I’m a sim racer and amateur racer with a passion for Motorsport, good racecraft and the technical and setup aspect of sim racing.
Featured image: My sim racing setup
If you’re new to sim racing then this is the guide for you. I’ve been sim racing for well over 5 years and in that time, I’ve accrued a pretty decent amount of advanced sim racing knowledge. However – we all start somewhere and I think it’s important to help make the start of your sim racing journey as accesssible and simple as possible.
On that note, welcome to my sim racing beginner’s guide, and welcome to the sim racing community! First, let’s start with the summary:
TL;DR
- Beginners should start with a future-proof and capable wheel. For PC and Playstation, the Thrustmaster T598, direct-drive, £449.99 RRP is an excellent choice. For PC and Xbox, the Moza R3, direct-drive, £399 RRP represents great value.
- Best beginner sims and games include Assetto Corsa, Gran Turismo 7, Forza Motorsport, iRacing and Automobilista 2.
- A Chillblast Ryzen 5 RTX 4060 Gaming PC is a great starting point for sim racing, with enough horsepower to last for years. I’ve listed more sim racing PCs right here.
- Platforms like Low Fuel Motorsport and Grid Finder provide a way to find and join races using a diverse range of sims, tracks and cars.
- Sim racing-related Discord servers and streamers help you improve your skills and inspire enthusiasm for the hobby.
The rise of sim racing
It might surprise you to learn that sim racing is a concept that has been around since the 1960s, when Colin Chapman – ever the pioneer- spearheaded the design and build of a system that allowed drivers to practise driving in the safety of a static Lotus chassis.
Although rudimentary, the art of simulating motorsport became more sophisticated through the following decades, with arcade-only racers like Gran Trak 10 forging a path for what is widely considered to be the first ‘proper’ sim in 1989, Papyrus Design Group’s Indianapolis 500: The Simulation.
This was perhaps the first time the dynamics and set-up of a racecar had been so accurately represented in a video game you could play at home, with subsequent titles becoming more and more complicated.
Progress continued until we reached a point in the noughties where computing power finally allowed realistic graphics, sounds, physics and the kind of hardware that could supply tactile feedback.
A sharp spike in sim racing uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic helped drive innovation further, and with the likes of Assetto Corsa EVO on the horizon we are living at the very apex of sim racing.
There’s never been a better time to get started!
Sim Racing: More relevant to motorsport than ever before
It goes without saying, but sim racing has become a vital tool in motorsport these days. Every Formula 1 team has its own bespoke simulator, with most drivers using sims to help keep themselves sharp between races.
Indeed, four-time world champion Max Verstappen regularly sim races in his spare time, and he’s just as fast in the sim as he is in F1, winning the iRacing Nurburgring and Daytona 24 Hours endurance races this year in GT3 machinery.
Sim racing’s relevance to motorsport can’t be exemplified better than that!
Sim racing setups for beginners
Sim racing hardware options for beginners have never been better. It’s now possible to pick up a feature-rich direct drive wheelbase with steering wheel and pedals for under £500 – a scenario impossible just a year or two ago.
And these can be mounted to a desk as well as a cockpit, something most beginners will appreciate.
Gear and belt-driven beginner wheels
In terms of beginner wheels, the Logitech G29/G920 (the G29 is PlayStation and PC compatible, the G920 is Xbox and PC compatible) can be picked up for £229.99 RRP, while the Thrustmaster T248 is £299.99 RRP (often they’re discounted by as much as £100 in sales too, so it’s worth shopping around).
The Logitech is a gear-driven wheel, however, so feels rather notchy to use, but is reliable and has a decent three-pedal set. The brake doesn’t have a load cell, though, but features a progressive brake pedal spring.
The Thrustmaster contains both gear and belt-driven systems, so is slightly smoother to use, but by and large offers a similar experience to the G29/G920. These wheels offer tremendous bang for buck; can be affixed to your desk; are console and PC-compatible and may well be the perfect way to begin your sim racing journey.
Direct-drive beginner wheels
However, if you want to take the plunge with direct drive, Thrustmaster has released its 5 Nm T598 bundle, which includes a wheelbase; its round Sportcar steering wheel; a desk clamp and a two-pedal set (which is upgradeable to three pedals). The T598 is also compatible with PC and PlayStation consoles, so ideal for Gran Turismo 7 and Assetto Corsa.
All this can be yours for £449.99, just £150 more than a T248, making it an excellent deal. There’s an element of future-proofing thanks to the wheelbase’s quick-release system too, with Thrustmaster planning to release more steering wheels in future (an optional Hypercar wheel is already available).
For PC and Xbox players, Moza has its 3.9 Nm R3 bundle, which also includes a quick-release steering wheel; wheelbase; two pedals (upgradeable to three) and a desk clamp. This retails for a bargain £399 RRP.
Moza and Thrustmaster have undoubtedly cornered the market for entry-level direct-drive wheels and the small uplift in cost compared to a G29 or T248 is definitely worth it for a fuller sim racing experience.
Best beginner sim racing wheels
- Thrustmaster T248, hybrid-drive, £299.99 RRP
- Logitech G29, gear-drive, £229.99 RRP
- Thrustmaster T598, direct-drive, £449.99 RRP
- Moza R3, direct-drive, £399 RRP
Benefits of sim racing
So why sim race in the first place? Well, it’s a great way to meet like-minded individuals and bond over a common love of racing. Chatting to your fellow racers over Discord while driving can be cathartic and a lot of fun! You may even end up racing against the likes of Max Verstappen or Lando Norris…
Sim racing also helps build up some rudimentary engineering knowledge thanks to set-up creation (more information on creating game-specific setups can be found here: F1 24, Assetto Corsa Competizione and iRacing).
Best sims for beginners
It’s always best to start with games or sims you’re likely to be interested in. If you love F1 then F1 24 will be a natural starting point, on console or PC. If you prefer road cars and more forgiving handling, then Gran Turismo 7 on PlayStation or Forza Motorsport on PC and Xbox will be your bag.
For those looking for a more serious challenge, the original Assetto Corsa provides a solid starting point given its huge array of mods and base content, with iRacing supplying an excellent online multiplayer system but at a cost thanks to its monthly subscription and expensive DLC.
Automobilista 2 has made great strides with its physics engine in recent times too, harnessing a ton of varied content and motorsport disciplines in a package that looks and sounds great. It’s also perhaps the finest racing experience you can get in VR – if you’re lucky enough to own a VR headset, that is…
VR or no VR for beginners?
If you’re starting out in sim racing, your budget may not extend to buying a VR headset. But if you’re really keen on the idea, the best compromise between graphics and functionality is undoubtedly Meta’s Quest 3, starting at £469.99 RRP.
For a more budget alternative, Meta offers a ‘light’ version, the Quest 3S, which is less powerful but pitched at a much more pocket-friendly £289.99.
To rig or not to rig, that is the question
Buying a sim rig is inadvisable for sim racing beginners. Spending several hundred pounds on what will be a permanent space-filling fixture in your spare room is a big commitment, after all. If your new hobby turns into a long-term love affair, however, then go for it!
For those who don’t have a desk to clamp their wheel to, then a foldable cockpit may be the ideal solution. Playseat seems to dominate the market in this regard, with its range of Challenge cockpits providing an excellent portable sim racing solution from around £199 RRP. Keep an eye out for sales, too.
Beginner PC setup
To make the most of your sim racing career, you really need to own a gaming PC. This doesn’t mean you have to spend several thousand pounds, as a decent-specced gaming PC that can play most sims in 1440p can be bought for a few hundred.
This Chillblast Ryzen 5 RTX 4060 Gaming PC, for example, has all the horsepower you’d need to play the likes of rFactor 2, iRacing and the upcoming Assetto Corsa EVO. It includes a copy of Windows 11 and is likely to remain relevant for years to come, all for £799.
Pair it with an AOC CU34G2XE 34” widescreen monitor for £239 for an ideal starter setup with room to grow. Check out all of our recommended monitors for sim racers here.
Beginner budgets
Below, we detail how much it would cost to collate a beginner’s sim racing setup that doesn’t scrimp on performance or potential.
- Wheelbase, pedals, desk clamp and steering wheel – Thrustmaster T598 – £449
- PC – Chillblast Ryzen 5 RTX 4060 Gaming PC – £799
- Monitor – AOC CU34G2XE 34” – £239
- Keyboard and mouse – Logitech MK120 Keyboard & Mouse Set – £17.99
- Headset – Razer Kraken X Lite 7.1 Gaming Headset – £26.99
- Gaming chair – Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair – £149
Total: £1,680.98
It’s not an insignificant amount of money, but for much less than £2,000 it’s possible to have a capable sim racing setup ideal for beginners and enthusiasts alike, with the option to upgrade individual components when convenient.
Sim racing tools
There are a plethora of third-party tools available to help beginner sim racers improve their skills.
trophi.ai
Inevitably, some of these use AI to power their systems, including trophi.ai, by Driver61. This app cleverly analyses your driving in real-time, pointing out where you can improve your lap times and consistency using clear on-screen and audio instructions.
It’s compatible with F1 24, iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione and Rocket League at the moment, with perhaps more on the way in future. A seven-day free trial is available, with monthly plans starting from $15.59 per month, so it’s worth trying out.
Check out my experience with trophi.ai here.
Crew Chief
Crew Chief does what it says on the tin. It’s an app that acts as your very own virtual spotter across most major sim racing titles, providing vital audio information to help you focus on the action in front of you.
Check out our comprehensive guide to installing and using Crew Chief here.
Setups
Many sim racing websites offer coaching and setups, with the likes of Coach Dave Academy offering both ‘Safe’ and ‘Fast’ setups for beginners and veterans alike in iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione and Le Mans Ultimate.
Coaching
Driver61, Coach Dave Academy and VRS all offer one-to-one sim racing coaching sessions, but so do YouTube personalities like James Baldwin, Michi Hoyer and Nils Naujoks.
You may find that watching content from engaging and knowledgeable streamers like DaveCam and Jardier will help get you up to speed initially, with coaching something to think about at a later stage.
After all, watching other people having fun with sim racing is infectious and more likely to inspire your sim racing journey.
Communities and platforms
We’ve previously mentioned a range of communities, streamers and coaches, but ideally, you’ll need somewhere to race online to get the most enjoyment from sim racing.
Platforms like Low Fuel Motorsport, Grid Finder and SimGrid offer a range of races using most of today’s sims, with advanced stat tracking and matchmaking allowing you to race against drivers of similar ability (something iRacing does so well by default).
The requisite communities and Discord servers surrounding these platforms also offer a vital resource for beginners, where drivers can share tips and advice in a relaxed atmosphere.
Discord servers are a great way to make friends with fellow drivers too, with banter between events contributing to a jovial and productive atmosphere.
Ultimately, the best way to learn how to sim race is to drive as often as possible, preferably against other humans. After all, there’s no substitute for seat time!
This is just an introduction to sim racing, of course. Take a look at all of our articles and guides, and remember: si racing is great fun – enjoy yourself and I’ll see you out on track!