sim racing lcd screen free sample

Dashboards for sim racing can be dash displays (either pre-made or DIY), button boxes or physical dashboards that mount on your sim racing rig. In today’s post we’re going to look at how to make your own display with Simhub, make recommendations for a few of the best ready-made displays (DDUs) and look at a few dashboards that are compatible with the most popular sim racing rigs available today.

I’ve wanted to give making a dashboard display for my sim a go for ages. As it turns out it’s really, really easy to get started. All you need is a tablet or a mobile phone, your sim PC and Simhub.

In case you didn’t already know, SimHub is a clever bit of software where you can add external hardware to your simulator including dashboards to bass shakers, and lots of homemade stuff with Arduino. It’s actually pretty mindblowing how powerful Simhub is, and how many problems it solves. It supports a vast majority of sim racing hardware these days, it’s highly prolific!

The video below is a quick demo of an old Nexus Android tablet running a dashboard display on Simhub, which this article explains how to do yourself. If of course, you’ve got a bit of cash to splash, you might just want a recommendation for a dashboard – if that’s the case, this post has you covered.

There are many – all of which are easily mounted and either have Simhub compatibility (for example, the VPG wheels are all Nextion displays that Simhub supports) or are set up very easily.

Launched in late October 2022, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup DDU display is manufactured and sold by Grid Engineering who were recently acquired by Sim-Lab:

Anything with a Porsche badge gets me excited, but this isn’t some gimmicky dash. It’s quite unusual in terms of screen size and resolution. Grid Engineerings “True Size 10.3″ Display” running at a resolution of 1920 x 720px stands out as a more lifelike-looking dashboard over the typical, squarer shaped units. In terms of technical advancement in sim racing, this is a class-defining item.

It’s a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (official) replica where Porsche has approved the unit for Grid to create and sell. Compatibility-wise, it is a recognised device in Simhub’s hardware list making it customisable for every PC-based racing sim. That it will work out of the box in Assetto Corsa, iRacing, rFactor2, Assetto Corsa Competizione and more.

It’s a full-featured dashboard, meaning all critical information is relayed to you. The DDU-5 display from GRID is a professional 5” simulator dash that provides all the essential race data you need to maximise your driving performance. Attaching the DDU-5 to your sim racing cockpit will instantly make your rig feel more lifelike and increase your field of view as you will no longer need an in-car dash on your monitor.

The unit features a motorsports-grade aluminium enclosure, anodised with an industrial coating, which houses a vibrant LCD screen and 20 adjustable RGB LEDs. Both the screen and the LEDs are fully customisable.

You can use multiple software programs to assign endless combinations of racing data to the screen and LEDs like low fuel, RPMs, flags, etc., and fine-tune the brightness levels. In addition, GRID supplies all the mounting hardware needed to attach the DDU-5 display to your rig in the box. The device is compatible with most mainstream wheelbases and connects with a USB cable. For a full compatibility list, click here.

The GT3R Racing Display from Apex Sim Racing looks really nice installed (see picture below). The DDU is a 5-inch display compatible with Simhub and therefore PC only. It features a tempered scratch-resistant glass overlay and 34 RGB programmable LEDs (controlled via SimHub’s LED configuration manager) and features a 24-bit true colour 480 x 800 resolution screen.

This is a really nice unit, ideal for those of you who selected a sim racing wheel without a display (fair enough). The Simutec SDU-2, “sim data display unit” comes with a 4.3″ LCD colour display and 18 fully addressable RGB LEDs. There are customisation options available too:

The SD43-LED display is a multifunctional 4.3” simulator dash that shows all the vital race information you need to boost your performance. Mounting the SD43-LED display to your rig also adds to the overall realism of your cockpit and helps you make on-the-spot corrections that can improve your racing results.

The dash is compatible with SimHub or Z1 PC software packages and allows you to track live race data like your speed, RPMs, tire status, fuel levels, flags, etc. Plus, since you will no longer require an in-car dash on your monitor, you can increase your field of view and maximise your screen space.

With its USBD480 colour display and 23 full-colour RGB LEDs (13 LEDs along the top of the screen and 5 on either side), the number of combinations of racing data outputs is endless. Furthermore, the entire unit is encased in billet aluminium which makes it tough yet remains well-polished and not overly bulky.

The dash connects to your PC via a USB cable and is supplied with mounting brackets so you can quickly attach it to your chassis. As for hardware compatibility, the SD43-LED display works with most Fanatec and Simucube DD wheelbases. For a full list of compatible hardware, click here.

Software compatibility is broad and the DDU5 works alongside Z1 Dashboard, SimHub and JRT (Joel Real Timing), although of course, our preference is SimHub!

Precision has designed the DDU5 to work with the LM-Pro, GT3 Wireless and GT3 steering wheels and the mounting system is compatible with most motorsport steering wheels on the market. It can be fitted to all major direct drive wheel systems including Simucube, Fanatec Podium, SimSteering and OSW direct drive wheels.  All mounting hardware is included making installation very easy.

The carbon is 2mm thick and has front mounting MiGE / Simucube compatibility. Importantly, on the rear there’s a USB socket, and much like the button box on your sim steering wheel, the buttons will be immediately assignable to game controls in your favourite sim software.

If you’re looking for alternative layouts or compatibility with Fanatec wheelbases and different cockpits, check out this list from Apex Sim Racing. If you’re a DD2 / DD1 owner, check out this beauty:

To make a sim racing dashboard with your tablet, install Simhub, select your simulator platform, then head to Dashboards and click start on whatever dashboard you want to run.

Then open a browser on the tablet (being sure that it’s on the same network as your PC) and head to the IP address that Simhub gave you when you started the dashboard.

Take the IP address including the “:8888” (the port number) and open it in a browser on your tablet. It might not work the first time (which is OK we’ll get to that). If it does work you’ll see a screen like this:

From here, just select your dash and make the dashboard fullscreen with the options that appear at the top of the window. Your dash is now ready and will sprint to life when you open iRacing (or whatever sim racing software you use).

If the browser can’t open Simhub it’s probable that Simhub doesn’t have permission to open an external network connection. The fix is simple: open Windows Firewall and click “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall”.

You’ll be given a list of apps in Windows and a set of checkboxes next to each app name which gives permission to access the network. Find Simhub and click both checkboxes to the right:

Once you’ve OK’d the firewall settings, return to your tablet and refresh the browser. That’s it – a quick and easy racing dash for your sim. If you’re having any further issues, try this useful troubleshooting guide.

Of course, Simhub is extremely powerful and can do an awful lot more than dashboards on a mobile phone. Here’s how to make a DIY RGB rev light cluster for your sim racing simulator using Simhub and an Arduino.

The cheapest option is a simple 5-inch display, which was actually designed for use with a Raspberry Pi. It can be connected to the computer quickly and easily with a standard HDMI cable and requires only a micro USB cable as a power supply. For a case you can either get creative yourself or purchase one of the prefabricated ones online. The displays are available for sometimes under 50€. The price/performance ratio is unbeatable here.

Also available are displays from various manufacturers, which are specially designed for the purpose of Simracing. They are usually significantly(!) more expensive, but you get everything from a single source. Some available displays can be found here:

If you have chosen a kind of display, you are faced with the choice of the right software. The free software Simhub, which contains many pre-built dashboards, is compatible with almost every Sim. For Assetto Corsa Competizione, here’s a good start: Dashboards for Assetto Corsa Competizione. For iRacing there are also various providers for paid dashboards. One of them can be found here: Z1 Sim Dashboard.

The dilemma release … should I or should I not add Gran Turismo support ? SimHub is dedicated to PC games support and supporting Gran Turismo games which are console “only” was creating such big dilemma ! After a long (really long !) I finally decided to release it ! Have fun !

LEDS devices and LCD devices now have brightness control mappings (warning : some vocore models do not support very well changing the brightness on the fly)

Improved WRC telemetry automatic setup : the game tends to generate the setting file “when it wants”, SimHub will now create the file during configuration if it is still missing

Nextion dependencies are not bundled anymore, it’s available now as a separate installer : see https://github.com/SHWotever/SimHub/wiki/Nextion—End-of-support

8.0.3 was triggering kasperspy detection without any specific reasons. A simple recompilation with the very little changes listed above solved it … without any specific reasons neither … Antiviruses mysteries …

DashStudio Dashboards created with versions 7.X and prior will be automatically upgraded to the new file version. If you were using an older version and want to be able to rollback to versions 7.X make sure to do a backup first of your DashStudio dashboards contained in SimHub\DashTemplates folder.

This rework gets DashStudio editor closer to real life race dash editors (like Motec Display Creator), and gets the experience more in line to the designers “UX” standards like Visual Studio or similar. I sincerely hope you will like it !

Reorganised Dashstudio properties panels : images, screens and dashboard properties are now available from the top main menu instead of the complicated right column tab navigation

WebSocket (the communication layer between simhub and a remote web dashboard) now uses the same TCP port as the web interface, removing the need to have two TCP ports opened in firewalls.

New exclusive Drafting effect : Feel the the front opponent getting closer and closer and the wind accelerating when finally you start to overtake !This works with games reporting real player position inside telemetry (unfortunately that excludes Iracing)

Fix : Latest IRacing cars generates malformed session data (IE : Hyundai Elantra N TC). Added a workaround to suppress the malformated data and restore simhub connectivity when encountering it.

Added a property with current simhub server url (to allow using the webpageview to display something hosted in simhub’s server (see https://github.com/SHWotever/SimHub/issues/973#issuecomment-981088011 for an example)

Fixed USB displays behaviour when computer is trying to shutdown, USB display processes will delay their process shutdown until SimHub closes them properly.

Improved usb display handling, if SimHub is “killed” (task manager, debugging with VS (when working with the plugin sdk for instance) , the child display processes will try to properly close and shutdown the displays as soon as the parent process (simhub) is lost.

Added a splashscreen while simhub is loading instead of a “half loaded” UI. This should also solve some random black screen issues when starting simhub,

Added a “new plugins detected” dialog instead of the sad windows message boxes when starting simhub. When a/many new plugin(s) is/are detected simhub window will open after startup even if “start minimized” option is enabled.

Added a simple plugin for Belt tensionner , this takes back all the behaviors of the custom serial examples given, but with data visualization, smoothing, button box actions (release all/force zero/live telemetry) (plugin must be manually activated from simhub settings), belt tensionner plans are available on Simhub discord…

Added support for F12018-2020 game reported inputs to control simhub actions (even if consoles are not officially supported it will allow to control simhub from those games directly from the controller)

Dashstudio will now automatically skip frame when the previous one is not yet rendered, it should avoid some CPU overuse when heavy dash are running. It seems also to solve some internal WPF rendering locks which were occurring on multi GPU or after switching a game from exclusive fullscreen.

Global simhub settings are now stored with all the other settings inside “pluginsdata” folder and using the previously described automatic recovery in case of corrupted file (previous version settings will be automatically migrated).

I had feedback about few people having overwritten inadvertently their Arduino based device firmware (motion, button box …) with the Simhub arduino setup tool.

Arduino breaking changes : Starting from Simhub version 7.2.0 compatibility with obsolete sketches is removed (built before simhub 6.6). If your arduino device still use it, please update your arduino sketch or you can download the last version supporting it here

GTR2 now uses a dedicated plugin instead of simplified game shared memory (it makes more data available) From an original idea of The Sparten (Thanks to The Iron Wolf for the credit chain clarification !)

Arduino inputs are no longer given back via serial when using the gamepad option (reduces conflicts and useless latency), game pad should now work even if simhub is not connected(please note that it’s still intended to be used with Simhub)

Resolution changes improvements when using 4k monitors or similar Setups where windows would push the dash out of the screen when resolution was changing

The SIM Dashboard App gives you additional gauges for your favorite PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One Series X/S & Xbox One SIM Racing games. Select from more than 200 customizable widgets and create your personal display. Tachometer, Steering wheel display or timing screen, everything is possible, it"s up to you.

A Button Box is a screen containing virtual buttons that simulate keyboard keystrokes on your PC for every PC Game/Application. For example: Turn on the Lights of the in-game Car, start the Engine, …

Currently supported games: Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing, Forza Motorsport 7, Project Cars 1/2, R3E, F1 2010 - F1 2020, Dirt 2,3,Rally, Rally 2.0, Automobilista 1/2, Grid Autosport, Grid (2019), MotoGP18 & rFactor 1/2

Currently supported games: Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing, Forza Motorsport 7, Project Cars 1/2, R3E, F1 2010 - F1 2020, Dirt 2,3,Rally, Rally 2.0, Automobilista 1/2, Grid Autosport, Grid (2019), MotoGP18 & rFactor 1/2

Currently supported games: 3 temps per tire: R3E, rFactor 1 & 2, Automobilista 1, iRacing, GTR2, Race 07 1 temp per tire: Assetto Corsa (PC only), Assetto Corsa Competizione, Project Cars 1/2, F1 2017 - F1 2020, Forza Motorsport 7, Forza Horizon 4, Automobilista 2

Create a Button Box which is a screen containing virtual buttons that simulate keyboard keystrokes on your PC for every PC Game/Application. For example: Turn on the Lights of the in-game Car, start the Engine, …

Currently supported games: Assetto Corsa (only PC), Assetto Corsa Competizione, Project Cars 1/2, F1 2016 - F1 2020, iRacing, R3E, rFactor 1/2, Automobilista 1/2, LFS, Grand Prix 4

For this setup an Amazon Fire 7 Tablet running SIM Dashboard has been mounted between the Wheel and Wheel Base, so a Tachometer or virtual LED"s can be display behind/above the Wheel.

SIM Dashboard is a PS4/PS5 Second Screen. It runs on your Smartphone or Tablet and allows you to create a Race Dash, show realtime telemetry and add Realism to your PS4/PS5 Racing Games.

SIM Dashboard is NOT an official software of Slightly Mad Studios™, Kunos Simulazioni™, Codemasters™, SimBin Studios™, Sector3 Studios™, Image Space Incorporated™, Reiza Studios™, iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, LLC, BeamNG GmbH, SCS Software or Scawen Roberts, Eric Bailey, Victor van Vlaardingen.

The names Project Cars, Project Cars 2, Assetto Corsa, F1 2010 - F1 2017, DiRT 4, Dirt Rally, Grid Autosport GRID2, GRID, DiRT3, DiRT2, Race 07, GTR 2, RaceRoom Racing Experience, rFactor 1, rFactor 2, Automobilista, iRacing, BeamNG.drive, Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator and Live for Speed are used for identification purposes only. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

With its large 10-inch screen directly connected via HDMI to your simulator, display everything you need: dashboard, timing, live streaming, discord, OBS, ....

VDASH-EMU is the 2nd generation of my virtual racing dash emulator, powerful enough to simulate almost all real racing dash. It’s available for Android, Windows and a special version is bundled with the SIM Display SIM Race LCD.

Does the rev counter and 7 segment display on your Sim Wheel not quite cut it? For some games such as F1 2018, it’s absolutely critical to be able to see other vital statistics such as ERS charge, Engine Mode, etc.

In this video I show you how you can set up a realistic looking and highly functional digital gauge system using free software (Sim Hub) and an old Smartphone or Tablet.

The game I used as an example is F1 2018, but the same basic process applies to many popular sim racing games such as Assetto Corsa, Project Cars 2, iRacing, rFactor, Dirt 4, etc.

If you"re into gaming, you"ve probably asked yourself "should you get a TV or a monitor for sim racing?" Fortunately, we"re here to help you figure out the answer.

We"ve put together this guide to talk you through some of the pros and cons of each device before giving our overall verdict on which we think is best for racing.

Generally speaking, a mid-range 4K monitor, like this LG Ultragear featured in our best monitors for racing list, will be cheaper than a comparable 4K TV from the same manufacture, for example, this LG OLED C1 48” TV.

However, you do get a larger screen and a few extra features for your cash with a TV like the ability to watch television and, if you choose a smart TV, you can stream movies, watch YouTube videos, and even screen share from your smartphone on some devices.

With that being said, if you choose a smaller sized 4K TV, like this Samsung 32" Q60A, then you"ll likely find the price to be similarly matched to a comparably sized gaming monitor.

As previously touched on, TVs generally come in a wider variety of bigger sizes, meaning they should be more beneficial if you"re looking for something to use for more than just sim racing.

That"s not to say that you can"t pick up a large monitor though. For example, this Samsung Odyssey G9 is an impressive 49" thanks to its ultra-wide, curved display which should completely immerse you in the racing action.

With that being said, if you own one of the best sim racing seats or have a full cockpit setup, then you may find the smaller sizes of gaming monitors to be more favourable as they"re more likely to fit neatly onto your desk or racing rig stand.

One of the biggest upsides to choosing a gaming monitor over a TV is that it typically comes with a higher refresh rate and response time which is vital for keeping up with the fast-paced action of racing games, and ensuring your gaming experience is stutter-free.

For example, this ASUS ROG Swift features a hugely impressive 360hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. By comparison, the majority of modern TVs will either come with a 60 or 120hz refresh rate which should still be suitable for racing, but is not as fast as some of the mid to high-end gaming monitors.

Ultimately, the decision will come down to your preference and needs, however, in our opinion, a gaming monitor will offer a great gaming experience for serious sim racers thanks to its typically quicker response time and higher refresh rate.

iRacing is an excellent platform for on-demand, high-speed sim racing. On top of that, there are so many extra services that can make the experience even better. While some of these are paid services, such as the wealth of setups that we offer here at Coach Dave Academy, there are some excellent services that are available for free! In this article, we’ll discuss some of the must-have apps that can make iRacing just that bit more awesome for you.

Apps for iRacing are essentially mods. They do a variety of things, however, each has a common goal: to improve your iRacing experience. The way that they do this varies from app to app; some will be cosmetic, some will be aural, and some will be in the feeling of the car on the track. You’ll find these listed on a variety of websites, with some on their own sites and others on sites such as GitHub. However, the main question that comes from this bit is “how do I install them?”

Most of the apps on this list don’t require much in the way of installation. It’s typically just a matter of downloading them and opening them. Most apps can also be set to open when starting up your computer too, meaning you can just get up and go racing. This is the same in iRacing itself. Some of these tools use the Telemetry feature in iRacing to get the data they need to run, others just run within themselves. Either way, you’ll definitely want to go through the iRacing folder in your PC’s Documents folder every once in a while, some of these apps will really eat up your storage.

If you ask anybody on iRacing what “that one app” is that everyone should have, it’s Trading Paints. iRacing’s in-engine system for paints is a good starting point when it comes to making something that feels personalised, however Trading Paints is that next step up. You can access it through their [website], where you can also set up which paints you wish to run on your cars. It also, importantly, allows you to download the paint schemes of all of your rivals while you race. Want to race your McLaren MP4-30 in Papaya Orange against someone in a Ferrari F2004 livery? With Trading Paints, that’s a very real possibility!

The Virtual Racing School’s Telemetry Logger is a great way to track your progress as a driver with comprehensive details about your driving in each session you startup. It works both online and offline, meaning that you can make use of iRacing’s downtime to test out a new car and see how it stacks up compared to both its competitors and cars you already own. Do you want to try out that new GT3 and see how it compares to your current one? With this, you’ll be able to do that while also tracking your inputs and how the car itself behaves to them. This app runs off of the in-game Telemetry feature to record this information and, as well as being viewable by you, it’s something that you can share with anyone on your VRS “Team” to compare notes ahead of big sessions such as the many endurance races available on iRacing.

irFFB is a must-have app for iRacers. It’s a great add-on that makes the transition to iRacing from another sim like Assetto Corsa Competizione even smoother. irFFB is a way to customise your Force Feedback even more than you can with the in-engine settings, with the biggest reason for getting irFFB being its “SoP” factor. Literally meaning “Seat of Pants”, it uses the same Telemetry feature in iRacing as VRS’ Logger to add extra forces that you would usually feel through the seat to the feedback you get through the wheel. Not only is it something a bit more familiar to those coming into iRacing from other sims, it’s also a great way to really feel the limits of the car without splashing out on running something like a Buttkicker.

Okay, technically we’re cheating with this one. Crew Chief is a must-have for all sim racers, not just in iRacing. The way it works is simple: it looks at the information in your current session and feeds it back to you in place of your normal crew chief. The information it gives is incredibly comprehensive, telling you not only that somebody’s spun but also who has spun and where. Many people also use Crew Chief for its work in Assetto Corsa Competizione, which is also exemplary, but today we’re talking about its use in iRacing. And, as you can see from the rest of this list, this app is very simply a must-have.

iRacing’s “black boxes” are incredibly useful, but they’re also a bit limiting. With the one that comes with the engine, you can only have one of the many features on-screen at any given time such as your relative standing to other cars, overall standings, car info, and session info. RaceLab allows you to have several of these on-screen at once, as well as adding little extra pieces of info that can prove incredibly helpful. One such example is on the relative and standings, where you can find the iRating for your rivals as well as calculations for what your iRating might be after the session. If you’re having any problems constantly flicking through the boxes and getting the right information on the screen, this solution will fix that once and for all.

What is SIMRacingApps? Put short, it’s a way to be able to get a HUD running on other devices over the internet. Available on its website, you can use SIMRacingApps to put your HUD on a tablet or a smartphone. If you’ve got your view set up so you can’t see the car’s dashboard, or you want something a little bit more uniform than trying to figure out each and every different dashboard, then this is the app for you.

Want to be able to race week-in-week-out whilst not having to splash the cash on a literal ton of content? With the iRacing Week Planner, you’re able to both sort out the limited free time you have in order to go racing and also figure out what that next step is in your purchasing plan by seeing what’s running wherein the remainder of the season.

As a website, iRacing Stats lets you know how which races are best to head to and when. By tracking the number of drivers that enter into a race, as well as the number of overall starts in a series either by week or by season, it’s a good way to figure out if that next piece of content that you’re looking to pick up is worth the purchase or if you’re likely to end up in a bunch of races that fall short of the numbers required for an official race.

Okay, technically this isn’t one app but rather a collection of them. Available on Kutu’s website, you have a variety of tools at your disposal that rival the best that you can find in other programs such as RaceLabApps. An extensive fuel calculator allows you to see the ins and outs of the gas in the tank, whereas a setup comparison tool allows you to see which setup is better where, and the helmet overlay feature gives that extra touch of realism to those racing in VR by giving them a full-face helmet that comes up in front of their face.

These 10 apps are the absolute best if you’re looking to take the next step with your iRacing experience. If you’re looking for more hints at tips for iRacing, make sure to stay tuned or look through our articles on Coach Dave Academy. We also have a variety of setups updated weekly for series such as IMSA and GT3 Open series and an entire iRacing setup subscription to give you the best setups for your racing.

Many people have taken up sim racing lately, whether it"s to supplement their real racing / driving with simulator time, to race competitively on iRacing/ACC, or for the sheer enjoyment of racing around laser-scanned tracks in a plethora of real racing and road cars, sim racing really has so much to offer.

Current F1 World Champion Max Verstappen and fellow F1 driver Lando Norris are two mega sim racers, and admit that sim racing helped refine their racing skills! We can"t think of another real life sport and corresponding esport with such strong synergy.

Sim Racing allows you to race against your idols - literally. Whether it"s finding yourself in a iRacing lobby with a Formula 1 / IndyCar / Nascar driver, or hot lapping against the ghost times of a famous driver - you can pitch yourself again your idols and see how close you are.

F1 teams rely heavily on their "simulator drivers" who provide vital information for the F1 team on the setup and behaviour of their car. If F1 teams use the technology, then it shows the tangible value that a racing simulator provides, and so these are a must for all racing drivers and racing fans.

Top sim racers are making a living from sim racing - and in some cases a good living too! F1 teams have eSports F1 teams, and there are online championships with prizes of up to $500,000, and popular Twitch streamers can earn a lot too.

Sim Racer Enzo Bonito beat an ex-F1 driver at the 2018 Race of Champions! Enzo beat Lucas Di Grassi (ex-F1 and current Formula E driver) in an on-track duel - proof that sim racers can have skills on the track as well as the sim ✊

Many people have taken up sim racing lately, whether it"s to supplement their real driving with simulator time, or to race competitively on iRacing/ACC, or for the sheer enjoyment of racing around laser-scanned tracks - sim racing really has so much to offer.

1) There is A LOT of choiceSim Racing is continually becoming increasingly popular and more and more people are getting involved - more customers means more money for brands, and so as the sim racing market grows more manufacturers will try to sell your their products. Nowadays, there are a lot of products in the market so it"s very easy to get confused and not know which product is best for you.

If you want a proper sim racing setup, you will be spending several hundred pounds to several thousand pounds - basic Direct Drive wheels start from £800, a decent sim rig starts from £500, plus a seat usually from £250 and accessories cost from at least £50/£100 each! Add it all up, and you realise you have spent a lot of money! With this in mind, you really want to ensure what you are buying is right for you, and avoiding wasting money on something you don"t need.

3) CompatibilityThe amount of different products that aren"t compatible with each other is insane. Whether it"s a wheel that works only on a specific platform, or a rim that won"t fit, shifter or a rig (we sometimes say rig, other times we say sim rig, they mean the same thing) with pre-drilled holes for specific brands - you need to consider all of this when deciding what you buy.

In this guide, we"re going to go through all the things you need to consider when deciding to get into sim racing. One thing"s for sure, all of these products are fantastic, they all massively improve your experience - it"s just about finding the right ones for you.

This is the first step, and fortunately nowadays to have so many amazing racing games, that really don"t cost that much either! We"ll refer to these simulation games as "sims" from now on.

There"s games Formula 1, GT racing, Rallying, Touring cars, NASCAR, Rallycross, Karting and Drifting. Whatever your discipline, there"s bound to be a host of great sims available for your enjoyment! This is one of the many reasons sim racing is so popular nowadays, and as sim racing continues to prosper, so will the variety & quality of the sims.

If you"re a keen sim racer who wants the ultimate racing simulator with true-to-life physicsandthe highest graphical quality/frame rate, then you need to be using on a gaming PC.

Gaming PCs are more powerful than gaming consoles, and many of the best simulation games are available exclusively on PC (though some are available on gaming consoles too).

Some highlights of PC simulations include Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, KartKraft, RaceRoom Racing Experience. These are all PC games available for purchase from Steam and all offer (as near as possible) true-to-life simulation. Whilst a gaming PC is a big investment, we do believe it is a very worthwhile investment for any sim racer who seeks the most authentic sim racing experience. You can also install additional software on a PC to enhance the experience even further.

If you have a PlayStation 5 then Gran Turismo 7 is the king of racing simulation on this platform. Other popular games include F1 2022, Project Cars 2 and Dirt Rally 2.0.

Likewise if you have an Xbox Series X, then the upcoming Forza Motorsportgame will the king of racing games for this platform. But again, F1 2022, Project Cars 2 and Dirt Rally 2.0 are all good games. Forza Horizon 5 is less of a simulation racer, but is still great fun with a racing wheel and is so popular we had to include it, and its handling model is certainly far more realistic than the likes of Need for Speed and Burnout.

The sims you buy will depend on the platform(s) that you have: PC, PlayStation or Xbox. Some games are available on all platforms (e.g. F1 2022) whilst others are available on one platform only (e.g. Gran Turismo 7 is exclusive to PlayStation, iRacing is exclusive to PC), so do factor this in.

Most sims can be purchased by a one-off fee (typically £30-£50) and then will likely offer additional content in the form of DLC, which is charged as extra (often only a modest fee like £10).

An exception is iRacing, which uses a subscription model where the user pay for a timed subscription to the service with a selection of free cars/tracks, and other cars/track are available to purchase for a modest fee. RaceRoom Racing Experience is a free to play sim without any subscription fees but employs the same content purchasing mechanism as iRacing. We encourage you to try as many sims as you can, each plays differently and has its individual charms.

Wow - is there a lot of choice when it comes to racing wheels, and boy is that a good thing! We"re spoiled for choice these days, so to try and filer through the options we"ll broadly categorise all wheels into 4 different types:

This segment is now dominated by a range of lower-powered Direct Drive (DD) wheels, the so called entry-level division of DD wheels that we"re going to call small DDs. These small DDs offer many of the perks of a premium Direct Drive wheel, the main difference being that the wheel motor is smaller so the peak torque levels are lower (usually <10Nm). Direct Drive wheels are a game changer, and are undoubtedly the best racing wheels you can buy. Whether you choose a small DD, or a range-topping DD as we will discuss in the section below is down to your budget and requirements.

We maintain that you can still have an enjoyable sim racing experience by using small DDs as well as these full Direct Drive wheels, but if you seek a realistic and authentic sim racing experience then we believe you really must consider one of these types of Direct Drive wheel.

Unless you are buying a bundle, a Direct Drive wheelbase like the Simucube 2 will also require you to purchase a steering wheel. There are a variety of steering wheels of varying material, diameter, shape and functionality, all intended to suit the variety of racing categories. For example, steering wheels for Rallying are often round and moderate-large diameter, whereas steering wheels for Formula racing/single seater racing are often smaller diameter and open-wheel shaped (i.e. cut off top). Some people consequently choose to have multiple steering wheels, and use these interchangeably depending on what racing category they are using - that is, if they are rallying then they will attached to the rally wheel, and if they then swap to formula racing, they will swap this for their formula wheel. Whilst this isn"t mandatory, through the use of quick release adapters, one can easily and quickly switch between steering wheels.

For professional sim racers who want a very high end sim racing wheel with integrated displays and carbon fibre construction like in the above image (Cube Controls Formula CSX2), check out the likes of Cube Controls and GSI.

In summary, we recommend Direct Drive Wheels to all sim racers who want a realistic & authentic experience. It"s no surprise that the best sim racers in the world use Direct Drive, as it allows them to get the clearest & richest information about the behaviour of their car, giving them greater control of their car and allow them to get the final few tenths and thousandths off their lap times.

Direct Drive wheels are the most expensive racing wheel...but that"s because they"re the best. Once you use a Direct Drive wheel, you will never go back, indeed because of this the only racing wheels we sell on Upshift are Direct Drive.

We have respect for this guy, but in all seriousness he is highlighting a real problem -you need something to securely mount your racing wheel and pedals to!

You can"t mount a racing wheel on your desk (or ironing board!) and then have an enjoyable experience with it, because the average desk isn"t strong enough and the desk clamp will be flimsy, so the wheel will more than likely wobble and move under load, distracting you and ruining the experience. What"s the point in buying a fancy wheel and pedals if you can"t use them properly?

We fundamentally believe that if you want to have an enjoyable & immersive sim racing experience then you need something to mount your racing wheel & pedals to!

Wheel stands are cheaper than sim rigs, but they still aren"t objectively "cheap". The most basic wheel stands start from around £150, and the premium wheel stands like the Trak Racer FS3 and Next Level Racing wheel stand are between £150 - £200. For a lot of people (ourselves included) that is rather expensive for something that one could argue is essentially a glorified TV tray!

Wheel stands may be the only choice for people who are very short of space in their room. The big appeal of a wheel stand is that once you are done playing, you simply fold it up, and they fold into a small & compact form that is easy to store in a tight space. So if you are really short on space in your room, but need a mounting solution for your wheel, a wheel stand may be your ideal solution...

They are neither rigid nor heavy enough so the likelihood is the wheel and/or pedal decks will flex, which distracts you and will ultimately slow you down. You are restricted to fewer accessories (with only one mount, you couldn"t have both a handbrake and a shifter for example, you would only be able to use one), which again limits the quality of your sim racing experience.

Anyone who has ever been in a proper racing car will know that you sit low down in a deep, bolstered bucket seat and in an optimised seating position for easy access to the steering wheel, pedals and any shifters/handbrakes for maximum control of the car. With a wheel stand, it"s likely you"ll be sitting on a sofa or an office chair.

Direct Drive wheels are become evermore affordable and popular so it"s likely that soon you will soon buy one if you don"t have one already. Wheel stands generally cannot mount a Direct Drive Wheel; therefore whilst you may save money in the short term by buying a wheel stand, when you come to upgrade to Direct Drive, your wheel stand will be redundant and so you"ll need to buy a rig then. If you"re spending good money on a Direct Drive wheel, you simply can"t waste the whole experience by attaching it to a wheel stand. Forget them and go straight to a sim rig, you won"t regret doing so!

As with the lesser racing wheel types we mentioned above, we do not and will not sell any wheel stands as we believe they do not meet the needs of our customers.

Sim Rigs are fantastic: they"re strong, adjustable, flexible, comfortable, customisable and to be honest, pretty cool looking! They give you a perfect driving position, sat in a comfortable bucket seat with a strong and ergonomically placed wheel deck and pedal deck, many with lots of adjustment so you can adjust it to your liking so you"ve got all your hardware optimally and firmly mounted in place. With your wheel and pedals firmly mounted in place, and yourself set in a comfortable bucket seat, you can fully focus on immersing yourself in the sim and attack the corners with speed and precision.

Rigs are also very customisable, so you can add multiple different mounts, for anything from shifters/handbrakes to ButtKickers and button boxes. For anyone who wants to take sim racing seriously, and have a fully immersive sim racing experience, a Sim Rig is a must buy. Pictured below as examples are theTrak Racer TR8 PRO and the RSeat C1 Black:

Another tip is that before you buy your rig, you ought to know / have an idea of which wheel and pedals you will be selecting, as ensure that you match them with a sim rig of similar quality.Upshift"s selection of Sim Rigs are all high quality sim rigs that are compatible with a wide range of wheels from the likes of Fanatec, Logitech, Simucube, Thrustmaster and more, so one of our Sim Racing Experts can advise you on the best rig to go with your wheel and pedals.

Stronger rigs will be required for small DD wheels like the Fanatec CSL DD and Logitech Pro Racing Wheel that have heavy and powerful motors, such as the aforementioned Trak Racer TR8 PRO or RSeat B1.

For high-powered Direct Drive wheels like the Simucube 2 or Fanatec DD1/DD2 then you will need the strongest rigs on the market - specifically an aluminium profile rigs like the popular Trak Racer TR160 (pictured below).

If you were to use a cheaper rig that was too weak, it wouldflex and shudder/vibrate which would be uncomfortable & distracting. It"s therefore wise to purchase a rigid sim rig like the TR160 as it"s a prudent investment that ensures you can get the most out of your high end equipment.

Aluminium profile rigs prioritise function over form; most people don"t think they"re the prettiest rigs to look at (beauty is in the eye of the beholder though), but the principal benefit of aluminium profile rigs is their unrivalled strength and adjustability, allowing the user to attach powerful equipment to them for a zero flex sim racing experience. Striving to improve on existing designs, Trak Racer applied some of their ingenuity and with a few tweaks, their TR80, TR120 and TR160 sim rigs come finished in a stylish matt black powder coating with red cover strips and end caps all provided. When all combined, these greatly improve the aesthetic and make the TR80, TR120 & TR160 smart looking sim rigs, particularly the TR120 and TR160 whose thick chunky profiles give the rig a real presence aesthetically.

The Trak Racer TR160 and similar aluminium profile rigs usually have options to buy the rig without a seat such that you may mount your own seat. Dependent on what seat you want and seat mounting options, you could go to a scrapyard and pick up a seat from an old Ford Fiesta for £30, or you could buy an motorsport style Sparco bucket for £500 seat and fit that - seriously, whatever you want! As such, there"s loads of potential to customise your rig, which is nice.

Of course, a premium motorsport bucket seat will add more cost to the overall setup, but will be more authentic and a great touch to a setup for a motorsport enthusiast. Trak Racer provide a range of gaming seats that are more affordably priced and so are a popular option. A good bucket seat and a Trak Racer TR160 will total to approximately £1000 but in return you get an ultra-rigid, zero flex rig with an authentic, immersive racing bucket seat - well worth the price tag in our humble opinion!

In real life, most racing drivers are pretty small, about 65kg and <5"10, so they just slide straight into bucket seats without a problem. With sim racers though, there"s a little more variation! And by that, we mean we get people of any and all sizes wanting to start sim racing - be they tall, small, slim or large. So the bucket seat supplied with a rig might actually not be a perfect fit for you. Most manufacturers know this, so make their seats suitable for the average adult; some brands make a variety of seats, to fit people of different sizes and weights. The point we"re making is - you need to check the sizing diagrams of the seat, by either using the information we provide or by contacting us, and then whip out the tape measure and measure yourself to to see if you will fit.

But it"s not just if you will fit in the seat...it"s if you will fit comfortably!If you"re not comfortable in a seat, you won"t be able to focus on your racing because you will be distracted by the discomfort - and that lack of focus means you"ll miss braking points and apexes and ultimately be slower! It"s no surprise that, when racing drivers get their racing seats, they go in for test fittings to ensure the seat is moulded to them so it is a perfect, comfortable and intuitive fit, so they feel at one with the car.

On the topic of seating positions, there"s usually the choice between an upright position (typically referred to as GT style position) or a single seater/F1 style position. Obviously, if you"re wanting a simulator that replicates the feeling of being in a F1 car, then you will want the single seater/F1 style position. Whereas if you"re wanting a simulator that replicates being it a GT car, touring car racing, rally car, rallycross car or equivalent, then you will want the upright seating position.

Upright seating positions are more easily accessible and versatile, fitting many different types of sim racing games and indeed other simulator games such as flight simulation, truck simulation etc. Single seater/F1 style seating positions are more specialist, so whilst are undoubtedly very cool and offer an amazing driving position, they"re less accessible. The upright seating position type sim rigs are more popular as they cater for a wider variety of simulation games/genres. Nowadays there"s a variety of excellent sim rigs in the market now, so there"s guaranteed to be a rig that meets your demands! To browse our full selection of Sim Rigs,

Can"t decide on whether you want an upright GT style seating position or if you"d prefer a single seater F1 style seating position? Then how about a rig that can provide both a GT or F1 style sim rig! The answer for you is a hybrid sim rig, and the answer to this is the Alpine Racing TRX by Trak Racer.

Trak Racer, Sparco and other companies have a varied range of seats, to suit the varied shapes and sizes of sim racers out there. It is advised to pick a seat from the same manufacturer as the rig to be assured of compatibility, however it is possible to use an aftermarket/3rd party seat on a sim rig providing it fits. We can advise on this with all the rigs & seats we sell, but as a general guide, you will need to ensure that you"ve sorted out how the seats mounts, gap between mounting holes and width of the seat - in some instances, it can be harder than you may think.

We also urge you to look at the accessories you might want for your rig before you buy it. Most sim racers will have a shifter, handbrake and some other accessories (sometimes referred to as "peripherals") so you will need somewhere to mount them! Most rigs will come with several mounts and adapters (usually as additional extras) for you to attach to the rig, and then mount your accessories to.

It is easy to spend A LOT of money on a rig, so make sure you know exactly what you need, and want!Upshift partners with all the leading rig brands, including Trak Racer, Sparco Gaming & RSeat. Furthermore, our Sim Racing Experts know everything about the rigs we sell, so if you have any questions, get in touch with us and we"ll help. Get in touch by Live Chat, Messenger, email or phone.

There are simply loads of accessories available for sim racing nowadays. It makes our sim racing experience so much more enjoyable, but the massive number of different manufacturers also raises a new dilemma - Compatibility.

Here we will highlight some of the Best Accessories for Sim Racing, including Immersive Tactile Shakers, Motion Actuators, Seat, Motion Platforms, Monitors,Shifters& more.

The ButtKicker Gamer Plus is an awesome piece of kit - it"s "half-way" towards a motion platform with respect to the immersion yet for a much cheaper cost than your standard motion set. ButtKickers lets you feel the bumps of the track and rumble strip, and when you clout of the kerbs, and the vibrations of your engine by sending powerful vibrations through your seat/rig. Factory software is adequate, but there"s loads of options available (free and paid). We recommend SimHub. Suffice to say, once you"ve used ButtKicker, you"ll never go back.

A Direct Drive wheelbase is nothing without an equally good wheel. There"s a wide variety of wheels available, many costing as much as the Direct Drive motor itself. Our recommended wheels are Cube Controls, built using the highest quality components to be durable and robust racing wheel and finished with premium materials and exquisite designs. For those with larger budgets, we like the Cube Controls CSX-3 (pictured above) and GSI.

Introducing the Qubic System QS-220-PL, an industry-leading motion actuator set. The QS-220-PL actuators offer performance unmatched by anything else in the market, with an outstanding 800mm/s maximum velocity! This higher velocity figure transforms the motion experience; the motion feels more energetic and vigorous, much more like the physical experience of driving in reality. Combined with the maximum acceleration of 0.8G (limited for safety, not by hardware capability) and 100mm actuator stroke, these performance figures translate into providing a highly immersive & authentic motion simulation experience.

A good seat is a necessity if you want an authentic and enjoyable sim racing experience; a good fibreglass bucket seat starts at around £250, and rises to well over a thousand! Entry-level price point seats like the Motamec GT02 (and their GT seat range) are great fibreglass seats for those on a limited budget. If your budget is higher, then the a Sparco Sim Racing Seat offers true authentic motorsport design & heritage, examples being the Circuit II or EVO L, offering a premium & authentic racing design and finish quality.

If you are wanting the hands-down most realistic and authentic sim racing experience, and you"ve the budget to facilitate this, then we"ve got a treat for you: introducing the Qubic System QS-S25: the Ultimate 6DOF Racing Simulator

The Thrustmaster TH8A is by no means a new product, but it is a good shifter for the money. It features as both a manual H-pattern and sequential shifter: manual is 7 forward gears + reverse, and switching to sequential shifter is an simple process.

More expensive shifters such as the Frex GP Hshift+ of course improve materials, shift feel and durability substantially, but this is reserved mainly for the aficionados and manual enthusiasts who typically have large budgets to spend on peripherals; the majority of sim racers use the wheel-mounted shifter paddles or a sequential shifter, pure manual transmission cars are becoming ever rarer these days (in reality and sims).

When it comes to authentic driving, you MUST have a good set of pedals - in our opinion, anyone can learn the racing line and how to turn a steering wheel, however the very best drivers who get the most speed from the car master their inputs of the accelerator and brake pedal; that is, being earliest on the throttle and latest on the brakes. Therefore, a good set of pedals is a crucial part of any sim racing setup, and one that we place high emphasis on.

Our favourite pedals are the Asetek Invicta pedals which offer a truly authentic and realistic brake pedal feel like in a racing car. For those on a lower budget, Thrustmaster T-LCM and Fanatec Clubsport v3, and intermediate options being the Asetek Forte & Heusinkveld Sprint pedals.

If you"ve got any specific questions, our Sim Racing Experts are here to advise you on the best product(s) for your individual requirements and can provide tailored advice to you.

iRacing is the leading sim racing game for your PC. Developed as a centralized racing and competition service, iRacing organizes, hosts and officiates online racing on virtual tracks all around the world. In the fast-paced world of eSports, iRacing is a one-stop-shop for online racing. We utilize the latest technologies to recreate our ever-expanding lineup of famed race cars and tracks from the comfort of your home. Simulate what a professional NASCAR driver experiences inside the seat of a stock car, or a Grand Prix driver sees over the dash. All of the details add up to a lineup of cars and tracks that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. This creates unmatched immersion when sim racers take the green flag in our online racing simulator. Although iRacing is an online racing simulator at heart, the value as a training tool is just as real. The best sim racers in the world compete on iRacing and you can watch the race broadcasts live on the iRacing eSports Network.

Gamers looking for an unparalleled eSport driving experience will be right at home with iRacing. Compete against fellow online racers on all the iconic racetracks around the globe with more than 100 available tracks and 230 configurations. iRacing has all the NASCAR racing tracks to compete in. Join the many of our online racing leagues in any category of racing you prefer. We provide racing leagues for NASCAR, Grand Prix, Sports Car, and Dirt & Rally Car racing. Everyone starts their iRacing career as a rookie – and everything you need for your rookie season is included in your membership. You can race online in officially organized series where iRacing sets the schedule and keeps track of the championships points or set up your own private sessions. Create individual races or design a league for a full season – the choices are virtually unlimited. Join the tens of thousands already racing in our online racing community. iRacing hosts six World Championship series and pays more than $500,000 in cash prizes annually.

iRacing is a PC racing game that is used by professional drivers and casual gamers alike. Whether you are looking for the best online racing on your computer or prefer to compete against yourself and the clock, iRacing has you covered. All you need to start racing is a computer, driving wheel or controller, and an internet connection. The PC racing game has been running professional eSports series for over 10-years and is focused on growing this category of sim racing.

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