How to start simracing in 2025

 You’ve somehow ended up here—thinking about sim racing. Maybe you watched a streamer absolutely flying around Spa and thought, “I could probably do that.” Or maybe you just want an excuse to buy cool gadgets and yell at pretend race cars in the comfort of your bedroom. Whatever the reason, welcome. You’re about to go down a rabbit hole that’s fast, frustrating, and surprisingly addictive.

Let’s break this whole sim racing thing down, step by step.

In this video we will go through all main topics simracing related, from hardware in general with some technical choices, priorities, going all the way to the sims and attitude to carry forward to start simracing, going from simple to complicated. This is not a video about reaching for the wallet to spend money, its actually the opposite. But if you do, use one of the wallets from our videos sponsor, Ekster.

The first step coming into simracing is understanding if you want to do simracing at all. For very long Ive maintained that before even starting with a basic kit, if you have a gamepad or keyboard, thats enough to understand if you want to move something more serious.

If thats the case, the first gear you should get if you still totally uncertain, because some hobbies you pick up for just a few months and then leave, should be a good but affordable bundle that considers where you want to race on. Here you have to maximise the bang for the buck. I have a few affiliate links in the description to help the channel out, including my amazon store where there are curated simracing items, and few other more in depth guides. Definitely hit a sub to the channel and a like if this guide helps  

The main recommendations will depend if you want just PC or console, but they irregardless, will be affordable bundles the logitech g29 or G923 because they are plentiful, they can be bought in second hand, brick and mortar, amazon, and they are very easy to flip if you decide to leave the hobby. These dont even need anything else, its wheel and pedals, and can be mounted in most desks.  Im ignoring a bit the t300rs because it sits in awkward position in terms of price and gets to be outshined by newer wheels. Depending on price it may be a good choice.

Nowadays there are very entry level direct drive wheelbases that come  with pedals and a wheel as well, with the advantage of having a quick release system to change wheels and having an ecosystem to mix and match. These include the fanatec csl dd r2r bundle, the moza r3, moza r5 bundles, the thrustmaster t598 and a few more. All of these are able to be mounted on a desk with adaptors. Make sure if the bundle comes with it though. 

Now lets get more advanced, the money sink part of the hobby. Before going there, make sure you budget and prioritise. Its super easy to go overboard. I have a video about a mostly complete simrig for around $1000 with plenty of choices and ideas, check it out. 

There are a few fundamental parts you should have in your simrig in order to be functional and long lasting.

First of all, where to mount everything. If you are space constrained, theres always a desk, its feasible, but some of the later hardware choices will be limited. If you are still space limited but still want something solid theres choices of wheelstands and compact foldable rigs that nowadays allow for more equipment to be used on top. 

Aluminum rigs is where most of the best choices reside nowadays, as there are many choices for many types of wallets. They are modular, sturdy and super adaptable to your needs. You can even build your own stuff.

When buying a rig that you want to have for many years, buy one that it at least 80 width. You can know if its by counting how many rails it has. Its 40 per rail, so two rail grooves will be enough.  A 80 side rig will give you all the rigidity youll need. 

Look for simrigs with that 80 profile, a good pedal tray, super important, and a good wheelbase deck that is rigid and compatible with most wheelbases out there. Pretty much every single rtig being sold does that, but check specifications and reviews. 

The aluminum profiles you can even build other parts of the rig like monitor stands, connected to the rig or standalone mounting.

Speaking of monitors there a few solutions. Every single one should have your PC in mind. 

The most popular choice is single screen due to its low effort, long drag. There are many affordable choices out there with great response rate and color rendition. Its simple to push, the lower resolution the less power you need of course. I use a 55 inch TV as a single screen solution for the scale. There are also single screen ultrawides or super wultawide choices that will wrap the driver more. It still comes with simplicity of connections, only really two cables to run, but at the expense of more pixels to push. The awareness is superior, not as much as the next choice.

Triple screens are probably the most popular choice for those that get serious. The wrap around is incredible, therefore the situational awareness will be advantageous. Using triples will require a much heavier investment on your pc and peripherals.

Last option is VR. In terms of overal immersion its the best available. You literally feel a perfect field of view. Not all VRs are created equal, thats true of everything else, but much more so with VR, because the quality of the panel, the resolution per eye, the size of the headset will impact pc performance and comfort.

The choice of wheelbase and pedals will depend on your budget. If you are coming out of the most basic equipment to commit to the hobby, select the equipment based on budget but also, in my opinion, based on “buy once cry once”, to avoid equipment churn for marginal gains.

Its better to spend once in a higher tier of equipment than spend multiple times to get to the same tier to begin with. Those incremental upgrades cost more money in the long run. The quality of most equipment nowadays is also good enough anyways that a jump from a mid tier to high tier means absolutely nothing laptime wise. The goldilocks zone for price to performance is between 9 to 15Nm as most brands offer something that performs incredibly well and they are more or less future proof. Once again, buy once, cry once. A good target is the 12Nm with Moza, simagic, fanatec, logitech and conspit with excellent offers that may even cover the consoles.

Always go direct drives, never consider belts or gear driven equipment when you move out of the basic entry lçevel equipment, as the price point for direct drives is now incredibly low, so no point looking elsewhere. The choices will depend if you want PC or console racing. Console racing, especially playstation will be more expensive.

Each ecosystem will have their own quick release. Depending on brand they can have offers for multiple types of driving, though there are plenty of offers for third party wheels.

Pedals though, are where most of the time is gained or lost. For pedals always look for pedals with at the very least a loadcell if you are upgrading from a bundled pedal set. Loadcells have the advantage of measuring pressure and not distance for the brake pedal. They can start fairly affordable at around 150 dollars or less. Always look for pedals that have a good degree of flexibility on the loadcell brake stack so you can change elastomers or springs to better suit your taste. There are really good mid range pedal sets like the fanatec csl elite v2 or the moza CRP2 but the offer is really plentiful.   

There are also other types of pedals like active pedals or hydraulic. These tend to be quite expensive so only viable if you want end game type of equipment. 

Equipment is just one part of the story. While exciting, youll still need to drive a sim. There are many choices, depending on what driving discipline you will want to follow, if you are looking for something casual, or competitive with daily racing-

With the consoles though the choices are limited.

In the Playstation theres the behemoth of Gran Turismo 7. Its a title that really doesnt need much introduction. It has been the start for many in simracing as it is much of a museum for car culture as it is has been a place for competitive racing.

The counterpart for the playstation and the PC is Forza Motorsport. While it has not been as well received as gran turismo 7, it has a great deal of content and in many ways its comparable to gt7, minus the tone of the game. Both GT7 and Forza are good casual games with a good deal of simulation value that dont require a lot of commitment. They can be as casual or as competitive as you want. 

While on the consoles, another option would be assetto corsa competizione, but this one is bigger on the PC, so lets have a look at the PC titles. 

iRacing: Still the go-to for serious online racing. Lots of races, safety ratings, and a matchmaking system that rewards not crashing (so... good luck). It’s not cheap, but it’s polished and super competitive. The choices go all the way from ovals to multiclass sports cars with a progressive career based on your safety rating

Assetto Corsa: The sandbox of the sim world. You can race just about anything on just about any track if you dive into mods. Want to race a Trex around Nürburgring? There’s probably a mod for that. This game is an essential in my opinion well worth the price, and even spending a bit on a few essential mods to completely change your experience.

Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC): More focused than its older sibling. This one’s all about GT cars and endurance racing. Looks beautiful, feels great, and has a competitive online community in 2025 via LFM, but its lack of support means the game is losing some steam.

Le Mans Ultimate (LMU): This is the new-ish kid on the grid, and it’s been making waves. LMU focuses on endurance racing—think 24 Hours of Le Mans, World Endurance Championship (WEC), and all the hybrid hypercar goodness. The game launched with solid physics and great visuals, and by 2025, it's matured into a properly polished sim with a full version launch g very soon. Expect full day-night cycles, multi-class racing (read: traffic nightmares), and long stints that test your focus and bladder control. If you’ve ever dreamed of racing a ferrari hypercar at sunrise in France, this is where it happens.

Then rFactor 2, RaceRoom, AMS2: More niche but loved by diehards. Great physics, solid single-player, and each has its own flavor. Not as plug-and-play, but can berewarding once you settle in. They also have now competitive racing integrated.

My go tos lately have been le mans ultimate and iracing. Assetto Corsa for doing some road driving.

This is for sports car racing and ovals, but if rally is what makes you tick there are a few options too

DiRT Rally 2.0: Still a favorite among rally fans even in 2025. It’s not brand new, but the driving feel, car selection, and stage design still hold up. It’s punishing, it’s intense, and if you sneeze at the wrong moment, you’ll find yourself upside down in a ditch. In a good way.

EA Sports WRC (2023 and beyond): Codemasters took over the official WRC game and gave it the DiRT Rally treatment—The stage variety is top-tier, and the 2025 updates have smoothed out most of the early launch bugs. It’s a solid entry point for rally fans, especially if you want something a bit more modern. Its not as liked, but it has its advantages.

Richard Burns Rally (RBR): The cult classic. Originally released in 2004 (!) and still going strong thanks to an absolutely rabid modding community. It’s the sim that sim racers whisper about in dark corners of Discord. It’s not beginner-friendly, but if you want the most realistic, no-handholding, pure rally experience? This is it. Just be ready to suffer a bit.

Here’s a quick reality check: you’re probably going to be terrible at first. You’ll spin out. You’ll brake too late. You’ll try to be brave through a corner and end up mowing invisible grass. And that’s perfectly fine.

Improving in sim racing takes a lot of time. It’s kind of like learning an instrument… except your “wrong notes” involve crashing into tire barriers.

Some tips:

Practice with purpose: Instead of just hotlapping until your eyes bleed, focus on specific things. Brake earlier. Hit the same apex consistently. Work on smooth steering. Small stuff adds up. Then start braking later, experimenting with brake releases to learn proper brake discipline.

Watch faster drivers: Whether it’s onboard videos, replays, or ghost laps, studying the quick ones is incredibly helpful. Theyll give out generally very useful tips. Where to look

Use tools if you feel stuck: There are apps and overlays now that can show you your lap data, braking points, and even give AI coaching in 2025. If you want to get better, these are gold. I can recommend channels sponsor coach dave academy delta that has setups, telemetry, video tips on their youtube channel and even AI analysis. Its unskippable if you really want to improve.

Don’t skip the basics: Things like trail braking, throttle control, and proper racing lines matter more than fancy setups or flashy liveries. There are a lot of online resources, including videos showing techniques and how apply them.

Eventually, you'll start connecting the dots. And nothing beats the feeling of nailing a perfect lap—except maybe doing it again in a race with someone right on your tail.

Step 4: The Mental Game – Drive Your Brain, Too

Sim racing is as much about attitude as it is about technique. You’ll need patience, focus, and the ability to laugh at yourself when things go horribly wrong (which they will). 

Here are some mindset tips to keep you sane:

You’re not in Formula 1. Chill out, have fun, and don’t get mad if you get outqualified by 3 seconds. It happens. It happens to me even today. 

Don’t be a hero on Lap 1. Seriously. The amount of races ruined before Turn 2 is unreal. Ease into it and pick your battles. Be intelligent, calculate your risks.

Race clean: Respect other drivers. Give space. Apologize if you mess up. That reputation follows you online. Even when bad stuff happens, dont let your ego make you see red. Dont ever try to retaliate or escalate. 

Enjoy the process: The improvements are often slow, but they’re real. And every little win—like a clean race, or a new personal best—feels amazing.

Think of sim racing as a long-term thing. Not a sprint, but a never-ending time trial where you slowly suck less over time.

In 2025, sim racing has never been more accessible or more fun. Whether you’re a total beginner or a car nerd looking for something new, there’s a place for you here.

You don’t need the best gear, or the fanciest sim, or the fastest lap times. You just need curiosity, a bit of patience, and a willingness to learn.

So go on—get your gear, pick a sim, spin out a few dozen times, and start the journey. It’s frustrating. It’s thrilling. And yeah, it’s totally worth it.

See you out there.

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