A guide to budget sim racing

Want to enhance your driving games? Here’s how to find you the budget sim racing setup for you, including steering wheels and more.

Most racing games play nice with a controller. In fact, some of the fastest players in the world use one and there are pluses in doing so. Driving realism, however, is not one of them. How could it be? You use a real steering wheel in real life so it makes sense to use the next best thing.

There are other benefits too such as being able to hold a line in a corner, more accurate feedback of the surface below your wheels and greater precision.

All that equipment is expensive though, right? Well, a controller is cheaper. You can, however, still enjoy a decent experience for not a lot of cash and you might even see your times improve.

Please not that prices fluctuate and were accurate at the time of writing my humble budget sim racing guide.

PC or games console?

Choosing between playing racing games on PC or console is the first major consideration. I would say that, knowing you can use a USB cable or buy an adapter to use controllers on PC, it all comes down to what you already have if you need to keep things cheap.

If all your racing games are on console, there is little point changing. A PC with half-decent graphics will ramp up your costs in no time. Plus, most games look decent enough on Xbox One or PS4. Even better with the 4K-capable Xbox One X, PS4 Pro or next-generation Xbox Series X, Series S and PS5.

PC racing gaming does have its fair share of pros, though. Games can look their absolute best and have a higher frame rate, multi-screen setups become possible, third-party software can be used and the gaming catalogue is potentially bigger.

Most older racing games require modest PC specs, so there’s a chance you could already play them. If not, consider a graphics card upgrade to something that can managea at least 60 frames per second at 1080p (1920×1080-pixel) resolution.

Which steering wheel and pedals?

Now, it is tempting to buy a super cheap steering wheel. However, a mixture of inferior reliability, limited warranty, reduced functionality such as no force feedback and other issues can make this approach a false economy.

Instead, front up a little more for something from a brand with more to lose such as Logitech or Thrustmaster. Both have entry-level steering wheels that will enhance the feeling of driving in DiRT Rally 2.0, Forza Horizon 5 and WRC Generations.

Another great feature of pricier steering wheels is that you can change the wheel itself. If playing a rally game, you can use a Sparco offering. Want a Formula One session? Various offerings await you.

In the Logitech corner, a safe bet is the Logitech G29 or G920. The G29 is for PS3, PS4 and PC. Xbox 360 and Xbox One users will have to go for the G920, which also works on PC.

Both wheels are largely similar in terms of their innards and functionality such as 900 degrees of wheel rotation. However, you do get a rev meter and more buttons on the G29 if you are a PC gamer and unsure which way to go.

Both provide decent force feedback, plus a three-pedal set (cheaper two pedal offerings mean no option to use a clutch) and an overall great racing game experience. You really can be competitive at this price point, assuming you have the skills.

Money can be saved if you go for the older G27 or G25. These are still going to make racing games more involving. Ebay is usually littered with them and some bargains can be had. Just be sure to ask questions about useage, age and avoid buying the first one you see.

At the budget end of the Thrustmaster range is the T300RS and TX Racing, which I would say are technically superior in terms of smoothness and feel. If you can find one for a similar price to the G29 and G920, I’d go this route.

What about direct drive steering wheels?

A steering wheel with direct drive is by no means an essential purchase for a budget sim racing setup unless money is no object or you want to future-proof from the start. It is, however, going to give you a meatier, more detailed feeling assuming it is attached to something solid (more on that in a second).

The most obvious budget direct drive steering wheels are the Fanatec DD Pro and Moza R5 Bundle. Both have their share of pros and cons though the latter is not officially console-friendly. Having used both, you would be happy either way. Looking at other products in the eco-system is, therefore, worth doing.

For those with deeper pockets, the Logitech G Pro is another option though this roughly double the price. Less costly is the Thrustmaster T818, which is similarly as powerful.

A leftfield option is the Cammus C5. This may not have the pedigree of its rivals, but it is a compact design and I have heard good things.

If your budget is endless, I would say that Simucube is generally thought of as the best of the best but products come and go. Check YouTube, Reddit and gaming forums for general advice as there are many, many options.

Table, wheelstand or racing rig?

For a while I had my racing wheel attached to a coffee table. I now don’t have that coffee table. The simple fact is that those motors inside can provide high levels of torque and so you need something sturdy to hold them down. Or things fall apart.

You can use a desk if it is sturdy enough. Most wheels come with a desk mount mechanism (use some padding to protect the surface) although that will mean you are sitting very close to your television or monitor. This can be an issue if you have a 50-inch plasma.

A better option is a wheelstand, which cost somewhere between £50 and £200, or a usually more expensive racing rig. When deciding between the two, it mainly comes down to your budget, what sort of steering wheel you have and how much home you are willing allowed to use.

Some wheelstands fold up partially, which helps with tucking them away, and they are pretty sturdy. You can also use them with any chair, making it is easier to get in and out, and attach various accessories such as a handbrake

My GT Omega is hardly the prettiest, but it can withstand the torque from my Thrustmaster TS-XW and it can accommodate just about every steering wheel around. Just make sure you buy the right version. Also check there is an option to attach a shifter or handbrake in case you upgrade later.

A proper racing rig, meanwhile, can be bought second-hand if on a budget. Depending, of course, on what your definition of budget is. Bear in mind that a high-end setup can cost thousands overall, is not foldable and is not pretty.

Another alternative is to build your own wood or metal rig using various online tutorials. Finding an old car seat and mounting it to a basic frame is another possibility if you have the tools and knowhow. This could be a fun project and you can really tailor the result to your body.

What about a shifter or handbrake?

A shifter and handbrake not only improve realism, they can be easier and more intuitive to initiate power slides and other manoeuvres. Logitech’s G29 and G920-compatible Driving Force Shifter is around £33 and does the job if you are not too rough with it.

Unfortunately, if you want to use the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter equivalent you will have to stump up a lot more dosh though it is made from superior materials and is nicer to use.

If you have even more moolah, the Thrustmaster TSS Sparco Mod + can be used as a handbrake or sequential shifter. It is total overkill, but looks great and works well. The later model has Xbox and PlayStation support in addition to PC.

Do you really need a handbrake or shifter? I would say no as mastering a steering wheel can be intense enough and the wheels and pedals are much of the experience. Plus many wheels have paddle shifters as in many racing cars. The appeal of initiating a drift (Fast & Furious style) can, however, be hard to ignore.

Any other useful bits and bobs?

For a budget sim racing setup I would usually suggest a USB extension cable as the standard cable on some steering wheels can be restrictive to optimising your room layout.

Television and monitor speakers, meanwhile, are usually rubbish save for high-end stuff – and even then, it is still usually better to go for something separate. HyperX has served me well, but so has SteelSeries and Razer in the past.

A benefit of a headset is not only that you can communicate with others while online, it keeps things quieter for anyone also in the room (although most steering wheels and pedals make a noise) and other audio distractions are reduced for you.

Speakers do not have to be anything fancy if you go this route. The old-school Logitech Z906 is a great surround sound offering, but there are plenty of well-praised desktop speakers at cheaper prices.

Usually a simple left and right speaker is cheapest. 2.1 setups add a subwoofer, which will enhance the experience with superior bass (but also upset anyone around you). 5.1 gives you sound all around you while 7.1 and beyond is for even greater realism at a price beyond the scope of this article.

For those who usually listen to music, desktop monitors could prove better. I like the Tascam VL-S3 and VL-S3BT (the Bluetooth-enabled version), but you can go cheaper. As for their location, they can sit on your desk or you can use small bookshelves or speaker stands.

Television or monitor?

This is a budget sim racing guide so I have assumed you would use your own current television or monitor. If not, you can get a decent 1080p television for not a lot of money. Even 4K is wallet-friendly these days if you are happy going for a slightly older model or can cope without certain features such as HDR. As stated earlier, I would aim for 60 frames per second as 30 is not so smooth for driving games.

Just bear in mind whether you need a 4K resolution display, as 4K gaming on PC means an expensive graphics card or a next-generation console. You could, however, justify the greater expenditure knowing that 4K is also excellent for movies and online video streaming services.

Things to look for in a gaming-friendly television or monitor? A respectable brand with a warranty (Benq, Samsung, B&O, HP etc), HDMI connectivity, Ia display of at least 24 inches in size at least full HD resolution and as low input lag as possible (many screens have a ‘game’ mode designed for this purpose).

A headphone socket can also be great because you usually cannot plug headphones into a steering wheel and the alternative is having to plug into a controller and ensure that stays on if it is wireless. A USB charging cable will keep an Xbox wireless controller from going to sleep so you never lose audio mid-race. Or just used a wired controller.

What about virtual reality (VR) headsets?

Those on a quest to have the smallest footprint can go for a virtual reality headset such as the PC VR HP Reverb G2 or get a cheaper Meta Quest variant and buy the right PC cable. There is also the PS VR headset for Sony users.

If you go this route via PC, expect to need a powerful PC. Running games at a consistent frame-rate of at least 60FPS (90 is common) at a beyond 4K resolution is not easily done, even with lower visual settings.

Headsets are also less comfortable (particularly for glasses wearers) and expect to sweat buckets during the summer months unless you have air conditioning or a sizeable fan.

Budget sim racing: Summing up

Hopefully my budget sim racing guide has given you some things to mull over as you get into or upgrade your current driving game setup. There are so many things to consider it can be quite daunting, especially if shopping for someone else.

As with any hobby, you must spend a bit to get the, erm, wheels rolling and around £300 seems about right. Quite a lot, you might think, and it is. But if you want to feel better, do some research into how much real motorsport costs.