When I was a kid I remember being completely immersed in Indy 500 on the Commodore Amiga which proves the point that like most things in life immersion is perfect until you know its not !
With an unlimited budget the sky is the limit and you're probably not reading this anyway and on the other hand for the DIYer there is a lot of satisfaction to be had for putting in the time and effort. Its possible to have loads of fun and or an extremely elaborate setup without any immersion but this thread is for those who give it priority and then have fun with it
So assuming you’ve got “good” software for starters (Assetto Corsa is arguably still a reference point) then there are basically three display options that each have their pros and cons and, like for like, even cost about the same. The visual experience is key so do your research, take your pick and buy the best you can afford.
1 - VR for optimal spatial awareness (maybe best for online multiplayer) at the expense of resolution and clarity (for now at least)
2 - Large triple screens for optimal FOV and resolution (maybe the best compromise) at the expense of distortion
3 - Even larger single screen or projection for optimal resolution with less distortion (maybe best for hot lapping) at the expense of FOV
Then at no real expense at all you can try:
1 - Finding an optimal viewing distance and FOV for your screen/s (costs nothing)
2 - Finding an optimal cockpit camera setup for both screen/s and VR (costs nothing)
3 - Sticking to just one sim or as few as possible since switching between them forces your brain to readjust constantly as they are all different (costs nothing)
4 - Using a dark room for screen/s, obviously this is why the cinema is so immersive (costs nothing)
5 - Using headphones for minimal distraction (very inexpensive unless you're an audiophile)
Then you can try:
1 - A collection of wheels and shifters to match each real world car of interest
2 - A rig/chassis that matches the seating, wheel and pedal position of each real world car of interest
Depending on the variety of vehicles this could be relatively inexpensive for the DYIer to very expensive for the consumer.
(note: you can try sticking to one seating position per session, just as in real life it takes time for the brain to adjust from driving a lawn mower to a truck so swapping and changing every five minutes might cause you to question the whole setup again when theres nothing wrong with it... hands up, been there ! )
Then in order of cost effectiveness you can try:
1 - Using tactile transducers/exciters (relatively inexpensive)
2 - Upgrading to a wheel base and pedals capable of replicating real world forces (generally expensive)
3 - Further upgrading to a motion simulator/platform (generally expensive to very expensive)
-------------------------------------------------------------
So naturally whether or not each of these stages works for you is ultimately subjective and the variables of each are limitless but cost effectiveness is relatively linear. Immersion is an illusion which like a magic trick is easier to get away with once or twice than repetitively. If you're continuously immersed with very little effort, hardware or investment then the best advice is to just enjoy it and try to resist the temptation for more. For the rest of us it is a journey of discovery and if its kept objective, hopefully in its simplicity this simple list can help to prioritise your budget and maybe even decide to stop somewhere along the way contented !
With an unlimited budget the sky is the limit and you're probably not reading this anyway and on the other hand for the DIYer there is a lot of satisfaction to be had for putting in the time and effort. Its possible to have loads of fun and or an extremely elaborate setup without any immersion but this thread is for those who give it priority and then have fun with it
-------------------------------------------------------------
So assuming you’ve got “good” software for starters (Assetto Corsa is arguably still a reference point) then there are basically three display options that each have their pros and cons and, like for like, even cost about the same. The visual experience is key so do your research, take your pick and buy the best you can afford.
1 - VR for optimal spatial awareness (maybe best for online multiplayer) at the expense of resolution and clarity (for now at least)
2 - Large triple screens for optimal FOV and resolution (maybe the best compromise) at the expense of distortion
3 - Even larger single screen or projection for optimal resolution with less distortion (maybe best for hot lapping) at the expense of FOV
Then at no real expense at all you can try:
1 - Finding an optimal viewing distance and FOV for your screen/s (costs nothing)
2 - Finding an optimal cockpit camera setup for both screen/s and VR (costs nothing)
3 - Sticking to just one sim or as few as possible since switching between them forces your brain to readjust constantly as they are all different (costs nothing)
4 - Using a dark room for screen/s, obviously this is why the cinema is so immersive (costs nothing)
5 - Using headphones for minimal distraction (very inexpensive unless you're an audiophile)
Then you can try:
1 - A collection of wheels and shifters to match each real world car of interest
2 - A rig/chassis that matches the seating, wheel and pedal position of each real world car of interest
Depending on the variety of vehicles this could be relatively inexpensive for the DYIer to very expensive for the consumer.
(note: you can try sticking to one seating position per session, just as in real life it takes time for the brain to adjust from driving a lawn mower to a truck so swapping and changing every five minutes might cause you to question the whole setup again when theres nothing wrong with it... hands up, been there ! )
Then in order of cost effectiveness you can try:
1 - Using tactile transducers/exciters (relatively inexpensive)
2 - Upgrading to a wheel base and pedals capable of replicating real world forces (generally expensive)
3 - Further upgrading to a motion simulator/platform (generally expensive to very expensive)
-------------------------------------------------------------
So naturally whether or not each of these stages works for you is ultimately subjective and the variables of each are limitless but cost effectiveness is relatively linear. Immersion is an illusion which like a magic trick is easier to get away with once or twice than repetitively. If you're continuously immersed with very little effort, hardware or investment then the best advice is to just enjoy it and try to resist the temptation for more. For the rest of us it is a journey of discovery and if its kept objective, hopefully in its simplicity this simple list can help to prioritise your budget and maybe even decide to stop somewhere along the way contented !
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