Sim racing can be a pricey hobby – but it doesn’t have to! These simple tips enhance gameplay and go easy on your wallet.
Photo credit: OverTake
Sim racing is all about feeling the race – from the squealing tyres on tarmac to the vehicle slicing through the air. The more racers are able to immerse themselves in their game, the better the experience gets. Luckily, there are countless ways to enhance the simulation and make it feel like the real deal. Sim rigs come to mind as the most obvious means for this, but more often than not, these don’t just drop from the sky, but cost a small fortune and require real commitment. However, beginners or racers with a smaller wallet don’t have to feel like they are missing out – we have some tips for you to bring your racing setup as close to professional simulation as possible!
No swaying in curves nor seat
One of the biggest advantages of sim rigs is the fact that they combine everything you need for sim racing in one setup. Monitor, wheel, pedals and seat all snugly fit together in one robust unit. Without a rig, this sturdiness is the most important aspect to copy – to remain planted and stop you from pushing yourself away when stepping heavily on the brakes.
Quite obviously, the table supporting the wheel should therefore go against the wall. Adjust the distance from your feet to the pedals with a wooden box, so you don’t have to worry about dislocating your leg when reaching for them. Logitech pedals also offer a carpet claw for steadiness that is worth considering. For your seat itself, it should go without saying that any rollers on the feet are rather disadvantageous – as you really only want the rolling to happen in the game. Replace rollers with rubber casters depending on your floor and you should be good to go.
VR on a budget?
If you like experimenting and want the extra spice in your DIY sim rig alternative, we might have just the thing for you. All you need for the ArUco paper tracker is a piece of paper, some cardboard and a webcam. The key element is a print of one of the ArUco paper samples – the bigger the print, the better the tracking. Ideally glued onto some cardboard, it then needs to be attached to the player’s head where the webcam can see it. This allows any head movement to be tracked by the Opentrack software and transmitted into the racing game of choice. This method is great as a cheaper alternative to proper VR-devices as it doesn’t require any fancy equipment, but still works very reliably.
Do you have any more ideas for how to set up a DIY sim rig? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
