The term sim racing consists of two words in English: simulator and racing, which would mean racing simulation or virtual motor racing. It is the not-so-new way of competing in motorsports, but much cheaper and that, in most cases, allows you to participate without leaving your home.
I refer to this as something not new since it has been growing little by little for more than 15 years and is currently primarily driven by the global social isolation caused by Covid-19.
Does any racing game belong to Simulation Racing?
No, only video games that attempt to simulate reality with great success belong to this category and are commonly called simulators or simulation games since their objective is to resemble reality as much as possible.
The idea is that the vehicle behaves the same as it would in real life and that it reacts to fluctuations on the track, weather changes, the tires get dirty or wear out, and other factors that make them almost identical to reality.
There are games like Need for Speed, which are called arcade games since they are mainly designed to entertain whoever plays it without worrying about not crashing, learning a track, or a car, among other things.
In any case, simulation games are not limited to competition, since there is also flight, train, or even truck simulators. You can travel across Europe or the United States transporting loads from one city to the other.
Simulators as a complement to reality
Today, driving simulators are a crucial part of real motor racing. Teams in the world's top categories have their drivers train in the racing simulator cockpit, either to practice for the next race or to test a new part that they intend to install on the vehicle later.
The information obtained is not one hundred percent accurate, but it is usually a good approximation to the actual results.
The competition in Sim-Racing
Even actual Formula 1 teams, such as Williams or Red Bull, hire virtual pilots to compete under their name in various simulators. It would be a mistake to believe that a virtual pilot of this level is inferior to a real pilot, but it would also be a mistake to think that they are better.
Sim-Racers are highly trained people with many hours put into simulators to be the fastest. It has been proven several times that the hours put into simulators partially serve as experience for real life.
Building a racing simulator at home
Does the concept of simulation interest you? If so, you can build a racing simulator at home. You will need a few things:
Gaming console and a racing simulation game
Simulation racing cockpit
Driving wheel, gear shifters, and pedals
Driving seat
Once you have all these components, you need to set up your simulation rig by installing the driving wheel and other accessories into the racing cockpit. If required, you can utilize monitor stands to fix your monitors just like a windshield of a car. Though you can use any chair, I recommend you purchase a racing seat for the best experience. All of this can be pretty costly to make sure you have the proper budget.
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