Since its beginnings many years ago, sim-racing has captivated many racers and introduced neophytes to car racing simulations, and even car competitions. It’s no longer uncommon to see racing drivers starting out in sim-racing, moving on to karting competitions and then climbing the ladder.

Sim-racing not only provides fun, it also allows many racers to train under more or less real-life conditions, without blowing their budget. As you know, motor racing is a very expensive sport, whether for amateurs or professionals. The simplest example is that a track day for a racing fan can easily cost between €400 and €500, and that’s just for fuel, track time and a few extras. And that’s for track days in sports cars, and I’ll leave you to imagine what it can cost in Supercars, where you’ll almost certainly have to change tires, brake pads and oil once the day’s over.

Coming back to sim-racing, the expenses of this discipline are quite controlled compared to track-days. Instead of spending a small fortune every weekend, with the price of the car of course, you only have your rig, which could cost you an arm and a leg. However, you don’t have to buy the best possible setup, as you just have to choose the right sim-racing peripherals to suit your preferences.

Of course, sim-racing setups are only part of the equation, and you also need a car simulation to be able to do your racing. If you’re a racing fan, you probably grew up with licenses like Need For Speed, Gran Turismo and WRC. These video games have a cult following and left their mark on our youth. I still remember the very first Gran Turismo I played on PS1. At the time, it was so realistic that I couldn’t imagine anything better. Fast forward to 2023 and we find ourselves with 3 main categories of sim-racing titles: arcades, semi-arcades and simulations. I’ll look at them in more detail below, with examples of titles in each category.

The different types of racing simulation currently available

As I said earlier, there are 3 main categories of sim-racing titles: arcade, semi-arcade and simulation. These categories are there to satisfy the needs of different small-screen racing drivers, whether in terms of realism, immersion or just plain fun.

For arcade titles, the watchword is fun. Here, you’re looking to have fun, to enjoy yourself without having to think about it. You just want to switch on your console or PC, launch the game and have a good time, especially after a long day.

When it comes to semi-arcade titles, you’re typically someone who’s a bit competitive, looking to take on others to win and outdo yourself, and have a bit of fun too. Semi-arcade titles are halfway between arcade and pure competition, i.e. simulation.

And finally, we have the simulation titles, which are more or less a digital representation of motor racing. Here, everything is pushed to the extreme, with real-life driving conditions that will delight racing drivers.

Arcade titles

Let’s start with the category that’s made for lambdas runners, those who are just looking to have a good time, without getting in over their heads. For this category, you simply switch on your game console or PC, launch the game and have a great time. As I said before, the main aim of this category is to keep you entertained: you won’t feel that much realism with these titles, but you’ll still get the feel of speeds, bumps and crashes, without them having too much impact on your overall performance.

The titles include licenses such as Need For Speed, Burnout and even Forza Horizon. Typically, for these titles, you have racing cars, Supercars and even Hypercars, and you have the possibility of customizing them to get more performance (Turbo, Supercharger, suspension, etc.), as well as everything to do with the aesthetics of the cars, including rims, body kits and so on.

Here, the emphasis is on fun and enjoyment, with driving theaters that are open-world (Forza Horizon) or circuit-based (some NFS). Progression in these games is fairly linear, letting you unlock new cars each time, which become more powerful as the story progresses.

Realism and sensations are limited, I’m not going to lie. Given that these titles are primarily designed to entertain, they don’t include damage management, tire management or car management in general. You do get a dose of realism, but it’s limited to speed, skids and the like.

As for the best title in this category, I have to admit that I’m leaning towards the Forza Horizon saga, available on Xbox and PC. These titles are highly entertaining, fairly realistic and feature extensive car customization. They’re complete and will delight most aspiring drivers who just want to have fun and drive cars, without getting into too much trouble, and with a fair amount of realism for the cars. The latest, Forza Horizon 5, is convincing when it comes to car behavior, whether stock or prepared. And when it comes to setups, you can easily play with a Logitech G923 or even a joystick. Admittedly, a Direct Drive base would be better, but you don’t have to go that route to get an excellent feel.

Semi-arcade titles

Now we’re getting down to business, with titles that are halfway between arcade and simulation. In this category, we find several licenses that are sometimes a couple of decades old, as is the case with Gran Turismo. Compared with arcade titles, semi-arcade games often feature racing cars, real competitions such as F1 and GT3, racing teams, vehicle management and seasons, etc. In terms of immersion, semi-arcade titles are much more advanced than arcade titles.

The aim here is to offer a more immersive experience, without penalizing the rider for the slightest mistake made on the track. Oh yes, there’s got to be some fun to be had in all this, otherwise there’s not much point in playing it.

Sony’s Gran Turismo saga

We’re starting with a Sony console staple, the Gran Turismo saga. Released over 20 years ago on the first Playstation, Gran Turismo is now in its ^8th opus on PS5, with ever more realism, sensations and immersion for racers.

This title is not a racing simulation in the strict sense of the word, even if the box does say the opposite: ” The Real Driving Simulator “. We all remember the tests and permits we had to pass on GT, and it has to be said that they were very difficult to pass. Nevertheless, the Gran Turismo saga remains fairly accessible to the average person in terms of career management, driving, car damage and so on. Of course, you’ll have to be careful when driving your cars on the track, keeping an eye on tire condition, damage (the game urges you to drive cleanly), lap times and all the rest, but it’s still a pretty accessible title.

As far as driving is concerned, you can play with a joystick, but a rig sim-racing is recommended to fully enjoy the sensations. Here, I clearly recommend a Direct Drive base, such as the Fanatec GT DD Pro with its 5 or 8 nm of torque, which is perfect for getting a good dose of Gran Turismo sensations.

Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport saga

On Playstation, we have Gran Turismo, and on Xbox and PC we have Forza Motorsport. This saga is not as old as Sony’s, but Microsoft ‘s title has established itself in recent years as one of the best in its category.

As with Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport offers an experience halfway between arcade and simulation, with career and team management, vehicle management concerning tires, damage, pit stops, etc., and a whole host of car settings. You can configure your car to suit your driving style and the circuit you’re on. You also have dynamic weather that can change in the middle of a race.

Forza Motorsport (October 2023) is the latest title on Xbox and PC, and has brought many changes compared to its predecessor. Graphics are simply sublime, thanks to the power of the Xbox Series S and X, as well as on PC. It’s a complete title, difficult if you want it to be, very realistic in terms of feel and immersion, and you’ll appreciate it best with a sim-racing setup. Oh yes, you’ll have to reach into your pocket to get the most out of it, preferably with a Direct Drive base, a Load Cell steering wheel and pedals. Just like the GT DD Pro, Fanatec offers a number of bundles for Forza on Xbox and/or PC.

One last point about Forza: there are numerous competitions in the game, such as GT3 and GT2, Le Man, touring, etc. The title tries to touch on everything in terms of competitions, with some 500 cars. The title tries to do a bit of everything in terms of competitions, with some 500 cars, which makes it a complete game as far as I’m concerned. Personally, I prefer it to Gran Turismo for its compatibility with PC sim-racing peripherals, especially the basics.

The F1 saga from Electronic Arts

The F1 saga is one of the best-known sim-racing titles, in my opinion, for the simple reason that it’s a simulation of motorsport’s premier competition. Electronic Arts is the publisher, and has been for a very long time.

This title is semi-arcade, even though its name claims to be a Formula 1 simulation. The game is available on all platforms currently on sale, and is compatible with virtually all sim-racing peripherals on the market.

In terms of realism, we’re well served, with qualifying sessions, careers, vehicle and weather management, all with a good dose of immersion. Even if F1’s realism is rather advanced, the title remains accessible to the general public, whether you have a sim-racing setup or not. Well, if you’re a fan of F1 and sim-racing, I’d strongly advise you to have a Direct Drive base, an F1-style steering wheel and a Load Cell pedalboard to get the most out of this title. You’re not going to pay €70 to play this game with a controller, that would be a real waste.

Simulation titles

It’s time to move on to the top category of sim-racing titles, those that are pure simulation. It’s on these titles that real racing drivers train in simu, and that says a lot about the immersion and realism they offer.

Assetto Corsa

Asseto Corsa is a racing simulation title considered by many racers, and I’d say most drivers, to be the best in its class. This game is available on both consoles and PC, but I’d strongly advise you to stick with computers for the wide range of sim-racing peripherals supported, but also because of the graphics, which have taken a beating on Xbox and Playstation. It’s worth noting that this title will soon be celebrating its 10th anniversary, and that’s a long time in the world of video games. Nevertheless, Asseto Corsa’s strength remains its community of modellers, who have improved the title since its release.

So we have a racing simulation title that’s both complete, with sensations and a level of realism that come dangerously close to reality, and in every respect: perfect vehicle settings, circuits, damage, race management and so on. It’s ultra-realistic, especially with a good sim-racing setup.

iRacing

iRacing is another racing simulation title in the same league as Asseto Corsa, perhaps even more so if you believe what some people are saying. To put it simply: all racing drivers swear by iRacing, whether in terms of car physics, career management, racing, competitions or realism.

On iRacing, you’ve got races like the Man, Nascar, IndyCar and a whole host of other car competitions, all accessible via subscription and microtransactions. iRacing is a very demanding title in terms of driving, and it’s clearly not for all sim-racers. If you have talent and experience, you’ll be able to compete. But if you’re not, you’ll find yourself in last place for a good proportion of the races.

Which one to choose?

Choosing a sim-racing title can be a tricky business. Honestly, it all depends on your setup, your needs and your desires. If you simply want to have fun without breaking your bank, I recommend Forza Horizon with a steering wheel, base and pedalboard from Logitech or Thrustmaster at a very reasonable price.

Want to spice things up and test your driving skills? I’m all for a Direct Drive setup, with Load Cell pedals and Forza Motorsport for PC/Xbox racers, or Gran Turismo for Playstation racers. You’ll get your dose of fine driving and a very good level of realism on the track. There’s also the Project Cars saga, but we don’t know if there will be any future releases.

And for total immersion in sim-racing, there’s iRacing in subscription mode and microtransactions, but with ultra-high realism. Alternatively, Asseto Corsa or Asseto Corsa Competizione are excellent sim-racing titles, almost as advanced as iRacing, but they won’t cost you an arm and a leg in the long run. Personally, I’m in favor of Asseto Corsa, as it’s going for like €20 on Steam right now.