I’ve been a virtual racer far longer than I have been a real racer. 😛
Me? I swear by Gran Turismo 4 + the Hyperdrive Racing Cockpit + The Logitech Driving Force Pro. This, IMO, is probably the best combo you can buy out there for your home as far as realistic, immersive racing can go. I’ve logged god-knows how many hours on this (i dont even wanna guess!).
GT4 is a great, great game. It’s a true, hardcore simulator…none of that silly Need for Speed stuff. The physics are pretty accurate to cars (doesnt apply much to karts, unfortunately) from what i’ve found. Its got some issues, like the computer AI cars suck, and barely ever provide a challenge, or they just wipe the floor with you (and they dont know how to race! 👿 ). The car sounds suck as well. But there’s an amazing variety in the cars, and there’s some great tracks (Nurburgring, Infineon, and Sarthe, to name a few!), and the good far, far outweighs the bad. The Physics are top notch, well worth the buy. The Driving Force Pro is a fantastic steering wheel, best one on the market (it has 900 degree steering lock and very nice, strong force feedback!). And the Hyperdrive cockpit is just about the best/cheapest way to mount your wheel to something other than a table.
It’s kind of an expensive package all together, but there’s no better way to go full immersion virtual racing in your living room. It’s a great way to build your hand-eye coordination skills, feel for the car (albiet virtual), spatial awareness, and racer’s instinct. Not to mention a great way to kill an entire day! 8)
And you’d be shocked how many skills learned in the virtual helmet of GT4 will translate to the real world. If you pound around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe and Sears Point as much as I have….you’ll understand. :cheers: