Euro Truck Simulator 2 Open Beta 1.38 Out Now

It’s been a little while since the Operation Genoa Bridge event started in ETS 2. Since then SCS Software have released an update for sound in the game, and opened the new Italian bridge. And they’ve stepped back up a gear, with Euro Truck Simulator 2 Open Beta 1.38 out now.

There’s quite a lot included in the update, including a reworking of the French city of Lille. Changes include new road networks and junction updates, adding new scenery with more detail, and improving the look of roads and signs.

But there are plenty of graphical changes which don’t require a trip to France to see them. One of the big things every trucker will notice is that each manufacturer dealership now has a unique design. So you can recognise the look of a Volvo, Renault or Mecedes dealership by more than just a sign.

And Euro Truck Simulator 2 Open Beta 1.38 also includes a new feature for shadows, named Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, or SSAO. In simple terms, this adds shadows where objects connect, which would have been missing otherwise.

So it makes everything look more natural, and improves shadows and glossy surfaces. But it does have an impact on performance, so you might have to adjust the graphics options or switch SSAO off if your frame rate is badly affected.

Other changes include being able to input HSV, RGB and Hex codes in the colour picker for customising or buying a new truck. And if you have the DAF XF Tuning Pack you’ll now be able to paint your truck chassis. Meanwhile the FH Tuning Pack for Volvo trucks now includes more tuning parts, and there are 3 new Special Transport routes if you own the Road to the Black Sea map expansion DLC.

Without those DLC, you’ll still be able to see the updates to the GPS Route Advisor which has a cleaner and better design, which also includes more information by default.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 Open Beta Notes:

MAP

• Lille re-skin
• Unique Truck Dealerships
• Special Transport routes in Road to the Black Sea
  – Resita to Targu Mures
  – Istanbul to Edirne
  – Pleven to Sofia

VEHICLES

• Automatic transmission improved (shifting points, adaptive modes)
• Paintable chassis covers for XF Tuning Pack
• Fixed steering deadzone
• New tuning parts added to the FH Tuning Pack

FEATURES

• Visual improvement – procedural ambient occlusion generation (SSAO)
• Route Adviser redesigned
• Navigation ETA to the next waypoint in route adviser and in world map
• Tobii eye-tracking presets
• RGB color picker redesigned
  – Added RGB, HSV and HEX inputs
  – User defined color presets

SOUND

• Update to FMOD 2.01.01
• Individual horn sounds for each truck
• Fixed the retarder sound when the engine is off
• AI – exclude the gear for trains and electric vehicles

To check out the open beta before it becomes a full release in Euro Truck Simulator 2, you need to find the game in your Steam Library, then right click and select Properties, Beta Tab, Public Beta, and 1.38 Public Beta.

If you haven’t tried Euro Truck Simulator 2 it’s available for the PC via Steam, and is currently 75% off until July 9th as part of the Steam Summer sale. So you can pick it up for £3.74, along with discounts on current bundles, and all DLC except the charity Pink Ribbon pack and the latest FH Tuning Pack. So you can save on paint jobs for your truck at 39p per pack, or the latest Beyond the Baltic Sea and Road to the Black Sea map expansions.

And you can keep up with the latest Euro Truck Simulator 2 news, updates and more, here.