Getting Started with VR Sim-Racing: A Beginner's Guide

• VR sim-racing offers an affordable way to experience racing with a realistic, immersive setup without owning a real race car.
• Key gear includes a stable setup, PC with VR capability, and quality wheel and pedal kit.
• Beginners should start with budget-friendly VR headsets and basic sim-racing gear before upgrading.
• Create a comfortable VR setup space with cooling, clear tracking lines, and easy PC access for optimal racing comfort.

Owning a real race car is an expensive proposition. However, thanks both to rapid advances in computer technology as well as a much wider acceptance of gaming and simulators as viable hobbies, we’re at a place now where you can still race to your heart's content in a virtual environment!

When you start sim racing, expect to be bombarded by equipment, options, games, fully built simulators, and a whole lot more. It can get very confusing where to start, not to mention expensive and frustrating getting equipment not suited to your needs.

Thankfully, we’re here to help out. We’re Calgary’s premiere destination for sim-racing, and with over 50+ years of sim-racing experience within our team, we can help you choose the right equipment at the right price at the right time for you. We’re here to help you get the most out of sim-racing, so here’s our guide on how to dive into this exciting pastime for yourself.

Sim-racing has existed in some form since arcades arrived back in the late 1970s. Beside the Pac-Man tables, the Pong cabinet, and that old wireframe Star Wars game, you would usually find a cabinet dedicated to racing games like Pole Position, Out Run, or Final Lap.

Since then, there have been entire franchises based around racing, from arcade games like Mario Kart and Need for Speed, to sim-cade games like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, and finally to full simulators like rFactor, Assetto Corsa, and iRacing.

But things have gotten really exciting in the past decade, as consumer-grade Virtual Reality (VR) emerged with Oculus and HTC being two of the pioneers of the market. As innovation has helped improve the technology other industry leaders such as Pimax, DPVR, and Bigscreen Beyond have emerged. Oculus went their own way with their Rift VR headsets, while Valve partnered with the Taiwanese electronics giant HTC to create the Vive series of headsets.

Racing simulator software companies naturally latched on to the idea of using VR to enhance the racing experience. Seemingly overnight, many simulator software developers integrated VR into their display options having recognized the immersion opportunity inherent with VR. The rest, as they say, is history.

So what do you need for sim racing, in VR or otherwise? That’s up next.

While we’re mostly talking about sim-racing in VR in this guide, the first thing to emphasize is that you don’t need to run out right away and buy the latest and greatest VR headset. Instead, here’s the sim-racing essentials you’ll need, including a computer with enough horsepower to drive your sim-racing pursuits!

The very first piece of hardware you will need is a stable platform for the sim-racing peripherals such as a solidly built desk, if at a computer, or a wheel and pedal stand if you’re going for a more modular set up that can be moved easily.

Most important:

• A very stable, solid surface for attaching your drive motor and wheel.
• Enough room around your chosen space for your arms to be able to turn the wheel without bumping your elbows.
• Wheel stands are convenient as they can often be folded up and stored out of the way if you are really pressed for space.
• Consider getting an entry level complete chassis and seat as this is the most stable and immersive way to drive in sim-racing. Accessories such as caster wheels (for moving the chassis around) and keyboard and mouse tray swing arms can be added.

Now that you have your physical location set up, it's time to choose what engine you want to power your sim-racing, Console, or PC Computer (or both). Our advice is that you budget for a PC Computer as you will get the most horsepower and will be able to run VR. There are a lot of choices out there depending on budget and experience levels, but as this is a beginner's guide, we suggest sticking to what is required to run VR and sim racing software with optimal graphic fidelity.

You can buy once, cry once on a new current generation PC or alternatively if you are searching for a previously enjoyed PC then make sure it is within the last 3 generations. And you can always contact us for advice!

Most Important:

• CPU within last 3 generations. If AMD use 5400 or above, If Intel use i5 Rocket Lake (11 gen) or above
• 16 GB or more system RAM. DDR4 RAM or above.
• 8 GB or more graphics card RAM is the minimum to run VR.
• Solid state disk drives and optimally an M.2 drive that plugs right into your motherboard.

Additional Tips:

• Most current wired VR headsets connect to a PC via Display Port(DP) and USB 3.1 cables. Check the specs of the headset you want to make sure the PC has the correct connections.
• Before buying a VR headset, remember that you can also sim-race on a good gaming monitor (or monitors for a multiple monitor set up). If a monitor with at least 110Hz refresh rate is being offered with the new or used system, it might be worth paying a little bit more for it.
• Budget enough to include potential upgrades in case you want to add more system memory or a dedicated SSD to install your simulation software on later.
• It is best to get a system from a local computer specialist store, like Micro Center in the USA or Memory Express in Canada. We also build custom PC setups if you are within Western Canada. You can have a custom system built specifically within your budget for sim-racing instead of relying on a “pre-built” solution.

Expect to pay between $400 to $1000 for a 'quality' new wheel and pedal bundle. Of course, you can find them cheaper used, but for the purposes of this guide, we’re quoting things as brand new and factory sealed.

There are also two types of wheel drive motors available, known as “belt/gear drive” and “direct drive.” Here’s the difference:

• Belt drive/gear drive wheel drive motors use a combination of belt(s) and gears in conjunction with an electric motor to provide force feedback based on simulator and driver inputs, and are the more budget-friendly option.
• Direct drive motors have the force feedback coming right from the electric motor without gearing, and are much more precise in both 'feel' and 'detail' of output. These wheels range in price from around $400 to well over $2,000, with tons of options in that range..

As to the pedals, they are an important piece of your sim racing gear. While at the entry-level they are often bundled together with wheels, if you are buying a stand-alone direct drive wheel, you will need to purchase pedals separately. Here is a brief breakdown of different types of pedals before buying:

• Entry level pedals ($50 to $300) are generally built out of plastic with some metal, and use a potentiometer (Angle sensor) to detect how deeply you press the pedal. At the very top end of the entry level, these pedals might also use a hall sensor (magnetic sensor) to detect depression level. Sometimes these pedals have accessory spring and spacer kits to adjust their feel, either included or as a separate purchase.. 
• Mid-Range pedals ($300 to $1,000) will use spring and/or piston designs incorporating what are known as load cell sensors. These measure actual mechanical force applied by your foot for a much more realistic response to pedal movement. It is very common for these pedals to come with different springs and spacers to adjust each pedal to your personal preference.
• High-end pedals ($1,000 and above) involve some significant set up, as they incorporate load cell sensors, springs, and spacers like mid-range pedals, but can be tuned to your exact needs. Another thing that makes these pedals so valuable is that they almost always have an added hydraulic, electric haptic, or mechanical gear feedback system, so you can feel ABS, clutch friction point, and the like.
• NOTE: These are not recommended for beginners as there can be significant time and effort involved in tuning and setting these up.

Recommended Products:

Entry level plug-and-play:

• Thrustmaster T248P Racing Wheel Kit
• Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition Wheel Kit

Entry level with some minor setup required (software and hardware):

• Moza Racing R3 Bundle (Compatible with Xbox One and Series X/S consoles)
• Moza Racing R5 Bundle (our recommendation for a dedicated cockpit system)
• Moza Racing SR-P Lite Brake Pedal Performance Kit

Advanced level with significant setup required:

• SimuCube 2 Sport (contact us to special order)
• Any of the Simagic products we carry

Custom Sim Racing Rigs:

• Any TracksVR customized rig and/or special order equipment

We should note, there are a lot of things to consider before you pick up a VR headset or VR kit. Every VR headset comes with its pros and cons and it is especially important that you don’t fall for the old “more is better” marketing trick when it comes to picking the right headset for you.

It’s true that VR is still an emerging and quite dynamic technology, but it’s becoming more and more accepted. It also comes with the following benefits: 

• Full six-degree (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) 360 viewing of the sim racing environment 
• Ability to look left and right to shoulder check, look further through corners, and to check the track prior to re-entering after a spin-off
• A much smaller footprint compared to a single ultra-wide or triple-screen simulator setup

While there are a ton of options for purchase out there, we’ve narrowed down the top 3 that we think are worth your consideration. Here they are:

Why this headset?

• Requires connection to the PC via cable
• 1832x1920 per eye for 4K total resolution
• Up to 120Hz refresh rate
• Lightweight at 285g
• Flip-up design when you need to see the real world
• 115-degree FOV

The DPVR E4 is one of the newer headsets on the market, but has been designed to be a truly budget-friendly headset. It does this by creating the stereoscopic VR effect a 4K high-resolution LCD screen with 120 Hz refresh rate that offers sharp visuals and minimized screen door effects. It also features a frontal 90-degree flip-up design, so you can switch between reality and VR easily. 

It doesn’t require base stations to track movement as it uses inside-out tracking, meaning it looks for reference points in your environment and uses those to measure your head motion. It is natively compatible with every racing sim currently available on Steam, but it also comes with two controllers, so you can use it for other VR games and applications. All around, it’s a very budget-friendly headset that has acceptable fidelity for most uses.

Why this headset?

• Industry-leading mid-range fidelity at 2880x2880 per eye
• Variable 80 to 120 Hz refresh rate
• Inside-out tracking for most uses, can also be used with lighthouses for precision tracking
• Moderate weight at 815g
• Optional controllers for use with other VR apps and games
• Compatible with SteamVR and QuestVR architectures
• Needs a hefty graphics card to run at optimal settings

The Pimax Crystal Light is a very, very good headset for the price. No other headset under $2,000 has 5K resolution combined with 35 pixel-per-degree clarity. The screens inside the unit are high quality LED backlit viewed through real glass aspheric lenses, with a variable refresh rate per screen. This means industry leading clarity, ultra-sharp images, superb color grading, and working smoothly from 80 Hz to 120 Hz.

This is, for all intents and purposes, the Pimax Crystal headset without the lighthouses, secondary faceplate to use with the lighthouses, battery pack, and spare controllers. The Crystal Light also needs to be tethered to the PC, as it does not have the ability to wireless. Put another way, this is a great headset for someone that only wants to go sim-racing in VR, with little to no other use cases. 

Why this headset?

• Photoreal levels of fidelity at 2880x2880 per eye
• Price includes headset, 2x lighthouses, 2x rechargeable controllers, and all cables needed
• Absolutely no “screen door effect” in your vision
• Glass aspheric lenses that give you a 120 to 125-degree field-of-view
• Uses “FOVeated rendering” with sensors to track where you are looking
• The best premium, non-commercial-grade headset money can buy today
• Built-in battery for optional cable-free use
• The headsets we use here at TracksVR! Buy it here.

We’re playing in the professional leagues here. We say that, because these are the same headsets we use here at TracksVR on some of our simulators, meaning we have tested the Pimax headsets extensively. All things considered, it’s also not that much more than a Vive Pro 2 or similar expensive mid-range headset, if you have that wiggle room in your budget.

Much like the Crystal Light, this headset needs a strong graphics card to use it to its full effect. You will need current-generation cards, with at least 10 GB of video RAM on them. You will also need to have your simulators running off a solid state disk to have enough throughput in your system to get the best results. Believe us, though, that investment if you can afford it is well worth it!

Not every space is created equal, but with these tips, you are sure to be able to enjoy many years of sim racing!

If you find that you’re enjoying sim-racing but are losing a bit of immersion by being sat bolt upright at your desk, many companies out there sell racing chassis designed to have wheels, pedals, and screens mounted to them. Many come with seats included attached, while some are just bare chassis so you can choose from many seat options such as bucket, reclining, full formula, or any variation in between. Of course, we can help with that!

Most popular sim-racing cockpits:

• 6Sigma Sim Racing 6S-Slim, 6S-80, or 6S-120
• Advanced Sim Racing ASR6
• Next Level Racing GTRacer
• Trak Racer TR120

Our custom simulator builds here at TracksVR are built with quality, a focus, and passion for sim racing. Depending on client needs, we can build using your choice of manufacturer such as ASR, 6Sigma, Trak Racer, Next Level Racing, and ProSimu for the chassis and cockpit. We are also a partner with DBOX, MiMotion, Qubic Systems, ProSimu, and Next Level for motion systems, from rumble pads to full hydraulic units. Feel free to contact us to help build you the right sim at the right time for the right price!

Keep line of sight to your tracking spots clear of clutter

It might seem like common sense, but if you’re using an inside-out tracking VR headset such as the Pimax Crystal Light, try to keep your line of sight free of unnecessary clutter so it has a better view of tracking reference points. 

You wouldn’t believe how many times someone has complained about a headset not tracking straight, only to find out this can be easily fixed by moving a piece of paper or a microphone swingarm out of the way.

Have a fan blowing on you

You may not realize it at first, but slipping into VR and getting out on the track feels so real that your heart rate will go up, and you will start to sweat. Having a fan gently blowing across your head and upper body will help keep you cool and comfortable for long hours—like if you’re doing your 24 Hours of Le Mans stint in a sim environment.

Fans can also really help when you’re getting used to VR racing, as you may experience overheating, sweating, and potentially some light motion sickness when you first start out. Everyone experiences any or all of those to some degree, but having cool air blowing across your forehead makes you feel a lot better a lot quicker.

Keep the PC as close as comfortable so you aren’t tugging on wires

Any VR headset that is connected via a link cable to your PC will have a lot of that cable available, often 5 or 6 meters, as you are expected to be walking around within the VR space for other games. Having your PC 3 meters away from the sim rig might make it nice and quiet for you to race, but if you get up and forget about the wires, you could tug on them. 

Most VR cables have a safety break point that prevents the more sensitive ends from being pulled out of their connections, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Move your racing rig as close as you comfortably can to the PC to avoid this issue.

Try to set up the rig in a cooler room in your house/apartment

Take it from us: racing in VR when the temperature soars past 30 C outside and you’re right by the window with the sun blasting down on you can get very uncomfortable, very quickly. You will want to keep your VR space/sim-racing space in a cooler room, or cooler part of a room, and away from windows as this will also help keep your expensive equipment UV and heat damage-free.

Many racers set up their sim rigs in the basement, as that is naturally the coolest place in the house, as well as often not exposed to sunlight. It also means that the rig is out of the way for other members of your family or household, so when someone cuts across you into the first chicane at Monza, they won’t hear you cursing out the other driver!

Have a comfortable recovery space

We already see you scratching your heads on this one, so let us explain. When you’re in the VR headset, racing head to head with others, you will lose track of time. You will forget to take a drink of water, and you will forget to stretch. It’s easy when you’re having this much fun!

When you’re done racing and slip that headset off, you will suddenly notice how tired you might feel, how parched your throat is, how sore your hands might be. Having a space nearby where you can relax and let your body recover will definitely help keep you healthy and racing longer.

On that note, make sure you’re taking breaks regularly! Challenge a couple of races, then drop back to the main menu, slip the headset off, and:

• Go for a 5 minute walk around the room or your house.
• Shake out your hands, arms, and legs.
• Do some light stretching. Your legs and arms will thank you when you wake up the next morning!
• Drink some water and have a snack. Keeping your energy up and being well hydrated is essential to longevity in sim racing.

As fun as virtual reality is, remember: only the real world is real, and you need to take care of your body and mind.

Getting Ready For the Track: Your First VR Sim-Racing Experience

Make no mistake, the first time you slip on that VR headset and are suddenly transported to the driver’s seat of a race car, it’s exhilarating. You can look around as if you were actually there, you can turn the wheel and see the wheel turn in the game the same amount. This is what it’s all about.

Getting Used to VR Racing at TracksVR

Getting a feel for how the virtual world around you moves is crucial, as that is often the most disorienting part of VR sim-racing. We here at TracksVR realize this, which is why we offer an affordable Intro To Virtual Racing experience, which includes:

• An introduction wearing the VR headset to do 5 to 10 laps on an oval track to get used to the sensations.
• Available coaching and guidance during the entire hour-long session. During this time, we’ll also coach you on how to drive on a track.
• A road course with 10 laps of practice to “dial in” to VR racing. 

A 10-lap race between yourself and the other members of your group. If you are solo, we can add computer-generated opponents for you to race against!

Tips for Your First VR Race at Home

Once you come home with your own custom sim setup because you had so much fun during the intro experience, we recommend the following:

• Race against the computer for your first race. Your home is a much different location than our dedicated simulation facility, and you want to be comfortable racing wherever you decide to go into VR. If you experience any motion sickness or disassociation symptoms (dizziness, sweating, mild nausea), racing the computer lets you pause and get your bearings again.
• Load up a full field of 20 cars and do a 10 lap race. Get a feel for what it’s like suddenly being in the middle of a pack, challenging for the inside line to the second turn. This will also get you used to scanning the road ahead as well as flicking your eyes to your rearview. It might feel quite weird at first, but this is normal and part of acclimatizing to VR sim-racing.

Once you’re confident there, it’s time to join a live lobby with other sim-racers. You are about to enter a world where you will be going wheel to wheel in some of the most exciting and expensive cars ever designed, against other people who might be halfway around the world.

All we have to say about that is: Welcome to Sim Racing.