Which Sim Racing Game Is The Best For You In 2023?

Summary

Jimmy Broadbent compares major sim-racing games by cost, accessibility, variety, driving feel, and online racing. His main advice is to choose a game based on what you want from the hobby and what you can afford. For newcomers, he recommends starting with a more accessible, inexpensive game before considering iRacing’s higher costs.

Games and Highlights

Assetto Corsa

• Broadbent’s pick for best value and a strong all-round starting point. The Ultimate Edition is often inexpensive during Steam sales.
• The PC version has an extensive modding community, which adds cars, tracks, weather, lighting, and day-to-night transitions.
• Downsides include weak AI and difficulty finding good public online races without joining a league.

Automobilista 2

• A convenient “pick up and play” option with a wide range of cars and tracks, including unusual Brazilian circuits.
• It is easy to get started, but its single-player offerings are limited, and accessible wheel-to-wheel online racing can be hard to find.
• Broadbent considers it a worthwhile alternative to Assetto Corsa, though he finds it harder to recommend over it.

rFactor 2

• Offers highly rewarding driving, strong force feedback, detailed physics, capable AI, and an advanced weather system.
• Its complexity and rough edges can make it harder to set up and learn than other sims.
• Worth considering if you are willing to tune settings and work through its quirks.

Richard Burns Rally

• An older rally game sustained by its modding community. Getting it set up can take effort, and its visuals, sounds, and some stages show their age.
• Its appeal is the demanding driving: it is brutal and unforgiving, making it a standout choice for rally enthusiasts who value challenge over polish.

DiRT Rally 2.0

• A more accessible and polished rally option, with strong immersion and enjoyable stages.
• It is more forgiving than Richard Burns Rally, allowing drivers to recover from bigger mistakes.
• Broadbent particularly enjoys taking the Metro 6R4 through stages.

WRC Games

Broadbent briefly mentions the series, saying the entries had felt similar since around WRC 8. He tentatively singles out WRC 9, while noting he had not played them all recently.

RaceRoom Racing Experience

• A free-to-play option with a selection of cars and tracks, and a good way to try online racing without an upfront purchase.
• Broadbent says the driving still feels good despite the older-looking engine.
• Additional content requires paid DLC, which can add up.

Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC)

• Focused primarily on GT racing, especially GT3 cars from the GT World Challenge, with GT4s and some cup cars also available.
• Its focused car roster suits players seeking competitive GT racing, but not those looking for lots of different vehicle types.
• It has built-in driver ratings and grading, though finding good ranked races can still be difficult. Broadbent also describes its career mode as basic.

iRacing

• Broadbent praises its driving, detailed laser-scanned cars and tracks, and especially its extensive ranked online racing. iRating and Safety Rating help match drivers, while special events provide additional competition.
• Its major drawback is cost: it requires a subscription, and cars and tracks are often purchased separately. A full season can become expensive, and buying all content would cost well into four figures while still requiring a subscription.
• Broadbent feels the expense can be worthwhile for long-term players, but suggests Assetto Corsa or Automobilista 2 as more approachable starting points.

Console Options

• F1 22 offers online racing and esports pathways, including the possibility of qualifying for F1 Esports. Broadbent also notes its single-player career mode, while acknowledging criticism and cheating concerns.
• Gran Turismo 7 has a large, competitive online community and is presented as a strong option for players limited to console.

Featured Gamer and Source

• Jimmy Broadbent — presenter and reviewer.
• Sim Racing GP — video sponsor. Broadbent says it aims to make online racing easier and cheaper for games with limited native online functionality.