Simulation can give you the rush and feel of racing on a real track, but you will need expensive gears to invest in such an experience. Also, you can just strap on your oculus and hold on to your accelerating pedal and maneuver your virtual cars with a real steering wheel. Don’t have any of those fancy goods? That’s okay because you can enjoy racing simulator games with the help of a controller too but that would take away the real purpose of simulation. But first, let’s talk about the equipment you need to immerse yourself fully in the simulator racing games.
Racing Setup For Immersive Experience.
No simulation racing is complete without proper tools that replicate the sensation of real driving. Get yourself these gaming devices, and you will be cruising through tracks in no time.
Racing wheel
Throw away your controllers because a racing wheel is what you need to experience racing simulator games. Every racing wheel provides a different experience, from its sensitive turning to vibrating force feedback. I would advise you to buy the one that provides all the simulation that a steering wheel can provide in a game.
VR Headset
You can use the old traditional television for gaming, or you can use the ultimate simulator that brings racing to life. Unlike the screen monitor, which gives visual output of flat 2D, Virtual Reality Headset will immerse you in the three-dimensional world of gaming.
Driving Pedals
It’s an important element for players to put into their driving simulator. You can either buy both wheels and pedals combined, because without one; another might feel inefficient. These two complement one another perfectly. You can, however, build your own driving pedals, but I would suggest you buy one because it takes a lot of effort and consumes time to build.
Shifter
You might think you don’t need shifters but without shifters, you will be missing the realistic driving vibe. Buy the cheapest shifter out there and add it to your arsenal of gaming gears. You will be mostly driving drift racing cars with manual sticks. Using a shifter gives an additional sense of immersion.
Differences Between Racing and Simulation Racing Games
Unlike all the racing video games that give you a sense of rush and wanting to wreck other opponents’ cars, simulation racing allows the player to cautiously drive on tracks considering every bump and turn of the circuit. The level of detail a sim racing game provides is absolutely breathtaking. While racing games can get creative doing barrel rolls in the air and power-up features like speed boost, simulation racing is stripped to the core of racing. The sheer thrill of the race is what makes Sim racing games different from arcade adventure racing games.
Best Sim Racing Games
Below are the best racing simulator games, so buckle up and get ready for a total adrenaline rush. Among all the simulation racing games, I have collected eight best highly appreciated sim racing games with realistic tracks and cars that will turn you into a professional driver in real life.
Dirt Rally 2.0
Dirt Rally is a rally simulator game with beautiful graphics and realistic physics. It might not be a cup of tea for everyone as it is different from other typical racing . At first, it feels like it’s made for hardcore rally racing fans, but once you learn about its rules and get used to it, you will enjoy speeding cautiously on the rugged unpaved road. Do not be mistaken as Dirt rally 2.0 is Dark Souls of sim racing games, but you can lower the difficulty curve by going into the settings menu. You will learn as you progress through the game, unlike Dirt rally four, where there is a whole section of tutorial about how to drive, Dirt Rally 2.0 puts players behind the steering wheel with less to no guidelines. Dirt rally 2.0 is for players who need more oomph in driving realistic cars. When it comes to rally driving, it’s not about the speed but the amount of finesse you deliver into the driving.
WRC 10 (World Rally Championship)
WRC is the game taken from the real-world rally sport held by FIA, which is fifty years old and still running the motorsport association. Its most prestigious event is the FIA World Rally Championship. You might not be able to take part in these spectacles, but you sure can take part in these amazing events in the World Rally Championship simulator racing game. Technology has brought us closer to real-life simulation than ever before, and with the right gears, you can feel the bumpiness of every gravel on the road. WRC provides 50 years’ worth of historical content to the game, including classic cars and old bumpy road tracks. You also have picture mode where you can capture amazing scenarios anytime you feel like it. Relive the past World Rally Championship by going to past events and playing them with racers around the world. You can choose from Alpine, the car to win the first-ever WRC held in 1917, to Audi Sport Quattro S1 and everything in between. From more than 120 stages and a roster of Legendary cars from every motor car company, WRC delivers all the contents a rally driver ever dreamed of.
iRacing
It’s the NASCAR(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Simulation game. It’s a simulation game on a different level. The perfect replication of every track, car’s models, and physics engine that work close to realism make it the best simulation game of NASCAR. Many real real-world drivers also play this game for training purposes. iRacing is a great racing simulator but with a hefty price. To say straightforward, It’s an expensive game where you have to pay a monthly subscription to buy new tracks and cars, so be on the lookout if you are tight on your budget. Because of its high cost, you will get premium services with no complaints. Real Nascar drivers who drive around the tracks speak about how real it feels to play the simulation. Every drift, every bump, and slide feels real because the company provides lidar sensor scanned tracks that accurately simulate the real driving into those tracks. If you are willing to pay the price to experience drift around the tracks of the real world. Play this game.
Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Assetto Corsa Competizione is a high-speed racing simulation game with dynamic weather and clever AI. The game’s racing tracks are completely different from one another, each with unique twists and turns. What makes this game more intense is the sheer force you require to maneuver your cars with speed. What makes the player immerse into the world of the driving simulator is how perfectly it recreates the audio of each car and its surroundings. From storming rainy nights to engine roaring on each accelerating shift, everything feels real to the core. Assetto Corsa Competizione recreates cars to their new heights. The insane amount of details on windshields, headlights, steering wheel, control devices, and windshields are astounding. How much it feels like you are actually sitting inside the cockpit of a car driving your way and overtaking other drivers. ACC is for those extreme racers who want to feel the thrill of the race.
Project CARS 2
With its stunning sounds, dynamic weather, and realistic tracks, Project CARS 2 gives the immersion of driving on racing tracks like no other. Project Cars 2 improves so much on realistic racing that it’s hard to distinguish real from virtual. You can have an open wide track field to narrow shortcuts that give players a kind of different experience on gameplay. Drive through sixty different tracks with different physics to control your cars. The game provides a fresh take on tracks with four seasons, and with day and night transitions. Drive your wheels on Icy tracks, foggy weather, and snowy terrain that alternate the grip of your cars to perform in an unusual way which is a welcome challenge to a hardcore racer. The sensation of trying screeching through tracks on each difficult curve adds realism to the immersive experience. Getting comfortable on a steering wheel is easy as the game provides accurate handling of the player’s controls. However, the experience is vastly reduced on traditional controllers.
rFactor 2
Strap on your seat belt because you are in for an awesome ride. With its modern and up-to-date User Interface, it’s easy to navigate because the interface of each menu is clean and clear. You can now find and edit race tracks on the go. The power of rFactor 2 comes from its accurate feedback. You can feel every grip of tires as the car drifts from corner to corner, and the forced vibration of the steering wheel simulates the monster throttle of the engine. The variation in tracks as it transforms from the hard paved road to a slippery ice-like surface as it takes the hit from falling rain is refreshing. You might be driving smoothly without any difficulty on the tracks thinking of the weather which is about to change. And with the first drop from the sky, everything changes, and you are challenged with tracks with fewer grips than before. That’s the beauty of rFactor 2. It challenges you in unexpected ways.
Automobilista 2
The predecessor to its previous game, Automobilista 2, upgrades gameplay and graphics to a whole new level. Compared to Automobilista 1, with its real-time feedback delay and no grip mechanic, Automobilista 2 delivers everything that a simulator racing game demands. The place where Automobilista 2 shines is in its custom force feedback. Now you can tweak your force feedback from the steering wheel to your preference. A balance between comfort over realism is what players are required to enjoy the experience as every player has their sweet spot in playing games. A Brazilian racing simulator with an unbelievable amount of circuits and motors for players to enjoy. You can now recreate the past event and take part in awesome racing of the past. If you can remember any time or date when the event was held, you can indeed feel relieved in the comfort of your house. Because of its awesome graphics, you can feel the realism of Automobilista in Virtual reality. Step into the virtual world of racing and take the wheel because this game handles VR so smoothly that you will forget that you are in a simulation.
Gran Turismo Sport
Many sim racing games may provide realistic racing simulation, but most of them lack serious and structured online services. Gran Turismo Sport fills that gap by providing steady online services to virtual drivers who want to test their skills against other players. You can choose from three daily events that are different from one another. These events are held online where real players are pushed against one another. When playing online, drivers are unpredictable by bumping on each other or blocking paths. Thus making the game excitingly more dangerous. However, too much of such an act might disqualify players. More emphasis is made on respectful racing and its online players do respect their drivers who play and win fair. Although Gran Turismo Sport falls short on its offline content, what we have here is a polished game that delivers a great overall experience. Also, if you are a real fan of VR games and are looking for some awesome games that you can play with your friends, read this article.
