JDM: Japanese Drift Master’s New ‘Physics 2.0’ System Arrives, But Does It Fix The Common Complaints?

When JDM arrived in May 2025, it was the perfect game on paper for drifting fans, especially if you’re into the Japanese scene. (And who isn’t?)

Street drifting on stunning touge mountain roads lined with cherry blossoms, plenty of traffic, and a roster that featured plenty of legendary JDM drift cars was just a small piece of what it offered. Sounds pretty glorious, right?

Well, this is where the ‘on paper’ part comes in. Once you got the hang of the game’s drifting physics and pushing them to their limits, cracks soon started to appear.

The AI was seemingly drink-driving through the mountains, making them unpredictable and frustrating when you’re already threading the needle while trying to drift past them on the narrow passes.

Then, (unsurprisingly), once they’d randomly crashed, traffic jams would build up in the process, and would all happen a little too frequently.

For steering wheel users, even talented sim drifters from games like Assetto Corsa, the issues were even more prominent. The difficulty and unpredictability, paired with a lack of adjustment options, made the game nearly impossible to enjoy on a wheel.

However, despite the initial negatives (there’s always going to be some), JDM’s developers, Gaming Factory, have frequently requested feedback from fans since the project started.

Thankfully, they’ve been standing by their word with frequent updates. The latest ‘Patch 1.6.0’ is the biggest yet, bringing a complete ‘Physics 2.0’ overhaul to the game, while addressing all the above-mentioned concerns.

You can scroll down to see the full list of changes. But, for now, we’ll examine the most significant changes to the important aspects from the blurb – the physics, wheel support, and AI traffic improvements.

It’s always hard to explain how drifting physics feel in writing. Thankfully, two of the most popular drifting YouTubers, SLAPTrain and HokiHoshi, have already had the chance to put plenty of hours into the new patch to share their thoughts.

You can check out their videos, alongside a (brief) summary of their impressions so far.

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SLAPTrain’s Thoughts

The Good Stuff

SLAPTrain found the update makes drifting “more accessible” and “more consistent on the wheel.” The improvements to gravity physics, braking, power, suspension work, and grip represent “massive changes” that make everything feel “a lot more consistent.”

He appreciates having traffic in the game, although at one point he states that there’s still a “stupid amount” of traffic on the roads.

The Not-So-Good

His shifter keeps malfunctioning (though that might be hardware-related).

More importantly, he admits it’s “hard to say if I can really feel a massive difference” in the physics overall. The cars still feel “understeer heavy,” which limits how naturally you can throw them into corners. 

However, he acknowledges it’s still a “tough drive” and needs to get his wheel setup “perfect” before making final judgments about the game.

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HokiHoshi’s Thoughts

The Good Stuff

HokiHoshi mentions that the dreaded “on rails” drifting feel has improved. Braking is “better,” making the foot brake actually useful for controlling speed and angle into corners instead of just being decoration.

He feels the tire model works more predictably now, too. Directional grip has been “turned down,” which helps with setting up longer, wider radius drifts and gives you more control over your line. HokiHoshi considers this change a “net positive” for handling overall.

He notes that the opponent AI has also improved. The drifting AI now takes “more logical lines that are easier to follow” instead of doing whatever the hell they were doing before.

The Not-So-Good

Despite improvements, the brakes “still feel like they don’t have any bite”, so you’re still wrestling with stopping power when you need it most.

The update “nerfed straight line grip a bit too much.” He feels the tires don’t have enough grip to push the car forward when on power, like drifting on snow or ice. This leads to overshooting corners constantly.

Additionally, the “new lack of forward grip when you’re drifting is a step backwards,” especially noticeable during donuts or low-speed burnouts, where you should have more control.

One of the main issues is that grip driving is “still fairly understeery” on most cars, and braking performance could be cranked up further for this mode.

Another issue within the scoring system shows “no noticeable changes”, allowing players to still earn points by going off track or doing donuts. Cheating remains “still an issue” with impossible scores still sitting on leaderboards despite the anti-cheat implementation.

He feels that the traffic improvements were not noticeable and that the roads remain overly congested.

Another complaint was that the opponent AI still “obviously cheat the physics” and drive erratically, crashing into players and each other with “weird speed boosts and slowdowns”.

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The Mixed Reactions To The Update

While both acknowledge that JDM’s handling and braking have undergone significant changes and improvements with the latest patch, they both agree the recipe’s still not perfected just yet.

They mention that drifting remains excessively challenging, along with continued AI problems and overwhelming traffic still clogging up the streets, despite the team directly addressing these problems.

Although it’s a step in the right direction, it seems that many of the core frustrations that made the game so challenging still remain mostly unresolved.

Physics debates are often based on personal preference. However, when two experienced sim drifters both make many of the same points, the trend is a little concerning.

We can all agree that the fresh content is a welcome addition, though! The Honda NSX arrives with three bodykits, alongside the Fast & Furious-style multi-storey parking lot, also bringing a new mission, and much more. (Covered in detail below.)

Overall, we recommend giving the update a try for yourself, even if it’s just to try out the new content. Even if it might not be perfect just yet, it seems they’ve made plenty of improvements.

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What’s New With ‘Patch 1.6.0’

Physics 2.0 Overhaul

• Complete rebuild of car suspension, brakes, and tires for improved handling in both Arcade and Simcade modes
• Improved gravity physics – cars have more weight and realistic physics when airborne or colliding
• Enhanced grip and braking – better tire grip and increased braking power across all cars

AI Improvements

• Smarter traffic – traffic cars are now more mindful of player position/speed, less lane-changing on highways, and less congested on tight mountain roads
• Improved opponents – actively seek out the best routes to win, and are more mindful of other cars

Steering Wheel & Force Feedback Support

• Extensive FFB settings – new settings and calibrations for fine-tuning
• Expanded wheel support – additional supported wheels and peripherals

New Content

• New car: Honda NSX NA1 (1992) with three purchasable bodykits
• New location: Multi-storey parking lot (in Guntama Port Area)
• New mission: Underground Side Mission using the new garage
• New camera angle
• Challenge mode additions with preset cars and custom liveries for grip and drift

New Car Parts

• Body kits, spoilers, fenders, lights, and hoods for:
  • Mazda RX-7 FC
  • Nissan Fairlady S30
  • Nissan Fairlady Z (RZ34)
  • Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34)
  • Nissan S14 Ks Aero SE
  • Nissan Skyline R34 V-SPEC II

System Improvements & Fixes

• Improved auto flip physics
• Better handbrake handling on 4WD cars
• Game optimization (VRAM, textures)
• Static camera improvements
• Various community-reported crash fixes
• Specific fixes for Subaru Impreza GV STI mirrors and Yotsuhoshi Shadow turn signals

The Gaming Factory team also updated their roadmap, showing what to expect next. For complete details, check out all the changes in the official Steam announcement.