I've just bought my first setup and can't wait to play something. But I have nothing downloaded and not sure where to start really. I will be buying f1 2021 as I'm an f1 fan but that comes out next month and I don't really want to wait that long haha. Thank in advance :)
(This is for PC)
There is no "best" game. Every game has strengths and weaknesses. It's up to you to find the game that suits best your needs.
Anyway here's my personal impressions on the ones I tried:
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iRacing: best online system by a long shot. It's the go-to if you are interested in racing competitively online. Looks are meh, not bad not great. Will make you poor due to the business model.
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Assetto Corsa Competizione: limited in scope (GT3 and GT4 only), but considered one of the best overall sims around. It is a steaming hot pile of garbage in VR unfortunately, so that kills it for me.
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Assetto Corsa: the base game looks and feels a little outdated, but it has a thriving community of modders that keeps updating it and adding new content. It requires a bit of patience to set up the mods, but once you do it's a gift that keeps on giving. Runs well in VR unlike ACC (different engine). Can be had on sale for very cheap. One of my favourites!
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rFactor 2: supposedly has the best physics of them all. Truth to be told, it's an ancient game with a terrible UI and you'll probably end up uninstalling and refunding within 20 minutes unless you are really hardcore about "muh physics".
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Project Cars 2: this game takes a lot of flak from the reddit hivemind but I think it is a very decent game overall. You can get it on sale very cheap and it has an amazing amount of content, some of which is very good, some not so much. Interface and graphics are very very good, also in VR. It is true that it is a little on the arcade side and at some point it will leave you wanting for more, but honestly I think it deserves a spot in a simracer collection.
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Automobilista 2: my go-to sim at the moment. It uses PC2 engine but tuned more on the simulation side, so it inherits PC2 strong suits (looks, interface, etc.) without the drawbacks. The content is not up to PC2 levels yet but it is already very good and constantly improving (the game is still in very active development!). It is by a very, very long shot the best looking sim for VR. Online is pretty much dead, so if that's your thing, you are not gonna like it.
In my opinion, the best sim racing game is available only on PlayStation: the GranTurismo series. The newest game if this series available now is GranTurismo Sport, with GranTurismo 7 set to be releast March 4th. If you are into sim racing, it might be worth investing in a PS4 or PS5, and the game is definitely worth buying if you already have one. This series offers a near-perfect balance between realism and arcade. It is compatible with almost any force-feedback sim racing wheel and pedal set, as well as losing little when playing with standard PlayStation controllers for the more casual players or those with more limited budgets. Single player campaigns are available on all GranTurismo games, and online player vs player are available on Gran Turismo 5 and up.
If it is online multi-player you are interested in, I would strongly recommend GranTurismo Sport. While it has the most limited selection of cars and tracks of them all, there is still plenty of each from which to choose, and it is the first of the series to be focused on online play. It also supports PlayStation VR, even this feature is limited only to time trial and head-to-head against the AI. GTSport features customizable online lobbies, as well as 3 different choices of races so that players can quickly and easily find a full lobby to race against. These choices are updated weekly, so there's always a new challenge waiting for you. Each of these daily races offers the player the ability to take as many practice laps as is desired, the fastest of which is used as your qualifying time so that you do not have to qualify for every single race. Before you enter the race, you also have the option to look at the leaderboard, which not only shows the top 10 qualifying lap times, it also allows you to watch their replays so you can see how it was accomplished, which is an invaluable tool for learning the fastest way around each track. When participating in these daily races, the games driver rating system assures that you are consistently matched against drivers of similar skill levels. Its sportsmanship rating systemp attempts to match clean drivers with clean drivers, and dirty drivers with dirty drivers. Although it did not function properly in GTSport, and was eventually restricted to only penalizing shortcuts because of a bug that would regularly leby penalties to the victims of collisions rather than to the driver at fault, I am hopeful that the full system will be ready in GT7, including collision penalties.
With it's many driver assist options, including automatic braking and steering assists, this game is a great option for new sim racers just getting started. It is a great first sim racing game due to its in-depth racing tutorials in the form of fun-to-play license tests and challenges, complete with detailed written instructions and accompanying videos to help new and experienced sim racers alike improve their skills by teaching the user how to get the most out of their car. These guides will teach you everything you need to know to be ready to take on any track. Starting with the basics, such as acceleration, braking, and simple corning, and finishing with advanced techniques used by professional race drivers, like managing the balance of the car with trail braking and precise throttle control, completing amd mastering these guides and challenges will give you the knowledge and skills you need to tackle any track with any car and, the best part, in any sim racing game. It even includes lessons on driving on dirt and snow.
The track selection in this series, especially in the newest rendition, Gran Turismo Sport, is somewhat of a disappointment to me. It has a decent selection of famous real-world circuits, including the ultimate course upon which to test the limits of driver and machine, the Nurburgring, it has too few real tracks for my tastes. While the series makes a good attempt to compensate for the lack of authentic race courses by having some the most fun fictional tracks upon which I have ever raced, it falls short for me in this regard because I strongly prefer the real tracks. Also, this is definitely not the game series for those that prefer racing on dirt and snow as has it only 1 or 2 of each of these types of tracks in each game.
Standing in contrast with its notable lack of real courses is the biggest reason that I find the Gran Turismo series to be the best sim racing game. It has amongst the widest selection of cars, the largest and most diverse of which can be found in GranTurismo 6. Family sedans, pickup trucks, popular sports cars, supercars, rare and coveted classic collectibles, history's most important racing machines, and race cars of today, including F1, can be found in this series. Almost every car's performance is carefully programed to closely match the acceleration, braking, and handling, of its real-world counterparts by using data collected from manufacturer test results in the programming process.
This series even includes a few imaginary cars. Designed within the laws of physics, but without the limits of the regulations of racing organizations, the most impressive of these theoretical cars is the X2010, which was first featured in GranTurismo 5. This beast features a twin turbo V6 engine that produces 1557hp and 715ft/lb of torque and is mounted to a 1200lb chassis. It also utilizes the now-banned fan suction technology pioneered by Chaparral 2J. This monster of a racing machine is capable of a top speed of 280mph, with a 1.4sec 0-60mph, a 2.8sec 0-120mph, a 6.1sec 0-200mph, and is able to pull an unheard of 8.25 lateral Gs. Not only is its appearance reminiscent of a fighter jet, whether your looking at it from the outside or from inside the cockpit, it also feels like one when your driving it. It's incredibly high speeds in both straight lines and around corners makes the turns feel almost as though they come faster than you can see them. That means that this car requires an intimate knowledge of the track on which you are driving and lighting-fast reflexes in order to get the most out of it. This car is, by far, the most exhilarating car I have ever driven in a sim racing game, and it alone makes the game worth buying in my opinion.
Hi all, i have owned a pretty decent sim rig for well over a year, but I just drift and play semi arcade games. I want to start actual sim racing now, the most popular games that I have seen are IRacing, Assetto corsa, Assetto corsa competizione, what else? where can i find communities to join races and take part in events? what is some advice you would give to someone just getting started?
Videos
So having played most of the big sim racing games, AC, ACC, Automobilista, Automobilista 2, project cars, R Factor, R Factor 2, F1, kart Kraft, Dirt Rally 2.0 etc, the one that is the most fun to play, and has the best physics engine and Ai is Race Room Experience.
Ok the graphics aren’t on par with some of the newer racing titles, but the driving experience is hands down the best. The game is also free to play, albeit very limited in what it offers, but if you like it you can then decide to purchase all the added extras which if I remember correctly, was around £70.
Worth noting I’ve excluded iRacing from this discussion as I haven’t played it yet and don’t think I ever will, the overall cost and monthly subscription fee puts me off. I also don’t play Gran Turismo as I’m a PC gamer and don’t own a PS5.
So who agrees with me?
I've recently built my first Gaming PC, hence don't have a ton of money to spend in games. So, for the moment I can buy just one. I'm between AC, ACC and iRacing. I'm also interested in the Forza Horizon games, but I'm trying to lean more towards racing sims. Also, a little bit more context about me and my rig. My rig: CPU: Ryzen 5 4500 (I know I messed up with the CPU since I could 've just gone with the 5600x which is not much more expensive and performs better). GPU: RX 5600XT (I think this is a decent one for gaming when pushed close to 100%). RAM: 1x16gb 3200hz (Open to upgrade to 16gb in near future). Wheel and pedals: G25
Before building my PC I used to play Gran Turismo 6 in my PS3, so I love the variety of cars in GT games but I found out I like the "pro races" better, like GT3, LMP1, Formula 1, etc.
Again, took almost every comment from my previous post and combined them into all games, narrowed it down into 4 of them, and made a list of the upsides and downsides and just wanted to check to see if most people can agree on what others said. Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone. So ive been looking for the most realistic simracing game and a lot of different sites mention different things. What is your opinion? For example, "... has nice traction mechanics but ... has better steering" etc.
hello i have a question for those that have drive cars both irl and in game, which sim racing games are realistic and which is the most realistic. i see that many people think that asseto corsa is realistic but that would make me sad since i dont like asseto corsa and how cars handle in that game. is dirt rally 2.0 realistic, i love dirt rally 2.0 and how cars handle in that game on both gravel and asphalt. or is another game like forza horizon 5 or something from the need for speed franchise more realistic.
Hey everyone,
I’m relatively new to the world of sim racing, though I have a lot of experience with go-karting and real-life car racing. I’m considering getting a high-quality simulator setup at home.
Given my background, I’m looking for recommendations on the best simulator options available. I’ve heard different opinions about whether or not gravity simulators are worth it—any thoughts on that?
I’m open to investing in a top-tier setup, so budget isn’t really a concern. I’d really appreciate any advice or insights!
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Upsides
Best for GT3/GT4 Cars
Great Graphics (Better than iRacing) (Unreal Engine 4)
Good Track Scans (Laser Scanned)
Realistic Physics
Realistic Weather
Good for Multiplayer (Using LFM) (2nd to iRacing)
Good Braking (Not as Good as iRacing)
Good Car Sounds, but Overdone
Good, But Overdone Force Feedback
Good for Single Player
Good AI
Downsides
Limited Outside GT Cars
Bad VR Support
Demanding for PC
Harder FFB Setup
Medium Difficulty to Get Started
No Exotic Road Cars
iRacing
Upsides
Best for Multiplayer/Online
Best/Realistic Braking
Best Track Scans (Laser Scanned/Uses LIDAR)
3D Scans Real Cars (Exact Masses and Dimensions from Manufacturer for Vehicle components through 33D Laser Scanning, CAD Data, and weighing real components)
Great for Damage (Takes into Account Flexing, Crunching, Breaking, Separating)
Great for VR
Good Physics
Decent/Realistic Force Feedback (with irFFB)
Not too Difficult to Get Started
Pro Drivers Prefer It
Great AI
Has Oval Racing
Huge Online Community
Downsides
Very Expensive “DLC”/Subscription Based
Mediocre Graphics
Lacking Weatherwise (Rain Maybe Releasing This Year)
Lacking Single Player Mode
Okay Tire Model
Bad Netcode
No Exotic Road Cars.
rFactor 2
Upsides
Best/Most Realistic Physics
Best Tire Model (Tire Tread, Heat Transfer, Visual Deformations, Rubber from Tires Laid onto Track)
Realistic Tracks/Track Dynamics (Some Laser Scanned)
rFPro Used for Base Software by Manufacturer
Realistic Weather (Affects Driving/Uses “Real Road”)
Good Force Feedback
Good Car Sounds for Select Cars
Okay for Multiplayer/Online
Good AI
Downsides
Not Beginner Friendly
Expensive DLC
Outdated Graphics
Not Great for Single Player
Engine Sounds Mostly Lacking
Automobilista 2
Upsides
Best Graphics/Most Realistic
Good Damage, Affects Driveability
Great VR Support
Beginner Friendly
Has Decent Physics (as of v1.5 Update)
Okay Tire Model (as of v1.5 Update)
Decent AI (as of v1.5 Update)
Lots of Retro Vehicles
Has Full Seasons (Weather Being Updated Soon)
Some Laser Scanned Tracks
Easy on the PC
Great Sounds
Good for Single Player
Downsides
Mods to Improve FFB
Can’t Host Dedicated Servers
Lacking for Multiplayer/Online (Racecraft.Online)
Assetto Corsa
Upsides
Cheapest
Hundreds of Easy to Install (Free) Mods
Laser Scanned Tracks
Can Get Exotic Road Car Mods
Good Physics (not as good as rFactor 2)
Good Force Feedback
Custom LUT Curve
Somewhat Beginner Friendly
Okay for Single Player
Okay for Multiplayer
Supports VR
Free Roam Tracks
Downsides
Requires Mods to Look Realistic
Requires Mods for Good Sounds
Outdated Tire Models (Unpredictable Curbs)
Will Be Replaced With Assetto Corsa 2
Bad AI
RaceRoom Racing Experience
Upsides
Free to Start
Can Test Drive Cars Before Buying
Best for Sounds of Real Cars
Has DTM Cars
“Cheaper version of iRacing”
Good Force Feedback
Good AI
Decent Physics
Downsides
Dated Graphics (DirectX 9)
No Laser Scanned Tracks/Lacks Track Dynamics
No Weather
Lacking Multiplayer/Online
Weird Monetization System
By demand, I added the original AC and RaceRoom as well. Again, trying for accuracy, as a lot of people wanted me to post this from the last few threads so though I'd make a final attempt where I'll hopefully be able to update it this time for those that find this helpful/want to save it. Thanks again!
Updated: 10/17/2023 @ 3 PM Central Time with Data from reddit comments from all posts as well as:
iRacing: https://www.iracing.com/car-technology/, https://www.iracing.com/road-new-damage/
rFactor 2: https://flowracers.com/blog/most-realistic-racing-simulator/
AC/AMS2: https://flowracers.com/blog/best-sim-racing-game-pc/
I want to just get the most information on what I should be looking into. I know about iracibg and how you gotta buy everything. But that sucks. I guess it’s one of the best options but it really sucks none are customizeable and everything is paid. But I want more options I’m not sure how GT works so thatd be good to hear about. I love forza horizon back in the day but I’m not sure what’s the best option for me. I just want the opportunity to either climb the ranks like in Valorant where I can queue whenever. But I really want to be able race my customized car online too and just have fun. Is there anything like this or is the big esports just like racing events? Let me know what esport games are out there or what I want to see what my true options are
I have played every racing game on the market including AC and RFactor but neither of those compare to how good Iracing is. AC you can play a season which is cool but the damage model is terrible. Rfactor the damage model is good but no season so that sucks. Iracing has a good damage model and you can play a season and there are always races online. The AI races are also actually competitive.
Out of these titles, simcade included (plus anything else you remember that I forget) how would you rank them in terms of physics, features, fun and overall feeling?
rFactor 2
iRacing
AMS2
AMS1
AC
ACC
Dirt Rally 2.0
F1 2021
WRC 10
GT7
Forza Motorsports 7
Raceroom
KartKraft
PC2
Now, to start off, im excluding IRacing, as it is pretty much the best, and most expensive lol.
I will go and say automobilsta 2.
It now has endurance racing, American series, formula one, group C, stock cars, road cars, many classic cars and more. If I had to choose a different one, it would be Rfactor 2, cause of the online stuff (and the Isle of Man TT map is EPIC)
I may be completely wrong, and feel free to argue with me, but I have had AMS2 for a while, and the progress has been astounding.
I’m excited to hear what yous have to say.
I'm new to simracing (and racing in general), but it sucked me in like a black hole. I'd like to try out most major motorsports to get a feel for them and choose one to get really good at. I did some research about which sim is the best for each of them, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
iRacing seems to be the jack of all trades, but not necessarily the best in all of them.
For GT 3 and 4 ACC seems to be the clear winner, since they really went all out to produce cars as close to real life.
GT 1 and 2 seems to be nonexistent because it's so expensive, but I heard GT2 is making a comeback in 2024. Is there any game featuring legacy versions of these?
For F1 some people say it's AC with the paid F1 cars, and some people says it's iRacing, since they have an official car.
I don't know much about other Formula versions, but I'll gladly try them out, since starting with F1 is really hard.
For Rally Richard Burns rally with one of the plugin packs like Simracingfans seems to be the clear winner.
I did not find any sim with Rallycross other than iRacing.
I don't know much about NASCAR racing, I only know about iRacing that has it.
I probably left out a ton of major motorsports, please add some if you can.
So it's been a good while since I last Sim raced. I'm old-school - grew up on NFS 1 & 2, etc..progressed through some of the track & rally sims, had an old Logitech Momo wheel etc. Last played F1 2013 & Project Cars 1 in 2016, but my wheel broke and changes of life circumstances meant I never really got back into it. Finally decided to bite the bullet and get myself a Christmas gift when the sales came along so a new wheel is on the way. But where to race?
Is iRacing the way? rfactor2? Asetto Corsa, Forza? F1 2023? So many different options and I have no background for the ones that came out of consoles as I've only ever PC games.... Help!
Which has the best circuit racing league, realistic controls and cars, and good racing program to progress through?
Thanks.
I am getting a g923 on black Friday as well as FH4 and dirt rally 2.0. I would also like a game that is more realistic feeling and whatnot, which is why I am asking this. I am playing on pc.
Richard Burns Rally NGP6, rFactor2, ACC
not sure why people are praising iRacing. They are the king of multiplayer, but their tire model sucks and they don't even have weather.
ACC right now, in my opinion, is in a league of its own. I’d recommend that, and if you want some more variety with similar physics the Original Assetto Corsa is excellent as well. Plus, AC has tons and tons of community-made content same can be found for super duper cheap
I am a casual sim racer which means during dark winter months I clock 15-20 hours of racing per month, but the rest of the year my rig collects dust while I'm occupied with the rest of my hobbies.
I've been recommended to sign up for a league, but it does not suit me as the race is at a fixed timeslot resulting in a commitment that I won't be able to hold as I get to spend time on this hobby usually only at late hours after work and in a sporadic manner. I need a sim where I can just hop in any time and enjoy some door-to-door racing without planning it ahead for hours. It can be a single-class racing, but I want some variety in tracks.
I'm looking for a sim which has:
* Good physics
* Decent graphics
* Easily available online racing with a variety of tracks. Even better if it has a match-making system.
What I have tried this far:
ACC - definitely ticks the two first boxes, but the easily available online racing is available only on Monza and maybe Nurburgring. There is no such thing as track rotation and although it has a complex stats system built into the game it does not utilize it by any means. This leaves me feeling that this is more meant for hardcore sim racing enthusiasts who are willing to dedicate their time to participate in leagues etc.
AC - This used to be a good alternative for more casual racing, but as there are fewer players the online racing in open lobbies is now very limited to GT3 at Spa or track day setup at Nordschleife. SRS offers races only with pre-registering usually requiring to plan it ahead.
iRacing - This may be the closest match for those criteria, but the fact that I have to pay a monthly subscription does not suit me that well, because in most months I do very little to no racing and this drives the price per race to double digits at least. Also, races require pre-registering and the wait time is usually 30 minutes. If I have a total 1-1,5 hours total time to spend for sim racing at one go I don't want to spend a third of it waiting for my race.
I've been playing forza horizon 5 and enjoy it. But I'd like to try something a little less arcade. I've tried f1 2020, but I'm more into street racing or rally.
I'm on PC.