Cost? Where to buy? Budget? Affordable? Here's the ultimate guide to getting started in sim racing for anybody out there with any kind of budget. Racing simulators can be super fun to build but a bit confusing on how to do it. This list should help you understand the main 5 things you need to start sim racing at home for a reasonable price point. No matter what your budget is, thankfully there's a LOT of options out there. Let's get sim racing!
Cockpit or "rig"
Steering wheel and pedals
Console or PC
Monitors or TV's
Accessories and games
Most popular racing simulator brands -
Fanatec - SimLab - TrakRacer - Next Level Racing - Moza
The first thing you need to get started would be a "cockpit" which is the main piece that everything sits on (Your steering wheel, pedals and seat). There's multiple ways to do this, the easiest would be to mount a steering wheel to your desk and use your own chair that you it at from your desk. This would save you money on not having to buy a seat. Essentially your desk becomes your "rig", but if you want a separate pice that holds everything, you can pick up something as pictured below.
Playseat Evolution - Black - $283
Sim Lab P1-X Sim Racing Cockpit - $783
Next Level Racing F GT Sim Racing Cockpit - $458
Next you'll need a steering wheel base, steering wheel and pedals. Thankfully most racing simulator setups come with a bundle or they make it easy to get everything at once. When you start to get a bit more advanced, things can be sold separately so you're able to piece together each item, but for the most part you can find everything together.
Gran Turismo DD Pro - $699
MOZA R5 Bundle $599
Thrustmaster T-248 Wheel and Pedals For Xbox Series X/S and PC $331
Once you get your cockpit, steering wheel and pedals, you can pick up either a console such as Xbox or PlayStation. Make sure you always check with the company that you're buying your wheel from that they're compatible with console. You can pick up any kind of computer or any kind of console since the most popular racing games are out on all systems.
iBuyPower Gaming PC Computer $899
Microsoft Xbox Series S $264
Sony PS5 Playstation 5 $979
Next up you need to find a way to display everything. You can pick between your current tv, your current PC display monitor, or you can buy something. You can do anything from triple screens to single screen.
TCL 32-inch 3-Series 720p Roku Smart TV $139
Sceptre 20" 1600 x 900 75Hz LED Monitor $79
SAMSUNG 49" Odyssey Neo G9 Gaming Monitor, 4K $1,670
So now that you have almost everything, you can start adding accessories such as a shifter, handbrake and more. Here's a few of the most popular racing simulator accessories.
Clubsport Fanatec shifter - $259
Thrustmaster TH8A Add-On Shifter. Compatible with: Xbox One PC PS4
GT STYLE FIXED FIBERGLASS SEAT $351
Thrustmaster Handbrake $250
64 Bit USB PC Handbrake, Sim Handbrake Compatible with Logitech G27 G29 G920 T500 T300 Linear E Brake for Sim Racing $94
Now that we're ready to play, here's a list of the most popular games for sim racing.
iRacing
Assetto Corsa
rFactor
I hope that this guide has helped you understand more about how to get started in sim racing. Have fun and enjoy!