1 - INTRODUCTION, WHY SIM RACING?
Sim racing has exploded in popularity in recent times, bridging the gap between gaming and real-world motorsport. What started as an uncommon pastime has now evolved into an easily accessible hobby with many gamers wanting a taste of the action. Sim Racing now has million-pound tournaments, professional esports drivers, and technology so advanced it's used by top motorsports teams for testing and training.
At UK Gaming Computers, we've been involved in this evolution firsthand. A few of us have our own fancy sim-rigs at home, so if we're not building your new PC, we'll likely be hotlapping the Nordschleife, racing at Suzuka, or rallying in the virtual Welsh countryside.
Our high-performance gaming PCs are built to deliver ultimate performance, providing the most immersive sim racing experience possible. Whether you're a complete beginner, or a seasoned veteran looking to take your setup to the next level, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the ins and outs of Sim Racing in 2025.
The Benefits of Virtual Racing:
- Skill Development - Learn real racing techniques like trail braking, throttle control and racecraft.
- Accessibility - Race around tracks from every corner of the globe, without leaving home.
- Safety - Push the limits with no real-world consequences.
- Community - Join one of the thousands of communities hosting leagues and competitions.
- Cost-effective - Compared to the price of real track days, race events or karting, it's cheap!
2 - BUILDING YOUR SIM RACING RIG
1 - The Gaming PC
Sim Racing is one of the most demanding PC gaming genres, with games often recommending the latest, greatest hardware in order to run smoothly in multiplayer scenarios. We'll use Assetto Corsa EVO and iRacing as examples so we can get a good idea of what sort of performance levels the Gaming PC needs to be hitting.
UKGC Minimum & Recommend Assetto Corsa EVO Requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 4500 or Intel Core i5 12400F | AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D or Intel Core i7 12700K |
| GPU | Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB | Nvidia RTX 5070 12GB |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 | 32GB DDR4 or 32GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 500GB SSD | 1TB NVME SSD |
UKGC Minimum & Recommend iRacing Requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended | High End |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, Intel Core i7 12700K | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Intel Core i7 14700K | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, Intel Core i9 14900K |
| GPU | Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB | Nvidia RTX 5070 12GB | Nvidia RTX 5090 32GB |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 | 32GB DDR5 | 64GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB SSD | 2TB NVME SSD | 2TB NVME SSD |
Our PC Recommendations:
- Entry-Level - UKGC RS.01 Snetterton - Perfect for 1080p single-monitor racing.
- Mid-Range - UKGC RS.02 Cadwell - Handles triple 1440p or VR sim racing smoothly.
- High-End - UKGC RS.03 Silverstone - Designed for triple 4K monitors or high-refresh-rate VR.
2 - The Wheelbase & Steering Wheel(s)
The second most important part of your Sim Racing Rig is certainly the wheelbase and steering wheels. There are three main types of wheelbase that you should know about.
Gear-Driven Wheelbases are your entry level options, found in budget friendly setups like the Logitech G923. The Force Feedback is generally weak (1-3Nm) and they can feel notchy, but they are affordable, reliable and are a piece of cake to set up.
The next step up takes you to the realm of Belt-Driven wheelbases, this is a good stepping stone between the Entry Level & High End options however with newer Direct Drive wheels coming out at very competitive price points, it almost makes these Belt-Driven wheelbases irrelevant. The Thrustmaster T300RS is the most popular example of a Belt-Driven wheel, with Force Feedback levels of 3-5Nm and smoother rotation when compared to a Gear-Driven wheel.
Now for the high-end option, Direct Drive, or DD wheelbases. These use a motor connected directly to the wheel to give an instant response, exceptional force feedback (7-25Nm+), whilst feeling as close to real life as possible. Downsides are the price, and that they require very sturdy mounting. The most popular DD options are the Moza R5 and Fanatec CSL DD QR2, but more expensive options such as the Simucube 2 Pro, Fanatec Podium DD2 QR2 and Moza R21 are also available.
When choosing a wheelbase, it's important to take into consideration your budget, space, rig strength, future upgradability and game compatibility.
Some wheelbases also have switchable wheels, so it's worth looking into those options once you choose what wheelbase you want. If you're going to be racing only F1 games, get an F1 style rim. If you're not sure, a safe bet is a round GT style wheel.
3 - Pedals
Pedals are the next item to tick off, and the choice is as important as your wheelbase! Like the wheelbase, there is also three main types of pedal technology. Potentiometer-based, Load Cell & Hydraulic.
Potentiometer-based pedals are your basic option, they use a potentiometer to measure the position of the pedal and convert that data into an input. These are generally found in entry-level pedal sets, often when you find pedals bundled with a gear-driven wheel. These are good enough for a beginner, but if you're anywhere beyond that, you probably want something a bit better.
Load Cell pedals are the next step up, and make things much more realistic by using a load cell to measure the pressure, like a real braking system. The main benefit of a load cell pedal is the feedback consistency you get from the pedal, this makes it much easier to build that muscle memory in order to perfect your braking in-game. Examples of Load Cell pedals are the Thrustmaster T-LCM and Fanatec CSL LC. You may also find upgrade kits of potentiometer-based pedals, so before replacing your current set, see if there's a load-cell upgrade available.
If you're going for end-game, a Hydraulic pedal set is what you want. These are only found in professional grade systems, but give an even more realistic pedal feel. They use hydraulic damping, with a high-capacity (up to 200kg) loadcell so you not only get super-realistic brake feedback, but also a progressive pedal too. The Heusinkveld Ultimate+ pedals use this technology, and are often referred to as the best pedal set available, but they are well over £1000!
4 - The Rig
Now you've decided on a wheelbase and pedal set, it's time to figure out what you're bolting them to. There are four main categories when it comes to the actual rig, being desk clamps, foldable stands, tube frame cockpits and aluminium profile rigs.
For a low end setup, a desk clamp is a perfect way to get into the world of sim racing. They're sturdy enough when paired with a gear or belt driven wheel, but the ergonomics can leave much to be desired. If you haven't got the space, then this is what you're going to want to go for. Any wheel you're going to want to clamp to your desk will likely come with a desk clamp already. A UKGC top tip for using a desk clamped wheel, is to get yourself some lockable wheels for your chair, that way you'll still be able to put a decent amount of force through the pedals.
Foldable Stands are a good stepping stone between a desk clamp and a proper rig, they solve the ergonomics issue that you get with the desk mounted option, but can still lack rigidity. Space is also less of an issue compared to the below options, but they do of course still take up more space than a simple desk clamp. You'd get away with a low-end direct drive wheel on a foldable stand, but we wouldn't recommend going any higher than 6-7 Nm.
Tube Frame Cockpits are your "entry level" into a properly solid sim racing rig. They are rigid enough to support higher end direct drive wheels, but can have limited adjustability when compared to an Aluminium Profile rig. This is where you finally get more options when it comes to ergonomics, you'll find rigs that have different driving positions, and different seat options too.
Aluminium Profile Rigs are the gold standard, they utilise 8020 and 8040 aluminium profile to create a rig with the perfect ergonomics, full customisability and unrivalled strength. You can essentially make them as strong as you like, so if you're going for a 25 Nm wheelbase and pedals that can handle 140kg of force, this is what you're going to want to go for.
5 - Display Options
Now it's time to decide if you want to use monitor(s), or VR. Both have their perks, so lets go through your choices.
Single Monitor setups are the entry level option, it's the most affordable, easy to set up, but isn't the most immersive and can limit your field of view. If you want to keep things simple but improve this downside, a single ultrawide monitor is a good option too.
A Triple Monitor setup is the next step up, and for some, the endgame. This gives you a wider field of view (180°+), is much more immersive, but can be more difficult to set up and requires a decently powerful GPU. The set up is difficult because you have to align them perfectly, then get the angles right, and you have to take the bezel size into consideration. A FOV calculator can be handy for the alignment of the screens, and a bezel free kit can be used to help hide the monitor bezels.
VR is a popular choice when it comes to sim racers, it adds another level of immersion which increases the realism beyond what is capable with a monitor setup. It is recommended to have a top-tier GPU if you're wanting to run any sort of VR games, so the initial setup cost will be high. There is also the potential for motion sickness, trust me, flying off the road on DiRT Rally 2.0 is not the most fun experience in VR. There are a few different levels of VR headset, good choices being the Meta Quest 3 (wireless, easy setup), HTC Vive Pro 2 (wired but high resolution) and the Pimax Crystal Light (heavy, but insane resolution).
6 - Additional Peripherals
Gear Shifters are important for some racers, but if you're only going to be using the wheel paddles, then you don't need to bother. If you do need a shifter, you will want to go with either an H-pattern or sequential shifter. Some higher-end shifters come with different plates to convert them between the two types. The Thrustmaster TH8A is a great option, or if you don't want to spend £170, there are great universal options available from AliExpress, Amazon or eBay for £20-40, that are very similar to other more premium options.
If you're drifting or rallying, a handbrake is as important as any other part of your setup. You want something sturdy, but other than that, they are all very similar. The Moza HBP is a good choice, but we've also heard good things about Universal USB Handbrakes from AliExpress, Amazon or eBay.
A Button Box can be important if the type of racing you're doing requires quick access to many different functions. Easy access to functions such as ignition, wipers, brake bias, engine mapping, traction control settings and ABS settings will make you faster, we generally recommend to leave this out if you're not sure if you need it, but then upgrade if you think you'd find it useful. These are all very similar, so find one that you like the look of and go for that one!
Motion Systems are very advanced, but are also a great option if you want the most realistic sim experience possible. They enhance your immersion by adding motion and vibration, so you can feel every bump and kerb, and the G-forces in each corner. They are expensive, complex to set up, and have larger space requirements when compared to any other rig. You can get motion system kits that bolt onto an Aluminium Profile rig, so the option to upgrade is always there!
3 - WHAT SIMS SHOULD I BE USING?
Well, you've done it. You've decided what your sim rig is going to consist of, so now it's time to decide what simulator platform to get stuck in to. We'll go through all of the popular options here, to help you make that decision.
1 - iRacing
If it's the most realistic competitive multiplayer racing you're after, and you don't mind paying for quality, iRacing is what you want to go for. The built in racing ladder system is excellently structured, the tracks are continuously updated with laser-scanned precision and the Driver Safety Rating (SR) helps keep racing clean and competitive. The pricing model is a bit different to most other sim racing games, with a subscription requiring monthly payments, and additional payments for extra cars and tracks. The learning curve is also steep too, so if you're only just getting into the sim racing world, maybe start with something else first!
2 - Assetto Corsa Competizione
Licensed by SRO, ACC is renowned as the king of GT3 and GT4 sim racing. The handling and force feedback is unmatched, cars and tracks are true to life, and the graphics and sound are stunning. There's a great singleplayer career, but also multiplayer with thousands of communities running any sort of race format you can think of. Really the only downside is the lack of content outside of GT cars, so if you want to race in street cars or open-wheel cars, go for one of the other options.
3 - rFactor 2
Realistic physics are where rFactor 2 shines, with the best tyre and suspension simulations, dynamic weather and track evolution, and an almost limitless catalogue of community made content. The AI is excellent too, so the offline racing is great too. Being an older title, the graphics are dated when compared to ACC, F124 or iRacing. This age also shows when it comes to the slightly clunky UI too.
4 - F124
If you're an F1 fan, then of course you're going to want to play the latest F1 simulator game! It's not the most realistic, but the official F1 license means it has all of your favourite teams, drivers and tracks. The career mode is great fun, allowing you to build your own career throughout multiple seasons. As mentioned above, it's not the most realistic and most would call it a "sim-cade" title, and the yearly releases can make it quite expensive.
5 - Assetto Corsa
The modder's playground, Assetto Corsa. The base game is a bit rubbish, but install Content Manager, Custom Shaders Patch, your favourite cars & tracks, and you've got one of the most fun sim games available. It's older now, so will run on almost any PC, has excellent VR support and has the best community for drifting too.
6 - Other Noteworthy Simulator Games
- Assetto Corsa EVO - Only recent into open beta, but is looking to be a worthy successor to Assetto Corsa, with open world aspects for a brand new Assetto Corsa experience.
- Project CARS 2 - Quite arcadey in comparison to other simulators, but has a good car and track selection available.
- BeamNG.drive - Hilarious damage modelling, not quite a simulator but it's a lot of fun.
- Forza Motorsport - The newest iteration of Forza Motorsport has come a long way but is still arcadey, the graphics are great though!
- DiRT Rally 2.0 - Arguably the best rally title out there, there are newer DiRT games but we like this one the best.
4 - SUMMARY
Ready to Race? Check our our range of Racing Simulator PCs to match your dream setup with the perfect hardware. Whichever you choose, we've got a PC that'll make it sing. From our £xxx.xx RS.01 Snetterton for Assetto Corsa and BeamNG:Drive, to the £xxxx.xx RS.03 Silverstone beast for 4K iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione and VR DiRT Rally 2.0.
Still need help deciding? Have a chat with our sim-obsessed staff who can help recommend ideal hardware, share setup tips and warn you about Monza T1 chaos!