Is Sim Racing Worth It?

[Mahduece]

Here’s my setup. Works fantastic and very affordable setup.

[grilling47]

For any of those looking, the Bigscreen VR seems pretty promising- I've given a buddy's VR setup a go and it was pretty darn good (at least visually). Now with lighter and smaller goggles though, I think it could start getting pretty nice.

[Samas]

With correct setup it’s absolutely addicting

[JHolo]

I’ve been addicted since I first started a few years back with a basic G920 setup on a desk. From there it’s spiraled into a crazy sim rig. Still cheaper than tracking a car on the regular though.

[Suds]

I just committed my self to learn some new tracks. No excuse for having to travel or stay in a hotel room.

[Suds]

Working on getting my rig setup.

I have really enjoyed just sitting here watching video.

[gjmoe]

For context, I haven't done any sanctioned events but I have done a few of those cone track "racing experiences" (Corvettes). I also race on iracing (simple set-up) as well as the legitimate $10K+ simulators (Place down the road from me).

While the pro simulators are fun, they don't hold a candle to real racing and I actually prefer iRacing over the expensive simulators.

Any simulator is going to have a disconnect but for some reason the Pro ones feel less "real" than iRacing to me. I think it is because you can't recreate the g's you feel when your racing in a simulator, so they compensate with a lot of herky-jerky movement. With the simple iRacing set-up you are just focusing on a few outputs and adjusting your inputs accordingly (IE: Wheel Feedback, Tire Noise and visuals). IMO that is more beneficial to real world skills.

But its still a lot of fun regardless

[Sev_ak’.]

Oh that’s correct

[gdor]

Personal take: Started sim racing… haven’t seen my friends since. Send help.

[NjPrince]

Originally Posted by gdor

Personal take: Started sim racing… haven’t seen my friends since. Send help.

lmaoo the high quality setups are addicting for sure

[Capo66]

It's very addictive and it's black hole when it comes to cost.. but the enjoyment is worth every penny if you cannot afford your own race car!

[kattz]

Too bad there's no flight sim discussion.

On the auto sim platforms, preferred Project Cars to Asetto Corsa.

[herbotis]

I built mine to prep me for race days... then.... i ended up building an expensive setup now I started a business with it. :X Anyway, yes it's worth it. If you don't have one and are competing you're already behind. Be sure you use a direct drive and a load cell pedal.

[tsk94]

I’ve been doing track driving and wheel-to-wheel racing for almost 15 years, and in many ways, I actually prefer sim racing. The accessibility to high-level competition is simply much greater. You still need to be a competent driver to reach the top in either environment, but in the sim world you can do it without the massive budget that real-life racing demands. And I’m not even talking about GT4 or GT3—just running a competitive season in NASA or SCCA at the regional or national level, or even Gridlife, requires a serious financial commitment.

In contrast, you can race at a very high level in the sim for a fraction of the cost. Plus, you don’t have to worry about some yahoo punting you off in real life and the time and money that goes into repairing the car. In a sim? Just restart and go again, lol.

As someone who does all the building, maintenance, and track prep on my own track and race cars, being able to hop into the sim and just drive is incredibly refreshing. No towing, no travel time—just sit down, load up your sim of choice, and you’re racing within 10 minutes.

With a good, properly set-up rig, you can get about 90% of the real-world experience in my opinion—maybe even more if you go with a motion system. But as close as it gets nowadays, it’s still not quite the same as being out there on a real track.

The vast amount of vehicles and driving experiences you can have on the sim is simply unmatched as well. Whether you're more casual or serious, there's something for everyone.

[aftermath5074]

I'm glada TboneS54 said it: indoor electric go-karting is a blast. And looks like you dabble. Maybe get a membership and get out there whenever you get a hankering!

[e39.cfg]

For me it was worth spending money on sim racing since going to the track is expensive as well and also time consuming. Sim Racing is not track racing but its highly competitive and also demanding. You won't be fast on your second lap out...

[Shokh]

Just out of curiosity, what's a realistic amount of money to get started?

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Shokh

Just out of curiosity, what's a realistic amount of money to get started?

Not sure about pricing in the EU, but the cheapest recommended way is a Logitech steering wheel and pedals (model depends on how you run your racing game - PC vs console). Clamping the wheel to the desk and sitting on a kitchen chair at your computer desk can work for starting.

After that, I'd look into DIY building a simple rig to better hold the wheel and pedals (and you), or going with something like the Playseat Challenge.

That'll set you back $450-650 in the US (probably a bit more in EU), but assumes you have a PC or a console to run a sim game.

I have a mid-high tier setup and I'm about $4,000 in not including the PC (which I use for lots of other stuff).

[c1pher]

I think there’s a budget for every person and if you enjoy driving, learning how to improve, even if you’re not competitive, it’s very fun. I enjoy several things about it like being able to experience a track even if I will never drive in reality or possibly prepare before I go. And similarly all type and manner of cars without risking life and limb. It allows me to try different things and see how they all work. Each car and track is a different challenge. Depending on the car, you can tweak different setting like ABS, brake bias, tire pressures and so on. I totally nerd out on it sorry.