Racing simulations are all about realism. Here is what you can do to pimp your racing station into a true cockpit, making your next ride more immersive and life-like.
Photo credit: James Baldwin
If you want to upgrade your sim racing experience make it as close as possible to a session on a real circuit, James Baldwin has some tips and tricks for you. The esports pro and real-world racer explains how you can make sim racing more immersive in our newest tutorial.
1. The right seat
You might have noticed that sim racers don’t sit in one of the classic gaming chairs or normal office furniture. They use special seats that are built either in a Formula position or in a GT position. The seats not only provide nice optics and the feeling of sitting in a real car, but are also important for the right force feedback. Unfortunately, they also come with a high price that ranges from several hundreds to several thousands of euros.
2. The perfect wheel
When building your sim rig, the right wheels and pedals are crucial. Aside from ensuring a high level of immersion, they also heavily impact your performance. James recommends wheels with a direct drive system as they provide the best force feedback. High quality often comes at a high price. However, there are also other wheel options for smaller budgets.
3. Pedals make the difference
Pedals are just as important for your setup. Those who are really serious about their passion swear by load cell brakes as they are more accurate and realistic than other variants. You might also have noticed that some pros wear racing shoes and gloves. These accessories are not necessary for driving, but simply further increase the realism.
4. Visuals are key
Arguably the most crucial aspect of this list is to make the visual experience as realistic as possible. Virtual reality headsets can drastically change your perception as you have perfect all-round vision. There are different manufacturers and models of VR headsets. Some retail for around €299 whereas others can exceed €700. You can find out more about budget-friendly VR headsets here.
A triple screen setup can also create a multidimensional feeling for those who don’t want to wear a headset while driving. But of course, not everyone has the space and money to buy three monitors. If your racing world needs to fit into a small corner of your room, make sure you get a curved monitor instead of a regular one. They also come with a great resolution and refresh rate.
Conclusion:
There are many ways to enhance your racing experience and fully immerse into your simulations. However, the upgraded equipment comes at a high price. You need to decide for yourself what parts you want to invest in and how deep to dig into your pockets. In general, this is the order of priorities that James recommends:
- 1. Pedals
- 2. Wheel Base
- 3. Rig
- 4. Monitor / VR
- 5. Accessories
What do you think is the most immersive part of sim racing? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!