Have Your Say - What’s Your Next Major Sim Racing Purchase?

Next Major Sim Hardware Purchase 01.jpg
Continuing our Have Your Say series, today we want to know what you plan to buy for your next major sim racing purchase.

Sim racing is an ever-evolving hobby. The best hardware or software in your price range from today may be eclipsed by something newer or better next year. Those of us with a bit of extra money to spend on our hobby are always on the lookout for ways to improve our immersion and enjoyment.

With Black Friday sales right around the corner, many of us in the sim community are plotting our next big buy. We want to know in the comments below what yours will be. For some of you it might be a game you’ve been waiting for a sale on. For others it might be upgrading to a direct drive wheel or a load cell brake pedal. Or maybe you’ve finally saved enough money to buy that motion setup.

Often the buildup to a big purchase is as exciting as clicking the “Buy Now” button itself. Researching a specific type of hardware and learning which brands and products stand out in their respective field, for example, adds to the excitement of adding it to your rig. If you’re at that stage, or still early in the research process, let us know in the comments below. And if you see someone looking for feedback on a product you already own, be sure to help them out by sharing your own experiences with it.
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About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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Comments

BearWalken
Recently watched a preview about the tiny 200gr Arpara 5k micro OLED VR HMD. Image quality seems to be excellent with good FOV, adjustable IPD and eyesight (!). Lighthouse module for steamVR was already announced. 60Hz only at the moment, but hey, this is a huge step in the right direction! Will keep an eye on it :D
 
Julian Strasser
Premium
Funny that picture as the header of the article. That's exactly my *last* SimRacing purchase.

Next will be either a Full aluminium profile Rig (only got that part for my pedals for now) or . . . yea probably that because I've got everything else atm. Maybe Gloves? :D
 
andrewaugust93
My T-LCM came defective, so I'm waiting for that RMA to be settled. Wish I was wealthy enough for a V3 but T-LCM will be all that I could afford. This hobby is too costly.
 
Jason Mullin
Motorcycles currently have my wallet and I’m still trying to figure out which hobby is more expensive. Track days hurt!
 
V
Wanting to go for an RTX3080, later an R6800XT at the AMD site, but eventually its, or way much to overpriced or no stock at the AMD store. At this point, I’m forced to stay at the older VR-racesims titles and keep my old VRheadset.
I guess no next major sim racing purchase until the prices are at a normal level.
 
BearWalken
Vintagedriver01 said:
Wanting to go for an RTX3080, later an R6800XT at the AMD site, but eventually its, or way much to overpriced or no stock at the AMD store. At this point, I’m forced to stay at the older VR-racesims titles and keep my old VRheadset.
I guess no next major sim racing purchase until the prices are at a normal level.
Click to expand...
Try AMDs FSR in ACs Custom Shader Patch, or the mod from fholger for other steamVR sims like ACC. It's a great performance boost on all gpus. For AMS2 you can find a special version in the reiza forum. Amazing technology!!! A very easy way to gain some fps without buying a new card.
 
D
Briefly turned a wheel in April 2020, but my i3 GTX750 system was then, and now no longer fit for iRacing. Prior to last year played pretty regularly up to around 2012 - Now have a serious itch I need to scratch, in part daughter 1 taking driving lessons and a big F1 fan and daughter 2 liking the idea of driving a car on the computer. Had her driving around South City on LFS in a Mini - forgotten how good that game was and that track has to be one of my all time favourite street circuits of any Sim

Order gone in for a new PC, i7 10th Gen, 32gb ram, RTX 3080 and some other bells a whistles to 'future' proof it - should take around 10 days for the build.

Having floated a 'rig' by the wife, (no chance) I have now set my sites on a new monitor, was looking at 34" ultra wide, but have space for 49" on my solid desk - have made a shortlist and see what comes of Black Friday.

Now looking at my G25 and what is around today....oh my. I think once the above is up and running a new wheel base and pedals will be needed.

Looking for alternatives to iRacing, my old system runs AC and RaceRoom quite nicely and mighty impressed with both. Some tweaking to wheel settings required for RaceRoom, but that so far feels and sounds very nice.
 
THK84
side-grade/upgrade from my CSW 2.5 to a CSL DD 8Nm (already sold CSW, at least another week for the CSL DD. Painful to not have it during a GP weekend).

Also updating the shifters on my Universal Hub to Clubsport magnetic shifters, as the standard feel terrible when switching back from the Podium APM on my F1 V2 rim.
 
THK84
samideluxe said:
Dreaming of a Thrustmaster T248. Currently racing on a xbox 360 controller. :speechless:
Click to expand...
Or just get a second hand T300RS or CSL Elite. At least here in NL they seem to pop up pretty cheap lately.

I started on the T300RS and it was wonderful. But I'd go for the Fanatec ecosystem. More expensive, but way better upgrade path and accessories.

In case of going TM. Get the T3PA pedals at the minimum, though they're still pretty crap. The standard 2 pedal sets from TM are useless. I upgraded from the T3PA to a Fanatec CSL Elite LC set. That or the TM T-LCM would be a great starter set, though still pretty expensive new as your way into sim gear.
 
mglt
I’ve just bought a CSL elite (used) and the mcl gt3 v2 wheel . Indon’t need anymore .
Maybe the DD2 in the futur .
324456C0-1722-4DA8-B2A7-0C0DF21801DD.jpeg
 
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Alex72
Well, i want a DD. When though? Don't know. But it's the next purchase for sures.
 
BearWalken
mglt said:
I’ve just bought a CSL elite (used) and the mcl gt3 v2 wheel . Indon’t need anymore .
Maybe the DD2 in the futur .View attachment 515801
Click to expand...
Direct Drive is a huge improvement. But a DD1 at 70% is strong enough. Trust me, you don't need more power. The MCL V2 was the right decision. A great rim for a good price!
 
J
Buenas a todos, después de 7 año s con mi maravillosos t300, he tenido la suerte de adquirir la base direct drive de simagic alpha mini de 10nm ,, y estoy super contento, gracias a Rubén distribuidor de España y Portugal ,.
 
S
Heusinkveld Ultimate+ pedals (well, technically already on it's way from Netherlands).
But what I'm looking for the most is next gen VR headset, like Index 2.
 
M
Pre-ordered CSL DD back in october, so now we wait.
I currently have G29 wheel and T-LCM pedals mounted on a self made rig I welded together using 2x2" 9 gauge square tube.
 
N
A DD wheel base. But, wich one? Simplicity cames from England, so will be pretty expensive after custom taxes (I'm inSpain). Thrustmaster is not in time to give us their DD wheel. The CSL from Fanatec is pretty short in Nm. And other brands are unaffordable for me. There is only one that fit in my budget, Simagic Alpha mini, but I'm not completely sure about wether buy it, or wait some more time for TM DD. Next year everything will see a general price rising, no doubt about it. Decisions, decisions and more decisions.
 

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