You play the odd racing game and wonder whether “proper” sim racing is for you. This guide plainly explains what it is, what you need as a minimum, what it costs and how you learn to drive. No sales pitch — just what you need to know before you start.

What is sim racing, really?

Sim racing is car racing on PC (or console), but as realistic as possible. A racing simulator tries to recreate real-world physics: how the tyres build and lose grip, how the car’s weight shifts, how you brake without locking up. You drive with a steering wheel and pedals on a real circuit, against other people who are online at the same moment.

The big difference from an arcade racer like Forza Horizon or Need for Speed is that car behaviour. In an arcade game you stick through a corner effortlessly with a controller. In a sim you have to treat the car properly: too much throttle and you spin, too late on the brakes and you go straight on. That sounds strict, but that is exactly why it is so addictive — every tenth of a second you shave off, you earn yourself.

You do not need to be a car fanatic and certainly not an alien-quick driver. Most people start somewhere near the back and simply get better step by step. That is the whole idea.

Why do people stick with it? Because it feels real. You learn a circuit by heart, you feel through the wheel when the front tyre starts to slide, and you notice that after a month of practice you are suddenly a second quicker than when you started. Then there is the social side: racing an endurance together, warning each other over headset about a spin further up, debriefing afterwards. It is motorsport without needing a race licence, a garage full of tools or a fat salary.

And no, it is not “gaming” in the sense of a quick match. You can take it as seriously or as casually as you like. Some chase every hundredth, others just run a relaxed race on a Sunday evening. Both are fine.

What do you need as a minimum?

To start you need three things: a computer that can run the sim, a steering wheel with pedals, and something solid to mount that wheel on. A controller can work, but then you miss the most important thing — the feel in the wheel.

• A PC or console. Most sims run fine on an average gaming PC. You do not need a high-end machine to start.
• A PC steering wheel with pedals. This is the most important purchase. An entry-level wheel is enough to start; you can always upgrade later.
• A solid mount. A simple desk clamp works at the beginning, but a wobbly table kills the fun. A cheap stand or rig is a nice next step.

With steering wheels you immediately meet one concept: the drive type. Entry-level wheels are gear-driven or belt-driven — they deliver feel via gears or a belt. Fine to learn with. A step up you have direct drive (DD): a motor that drives the wheel directly. That feels much sharper and more detailed, but you do not need it to start. A solid entry-level DD bundle is already available from around €350–500, so if you are torn between entry-level and DD: the gap is smaller than it used to be.

What you do not need to start: triple monitors, a VR headset, a load-cell brake or an expensive direct-drive base. That is all fun later, but it only holds you back now. Start small, drive for a few months first, then see what you really miss.

One free tip: put your screen close and at eye height, and sit firmly. A wheel that moves with a wobbly table feels vague; the same wheel on a solid setup feels better immediately. Upgrade order matters too: first a solid seat and good pedals, then a more expensive base. Why that is so, we explain in the rig guide.

Want to know straight away which complete setup fits your budget? We have three buyable configurations worked out in the guide building a sim racing rig for €500, €1000 or €2000.

What does it cost?

Honestly: sim racing is not free, and hardware is the biggest chunk. But costs are controllable. You can start for a few hundred euros, or turn it into an expensive hobby — that is up to you.

What people often forget are the ongoing costs: the subscription, individual cars and tracks in iRacing, and even your electricity bill if you drive a lot. They add up. We have put everything — one-off, recurring and the hidden costs — in a row in the article what does sim racing really cost?.

Which sim do you choose?

There is no single best sim; there is a best sim for you. The three most Dutch sim racers choose between are iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) and Le Mans Ultimate.

• iRacing — subscription, but with by far the best organised online races and a strict system that groups clean drivers together. We as a community race on this.
• Assetto Corsa Competizione — one-off purchase, strong on GT3 cars, often on sale. Nice for a cheap start.
• Le Mans Ultimate — out of early access since July 2025, focused on endurance and the WEC classes. Younger, but growing.

Why do we race on iRacing if it costs money? For one reason: organisation. iRacing automatically puts you in races against people of your level, at fixed times, with a system that punishes dirty driving. You do not need to hunt for a lobby or hope enough people show up — you register and you race. For many people that is worth the subscription. But we fully understand if you prefer to buy ACC once first to see whether the hobby is for you.

Which one fits your budget, patience and racing style depends on a few things. We put them honestly side by side — including where iRacing is weaker — in iRacing vs ACC vs Le Mans Ultimate: which sim fits you?.

How do you learn to drive?

Take it easy. The biggest beginner mistake is wanting too much too soon. Your first goal is not winning, but keeping the car on track and driving clean. Speed comes naturally once you become consistent.

A few things that really help:

• Drive calm, error-free laps before you chase time. Consistency first.
• Learn one car and one track well instead of constantly switching.
• Use a ready-made setup. Tuning yourself comes later — start with something that just works.

Two things make the biggest difference early on, and it is not your wheel. It is your braking and your line. Brake in a straight line and release the pedal gradually towards the apex — not full on and then off. And drive a clean line: arrive wide, hit the apex cleanly, let the car run out again. Sounds simple, but this is where lap time is made or broken.

Do not expect to be quick in a week. Count on a few weeks before it starts to click, and that is normal. Better three focused half-hour sessions than one three-hour grind of tired laps. Now and then watch an onboard lap of a quick driver on your track — you will pick up your brake points that way.

If you race on iRacing, you will soon meet the terms iRating and Safety Rating. That system decides who you race against and whether you promote, and it confuses almost everyone at first. We explain it without jargon in iRating and Safety Rating explained.

And then that first online race — exciting, but it is really fine. What exactly happens from registration to the finish, and which unwritten rules you need to know, you can read in your first online race: how to get started well.

How do you find people to race with?

Sim racing only truly becomes fun when you do it together. Racing alone against strangers is possible, but in a community you have fixed races, people who help with your setup, and a message “who’s racing tonight?”.

That is what we are for. Goodfellas Simracing is a Dutch-language iRacing community where we race together, share ready-made setups and help each other along — whether you are a rookie or have been driving for years. Take a quiet look at who we are and how you join, or see how we arrange our setups per race.

Stuck on something? Just ask in Discord. Chances are someone has already been through it.