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What is sim-racing?

Sim-racing is a virtual discipline revolving around the world of car racing on the big and small screens, using video games that may or may not be realistic in terms of feel and sensation.

If you’re a fan of video games, you’ve almost certainly played a sim-racing title. These include Gran Turismo, Forza, Need for Speed, Project Gotham Racing and many others. Each sim-racing title takes a unique approach in terms of realism: you have games that are arcade-style, where the driver, or racer, is just looking to have fun and pass the time, as is the case with the Need for Speed series. You have sim-arcade games which are right in the middle; a little arcade and a little simulation, like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, and this makes them perfect for amateur racers who want to get into racing. And last but not least, you have the simulation titles like Asseto Corsa and iRacing, which are pure and simple simulations.

In sim-racing, the emphasis is on the realism and immersion offered by both the title and the setup. Let’s face it: being a racing fan is an expensive hobby, especially if you’re just getting into the swing of things. Sim-racing is there to offer you an alternative and an immersive experience (on different levels) that isn’t too expensive, well, in most cases.

The different types of simulation

As we have just seen, there are 3 main types of sim-rating simulation:

• Arcade. This is the entry-level type where the aim of the game is to have fun, unlock new cars and drive as much fun as possible. In this category, we have licenses such as NFS, certain Forza titles, Burnout and so on. These titles are all about fun, not necessarily clean driving and cool soundtracks. As you might expect, arcade titles are there to help you pass the time, decompress and have fun. Sure, you get some realism in car behavior, performance and customization, but NFS is by no means a sim-racing game, because when you hit a wall at 250 km/h, the car suffers only cosmetic damage in most cases. And in real life, you’ll probably end up 6 feet under. For the arcade, you don’t really need a setup, as a joystick will do the job perfectly.
• The sim-arcade. This type is for amateur racers, or sim-racers, who want to get off to a good start. It’s like motorsport: you start out in karting, then move up to the next level each time. Here, the emphasis is on realism and clean driving, with a certain margin for error. You’ve got titles like Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo that incorporate damage management, tire and car wear, engine tuning and the whole shebang. Sim-arcade is pretty good in terms of realism and immersion, but you need a setup to get the most out of it.
• Simulation. This is one of the big leagues. It’s simple: you have a real racing simulation in front of your eyes, and it’s on these very titles that racing drivers train for real. Licenses include Asseto Corsa, iRacing, Asseto Corsa Competizion and many more. The world of motor racing is recreated down to the last detail, with drivers, teams, cars, brands, circuits and more. And I’m not even talking about the settings on the cars: you can customize absolutely everything, just like in real life. When it comes to realism, you’ve got it in spades. However, this type of sim-racing is reserved for budding drivers looking for total immersion. As a result, you’ll need the right setup and the time to improve, just like in real life.

The most popular sim-racing titles

Given that sim-racing uses video games as its medium, it goes without saying that there are many titles on the platforms (PC and consoles) available on the market. These include games such as Microsoft’s Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsport on PC and Xbox, and the Gran Turismo series on Playstation. These licenses are much more sim-arcade-based, although the degree of immersion is quite high, especially in Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.

For pure simulation, we have titles like Asseto Corsa and iRacing, which are very popular in the sim-racing world and are also considered the best in the business by many racers.

Sim-racing setups

For sim-racing, you need a setup that includes at least a base, steering wheel and pedals. You can take immersion even further by adding a shifter, handbrake, dashboard and cockpit.

As far as bases are concerned, there are currently 3 widespread technologies on the market: belt-driven, gear-driven and direct-drive bases. The first 2 technologies are very similar in the sense that you have an electric motor with intermediaries (belt or gear) to transfer power to the drive shaft. As for direct drive (Flywheels Direct Drive), the electric motor is attached to the drive shaft for maximum power and realism.

When it comes to pedal resistance, there are two main families: “standard” pedals where there’s some kind of spring or rubber to provide a little resistance, and Load Cell pedals where resistance is calculated according to the pressure applied by your foot. LC pedals are very close to what you’d find in a real car in terms of feel. For the clutch and gas pedal, it’s mainly a magnetic sensor and a small spring to simulate resistance.

For cockpits, you have discipline-specific chassis (GT, F1, etc.), and even some motorized ones(dynamic simulators) to simulate car movements. But be warned, these cost an arm and a leg!

Market leaders

Currently, and in my opinion, there are 3 leaders in the sim-racing market: Fanatec, Logitech and Thrustmaster. These brands are very popular in the game and offer products for everyone. Finally, Fanatec is much more on the premium spectrum, with high-performance peripherals.

However, other manufacturers of sim-racing peripherals are also present on the market, such as Simucube and Heusinkveld, which are ultra-premium brands, and Simagic, Moza Racing and Azetek are brands that offer high-performance peripherals at affordable prices.

You also have cockpit manufacturers who are very famous in the industry, such as PlayseatSimlab and Next Level Racing. These brands are dedicated exclusively to sim-racing chassis and cockpits, with a wide range of peripherals to suit all budgets and driving levels.