SIM RACING

In this post I would like to talk about the subject, that I have heard a lot about, but never got into… Until now. Simulated Racing, better know as Sim Racing.

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How do you feel about Sim Racing? What is Sim Racing to begin with? Well, Sim Racing stands for Simulated Racing, or as you may think of it, video games.

Whenever I think of Sim Racing, I do associate it, mostly, with video games. Although, I think Sim racing deserves to be in another category. My excuse for this, is that it helps you become a better driver. The advancement in technology on this type of gaming is amazing! Some of the aspects that you can play with in these Simulators, are tire pressure, fuel, tire grip and even suspension. The amount of details is unreal!

What did I get into?!

If you are new to Sim Racing, like me, you are about to get surprised. The world of Sim Racing, I found out, can become a really expensive hobby if you let it.

I found out that there is a HUMONGOUS range of steering wheels for Sim Racing. And like most things in life, the best is not the cheapest. The high end wheels, have a servo motor in it that helps simulate the feedback that you would encounter in real life racing, CRAZY! There is also motors for the seats, so you can feel the feedback of the car… CRAZY!!

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I really wanted to try Sim Racing, but I was not willing to spend a lot in it. I bought Project Cars 2 (on sale!!) and the HORI Apex steering wheel. I purchased the steering wheel from Fry’s, simply because it is close to home and I could not find a better deal online. (Here is a review of the HORI Apex). The wheel is NOT one of the expensive ones, so there is no feedback or whatsoever. The seat I use is a wooden chair, and the pedals…  the pedals are alright, they were included with the steering wheel.

The Equipment

Besides the already mentioned steering wheels, other pieces of equipment for Sim Racing include seats, rigs or cockpits, monitors, pedals, shifter, just to mention a few.

One thing that I am fairly uninformed about, is how the pedals from the high end setups respond. One of the so many reviews online, complains about the brake feedback. I would understand for my setup to not give me enough feedback but I’d assume that you get something more from the expensive ones.

My current set of pedals, included with the steering wheel, do not have any feedback but work the way they are supposed to. To give you a better idea of what I am talking about, the pedal feedback, while driving a real car, helps you determine when the wheels are about to lock while braking hard. We will get into the real life/ Sim Racing comparisons later.

Here is a crazy set-up that I found on YouTube. This guy has three monitors, metal frame, five speakers, a motor under the seat to simulate car feedback, this guy is something else!

On the other hand, we have some DIYers, like a lot of us, that go the cheaper route. Here is another video that shows how a lot of people build their rigs with a few pieces of lumber. This is by far one of the simplest setups I have seen, besides mine (dinner table chair and a desk haaa).

Why Sim Racing?

Better question, why not? With how accurate the tracks are, it is really cool to be able to race around the world with just pressing a couple buttons. Also, for the avid real life racers, these games help you memorize the tracks you frequent. Sim Racing is definitely cheaper than real life racing, for obvious reasons. You do not need a car, you do not need to spend on tires, registration fees, transportation to the event, gas for racing, etc. This is not all, to give you a better comparison between Sim Racing and real life racing, you can watch the following video from Driver 61:

One thing to take in count is that Sim Racing isn’t free either. As previously mentioned, you will purchase a steering wheel and a game, then maybe a shifter, because those are not included with the wheel. Maybe later, you’d like to add a rig/cockpit (proper seat and mounting spots for the steering wheel and pedals). In the end, is about how serious you’d like to get.

Is it worth it?

If you like playing video games and racing, I think it is. I like both, by no means pretend to become a pro but I enjoy it. I will probably not get serious when it comes to buying equipment but I will try to keep up to date with the advancements that virtual reality makes.

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If you are on the fence about this, first I would say look at your budget. if it seems like a doable purchase, go for it. You can wait for sales on the games; I doubt you will find any on steering wheels but you can try. Overall, it has been an enjoyable purchase, it gives me the chance to “drive” different cars and learn about their characteristics. If you ask my opinion, I would say do it but ALWAYS consider your budget.

If you have any questions or concerns about this subject leave a comment below or shoot me an e-mail. See you next time.

DL