EA Sports PGA Tour Is Using Laser Scanning Helicopters and More to Deliver the Most Realistic Golf Game Yet

I’ve never set foot on Augusta National Golf Course, but after seeing some of the Frostbite engine-powered tech on display in the upcoming EA Sports PGA Tour, I wouldn’t be surprised if start to catch a whiff of freshly cut grass in my living room when I sit down and start playing on Xbox Series X|S on March 24.

That’s the incredible level of authenticity that the teams at EA Orlando and EA Madrid are striving to achieve with PGA Tour. Not only are they aiming to usher in the return of an iconic video game sports franchise, one with lifelike accuracy from ball physics and club types, but they want to drive home the majesty of the game and what it’s like to step foot on some of the world’s most prestigious golf courses.

These courses were made possible by the exclusive access of the team. They sought the advice of some top geologists and used their expertise to map each course using cutting-edge photogrammetry, GPS mapping technology, helicopters, with lasers.They also used drones, planes, and helicopters. In order to get the smallest details, they did on-site mapping and ground photography. This results in an amazing-looking game.

It will launch with some of the most iconic stops on the PGA Tour, like the Island Green at TPC Sawgrass, the crazy 16th party hole at Scottsdale, Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill, and each leg of the FedEx Cup. These are what the development team are referring to as the “30 Bucket List Courses” in the game.

“We even went to New Zealand to create Tara Iti, the number two course on Golf Digest’s list of the greatest courses in the world,” says Producer Ben Ramsour. “Also on our international list is Banff Springs set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the Evian Resort in France. Of course, we have the trifecta of the ultimate ‘Bucket List’ courses, like The Old Course at Saint Andrews, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and the legendary Augusta National Golf Club.”

Take a moment to smell the flowers

It was at this point during our first-look demo that we saw in-game captured footage showcasing the incredible level of detail that’s possible on Xbox Series X|S, featuring a lifelike shot of Founder’s Circle at Augusta and the beautiful azalea flowers that surround this iconic course.

“Augusta’s botanist team gave us access to their tree health software to ensure we properly place every tree and [piece of] vegetation that a player will see in our game,” mentions Ramsour, as he continues to show other detailed shots like ultra-realistic looking crowds that utilize Frostbite’s swarm crowd system, and the lone cypress that stands on the cliffs of Pebble Beach.

“Our use of photogrammetry was especially useful in capturing every nook and cranny of rock formations and foliage from the real thing. At The Country Club (featured in the film, ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’), we used a low flying helicopter to map the course,” continues Ramsour. “The chopper was equipped with a laser designed to find gold mines and oil reserves; the LiDAR and photogrammetry data is 30 times more dense than publicly available data that other games and simulators use.”

All this visual fidelity isn’t just for show either. All other play aspects are informed by this data, which results in more realistic terrain and slopes as well as ball behavior and surface dynamics. Players can enjoy these courses like they’ve never seen before.

Let’s Go Clubbing

EA Sports PGA Tour’s Pure Strike system is powered by ShotLink, the real-time scoring system that the PGA Tour uses, and TrackMan data, which calculates ball flight measurement and swing analysis. That means players will have all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do — a whole new level of golf simulation that’s never really been tackled before, again thanks to the power of Frostbite on Xbox Series X|S.

“One of the most impactful ways players will interact with Pure Strike is through shot types,” explains Gameplay Designer Craig Penner. “We’re introducing 20 different shot types so now every time you approach the ball, you don’t only choose your club, but also the type of shot you want to hit. Every shot type has a unique club and trajectory. There are more than 1300 different physics profiles behind these shots. We develop them with ShotLink and TrackMan data, so that each shot produces ball speeds, launch angles, spin rates, and shots dispersions that you would expect in real life… allowing players to attack each course and each hole just like the pros you see on TV.”

Speaking of the pros, Ramsour was also excited to share some of the work put into modeling the professional golfers you’ll see in the game.

“Our characters look absolutely stunning! Our scanning system has more than 130 cameras, which can simultaneously take pictures. We used the same body and character scanning technology as Hollywood films. We took shots in multiple poses so that we could see the unique way the muscle on the players’ faces and bodies move, so that each athlete moves authentically to how they do in real life when rendered in Frostbite’s animation engine. The pandemic made it challenging to scan, but we were lucky enough to be included as part of the PGA Tour’s bubble so we could scan our athletes.”

Reign of the King

To top everything else we witnessed during our demo,?, EA Sports PGA Tour is also launching with several other robust features to make it a truly compelling package, one that also includes the LPGA Tour’s five major championships, an overhauled Create-A-Player feature, competitive multiplayer modes, and more — it seems like EA Sports PGA Tour They are poised to win back their title as the top video game golf franchises.

EA Sports PGA Tour S on March 24, 2023. There will be two editions, Standard ($69.99) or Digital Deluxe Edition (84.99).|S and will be available in two versions, Standard ($69.99) and Digital Deluxe Edition ($84.99). Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members with EA Play get 10% off their purchases EA Sports PGA TourDownload from the Microsoft Store. Visit their website to learn more about EA Sports PGA Tour. Xbox Wire will keep you updated with the most recent news, previews and information about your favourite Xbox and Windows games.