Gran Turismo 7 restores the single-player campaign format, GT Simulation Mode, which had been absent from Gran Turismo Sport. Players progress through task collections called Menu Books at the GT Café, unlocking access to tracks, cars, and multiplayer features as they advance. The game incorporates returning elements including a Used Cars dealership, Tuning Parts Shop, GT Auto service centre, Driving School, Special Events, and Championships. Dynamic time and weather effects, previously featured in Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6, also return.
While Arcade mode is fully playable offline, the game requires a constant internet connection and a PlayStation Network account to save progress. Series creator Kazunori Yamauchi stated this was implemented to prevent cheating.
The PlayStation 5 version uses the console's hardware to deliver 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, real-time ray tracing, 3D spatial audio via the Tempest Engine, adaptive trigger feedback through the DualSense controller, and significantly reduced loading times. Drivers from the Gran Turismo World Series esports programme appear as AI opponents and serve as coaches in the Licence Tests.
As of version 1.70, Gran Turismo 7 features 570 cars and 41 track environments across 121 layouts.
Kazunori Yamauchi described the project's ambition in a 2019 interview as creating a title that would be "a combination of the past, present and future — a complete form of Gran Turismo." The game was announced at Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal event on June 11, 2020. Development was handled by Polyphony Digital, with additional support from tri-Crescendo on background models. The game was delayed from an intended 2021 release due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on game development.
Audio design required the team to experiment with over 50 microphone types to capture engine, intake, exhaust, and cabin sounds for each vehicle, recorded at hub dynamometers across Japan, Europe, and North America, as well as on closed driving courses. Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula One World Champion, reprised his role as the series' Maestro, a position he first held in Gran Turismo Sport.
Post-launch updates have supported the game with additional content and feature improvements. The 1.29 update in February 2023 added PS VR2 compatibility and introduced a time-limited preview of Sophy, an advanced AI opponent capable of adapting to player skill level and employing racing techniques such as drafting. A partnership with the Super Formula Championship was continued through the 1.32 update in April 2023, which added the Dallara SF23 shortly after its motorsport debut. In December 2024, a free-to-play version, My First Gran Turismo, was released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, offering 18 cars and three tracks with the ability to carry unlocked cars into the main game.
Critical response was broadly positive, with reviewers highlighting the quality of the driving model, the DualSense implementation on PlayStation 5, and the depth of content. Praised areas included the GT Café campaign structure, the Licence Tests, and the dynamic handling simulation across varied surfaces and conditions. Critics also singled out the visual presentation and the extensive range of tracks as strengths.
Audience reception was markedly more divided. Shortly after release, the game became the subject of widespread review bombing on Metacritic, resulting in the lowest user rating recorded for a Sony-published title. Criticism focused on aggressive use of microtransactions and the escalating time required to earn in-game credits organically. The pricing of individual in-game cars drew particular attention, with some vehicles carrying price tags equivalent to approximately US$200 in real-world currency. A server outage caused by the version 1.07 update lasted 30 hours and exposed the consequences of the always-online save requirement, during which players were limited to offline Arcade mode only. Kazunori Yamauchi subsequently issued a public apology and committed to a series of updates from April 2022 to rebalance the in-game economy. All players who had purchased the game before March 25, 2022 received one million in-game credits as compensation.
In Japan, Gran Turismo 7 sold 139,964 physical units in its first week and approximately 190,000 across its launch month, ranking as the second best-selling game in the country for that period. By March 26, 2023, Japanese physical sales had exceeded 300,000 units. In the United States, the launch month set a franchise sales record despite finishing second on the monthly chart, behind Elden Ring. In the United Kingdom the game debuted at number one and held that position for two consecutive weeks. German sales surpassed 200,000 units by the end of March 2022 and exceeded 400,000 by January 2023.