the stronger licensed Formula One presentation, modern career structure, and official race-weekend rules.

Who should play F1 23?

F1 23 suits players who want an official Formula One game with a substantial career mode, a cinematic story, adjustable realism, online leagues, and both controller and wheel support. It is especially appealing if you want to move between structured championship racing and shorter F1 World challenges without changing games.

It is less suitable for players seeking open-world driving, extensive vehicle classes, unrestricted modding, or a purely offline experience without account and DRM dependencies. The game also reflects the limitations of an annual sports series: My Team and Driver Career are deep, but their underlying structure is more familiar than Braking Point 2 or F1 World.

F1 23 FAQ

Is F1 23 the same game as Formula One 2023?

Yes. Formula One 2023 is a search alias commonly used for EA SPORTS F1 23. It is not a separate edition, and there is no verified rebrand changing the official product name.

Can you still buy F1 23 on Steam?

The Steam product page remains visible, but it currently states that F1 23 is no longer available on the Steam store. Existing owners may still access their entitlement, while new buyers should not mistake the page's continued existence for active retail availability.

Does F1 23 have a story mode?

Yes. Braking Point 2 is a directed single-player story centered on Aiden Jackson, Devon Butler, and the fictional Konnersport Racing Team. It uses race objectives and narrative decisions rather than unrestricted championship management.

Does F1 23 support split-screen multiplayer on PC?

Yes. The PC listing includes shared-screen player-versus-player and shared-screen co-op features. These local options should be distinguished from the separate online multiplayer and career systems.

Does F1 23 support VR and racing wheels?

Steam lists VR support, and the game is designed for racing-wheel input as well as gamepads. F1 23 also includes extensive assists and control settings for players who are not using a wheel.

Is F1 23 free to play?

No. F1 23 is a premium racing game with optional purchases of virtual currency and in-game items. PitCoin and F1 World rewards are part of the wider progression and customization economy, not evidence of a free-to-play base game.