VR technology only evolve and every generation that the brands update their devices, there are always new features, better graphics and specially, more immersion. This is what every single user of VR headsets want, the most accurate and realistic experience of immersion in the virtual world.
In sim racing there are games that are a pleasure to play in VR, commonly fast and intuitive games like racing simulators, demand a high refresh rate, a good resolution quality and comfort at its max, but that’s everything when you want to buy a VR headset to start racing.
That’s why we bring you today a list of thing you should know or do to improve your racing experience if you’re connected to a VR headset, and some extra points on how tit works.
Why to race with VR instead of a monitor?
This may be the most asked question when someone meets VR sim racing, and there is not only one answer, there are different reasons why race with a VR headset is better than a monitor (or a set of monitors). When you have a monitor, the field of view is limited, and that’s something every of us know for sure.
When you add another monitor or even mount a set of 3 monitors, things make a huge change. With a 3 monitor setup you will feel like you’re in a real car because of the effect the three screens have, giving you a wider scenario, but with the time we start to look more at those details at the beginning we didn’t care too much, like the amount of space the setup needs, the price of every single monitor good enough to have the right size, a good resolution and a decent refresh rate to keep things smooth, and this is our main problem with these setups, the bezel of every monitor, that cuts the immersive experience when you look at them.
So, if you will buy a set of three monitors but don’t have enough space in your room, can’t afford the cost of the setup or simply don’t want those disturbing bezels to ruin the experience, we strongly recommend buying a VR headset, which is the perfect solution for all those inconvenients.
The Setup
So, it might be a little confusing if you’re using a VR headset for the first time, but don’t worry, we and the whole internet are here to help you out. In the first place, you need to follow the installation instructions that come within the headset, install the required software and position the sensors as the instructions says.
Once you already have the VR headset connected to the PC and the VR software is running, it is time to configure it to work with the desired racing game. Once you have set up the headset and open the game, the whole game should be projected on the VR headset.
This is the point when we take the time to make all the necessary adjustments like resolution, refresh rate, and other graphic parameters that will make our game look better or worse, depending on what we touch in the settings.
Once all the parameters are set up and the game is looking as good as you like, it is time to take a few practice laps. In the beginning you will need to adapt to the new device, jumping from a monitor to a VR headset is not a little thing, everything from the view to the senses need to get use to the VR motion, the immersive effect and the reality of not see anything of the outside world.
The Games
But what about the games? The list of sim racing games compatibles with VR is big, but those games that really take advantage of the VR experience are just a few. We will mention our favorites below:
Assetto Corsa
This is one of the best (and one of our favorite) game to play with a VR system. This game not only has near a million of combinations between tracks, cars and weather situations, it also has amazing physics that will make you thank every second you drive in the game.
IRacing
IRacing is an amazing sim racing simulation game and one of the most played around the world, the thing with this game is that it doesn’t support many VR headsets, so before buy one we strongly recommend checking the compatibility list of headsets in IRacing Forums.
Automobilista 2
Automobilista 2 is newer than other like Assetto Corsa, so it might take a little to get update on the cars and official support for some issues with VR, like some distortion. But this is not something that worry our minds, developers are constantly updating and improving the game, so is a matter of time to get that update you are waiting for.
F1 22
For those who love F1 racing, F1 22 is the game for you. With the VR connected, the game run smoothly and graph looks amazing! This game is very enjoyable, and if you have a Formula style steering wheel, we ensure you will have not only a great driving experience but fun as well!
DiRT Rally 2.0
Here we have a good example of good image quality and great sound experience, the only issue with DiRT Rally 2.0 is that it may cause motion sickness, resulting in nausea, dizziness and even vomiting, that why we recommend to play only if you don’t feel any of these symptoms, and if you do, please pause the game, get some water and take some fresh air for at least 30 minutes before continue.
Our VR system choices
Of course, we have our favorites too! And this article couldn’t be ready without mention them:
Pimax 8KX
Probably one of the best out there for the price, its resolution is what makes this VR system special, in addition to the refresh rate, this VR will take our racing experience to the next level, allowing us to see every detail in any direction we look at.
HP Reverb G2
With its motion tracking system, this VR will be always looking at the right point, and the 2160×2160 pixels resolution per eye will make things looks sharp and clear, without any lag or interference in the process.
Our Conclusion…
Having a VR system to drive your favorite cars in your favorite tracks is one that every sim racer should try, it is definitely a new and amazing experience that might make some player to change forever the way they drive.
Take in consideration that for some users, the VR headset is a good solution to some serious problems at the time to mount a setup. In order to get an immersive experience, most people build setups with 2 or even 3 monitors which takes space, energy and a good graphics card to run the game in the different screens at a good refresh ratio. The VR system basically solves these problems and allows having a good setup without worry too much, even in price is very competitive, instead of buying multiple screens and a cutting-edge graphic card, users can have a decent graphics card and run everything smoothly in the VR headset, which is a win-win.
To finish the article, we would like to invite you to read our VR headsets picks for this 2023 and discover which one is the one that fits you the most!
