Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is KT Racing's open world racing game set on a 1:1 Hong Kong Island, published by Nacon. It came out on 12 September 2024 and costs $49.99 on Steam. In October 2026 it is in Season 7, it still needs a server connection to play, and its Steam reviews are Mostly Negative overall. I would not pay full price for it today. If you want to try it, wait for a sale.
I have not played this game. This page is built on the official record: the stores, every update note KT Racing has posted on Steam, and the review scores.
Checked on 15 October 2026 against the US Steam store page and DLC listings for app 1249970, KT Racing and Nacon's announcements on Steam up to 10 September 2026, the US Xbox and PlayStation store listings, Steam's own review and player count data, Steam Charts and Metacritic. Where something is not published, I say so instead of filling the gap.
What Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is
It is the third Test Drive Unlimited game, and the first since TDU2. The idea is the same as the old ones: you live on an island, buy cars at real dealerships, test drive them first, tune them in workshops and park them in your suite at the Solar Hotel. The rest is lifestyle: an avatar, clothes shops, social hubs and, since 2025, a casino.
It is on PC (Windows only), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Steam tags it as an MMO, and that is the right word. Almost everything goes through Nacon's servers.
The map: Hong Kong Island and Ibiza
The main map is Hong Kong Island, recreated at 1:1 scale according to the store page: narrow old streets, expressways, mountain roads and beaches. Nacon does not publish a size in kilometres, so I will not give you one.
The second map is Ibiza. It arrived free with Season 2 on 11 December 2024, again at 1:1, and covers the city of Eivissa and its surroundings. You fly there from a heliport on the north side of Hong Kong Island. The catch: you have to be in a clan to go, which needs reputation level 12.
Is Ibiza getting bigger? In October 2025 KT Racing said it wants to, in sections, but no team is on it yet.
How many cars are there?
The Steam store page says more than 120 cars from 30 brands, from 1960s daily drivers to modern hypercars and some off-road vehicles. KT Racing has not posted a current total, so 120+ is the official figure.
Every season adds a few. Season 6 brought the Pagani Huayra Roadster, the Pininfarina B95 and the Lamborghini Temerario. Season 7 brought a JDM set: the Mazda RX-7, the Nissan GT-R R34 V-Spec II, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV and a BMW M4 GT3 EVO sold in the online store.
The clan system: Streets and Sharps
When you reach reputation level 12 you pick a side. Streets or Sharps. Each clan has its own HQ, clothing, stickers and races, and you level up by racing for it.
At launch the clan ladder had 50 levels. Season 2 added 20 more, for 70. Season 3 added clan stores and Season 6 Update 1 added clan licence plates.
One promise did not happen. The Year 1 roadmap planned "Clan Wars" for Season 3. KT Racing swapped it for Car Delivery missions and Solo Mode after player feedback. No later update note mentions it.
Every season and major update so far
Seasons ran three to four months in Year 1. From Season 5 they got longer, to leave more time for bug fixing. Here is every season and major update, from the official notes on Steam.
| Update | Date | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 12 Sep 2024 | Hong Kong Island, Streets and Sharps clans with 50 levels. Gold Edition early access from 5 September had server problems |
| Season 1 | 2 Oct 2024 | First free Solar Pass (25 levels, Audi RS e-tron GT), first ranked season, weekly Live Events |
| Season 2 | 11 Dec 2024 | Ibiza at 1:1, 20 more clan levels (70), Selene dealership with 7 cars, AI rework, proximity voice chat |
| Season 3 | 19 Mar 2025 | Car Delivery missions, Solo Mode with AI difficulty and pause, Navigation Mode, licence plates, clan stores, 50 level Solar Pass |
| Season 3 mid-season | 23 Apr 2025 | New Car Delivery contracts and fixes |
| Season 4 | 23 Jul 2025 | Casino in Macao with slot machines, 40 stock restriction races, reputation cap raised to 70, network grouping changes |
| Season 4 mid-season | 10 Sep 2025 | Second slot machine, cashing chips back into Solar Coins |
| Season 5 | 29 Oct 2025 | Poker, Taxi missions, car resale, cruise control and speed limiter, economy overhaul, De Tomaso P72, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 |
| Season 5 Update 1 | 14 Jan 2026 | Online store sells cars and past Solar Pass rewards, interactive furniture |
| Season 5 Update 2 | 11 Feb 2026 | Optimisation and bug fixes, including a Logitech wheel performance fix |
| Season 6 | 25 Mar 2026 | Detective missions, body kit system, Pagani Huayra Roadster, Pininfarina B95, Lamborghini Temerario, over 350 bugs fixed |
| Season 6 Update 1 | 6 May 2026 | Detective mission improvements, clan licence plates |
| Season 7 | 2 Sep 2026 | Live tab, weekly challenges, Solar Arena circuit with pit lane, JDM cars |
| Season 7 Patch 1 | 10 Sep 2026 | Solar Pass XP fix, Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series in a dealership |
| Season 7 mid-season | 28 Oct 2026 (planned) | Not detailed yet. KT Racing says a new game mode and a collaboration |
| Season 8 | No date | Houses, garages and a real estate agency |
TDU Solar Crown season 7: where the game is now
Season 7 is the current season. It changed how you earn rewards, with a Live tab on the map and new weekly challenges. It also added the Solar Arena, a circuit with a pit lane, first announced as the Official Racing Center.
The launch was rough, and KT Racing said so. The September 2026 letter blamed "short staffing" for known issues, including six Detective missions that could not be completed. Two days in, they apologised and promised Diamonds to all players. Patch 1 on 10 September fixed the Detective missions.
The same letter says: "our team size is not what it used to be." That matters if you are buying a live service game. Fixes will come slower than they did in 2025.
What is next: the Season 7 mid-season update on 28 October 2026, then Season 8 with houses. KT Racing says housing has been more complex than planned, with more details promised before spring 2027.
Is TDU Solar Crown offline?
No. You need an internet connection and Nacon's servers to play, even alone.
Solo Mode for races came in Season 3, but it still runs online. In June 2025 KT Racing said offline would take "an extensive amount of development" because every feature is tied to the servers.
That changed in May 2026. KT Racing confirmed it is "officially working on a plan" for offline, so the game stays playable if the servers ever close. In June 2026 the game director said it will take "more than a year" and that they do not know yet what form it will take. So for now: no offline mode, and nothing to expect before mid 2027 at the earliest.
There is no cross-play and no cross-region play either. KT Racing says a server rewrite ("Servers V2") will make both easier, but there is no date for it.
Editions, DLC and prices
US prices on 15 October 2026:
| Edition | Steam (PC) | Xbox Series X|S | PS5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $49.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 |
| Silver Streets or Silver Sharps | Not sold | $79.99 | $79.99 |
| Gold Edition | $79.99 | $89.99 | $89.99 |
On Steam the Gold Edition bundles the base game with three packs at $10 each, so if you own the game it completes the set for $30. Steam does not sell the packs one by one.
What each pack adds, from the Steam DLC pages:
- Silver Streets Pack. Range Rover Sport SVR (from level 12), Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (level 20), an outfit and stickers.
- Silver Sharps Pack. Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe (level 12), Audi R8 Spyder V10 RWS (level 20), an outfit and stickers.
- Solar Content Pack. Maserati MC20 and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE (level 20), an outfit and stickers.
A fourth DLC, the 2006 Ford GT, is listed on Steam but not for sale.
Console sale prices change week to week, so check the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store on the day you buy.
The in-game store sells Diamonds, a premium currency bought with real money. Season 7 raised the premium Solar Pass from 600 to 1,000 Diamonds.
How many people play it?
Steam publishes player counts. Consoles do not.
- When I checked, the Steam Web API showed 94 players in game.
- Last 30 days (Steam Charts, a third party site built on Steam data): 142.76 players on average, peak 338.
- September 2026, the Season 7 month: 180.94 average, peak 518.
- All time peak on Steam: 3,881, in September 2024. That month averaged 1,268.
So on PC the game is small. Seasons bring a bump and it fades. In a game built around other players, that matters.
Is TDU Solar Crown worth it?
At full price, no. That is my answer on the evidence.
The reviews are clear. On Steam, 4,590 of 12,482 reviews are positive, about 37%, which Steam labels Mostly Negative. The last 30 days are better, Mixed at 44% of 84 reviews. Metacritic has it at 50 on PC from 12 critics, 53 on PS5 from 29 and 57 on Xbox Series X from 18.
The update record is better than the launch. Seven seasons in two years brought back Ibiza, the casino, delivery missions and taxis, the TDU things fans asked for. But Clan Wars never came, the Official Racing Center was delayed, Season 7 launched broken, and the team is smaller. And the game still dies the day the servers do, until an offline mode exists.
My rule:
- It is on sale: a deep discount is the right way in. You will know in an evening whether it is for you.
- You loved TDU and TDU2: wait for a sale, or wait for Season 8. Houses are the feature this series was always about, and they are not in yet.
- You want an open world racer that just works: look at Forza Horizon 6 or The Crew Motorfest first.
- You want to try racing games for free: my list of free racing games on Steam costs you nothing.
FAQ
When did Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown come out?
On 12 September 2024 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Gold and Collector Edition owners started on 5 September.
Is TDU Solar Crown offline?
No. It is always online, including solo races. KT Racing is working on an offline mode for when the servers close, but says it will take more than a year and has given no date.
What season is TDU Solar Crown in?
Season 7, which started on 2 September 2026. The mid-season update is planned for 28 October 2026. Season 8, with houses, has no date yet.
How much is TDU Solar Crown?
In the US: $49.99 on Steam, $59.99 on PS5 and Xbox. The Gold Edition is $79.99 on Steam and $89.99 on consoles.
How many cars are in TDU Solar Crown?
More than 120 cars from 30 brands, according to the Steam store page. New cars arrive every season.
Is TDU Solar Crown worth it in 2026?
Not at full price. Steam reviews are Mostly Negative overall and Mixed recently. Try it in a sale, and wait for Season 8 if houses are what you want.