BeamNG.drive v0.40 brings local split-screen

A session with more ways to play

Split-screen supports up to 64 players, although the announcement notes that reaching that number also depends on having hardware capable of handling it. For a group choosing a session, the format offers two starting points: open-ended Freeroam or a game mode with defined goals.

In Freeroam, players begin together at a random location and receive a random vehicle suited to the map. Vehicle colors and settings for gearbox mode, clutch assist and throttle assist are assigned per player. That gives a group room to explore together, take a road trip or make its own kind of chaos, without requiring everyone to use identical settings.

The seven listed modes offer different ways to focus attention: Race, Drag Race, Pursuit, Derby, Drift, Rock Crawling and Soccer. Race supports more than 85 existing Time Trial and AI Race layouts. Each mode has settings that can be adjusted, including layouts, lap or score goals, penalties and recovery rules. For players, that means the session can be shaped around a clear objective; for organizers or streamers, the menu of modes provides several distinct formats to build a local event or broadcast around. Those are possibilities supported by the feature set, not claims about any particular event.

More than a driver’s seat

Version 0.40 also changes what players can do between vehicles. In Freeroam, a player can leave their own vehicle and enter a friend’s, while the friend continues driving. The updated walking character can be seen in mirrors, and its head follows the camera.

Occupants now sit inside vehicles and interact with the game’s physics. BeamNG.drive says each occupant adds 89 kg to the vehicle and reacts to how it is driven. Player character colors remain visible when entering vehicles, helping distinguish participants on a shared screen. A generic occupant camera can be used from different seats, and the update adjusts camera movement to reach cockpit controls.

A new truck and a steadier setup

The new Cherrier Percheron is described in the announcement as a full-size European cab-over semi truck from the early 2000s. Its interactable features include interior and door lighting, a sunroof with a sunshade, openable storage lockers and an openable front fascia pane.

For players preparing a session, the practical takeaway is straightforward: choose a mode, agree on its settings, and allow for the hardware demands of the player count. The update creates more options for shared play, while the game’s adjustable rules let groups set their own pace. BeamNG.drive’s announcement also lists upscaling options, Windows on Arm support and optimizations, without specifying their performance impact.