The Best Simracing Games for VR

Best simracing games in VR.jpg
Virtual Reality is probably the most exciting piece of tech in simracing at the moment. More and more simracers are trying it out, but which are the best games to do so with? Here's our list of the best racing games in VR.

Image Credit: Hyundai on Newspress

Able to literally place a simracer behind the wheel of their dream car, virtual reality is an amazing tool. In fact, alongside Direct Drive wheels, it is probably the most exciting piece of hardware in the industry right now.

New VR headsets seemingly release every day, all offering different specifications designed to entice gamers. Last year, we listed the best headsets for simracing in different price ranges. From the plucky, entry-level Oculus models to the jaw-dropping price tag of the market topping bits of kit. This guide has everything you need to know about the screens some of us strap to our faces to go racing.

Automobilista 2 gets new update.jpg


Racing in VR compared to a traditional screen setup dramatically alters how one drives. Whilst many believe it to make you quicker, that is simply not the case for the majority of users. Sure, VR means you can easily spot apexes and judge distances to walls and other cars in a more effective way. But when it comes to car control, things get tough.

On a single screen, simracers get used to the visual signs of a rear end losing traction. However, you don't get the same point of view in VR meaning it's more difficult to hold a car on the limit. As a result, VR racers depend much more on force feedback to feel what the car is doing. The best VR games often have the best FFB.

You now know which headset to buy and how it will affect your driving. So it's probably about time you knew which games work the best in VR and which probably aren't worth attempting.

Here's our run down of the best racing games for VR. Click the button below to navigate to the next pages. As always feel free to add your favorite VR titles in the comments below.
About author
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

Comments

Has anyone got AMS 1 to work in VR at all?
Yeah.
And not only that. VR AMS1 performance on occations seems to perform even better VR-wise than AMS2!

And there's more into it.
Converting rF1 content via e.g. rFactorTools (and a bit fiddling with *veh files and *mas sometimes, but far from always neccesary) it's even possible to VR race all of your rF1 mod content in VR through AMS1. Some rF1 mods of which with in fact very good VR performance raced in AMS1.
And then don't forget all the dedicated AMS1 mod content., here among "Ultimate Mega Pack" track pack should have honourable mention, raced in VR.

How?
Answer: CrewChief's VR-plugins.
Here among VR-plugin for AMS1 and GTR2 (and, hencde, ability to VR race all your GTR2 mod content, too - and in fact with heck of a VR performance, IMO).

Acquired my first VR headset less than 12 months ago and amazed on how much I got to work and even sometimes effortless with just my Quest 2 and at first just my RX 580 and then my RX 6800 XT (either through the gfx's VR dedicated USB-c port or just wireless through Virtual Desktop+SteamVR+WiFi6+).
But even my RX 580 + Quest 2 was way enough to get decent VR performance for VR-racing AMS1 through CC's AMS1 VR-plugin.
 
Last edited:
Yeah.
And not only that. VR AMS1 performance on occations seems to perform even better VR-wise than AMS2!

And there's more into it.
Converting rF1 content via e.g. rFactorTools (and a bit fiddling with *veh files and *mas sometimes, but far from always neccesary) it's even possible to VR race all of your rF1 mod content in VR through AMS1. Some rF1 mods of which with in fact very good VR performance raced in AMS1.
And then don't forget all the dedicated AMS1 mod content., here among "Ultimate Mega Pack" track pack should have honourable mention, raced in VR.

How?
Answer: CrewChief's VR-plugins.
Here among VR-plugin for AMS1 and GTR2 (and, hencde, ability to VR race all your GTR2 mod content, too - and in fact with heck of a VR performance, IMO).

Acquired my first VR headset less than 12 months ago and amazed on how much I got to work and even sometimes effortless with just my Quest 2 and at first just my RX 580 and then my RX 6800 XT (either through the gfx's VR dedicated USB-c port or just wireless through Virtual Desktop+SteamVR+WiFi6+).
But even my RX 580 + Quest 2 was way enough to get decent VR performance for VR-racing AMS1 through CC's AMS1 VR-plugin.
That's good to hear. Can you tell me what's needed to get AMS 1 working in VR? Is it just the crewcheif plug in needed?
Cheers
Andy
 
That's good to hear. Can you tell me what's needed to get AMS 1 working in VR? Is it just the crewcheif plug in needed?
Cheers
Andy
I'll try from memory buth think there's a walkthrough at CC's own forum site.
  1. Install CrewChief from their download section
  2. Install SteamVR (yes it's payable, but you gotta need it anyway).
  3. Make a full copy of your Steam AMS1 folder to an external folder, outside your Steam Library.
  4. Run AMS config (ensure windowed mode) and startup steam, just once. From here, you don't need to startup through Steam program.
  5. From \\Program Files(x86) (or where you install CrewChief)\Britton IT Ltd\CrewChiefV4\plugins\Automobilista copy the plugin folder to your newly created AMS1 folder.
  6. Run Crewchief once., choosing 'Automobilista'. And check under properties for Automobilista, that parameter 'AMS install path' reads from your new AMS1 folder and NOT from your SteamLibrary folder. In my case I type in 'D:/AMSVR' for my dedicated AMS1 VR folder. You don't have to install CC's Sound packs, Driver Names or Personalisations, unless you actually wanna use the main CC features and not only the VR plug-in feature (I think?).
  7. By running CC once it creates a CrewChiefVR.ini file within (your AMS1 folder)/plugin. Here you have to ensure this parameter is active, i.e. set to '1': enableSteamVRRendering = 1
  8. In your *PLR file (typically placed in your //OneDrive//Documents/Automobilista/UserData/#PlayerName# folder set 'Exit Confirmation Menu="0" // 0=none, 1=race only, 2=always' <- ensures you can use ESC key while in-game.
  9. From here use either cabled USB-c to USB-c to your VR headset or wireless via Virtual Desktop (edit: in latter case ensure you're on a good WiFi signal on your VR headset, in my case WiFi6+).
  10. Just startup AMS.exe from within your new folder.
And you're free to go.
Hope I got it right.
 
Last edited:
I'll try from memory buth think there's a walkthrough at CC's own forum site.
  1. Install CrewChief from their download section
  2. Install SteamVR (yes it's payable, but you gotta need it anyway).
  3. Make a full copy of your Steam AMS1 folder to an external folder, outside your Steam Library.
  4. Run AMS config (ensure windowed mode) and startup steam, just once. From here, you don't need to startup through Steam program.
  5. From \\Program Files(x86) (or where you install CrewChief)\Britton IT Ltd\CrewChiefV4\plugins\Automobilista copy the plugin folder to your newly created AMS1 folder.
  6. Run Crewchief once., choosing 'Automobilista'. And check under properties for Automobilista, that parameter 'AMS install path' reads from your new AMS1 folder and NOT from your SteamLibrary folder. In my case I type in 'D:/AMSVR' for my dedicated AMS1 VR folder. You don't have to install CC's Sound packs, Driver Names or Personalisations, unless you actually wanna use the main CC features and not only the VR plug-in feature (I think?).
  7. By running CC once it creates a CrewChiefVR.ini file within (your AMS1 folder)/plugin. Here you have to ensure this parameter is active, i.e. set to '1': enableSteamVRRendering = 1
  8. In your *PLR file (typically placed in your //OneDrive//Documents/Automobilista/UserData/#PlayerName# folder set 'Exit Confirmation Menu="0" // 0=none, 1=race only, 2=always' <- ensures you can use ESC key while in-game.
  9. From here use either cabled USB-c to USB-c to your VR headset or wireless via Virtual Desktop (edit: in latter case ensure you're on a good WiFi signal on your VR headset, in my case WiFi6+).
  10. Just startup AMS.exe from within your new folder.
And you're free to go.
Hope I got it right.
Thank you for taking the time to type all this. :thumbsup:
 
OP, Now in 2024, have you tried UEVR? There's a list of games compatible here that work. I checked here for unreal engine racing games and here is a list. All of them can now potentially be played in VR using UEVR. Thought you would be interested. Also there are a bunch of videos on YT.

#YearTitleUnreal engine version
12009Crash Time IIIUE3
22007Crash Time: Autobahn PursuitUE3
32014El Chavo KartUE3
42007Fatal InertiaUE3
52019Assetto Corsa Competizione[21]UE4
62018Gravel[106]UE4
72018Grip[107]UE4
82015KartKraft[128]UE4
92016Moto Racer 4[154]UE4
102018MotoGP 18[155]UE4
112019MotoGP 19UE4
122020MotoGP 20UE4
132021MotoGP 21[156]UE4
142016RedoutUE4
152017Rock of Ages II: Bigger & BoulderUE4
162019Rock of Ages III: Make & BreakUE4
172018Sega World Drivers Championship[214]UE4
182016Space Dust Racers[225]UE4
19TBAUnbox[281]UE4
 
OP, Now in 2024, have you tried UEVR? There's a list of games compatible here that work. I checked here for unreal engine racing games and here is a list. All of them can now potentially be played in VR using UEVR. Thought you would be interested. Also there are a bunch of videos on YT.

#YearTitleUnreal engine version
12009Crash Time IIIUE3
22007Crash Time: Autobahn PursuitUE3
32014El Chavo KartUE3
42007Fatal InertiaUE3
52019Assetto Corsa Competizione[21]UE4
62018Gravel[106]UE4
72018Grip[107]UE4
82015KartKraft[128]UE4
92016Moto Racer 4[154]UE4
102018MotoGP 18[155]UE4
112019MotoGP 19UE4
122020MotoGP 20UE4
132021MotoGP 21[156]UE4
142016RedoutUE4
152017Rock of Ages II: Bigger & BoulderUE4
162019Rock of Ages III: Make & BreakUE4
172018Sega World Drivers Championship[214]UE4
182016Space Dust Racers[225]UE4
19TBAUnbox[281]UE4
MotoGP in VR... That's got to be scary!
 

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Author
Angus Martin
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Shifting method

  • I use whatever the car has in real life*

  • I always use paddleshift

  • I always use sequential

  • I always use H-shifter

  • Something else, please explain


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