ATS 1.59 Open Beta: New Features Now Available for Testing

The team at SCS Software is excited to announce that the ATS 1.59 Open Beta is now live. Players can check it out on Steam. If you choose to participate, please share any bugs or issues. Use the proper section of our official forums. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us. We are thankful for your time and help.

ATS 1.59 Open Beta: Advisor Update

We have been closely listening to community feedback. One common point raised about the new route advisor was missing quick access to vehicle damage and finances. Our teams are actively working on a broader UI redesign. However, we did not want you to wait. We prioritized implementing the most frequently requested improvements as soon as possible.

Finances and Damage Widgets

We have implemented the Damage and Finances widgets. They restore easy access to truck damage information. Trailer and cargo damage are also shown if applicable. Your current bank balance is displayed. Average profit over the last seven days is shown too.

These widgets can be toggled in the Widget Settings Menu. If enabled, they appear in the bottom-right corner above your GPS.

Tow to Road Feature

The Tow to Road feature improves quality of life for players. It reduces frustrating situations during gameplay. Drivers can quickly recover if their truck overturns. It also helps if the truck gets stuck in a ditch or uneven terrain. The feature prevents disruptions in multiplayer sessions. Players can continue their convoy without being towed to a service location. This avoids unnecessary delays.

When you are in a difficult situation, find the new “Tow to Road” button. It is located under the Service menu (F7 by default). After paying a small fee, you will be transported to your last safe location. Read more about this feature here. For more on the 1.59 update, check out our 1.59 preview article and ETS2 1.59 features overview.

Skills UX Redesign

The Skill Screen has received a visual rework. It remains in its original place within the interface. This update focuses on improving clarity and overall user experience. Core functionality has not changed.

You can now view your current skill level and the next progression step. Tooltips allow you to explore other ranks within each skill. Selecting a skill provides improved readability and clearer visual feedback. A better indication shows how many steps remain in that skill’s progression path.

Each skill is represented as a clickable button. This makes it easy to access more detailed information. The redesign also improves navigation when using a controller.

QoL UI/UX Changes

We are continuing to refine the overall user experience. Updates focus on readability, clarity, and smoother controller navigation.

The in-game news banner has received a visual refresh. It now better aligns with our newer UI style while improving readability. Hovering over a news item shows a longer excerpt. A clear call to action is also displayed. Deactivated news items now feature a clearer status indicator. This also doubles as an activation button.

World map navigation is now more intuitive for controller users. A new “undo last pin” feature has been added. Controls for adding, removing, setting avoid areas, and resetting pins have been remapped.

Save handling has also been improved. New saves now use the standard save icon instead of a black screenshot. Overwriting is clearly labeled as “Overwrite”. Garage upgrade cutscenes can now be skipped more consistently using the (B) button. Controller navigation has been further refined with improved D-pad accessibility across UI.

Traffic Sound Rework

We have made adjustments to traffic audio as part of this update. Sounds have been softened and rebalanced. They now better match real-world perception. There is less emphasis on distant engine noise. The subtle “road hiss” of tires is more prominent. Honking behavior has been slightly randomized to reduce repetition. Overall, traffic should now feel less intrusive and better integrated into the ambient soundscape.

Height Blend Improvements

We have made a few improvements to the Height Blend feature. Derived normal maps can now be enabled. This helps conserve GPU memory. Several graphical issues have been addressed. This ensures more consistent, visually accurate results.

Detour Feature Maintenance

We have decided to temporarily disable the detour feature. This allows us to focus on maintenance and further development. We have received numerous reports of Detours not functioning as intended. The current system no longer meets our needs.

As a result, we are shutting down detours while we work on improvements. The feature will become more stable and reliable. Please note that this change only affects detours. Random road events will continue to be available in the game.

ATS 1.59 Open Beta Changelog

Gameplay: Tow to Road Feature.

UI/UX: Advisor Update – Finances & Damage Widgets; Skills UX Redesign; QoL UI/UX Changes; Improved News Banner Readability; World Map Pin Enhancements; Save Icon Update; Garage Cutscene Skipping; D-pad Accessibility Improvements.

Visuals: Height Blend Improvements.

Sounds: Traffic Sound Rework.

Other: Detour Feature Maintenance.

How to Participate in ATS 1.59 Open Beta

Enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: this is only an open beta. It is not a stable public version. You may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It is completely okay to wait for the final release. However, if you want to help us get there faster, we appreciate your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in the dedicated section.

Please check our modding wiki for details pertaining to mods for the game.

To access the ATS 1.59 Open Beta, find this version in the Experimental Beta branch on Steam. Follow these steps: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → Beta Participation drop-down menu → public_beta. No password is required. Sometimes you must restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name.