What MX Bikes is
MX Bikes is a motocross simulator built on a physics engine written from scratch, aimed at reproducing how a motorcycle actually behaves and how setup changes affect it. The simulation covers motorcycle dynamics in detail, with an automotive industry-standard tyre model, chassis flex simulation, terrain that deforms as you ride on it, and wet terrain plus wet weather conditions that change grip. It is tagged as difficult and realistic, so expect a learning curve rather than an arcade ride. The game is in Early Access, which means it is still being developed and things can change over time.
Playing together
You can host and join online races, and LAN racing is supported as well, with a dedicated server available for groups that want to run their own events. During events the game collects data, so you get statistics you can use to compare riders against each other. That gives a group a shared reference point after a session: who was quicker, where the gaps were. There are no AI opponents and no career mode, so the racing is other people — your session is whatever your group sets up.
Before you start
Be aware that the game has neither AI nor a career mode, so there is nothing to race against if your friends are offline. Bike, helmet, kit, boots and gloves can be painted, and tools and documentation are provided so advanced users can build and integrate new tracks, bikes, helmets, protections and more — modding is a core part of how the game grows. A plugins interface lets external programs receive realtime data from the simulated bike. For hardware, there is native Oculus Rift and SteamVR support (HTC Vive, Valve Index), plus FreeTrack and EDTracker support, and controller input is supported. First-person and third-person views are both available.