Is VR Worth it for Sim Racing?

Sim racing might be one of the best innovations in the e-sports industry. It has been nearly revolutionary and changed how we think about gaming entirely. Of course, not everyone has the same opinions about gaming, and questions ‘is VR worth it for sim racing?’ are common on Google search.

We love sim racing and don’t have a particular preference between VR and monitors. However, we understand that it affects the money you’ll invest in the gear, so it is a critical topic. Therefore, this blog’s purpose is to explore the difference between gaming monitors and VR.

We will also address reasons why people might prefer one option over the other to make it simpler for you to decide.

How the Visual Experience Works in Sim Racing

Firstly, let’s look at the purpose VR serves in sim racing. VR headsets cover the visual part of the sim racing experience. Hence, they are up against gaming monitors, the standard for this activity.

Monitors have been the norm for gaming since time immemorial, so there’s a general tendency to choose them over the alternative. But, let’s discuss the visual experience we need from sim racing before judging which is better.

Attention Retention

The visual needs to grab and hold attention because what else is the point of a simulation? Your expensive equipment, software, and all preparations have a single goal: to make you believe you are physically part of the activity.

Hence the visual needs to do its part of the work.

Have Realistic Effects

The color, design, and animation need to be realistic, and the medium needs to be good enough to support better quality. For example, the visual quality standard for gaming monitors is far higher than regular monitors because they need to give premium output.

The less realistic the imagery is, the less successful it emulates the real experience.

Now that we know the goals, we can consider how VR measures up against them.

Differences between Monitor and VR Experience

Knowing the answer to ‘is VR worth it for sim racing’ will require a basic comparison with monitors. So, let’s get started.

1. Visual Coverage

Both monitors and VR headsets have great visual coverage, but the best VR headsets rate slightly higher. The Pimax Vision 8KX has the best reviews, and it gives a 200-degree visual range. That’s an impressive feat because it covers the 180-degree human eyesight range.

Monitors are not lagging too far in the area either, with businesses improving their models and arrangements to improve visual coverage. The only difference is that you’ll wear the VR headset, so your vision will be entirely surrounded, while monitors still leave you free to look at other things.

2. Cost

The cost of a single premium monitor is only slightly higher than the cost of the best VR headset; however, there’s a catch. You’ll likely be using three monitors, not one, for your sim racing experience so that that cost will multiply.

Granted, you can choose not to get the most expensive monitor available, but even the less expensive ones will be $200-$300 cheaper per unit. That’s still a substantially higher cost compared to the VR headset.

Remember that you do need a monitor even when you’re using the headset to boot the software, but that monitor doesn’t need incredible graphics since the game visuals will appear once you wear the gear.

3. Space

A VR headset gets the upper hand in space optimization because it is portable and much smaller than monitors. However, you also won’t casually take your sim racing equipment around, so portability isn’t a big factor here.

So, VR headsets are more convenient because they are easier to store, which isn’t the case with monitors.

4. Realism

Our honest opinion is that both mediums give a fair sense of realism to the visual experience. Monitors are high definition and can give ample visual coverage depending on the number you use, keeping you free and flexible.

VR headsets make the visual hyper-realistic by covering your eyes, so the world depicted inside is the only one you see. They also have great color and animation support, so you won’t have to worry about poor quality.

Their cons also cancel them out, in our opinion. For example, monitors leave room for distraction if your eyes catch sight of something else. Similarly, VR headsets can be uncomfortable when worn for longer durations. The discomfort can become quite a distraction during gameplay.

Hence, both have their respective pros and cons for realism.

5. Sound Support

Sound support is where VR takes the lead due to several reasons. Gamers prefer to use external sound systems for their preferred sound quality, so gaming monitors with in-built speakers aren’t in demand. Therefore, your monitors may only provide visual output.

The VR headsets have in-built speakers and a system that closely aligns sound origination with the visual. For example, the system operates such that if a box drops to the right side of your vision, the sound will reach your right eardrums faster and more intensely than your left eardrums.

The purpose is to enhance the realism of the experience.

Is Sim Racing Worth It?

Finally, it is time to answer the golden question. Is VR worth it for sim racing? Absolutely! However, it also depends entirely on your preferences. People who get easily distracted will definitely enjoy VR more since it minimizes visual and auditory stimuli.

It is also easier on the pocket to have a premium sim-racing experience without paying for three high-end monitors. Plus, space optimization works well if you don’t have a lot of room to set up your gear.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, you can guiltlessly get that VR headset you have set your eyes on and get a standard monitor. Your sim racing experience will still be perfectly immersive, and you’ll feel like you’re participating in the race.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog and welcome you to check out the others for more information about sim racing.