As sim racers we often strive to make our experience the most immersive it can be. Some sim racers have taken real car parts such as dash boards and car seats, other sim racers buy premium kit to imitate real-world racing gear. Some sim racers go as far as driving with racing gloves and racing shoes.
Whilst you could argue that some take it too far, there’s not such an argument for utilizing VR headsets to add to the immersion.
What is VR and what should be considered before buying
VR stands for virtual reality and with VR headsets, you have a screen or screens mounted in front of your eyes. Your head movement is accurately tracked, which translates to what you see through these screens. Tracking is not simply left, right, up, or down - these headsets track rotational movement, pitch, yaw, roll, horizontal, vertical, and lateral movement.
VR has come a long way, the earlier versions of these headsets suffered from SDE (screen door effects). Users could see artefacts caused by the displays, effectively users would see what would look like a thin mesh in front of their eyes. SDE is still a factor in modern VR headset, but far less obvious.
Before buying a VR headset, you should consider the following:
Budget - Putting aside the price of a VR headset for a second, for you to have a good VR experience in a racing sim, your PC must be a capable rig. If you are struggling to get 100 frames per second on a traditional monitor, then your PC rig will not be able to cope with extra strain from a VR headset. As well as the potential extra cost of a PC build, a VR headset can vary in price too. An entry level VR headset is similarly priced to a gaming monitor, but the price does ramp up quickly.
Room - This might sound strange if you are new to VR, as VR headsets fit on your head and take up less room than a monitor. Some VR headsets utilize external tracking devices and you’ll need to have a dedicated space to set these up. If you choose a VR headset with external trackers, if you don’t have a dedicated place to sim race, then you’ll need to set up the VR experience every time you jump into the sim. This however is not an issue with headsets that have built-in tracking.
IPD - IPD stands for interpupillary distance - the distance between your eyes. This is an important factor that many people forget about when purchasing a VR headset. Before you make your VR purchase ensure that the headset will be for you. The average IPD for men is 63mm and women 61mm, but this measurement can vary from person to person from anywhere between 42mm and 75mm. If your eyes don’t match the headset IPD requirements, you will experience eye strain and blurry vision.
Here are some of the best VR headsets to be had for sim racing in 2022.
Whilst you could argue that some take it too far, there’s not such an argument for utilizing VR headsets to add to the immersion.
What is VR and what should be considered before buying
VR stands for virtual reality and with VR headsets, you have a screen or screens mounted in front of your eyes. Your head movement is accurately tracked, which translates to what you see through these screens. Tracking is not simply left, right, up, or down - these headsets track rotational movement, pitch, yaw, roll, horizontal, vertical, and lateral movement.
VR has come a long way, the earlier versions of these headsets suffered from SDE (screen door effects). Users could see artefacts caused by the displays, effectively users would see what would look like a thin mesh in front of their eyes. SDE is still a factor in modern VR headset, but far less obvious.
Before buying a VR headset, you should consider the following:
Budget - Putting aside the price of a VR headset for a second, for you to have a good VR experience in a racing sim, your PC must be a capable rig. If you are struggling to get 100 frames per second on a traditional monitor, then your PC rig will not be able to cope with extra strain from a VR headset. As well as the potential extra cost of a PC build, a VR headset can vary in price too. An entry level VR headset is similarly priced to a gaming monitor, but the price does ramp up quickly.
Room - This might sound strange if you are new to VR, as VR headsets fit on your head and take up less room than a monitor. Some VR headsets utilize external tracking devices and you’ll need to have a dedicated space to set these up. If you choose a VR headset with external trackers, if you don’t have a dedicated place to sim race, then you’ll need to set up the VR experience every time you jump into the sim. This however is not an issue with headsets that have built-in tracking.
IPD - IPD stands for interpupillary distance - the distance between your eyes. This is an important factor that many people forget about when purchasing a VR headset. Before you make your VR purchase ensure that the headset will be for you. The average IPD for men is 63mm and women 61mm, but this measurement can vary from person to person from anywhere between 42mm and 75mm. If your eyes don’t match the headset IPD requirements, you will experience eye strain and blurry vision.
Here are some of the best VR headsets to be had for sim racing in 2022.
Oculus Rift S
The Oculus Rift S is coming to an end and retailers are selling the last stock off, that means that this VR headset is selling for a little over £200 in the UK. If you can get hold of a Rift S, then you might just be in for a bargain! The main benefit of this headset over the Quest 2 is that this is a wired headset and because of its slightly slower resolution screens it demands less from your PC.
Pros: Inside out tracking - Excellent screen resolution
Cons: 80 Hz is low - End of life
Display | LCD |
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 |
Field of View | 110 degrees |
Refresh Rate | 80 Hz |
Pros: Inside out tracking - Excellent screen resolution
Cons: 80 Hz is low - End of life
Valve Index
The Valve Index is a great premium experience for sim racers. The field of view is quite large with up to 130 degrees and in experimental mode the screens can support 144Hz. The Valve Index is compatible with other manufacturer external sensors, but to get the entire kit it retails at £919 or $999
Pros: Comfortable to wear - Almost no SDE
Cons: Awkward setup
Display | AMOLED |
Resolution | 2880 x 1600 |
Field of View | 130 degrees |
Refresh Rate | 120 Hz or 144 Hz experimental |
Pros: Comfortable to wear - Almost no SDE
Cons: Awkward setup
HP Reverb G2
The HP Reverb G2 is a fantastic middle ground headset, whilst it doesn’t offer some of the features from the more expensive headset, it has enough features to warrant its price which is twice that of the Oculus Quest 2. The HP Reverb 2 has internal tracking, and a display so good the SDE is not present. The HP Reverb G2 retails at £620 or $569
Pros: Easy setup - Physical IPD adjustment
Cons: Low field of view - Refresh rate not as high as competitors
Display | LCD |
Resolution | 4320 x 2160 |
Field of View | 114 degrees |
Refresh Rate | 90 Hz |
Pros: Easy setup - Physical IPD adjustment
Cons: Low field of view - Refresh rate not as high as competitors
Oculus Quest 2
The Oculus Quest 2 can be used as a standalone VR headset, or a PC VR headset. You can use it wirelessly or tethered to your PC. It retails for £299 or $299.
Pros: Great Price - Oculus Link tethering
Cons: Cheap strap - Mandatory Facebook login
Display | LCD |
Resolution | 3664 x 1920 |
Field of View | 100 degrees |
Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
Pros: Great Price - Oculus Link tethering
Cons: Cheap strap - Mandatory Facebook login
HTC Vive Pro 2
Pushing the price up even further, the HTC Vive Pro 2 has a native resolution of 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye! The field of view is slightly smaller than the Valve Index with 120 degrees, and the refresh rate is 120 Hz. You can purchase the headset on its on if you own the first generation setup, as the HTC Vive Pro 2 is backward compatible with the first generation base stations. If you were to purchase the full kit, it will set you back £1299 or £1399
Pros: Amazing display - Precise tracking
Cons: Expensive - Gets hot during use
Display | LCD |
Resolution | 4896 x 2448 |
Field of View | 120 degrees |
Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
Pros: Amazing display - Precise tracking
Cons: Expensive - Gets hot during use