Gran Turismo 7 was revealed at Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal stream on June 11, 2020. tri-Crescendo assisted with background models during development. The game was initially scheduled for a 2021 release but was delayed to 2022 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the video game industry. It was released for PS4 and PS5 consoles on March 4, 2022.
In a July 2019 interview with GTPlanet, a fan website dedicated to the Gran Turismo series, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi stated that the next Gran Turismo title was in active development and would focus on fine-tuning the classic GT experience. Yamauchi described the upcoming title as "a combination of the past, present and future – a complete form of Gran Turismo."
Seven-time Formula One world driver's champion Lewis Hamilton reprised his role as the Maestro of the series, a role he previously held in Gran Turismo Sport. On the day of the game's release, Gran Turismo 7 was removed from sale in Russia. Four days later, on March 9, PlayStation announced it would halt sales of its games, including Gran Turismo 7, in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Polyphony Digital's sound design team used over 50 microphone types to record car audio. Recordings took place on hub dynamometers in Japan, Europe, and North America, and also with cars driving on closed courses. Microphones were positioned at the intake, engine, exhaust, and cabin of each vehicle, and tire noise on various surfaces was also captured. The in-game audio uses ambisonics for 3D audio.
On March 7, Columbia Records and Sony Interactive Entertainment released a soundtrack album titled Find Your Line (Official Music from Gran Turismo 7), featuring songs inspired by the game. In June, the FIA chose Assetto Corsa Competizione as its platform for the 2022 Motorsport Games, mutually agreeing with Polyphony to temporarily suspend their partnership until Gran Turismo 7's platform became more stable.
The 1.29 update, released on February 20, 2023, included the PS VR2 upgrade and time-limited events showcasing the new AI Sophy, which adapts to player skill and uses advanced techniques like drafting. The 1.32 update, released on April 27, 2023, continued the series' partnership with the Super Formula Championship, adding the Dallara SF23 shortly after its debut in the 2023 Super Formula Championship. The game had launched with the Dallara SF19, which had appeared in Gran Turismo Sport.
Gran Turismo 7 features the return of the single-player campaign, GT Simulation Mode, along with traditional racing tracks and vehicles, Special Events, Championships, Driving School, Tuning Parts Shop, Used Cars dealership, and GT Auto. It also retains features introduced in Gran Turismo Sport, such as GT Sport Mode, Brand Central, and Discover (now called Showcase). Players progress through tasks called "Menu Books" from the GT Café to unlock features like multiplayer, tracks, and cars.
The game includes dynamic time and weather effects, a feature previously seen in Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6. While it has a single-player campaign, a constant internet connection and a PlayStation Network account are required to save progress — series creator Kazunori Yamauchi stated this decision was made to prevent cheating. Arcade mode is fully playable offline.
For the PlayStation 5 version, the game utilizes the console's increased processing power, ray-tracing hardware, solid-state drive storage, Tempest Engine, and DualSense controller, enabling advanced haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, real-time ray tracing effects, 3D spatial audio, and reduced loading times. The PS5 version runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with HDR support, compared to 1080p on the original PlayStation 4. Drivers from the Gran Turismo World Series (formerly the FIA-Certified Gran Turismo Championships, which utilized Gran Turismo Sport) appear as AI opponents and License Test coaches.
On December 6, 2024, the free-to-play My First Gran Turismo was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The game functions as a demo version of Gran Turismo 7, featuring 18 cars and three tracks. Unlocked cars can be imported into the main game. The PlayStation 5 version includes support for PlayStation VR2.
Gran Turismo 7 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. VR support for PS VR2 was highly praised, with one editor calling it "the best console virtual reality experience to date."
Ars Technica praised the implementation of license tests. The Verge highlighted the DualSense features, calling it "the best showcase for the DualSense I've yet to see," with vibrations simulating various surfaces and conditions. Eurogamer enjoyed the GT Café, particularly its "oddball character." Polygon found the visuals "cutting edge" but criticized the slow rate of unlocking cars. Destructoid appreciated the variety of ways to tackle courses, including reverse racing and time trials. Game Informer praised the driving feel, noting how terrain, weather, elevation changes, road bank, vehicle downforce, and other factors contributed to handling. GamesRadar+ described the game as "an absolutely gargantuan game" but noted performance issues. IGN felt Gran Turismo 7 recreated the spirit of earlier entries but found the car selection limited compared to competitors, with most manufacturers' ranges topping out around 2017.
Two weeks after release, Gran Turismo 7 was subjected to review bombing on Metacritic, receiving the lowest user rating for a Sony-published game. Criticism focused on the aggressive use of microtransactions and the emphasis on grinding for in-game currency and content. Players reported that updates increased grinding time and reduced rewards, which they felt encouraged spending real money on microtransactions. Some items were considered too expensive, with certain cars costing up to US$200. The 1.07 version update caused a 30-hour server downtime; the always-online DRM requirement meant players were limited to offline modes during this period.
During the first month of release, Polyphony president Kazunori Yamauchi stated his desire for players to enjoy content without microtransactions, but also felt it was important for car prices to reflect their real-world counterparts to "convey their value and rarity." That statement drew criticism. Several days later, Yamauchi apologized for the outage and changes to the in-game economy, announcing a series of updates from April 2022 to make progression fairer. As compensation, all players who had bought the game before March 25 received one million credits — equivalent to US$10 — available until the following month.
In Japan, Gran Turismo 7 launched with 139,964 physical units sold in its first week, making it the best-selling game of that week. It sold over 190,000 physical units in Japan during its launch month, ranking second best-selling game of the month behind Kirby and the Forgotten Land. By March 26, 2023, 300,682 units had been sold in Japan.
In the United States, the game set a franchise record for the highest-grossing launch month sales for a Gran Turismo title, ranking second in its debut month behind Elden Ring. It became the 13th best-selling game of 2022 in the US.
In the United Kingdom, Gran Turismo 7 was the best-selling game in its first week of release and remained number one the following week. It reached number one in Switzerland. In Germany, over 200,000 units were sold by the end of March 2022, and over 400,000 units by the end of January 2023.
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