Racing Simulators: Everything You Need to Know

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Racing simulators are rapidly rising in popularity and are even used by the professionals to practice.

With Esports becoming more and more popular with each passing day, it’s no surprise to see racing simulators becoming commonplace. Professional racers all the way up to Formula 1 use racing simulators to practice their driving and to help learn tracks, and there are even professional sim racing leagues like the F1 Esports Series. With talented sim racers even being drafted into real world racing, you may want to buy yourself a wheel and pedals to get in on this exciting and relatively new hobby.

In this article, we’re going to take a detailed look into racing simulators and answer some common questions people often have. We’ll also recommend some products you can buy for the ultimate racing simulator experience, as well as some games to check out.

For more information on racing simulators, check out the table of contents.

The Different Types of Racing Wheels Available

At the core of any proper simulator setup is the racing wheel. There is a large variety of wheels on the market covering a number of different price points, so no matter how much cash you have to spend, you’ll be able to find something that fits your budget.

Most racing wheels use a belt drive system to produce what is called “force feedback”—which is what gives the wheel resistance to your steering inputs. Higher end wheels will have stronger force feedback and are thus considered to deliver a more realistic driving experience, whereas some of the entry-level wheels will have less torque and won’t feel quite as engaging. The price range on wheels like these is about $150 to $600.

Top 5 Racing Simulator Wheels

If you truly have a lot of money to invest into a simulator setup, you can purchase what is called a direct drive wheel. These wheels include a strong electronic servomotor and a detachable steering wheel with a quick release that is compatible with a real racecar, allowing the user to swap in a variety of wheels with different shapes and sizes. These wheels deliver the utmost in realism and force feedback strength, but will usually cost $1,000 and up.

What About Pedals and a Shifter?

Good question. Many consumer wheels are offered in a “bundle” that includes the wheel and a pedal set. Lower end wheels (~$150) will usually have plastic pedals that include only a gas and a brake.

As you move up the price ladder, however, the pedals may be a made from a mix of metal and plastic for a higher quality feel, or they may be made entirely from metal. These pedal sets may also include a third clutch pedal, which can be paired with a manual shifter for added immersion. A manual shifter isn’t always included in a bundle, however, in which case it must be purchased separately.

Top 5 Racing Simulator Cockpits

Similarly, some steering wheel/pedal/shifter combinations can be paired with an electronic handbrake. A handbrake won’t be of interest to someone looking to do circuit racing, for example, but is a must-have if you want to use your simulator for drifting. Those looking to use their simulator for rally racing should also get a handbrake.

PC or Console?

Whether you decide to play on PC or console depends on how seriously you want to take the sim racing hobby.

Sim racers who play on PC typically do so for two reasons: there’s more wheel/pedal support and there’s a wider variety of compatible games. Some of the high-end wheels, such as the force feedback wheels we mentioned above, are available on PC only. These wheels will sometimes also come with buttons that can be mapped to perform certain tasks, which isn’t always possible on console.

Many popular sim racing games are available for both PC and consoles like PS4 and Xbox One, such as Assetto Corsa and Project Cars 2. Some of the most highly rated sim racing titles are for PC only, though, such as iRacing and rFactor.

Which game you want to play, and whether or not you want to frequently compete with other sim racers, will decide if you should play on PC or console. Many sim racers, including professional racers such as Lando Norris, flock to iRacing due to the realistic feel it provides and the large community of active users. If you want to often race against others, the PC-only title is definitely the way to go.

Other PC titles like rFactor are used by professional racers to help hone their skills due to the realistic driving feel and accurate 3D track models, which may be another reason to go the PC route.

For less serious sim racers, a console should suffice. Both PS4 and Xbox have sim racing titles like we mentioned above, along with less serious racing games such as Gran Turismo Sport and Forza Motorsport. In short, those looking to take the hobby a bit seriously should probably get a PC, whereas your average hobbyist will be perfectly happy using their existing console.

Cockpits and Wheelstands

Right. You are probably wondering where you’re going to mount your wheel and pedals, and there’s no shortage of options for you on this front.

We’ll start with budget options like wheel stands. A wheel stand is essentially just a portable, fixed stand for you to mount your wheel and pedals to, which can then be pulled up to a chair in front of your TV. These are typically cheap compared to purpose-built seats and cockpits (~$150) but may not be as sturdy as some of the more expensive solutions.

Then there are more expensive cockpits from companies like Playseat and Rseat. These will usually combine the wheel stand and a seat with a racecar-like position into one unit, which you usually have to put together yourself. These range in price from around $300 to $1,000, the main difference being sturdiness, build quality, and the quality/style of the seat itself. Some of these will also include mounting points for a television or monitor, ensuring the field-of-view is accurate.

Finally, there are motion simulators. These attempt to mimic the g-forces of driving by using hydraulics to tilt and turn when cornering, accelerating, or braking. Most are only compatible with PC and can cost up to and over $100,000. Companies like CXC Simulations, for example, sell motion simulators as entire bundles, which retail for $49,000 to $87,000. You have to really like racing virtually to buy one of these.

OK, So What's the Best Setup for a Beginner?

What you buy ultimately depends on what game(s) you want to play and how much you want to spend, but there are some go-to sim racing setups where beginners just can’t go wrong. The following is our suggested sim racing setup for most beginners looking to race on either PC or console.

Logitech G29/G920

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Our ideal beginner’s setup starts with a wheel/pedal set, of course. We’d suggest the Logitech G29/G920, as it’s compatible with PS4 (G29), PC (G29 and G920), or Xbox One (G920) and is of a high build quality. The pedal set that comes with the wheel also features metal pedals, as opposed to the plastic pedals that are offered with some lesser wheels. This setup features a dual motor force feedback wheel, allowing you to feel nearly everything that’s going on while you’re racing.

Playseat Challenge

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There are lots of companies making sim racing cockpits, but Playseat is a reputable company with fast shipping and good prices that we feel very comfortable recommending. The company’s entry-level product, the Playseat Challenge, does a good job in keeping the wheels and pedals in place and can fold up so it doesn’t take up a bunch of space. It also undercuts many other cockpits in price, coming in at around $250.

The company’s mid-level product, the Playseat Evolution, uses a seat more akin to a real race car’s and a slightly more upright driving position. It’s easy to assemble and should cost you around $350. We’d suggest either, but the Playseat Evolution will be better suited to those sim racers who are a bit more serious.

Optional Extra: Oculus Rift

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Any TV or monitor that you use for gaming should work just fine for sim racing. Some more serious racers use triple-screen setups to give them an almost 360-degree surround view, but this expensive solution is quickly being replaced by virtual reality. Many sim racing games now support VR, including iRacing, Assetto Corsa, and Project Cars 2. You’ll want to make sure your PC is powerful enough to run VR, however.

If you’re playing on PS4, you’ll be forced to use the Playstation VR system—the PS4 is not compatible with the superior Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive.

And Can I Get Rundown of All the Popular Games?

Of course! Apart from iRacing, which is an online-based game that you play by paying for a subscription, most popular sim racing and racing titles are available on Steam, the PS4 or Xbox online stores, or Amazon. Here’s a list of some of the most commonly played titles.

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Project Cars 2

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Project Cars 2 is a high-quality game that is widely appreciated for its vast array of cars and tracks. It also has just about every possible weather scenario you can think of, including rain and snow, along with a 24-hour night/dawn/dusk clock. An active online community, decent downloadable content, and stunning graphics further its status as a must-have game for sim racers.

Assetto Corsa

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There’s hardly a more loved sim racing game than Assetto Corsa. Developed by a small company called Kunos Simulazioni, Assetto Corsa is the gold standard in force feedback and driving feel for sim racing games. It doesn’t have a whole lot of official content, but that’s negated by the vast array of third-party mods for the game on PC. You’ll definitely want to pick this title up—it’s usually well-priced.

Gran Turismo Sport

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Gran Turismo Sport is probably the most popular racing game for PS4. In addition to the active user base, this go-to racing game has a ton of cars and tracks and even an online racing championship that is sanctioned by the FIA—the same governing body that operates Formula 1. If you’re playing on PS4, this will be a title worth looking at.

Forza Motorsport 7

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There aren’t many good sim racing options on Xbox and while Forza Motorsport 7 is a racing game, it leaves something to be desired in regards to force feedback feeling and realism. The game was also panned upon release for its “pay-to-win” loot box system, but if you just want to turn some laps in unique, custom cars, you might find it fun.

F1 2019

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If you’re a Formula 1 fan, you do not want to miss out on F1 2019. The official video game of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship, F1 2019 features all the official teams, drivers, and 21 circuits from the 2019 season. This year’s title also sees the inclusion of F2, allowing players to complete the 2018 season and establish their reputation before stepping into the F1 Championship.

Eighteen returning cars from F1 2018 join four new classics from 1990 and 2010, for those who purchase the “Legends Edition.” Those four classics are the 1990 Ferrari F1-90 and McLaren MP4/5B, and the 2010 Ferrari F10 and McLaren MP4-25.

Multiplayer support in F1 2019 boasts a new League function, allowing you to find and create your own tournaments or compete in weekly challenges. There’s plenty of esports integration as well, with a dedicated in-game esports area that makes it easier to sign up and participate in the online qualifiers.

Customize your Formula 1 race car by creating your own livery, or replay and share your best racing moments with a new automated race highlights feature.

Dirt 4

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Developed by Codemasters, the same people in charge of F1 2019 and the other F1 titles, Dirt 4 is the go-to rally racing game for console and PC sim racers alike. If racing stage rallies on tarmac, dirt and snow are your thing, Dirt 4 is the racing title for you.

5. NASCAR Heat 4

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NASCAR Heat 4 is the game to get if you’re a NASCAR fan. As the official video game of NASCAR, the latest entry in the series features the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, and the Xtreme Dirt Tour. In total, you’re able to compete across 38 tracks against over 150 official NASCAR teams and drivers.

New features in NASCAR Heat 4 include track map, unlockable paint schemes, more control options, enhanced career mode, a competitive smarter AI, and improvements to graphics and sounds. This game is also the only way to qualify for the NASCAR Heat Pro League, where you can possibly race for a real NASCAR race team by competing in esports.

As an added bonus, this game comes with a $50 NASCAR race ticket.

The first rFactor title was released in 2005, with the second instalment coming in 2013. Both are considered to be highly realistic with accurate tire models that can truly help you refine your driving skills. This is a simulation software through and through and is popular with serious sim racers and professionals. F1 teams even run a version of this software that allows them to plug in their own data called rFactor Pro.

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Sim Racing Wheel And Pedals

Steering control is the area that I do recommend you spend some money on.

The wheel and pedal set are critical to you being able to more faithfully recreate that feeling of driving.

Yes, you can use a controller or a low-end steering wheel without force feedback, but your driving and racing experience will be poor. It can still be fun but you will be missing out on the main value that even beginners sim racing setup equipment can offer you.

I have actually had loads of wheels. Years ago I had the first force feedback wheel ever released (back in 1998 … hmm) and in fairness, it was pretty good:

Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel 1998 vintage

Sim Racing Wheel Types

Today there are three main types of force feedback wheel:

• Gear drive
• Belt drive
• Direct drive

These refer to the technical approach taken to provide resistance (or force feedback) so you can feel what the tyres are doing when you are driving. Start to lose grip and you’ll feel it. Go over a kerb and you’ll feel it.

The different technologies all enable you to experience force feedback but with more or less compromises.

The gear drive and belt drive both use a small electric motor that is ratio’d up to provide the feedback. This works well.

One issue is that you feel the mechanism as the cogs turn. The belt drive versions, therefore, aim to be smoother than the gear drive systems.

Another issue is that the motors do not have the precision or smoothness because they are small. This is the issue that the direct drive systems aim to tackle. They do it very well by using a much larger electric motor with no extra gearing. Unfortunately, these larger motors do not come cheap so the direct drive wheels are about x3 the price of the belt or gear drive wheels.

I would recommend you aspire to upgrade to a direct drive steering wheel if you find that sim racing is really for you.

Until then start with a belt-driven force feedback wheel. I personally use this Thrustmaster T300RS wheel (the same one you can see reviewed in the Sim Racing Garage video above.)

Pedals

The wheel I am suggesting comes with a pedal set. 2 pedals is fine. Once you start to research beginners sim racing kit you will discover that there is as much talk about brake pedals as there is about any of the other parts.

This is because the brake pedal transmits a lot of information about how close you are to your racecar threshold braking limit. Well, it does in a real car. It does not with (consumer level) Sim Racing kit. Cue people trying to find ways to make the brake pedal “feel” more “realistic.” But just so you know, there is no system that I know of that gives you brake pedal force feedback like the steering wheel does – despite what it might seem like when you are talking about this with your Sim Racing paddock cup champ.

When you are putting together your beginner sim racing kit list, you will get on just fine without an expensive brake pedal setup. Just be aware that this is an area that will feel a bit unnatural and, should you be looking to upgrade in future, the brake pedal type should be an important consideration.

On gear shifters. Do not bother. Really. Just accept you are going to be using the paddles to change gear in sim racing.

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