SCS Software, the (self-published) developers behind American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2, are about to make the unusually appealing PC driving games a little easier to comprehend for newcomers with the introduction of a Multi-Function Display (MFD) menu. It's a work in progress, but the tiny pop-up screen promises to simplify the game's controls.
Currently, you can play both games with a mouse and keyboard, a traditional joypad, or even a truck-themed steering wheel, but you'll need to remember a lengthy list of control binds to use all the features of your virtual truck. SCS Software even acknowledges that both games exhibit a "very large number of functions and controls that many players may never fully discover or use".
To put long-time enthusiasts at ease, the MFD isn't intended to replace the traditional control scheme, but rather to make the games more approachable, which is only a good thing. Comments on the announcement highlight pessimistic knee-jerk reactions, including that "consoles are to blame for the loss of simulation quality in PC simulators", but they don't hold much water here.
Before the MFD is added in a future patch, SCS Software plans to "gather feedback during later stages of development", and the entire announcement is built around a theme of having the 'best community ever.' In that, it's reasonable to assume that the developers are actively reading these kinds of comments and tweaking potential additions to please as many players as possible.
It's reasonable to remain optimistic for the potential increase in the games' player bases, and ultimately to remember that the MFD will be an optional feature. On the other hand, listings for games like Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Xbox have existed since the console tease late last year, so this'll likely become a default feature to help gamers adapt on that platform, or on Sony's PS5.
If you haven't played them, I wholeheartedly recommend giving either game a try. Which you choose will depend on where you live, but it works the other way around, too. Most of my hours were spent on Euro Truck, but I enjoy a drive around a virtual America, too. Both games run well on my beloved Steam Deck, but a desktop offers the best experience with a good steering wheel.
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