Vehicle simulators have honestly ruined me, man. Like actually ruined. It’s 2:13 a.m. right now (or 2:14, whatever, my phone’s facedown so i don’t see the screen burn of my lap time). I just binned it on the exit of Pouhon because my left foot twitched and locked the rears like a total clown. My heart is still hammering. The rig is still rocking side to side like it’s mocking me. Send help.
wait ok real talk: when did this even happen to me
i swear it started innocent. christmas 2022 i got a logitech g29 because “haha funny steering wheel go brrr”. fast forward two years and i’m bolting a $3k motion platform to the floor while my wife texts me from upstairs “are you seriously drilling at 11pm again???” yeah karen i am, this Next Level Racing V3 thing isn’t gonna level itself. first time the rig pitched me forward under hard braking at COTA i legit yelped like a dog that just got its tail stepped on. that’s when i knew arcade racers were dead to me forever. here’s the exact motion platform that broke my brain if you wanna join the cult → https://nextlevelracing.com/products/next-level-racing-motion-platform-v3/
the part where i admit i’m actually getting fat
ok don’t judge me but i’ve put on legit 18 pounds since i built this stupid thing. used to mountain bike every weekend. now my cardio is mashing a h-pattern shifter while stress-eating hot takis. my lower back cracks like bubble wrap when i finally stand up. and yeah there was that one time i tried heel-and-toe in my daily civic and almost became a youtube fail compilation in the walmart parking lot. muscle memory is a liar and i hate her.
but also… i’m weirdly better at real driving now?
this is the messed up part. after like 1200 hours in Assetto Corsa Competizione (which is still the king, fight me) i caught a slide on ice last winter and just… corrected it. smooth opposite lock, no drama. my passengers were screaming. i was calm as hell. vehicle simulators turned me into a sleeper danger to society and i’m not even sorry. if you haven’t tried ACC yet, fix your life: https://assettocorsa.gg/competizione/
are vehicle simulators straight up murdering regular racing games
yes. next question. forza horizon 5 is gorgeous and all but after you’ve felt 20nm of torque rip the wheel outta your hands when you lock up at 170 into turn 1 it just feels… fake? like playing with fisher-price toys. i miss the chaos of split-screen mario kart nights with the boys and too much mountain dew but i physically can’t go back. my brain is broken. send new brain.
the money hole (don’t do the math trust me)
- dd1 wheel base: why
- v3 pedals: stop
- motion platform: i said stop
- triple 49s: please
- every single car in iracing because “i might need the mazda one day”: i have a problem
i could’ve bought a real miata. twice. instead i have rgb puke and a room that smells like gamer and despair.
anyway yeah i think they’re the future but at what cost
direct drive is hitting 30+nm now, motion is getting scary good, vr finally stopped making me hurl. the tech is insane. but also… it’s kinda lonely? i miss when racing games were just dumb fun on a couch with friends yelling at each other. now i get anxiety if my irating drops 50 points. progress??
so final verdict from a dude who should probably touch grass (or sleep): vehicle simulators are absolutely the future of racing games. they just might take your soul, your wallet, and your lower back with them.
if you’re about to buy your first wheel… start with a g29 and a dream. and maybe hide your credit card. and tell your family you love them.
