The Best Simracing Games for VR

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Virtual Reality is probably the most exciting piece of tech in simracing at the moment. More and more simracers are trying it out, but which are the best games to do so with? Here's our list of the best racing games in VR.

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Able to literally place a simracer behind the wheel of their dream car, virtual reality is an amazing tool. In fact, alongside Direct Drive wheels, it is probably the most exciting piece of hardware in the industry right now.

New VR headsets seemingly release every day, all offering different specifications designed to entice gamers. Last year, we listed the best headsets for simracing in different price ranges. From the plucky, entry-level Oculus models to the jaw-dropping price tag of the market topping bits of kit. This guide has everything you need to know about the screens some of us strap to our faces to go racing.

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Racing in VR compared to a traditional screen setup dramatically alters how one drives. Whilst many believe it to make you quicker, that is simply not the case for the majority of users. Sure, VR means you can easily spot apexes and judge distances to walls and other cars in a more effective way. But when it comes to car control, things get tough.

On a single screen, simracers get used to the visual signs of a rear end losing traction. However, you don't get the same point of view in VR meaning it's more difficult to hold a car on the limit. As a result, VR racers depend much more on force feedback to feel what the car is doing. The best VR games often have the best FFB.

You now know which headset to buy and how it will affect your driving. So it's probably about time you knew which games work the best in VR and which probably aren't worth attempting.

Here's our run down of the best racing games for VR. Click the button below to navigate to the next pages. As always feel free to add your favorite VR titles in the comments below.
About author
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

Comments

Premium
AMS2/RF2/AC1 at the top. RF2 with decent system and tweaking ( Reshade/ RF2 Settings widget/OpenXR ) can look absolutely godly in VR on the latest tracks ( Donington in the morning with BTCC cars for example ). iRacing actually really good, nice tone to it but very track dependent on how good it looks. The older tracks can look awful. Raceroom won't even run in VR for me anymore since I updated my system, but it used to be pretty nice.
AC1 is incredible once modded.
ACC shouldn't be on that list. With a 4090 its bearable, but the level of optimisation for VR is terrible.
 
This article really needs to be expanded beyond just three titles. The glaring omissions are rF2, RBR, DR2.0, PC2, AC, RR3. And I would never have ACC (as much as I love that title) among the "best" due to its terrible performance in VR.

And whatever you think of Gran Turismo, the GT7+PS VR2 combo is a legitimate alternative for sim racers addicted to VR. The visuals are stable and fantastic. The easy, plug-and-play, no-hassle, bug-free experience is infinitely more accessible than my Rift S on PC, completely removing the "chore" aspect of PCVR. Performance tweaking, hardware mismatches, Oculus+SteamVR overhead, driver conflicts, crashes, stutters, freezes, etc... are not present at all with the PS VR2. Plus, the PS5+PS VR2 package is $950, a full $1,000 less than I paid for my gaming laptop and Rift S.

Sure, in GT7 you give up simulation value and you must endure the lackluster FFB, but the experience is top-notch. It's by far the best overall package I have used since moving to VR four years ago. Do I prefer PCVR sim racing? Yes, I do, because the "real" sims are there and available in VR. However, my PC has been collecting dust since getting the PS VR2 four weeks ago. GT7 in VR is just too fun, crisp, stable, and hassle-free for me to go back to PCVR racing. For now...
 
ACC is still my go to sim. I'll load AC every so often to cruise Shuto Expressway but ACC is preferred, it always feels like something is missing in AC.

I only race in VR, and while ACC isn't great I wouldn't say it's terrible either.

I do have he other sims, I just don't play them. So I haven't really tried them in VR much. I content racing in ACC in VR.
 
For those having trouble with ACC, check this out:

Not straight-forward, but it is possible to make ACC run smoothly AND look good!
 
Premium
Thank you for your response. I have a 3090 graphics card at the present time. I also run a 13900k CPU. I refuse to buy another piece of computer hardware because I so put off by the GPU crap that has happened over the last 2.5 years.
If it will work with what I have now, cool.

I COMPLETELY get it!

I should probably revise that comment in light of recent software changes. specifically the fact Varjo just released 2:1 and 3:1 reprojection just a week or so ago.

VR is a serious treadmill when it comes to hardware.

Here is what I'm seeing right now with a 13900K / 4090.

I am currently able to run all of my SteamVR games ( Half Life Alyx, Space Pirate Trainer, Beat Saber, In Death, etc...) at the highest resolution on the Aero with graphics way up except MSAA which I usually end up at maybe a 2x which is fine for this resolution ( without reprojection )

A 3090 could likely handle Half Life Alyx at full resolution and most of the others, you might have to drop down for In Death or run reprojection.

In Sims
iRacing I'm running about 65% GPU with a full grid of cars and get a solid 90fps without reproject at highest resolution. You might be able to handle iRacing with a 3090 without reprojection if you tweak a few settings, or you might need 2:1 reprojection to make it work with a 3090.

As for without reprojection it depends a lot on whether there is dynamic foveated rendering available in OpenXR for that title for the Aero.

The Aero doesn't stutter when the frame rate drops below 90fps it's actually very acceptable looking and without a fps counter, you may not even notice it dropping to 70-75fps.

Right now there is DFR (dynamic foveated rendering using eye tracking) for iRacing, MSFS, DCS and possibly a few others I'm unaware of. DCS also just released mulit-core support and the combination of those two that dropped the same week is more than doubling performance.
 
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I COMPLETELY get it!

VR is a serious treadmill when it comes to hardware.

Here is what I'm seeing right now with a 13900K / 4090.

I am currently able to run all of my SteamVR games ( Half Life Alyx, Space Pirate Trainer, Beat Saber, In Death, etc...) at the highest resolution on the Aero with graphics way up except MSAA which I usually end up at maybe a 2x which is fine for this resolution.

A 3090 could likely handle Half Life Alyx at full resolution and most of the others, you might have to drop down for In Death.

In Sims
iRacing I'm running about 65% GPU with a full grid of cars and get a solid 90fps without reproject at highest resolution. You might be able to handle iRacing with a 3090 if you tweak a few settings.

Since Varjo just as released new base software with 3:1 and 2:1 reprojection you should be able to get 90fps with reprojection in most titles with a 3090.

The Aero doesn't stutter when the frame rate drops below 90fps it's actually very acceptable looking and without a fps counter, you may not even notice it dropping to 70-75fps.
Again, thank you.

I am all sim racing titles. Rf2,ACC, AC, PC2(yes I still drive it) and AMS2. I think the other titles you mentioned take way more resources to run no matter whether it's VR or not, to turn everything up.
 
Hey :)
I have a Oculus Rift from 2017 -that I very rarely use.

What is the best affordable VR set I can buy here in 2023 for PC ?.
 
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AMS2 is definitely top of the list for VR clarity, but my go to is ACC 9 times out of 10. I've got it crystal clear and maintain <11ms appGPU with 23 AI + me. Some say they see ghosting with TAA. Not on my rig with it set to Ultra (no Gen 5). There are other trade offs, but ACC is fluid and beautiful.
 

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AMS2 is definitely top of the list for VR clarity, but my go to is ACC 9 times out of 10. I've got it crystal clear and maintain <11ms appGPU with 23 AI + me. Some say they see ghosting with TAA. Not on my rig with it set to Ultra (no Gen 5). There are other trade offs, but ACC is fluid and beautiful.
Can you share how you got rid of the TAA ghosting?
 
Can you share how you got rid of the TAA ghosting?
The key for me and my Varjo Aero was the Override Resolution option within OpenXR Toolkit. Took it down to 70% then set ACC Pixel Density to 130%. That plus TAA needs to be set to Ultra. More on my settings at the Discord link below.

 
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Premium
Personally I have to disagree regarding the limit driving in VR. It didn't make me faster but I absolutely can drive at the limit easier in VR than I ever did on a single screen. For whatever reason it immediately felt more natural and like the real thing to me. My bet is that the peripheral vision/ability to look around is why.
 
D
The key for me and my Varjo Aero was the Override Resolution option within OpenXR Toolkit. Took it down to 70% then set ACC Pixel Density to 130%.
One or the other you just set output resolution, they just cancel each other. For TAAU do its magic you need to drop source resolution.
 
Really? That impressed you? Is it the fold-up feature that you find great?
Are you kidding me????????

Don't you see a real steering wheel? a drive shaft?

Don't you see the VR HMD? putting you in the middle of a virtual reality?

Don't you see the seat taken from real life?

Don't you see a door? like a car-door.

Don't you see the real pedals?

Don't you see inverted pedals like all real cars you have driven in your life? and going to drive.

Amazes me when I see fast-boys only used to driving Bugatti's using "the brake-hack" and other hacks..
 
Are you kidding me????????

Don't you see a real steering wheel? a drive shaft?

Don't you see the VR HMD? putting you in the middle of a virtual reality?

Don't you see the seat taken from real life?

Don't you see a door? like a car-door.

Don't you see the real pedals?

Don't you see inverted pedals like all real cars you have driven in your life? and going to drive.

Amazes me when I see fast-boys only used to driving Bugatti's using "the brake-hack" and other hacks..
even the floor would feel like real car-floor. Even small details are there to make the experience believable.
 
Really??I think RF2 and AC with all the new "content", are just better than any other choice...
AMS2 has this PC1 and PC2 "smell" in the wheel, it looks dope tho!
ACC works good, but anything in the distance looks bad, very bad!
never tried RR
 

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