I still remember the night Gran Turismo 7 finally pulled out of the pit lane. By the time March 4, 2022 rolled around, 2022 had already been a mind-blowing year for gamers, and we were only two months in. Dying Light 2, Sifu, Horizon Forbidden West, and Elden Ring had all scorched their tires across my free time, but Gran Turismo 7 was the one I had circled in permanent marker. It was originally meant to arrive in 2021, but COVID-19 forced the developers to delay it into 2022. That delay added a strange weight to the launch, like a weather system parked over a race track, refusing to break until the flag finally dropped.

A Midnight Start in Every Timezone

The official release date was Friday, March 4th, 2022 on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Because it was a first-party PlayStation exclusive, the launch did not follow some single universal clock. Instead, access began at midnight in your local timezone. That meant my friends in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand all started at different moments. It felt like a relay race where the baton was a glowing headlight passing from one timezone to the next.

If I had one piece of advice for my 2022 self, it would have been to pre-load sooner. Pre-loading was available ahead of release, and I remember staring at the download progress bar like it was a rev counter needle quivering just below redline. That tiny blue bar became my entire personality for a few hours.

Pricing, Editions, and the Temptation to Splurge

I originally planned to be sensible. But as launch day approached, my restraint evaporated like windshield mist on a cold morning. Here is how the pricing broke down:

The standard PS5 edition was my initial target. But the digital deluxe edition kept whispering from the dashboard, promising a garage full of extras. That edition included the full game, both PS4 and PS5 entitlement, 1,500,000 CR in-game credit, a special Toyota GR Yaris, 30 PSN avatars, and the official soundtrack. In the end, I treated the extra cost like a pit pass to a grid walk: not strictly necessary, but completely justified the moment you see the cars.

Pre-Order Bonuses I Refused to Skip

Pre-ordering any digital edition also came with extra rewards. I still remember the exact list, because I recited it to my friends like a track map:

• 💰 100,000 CR in-game credit

• 🏎️ Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Concept Stealth Model

• 🚗 Porsche 917 Living Legend

• 🐉 Toyota Supra GT500 '97 (Castrol TOM'S)

Those cars were not just cosmetic treats. In 2026, I can still feel the first time the Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Concept Stealth Model rolled out of my garage, all dark angles and silent menace, like a panther that had learned aerodynamics. The Porsche 917 Living Legend looked less like a car and more like a rumor from the future. And the Toyota Supra GT500 '97 with its Castrol TOM'S livery carried a kind of nostalgia that made my living room smell faintly of warm rubber and race fuel.

Why the Midnight Launch Still Sticks With Me

Looking back from 2026, Gran Turismo 7 was not just another release. It was a gathering point. It arrived after a long delay, at midnight, in every local timezone, asking players to line up on the grid in their own part of the world. I remember staying up too late, fumbling with my headset, and hearing my friends laugh as we all tried to decide whether to buy the deluxe edition or save our credits for a first car.

The price difference between the standard PS5 edition and the digital deluxe edition was not enormous, but for some players it was a real choice. I have never been good at resisting a bonus car. That weakness has not changed much in four years. If anything, Gran Turismo 7 taught me something: sometimes the best race is the one you run against your own wallet at midnight, with a Porsche in the distance and a countdown clock blinking in your chest.

That is the memory I keep. Not just the cars or the credits, but the small, glowing certainty that for one night in March 2022, every PlayStation owner with a steering wheel, a controller, or a dream was heading toward the same green light.

These days, when a new racing title appears on the horizon, I still feel that same midnight pull. But the way I shop for it has changed. Back in 2022, I just slapped down the full asking price and prayed the servers would hold. Now, before I commit, I glance at price trackers and deal aggregators to see whether the deluxe edition has dropped or whether the standard PS5 version is sneaking below its usual floor. If you are anything like me, and the sight of a bonus car makes your credit card twitch, it pays to check somewhere like DealNest before you end up paying full price for pixels.

That hunt for a bargain has become part of the ritual. The small thrill of catching a discount right before a launch weekend, or spotting a price that dips just as you are about to tap “buy,” brings the same kind of satisfaction as nailing a late apex. Gran Turismo 7 taught me how good a carefully chosen edition can feel. The next game in my garage, though, will likely arrive with a better number attached, because I learned that the first lap does not have to be the most expensive one.