BeamNG.drive beginner guide starts with the new First Drive tutorial, introduced in version 0.40 alongside the game’s 19 October 2026 launch on PS5. BeamNG can look overwhelming at first because there’s so much to do: explore huge maps, experiment with vehicle damage, tackle driving challenges or simply see what happens when a car meets a very solid wall.
The good news is that you don’t need to become an expert in the game’s physics to enjoy it. Start with one vehicle, learn how to recover after an accident, then experiment with different roads and activities. This guide will help you get comfortable with the menus and build up to the more adventurous side of the sandbox.
Your first 15 minutes in BeamNG.drive
- Open First Drive from the opening prompt or Gameplay Selector and follow its introduction to controls, vehicle recovery and the map.
- Choose Freeroam, select a road-focused vehicle and drive a short route gently. Notice how braking and steering change with speed.
- Make a small controlled collision, observe the damage, then practise the tutorial’s recovery action.
- Open the Vehicle Selector and try a heavier vehicle on the same route. Compare braking distance and how it turns.
- Finish with a short time trial or delivery mission so the physics has a purpose beyond causing accidents.
For a first session, the most useful part of this BeamNG.drive beginner guide is the new First Drive tutorial. Version 0.40 replaces the older Freeroam Tutorial with a revised onboarding experience, designed to introduce the essential controls and systems without dropping you straight into a complicated menu.
BeamNG says you can open First Drive through the first-launch onboarding prompt, Quick-Start Menu or Gameplay Selector. The tutorial covers vehicle recovery, driving assists, spawning and customising vehicles, interacting with objects, using the radial menu, the map and the game’s activities.
On initial launch, the game also helps you choose a language, measurement units and interface scale. If the speedometer or menu text feels unfamiliar or too small, those starting preferences are worth checking before getting into a long session.
Try Freeroam before difficult missions
Freeroam is the easiest place in this BeamNG.drive beginner guide to discover why people enjoy the game. Choose a map, pick a car and set off without needing to finish a race or follow a strict objective. You can practise handling, try a hill climb, explore back roads or compare what happens when two vehicles collide at different speeds.
The game’s soft-body physics mean damage can affect how a vehicle behaves. Bending a wheel or damaging suspension isn’t just a visual effect, so you may find that a car that looked fine a moment ago suddenly pulls hard to one side.
Instead of immediately changing vehicles after a minor accident, try driving the damaged car for a moment and feel what’s different. It’s a simple way to learn what the simulation is doing, and it makes the recovery tools a natural part of play.
How to recover or replace a damaged vehicle
Another important BeamNG.drive beginner guide habit is learning how to recover after a crash. Version 0.40 includes updated vehicle recovery behaviour, and the First Drive tutorial explains the recovery controls for your device.
When recovering a vehicle, holding the recovery action now begins by resetting it in place before the normal recovery behaviour continues. The developer also fixed some problems that could place a recovered vehicle underground or inside walls.
Don’t be afraid to reset or select another vehicle during your first session. BeamNG is a sandbox where trying something, crashing and starting again is part of the fun. The Vehicle Selector also received loading improvements in the update, which should make switching official vehicles more convenient.
For a first route in this BeamNG.drive beginner guide, choose a car you can control comfortably before trying trucks or sports cars.
Choose a driving mode that suits you
Beyond Freeroam, this BeamNG.drive beginner guide covers time trials, drift challenges and delivery missions when you want a clear objective. There are time trials, drift challenges, delivery missions and other tasks that give you a purpose when you want a break from exploring without direction.
Delivery missions are a fun starting point if you like slower, more careful driving. The new Cherrier Percheron truck appears in updated Italian trucking missions, and the new TastiCola Driver activity gives players another job to try.
For something faster, time trials help you learn how a vehicle handles around bends. Drift activities are more demanding, but they give you a reason to practise controlling slides. BeamNG adjusted drift objectives in version 0.40 to make rewards more accessible while adding extra goals for skilled drivers.
How split-screen works with friends
A BeamNG.drive beginner guide wouldn’t be complete without local multiplayer. The version 0.40 update adds Split-Screen to the main menu, letting you add other players and select Freeroam or one of seven modes. On PS5, the game supports up to four people; on PC the theoretical limit is 64, although system performance is a major consideration.
The seven modes are Race, Drag Race, Pursuit, Derby, Drift, Rock Crawling and Soccer. Each can be more entertaining than a conventional race when vehicle damage becomes part of the challenge.
The new occupant system lets people enter and exit cars and take available seats. If a friend drives while you’re a passenger, you can experience the same vehicle together instead of always occupying separate cars.
This BeamNG.drive beginner guide recommends keeping the first session simple: learn the recovery action, finish one short drive and only then start changing graphics or control settings.
Basic settings worth checking first
This BeamNG.drive beginner guide doesn’t require you to adjust every graphics control, but there are a few options worth knowing about. Version 0.40 reorganises Graphics and Display settings into clearer categories, with controls for image quality, detail, brightness and HDR, framerate, lighting and reflections.
If the game feels slow on PC, choose settings that keep it responsive rather than forcing the highest visual quality. Split-screen and extra active vehicles place more demand on the system; the game now warns when the framerate remains below 25 FPS.
On PS5, common steering wheels from Logitech, Fanatec and Thrustmaster are supported, although the precise compatibility list matters if you have an unusual model. A normal controller is perfectly fine for learning the basics.
Three enjoyable things to try after the tutorial
First, take the BeamNG.drive beginner guide approach: choose a comfortable car and see how far you can drive through unfamiliar roads without crashing. It’s a surprisingly effective way to learn braking distances and cornering behaviour.
Second, use this BeamNG.drive beginner guide to explore a heavier vehicle and compare how differently it stops and turns. The Cherrier Percheron is an entertaining example because its retarder and trailers make driving a large truck feel very different from a small hatchback.
Third, invite a friend into split-screen and try a demolition derby, a drag race or a simple road trip. The game gives you enough freedom to create your own challenges without needing an elaborate custom scenario.
For more driving options, see our best racing games guide. The tutorial and gameplay changes in this BeamNG.drive beginner guide come from the official version 0.40 release notes.