Rocket League players say the new Salty Shores map is too damn bright

Rocket League's latest content update, Salty Shores, introduced a smattering of '80s-themed content styled after sun-bleached beaches and the retina-searing citrus tones that come with them, including a sandy new map. The update has gone down pretty well overall, there's just one little problem: people can't see the freaking ball.

As several Redditors have pointed out, the bright sun and even brighter sand of the Salty Shores map can be a legitimate hassle. Many players say they struggle to keep track of the ball and regularly lose sight of boost pads, especially when facing the side of the arena where the sun is rising. Others have reported FPS dips not seen on other maps, presumably due to their graphics cards squinting their eyes. (I am not a hardware expert.)

Some players say the brightness backlash is overblown and suggest those affected calibrate the brightness and gamma of their monitors. Of course, that raises the issue of other maps (and indeed other games) appearing too dark. Other users have suggested releasing dusk and nighttime versions of the map, which I can definitely get behind if only because they'd probably be really cool.

The complaint is common enough that it seems like developer Psyonix may actually address it. What do you think, readers? Is Salty Shores too damn bright or just bright enough?

Austin freelanced for PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and has been a full-time writer at PC Gamer's sister publication GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a staff writer is just a cover-up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news, the occasional feature, and as much Genshin Impact as he can get away with.