Being a racing simulator unique of it's kind, iRacing sports some unique features that are not common to other games. While having a "pay to play" subscription system, newer players are wondering, how much will iRacing cost them.
Usually what you expect is the one-time purchase of the game and playing to your heart's content, with the option of buying additional instalments. However, iRacing offers subscription on a monthly basis for you to compete on its tracks. That being said, how much does it cost?
We're here to give you a breakdown of what you'll be looking to pay to join the sim racing world.
iRacing subscription plans cost
iRacing is admittedly, on the pricier end of what video games usually cost, a single month of subscription, will cost you $12.99. But, this gets cheaper the longer the subscription plan you opt for is. For instance, the 2-year plan regularly costs $199, which translates to around $8.29 a month.
You might be wondering, even the 2-year plan sounds quite expensive! However, iRacing is notorious for their deals and sales. You can always check their membership plans on their website, to see what kind of offers you may find. At the moment, they are offering 40% off all their plans for newer members.
If you're a racing fan looking to get into sim racing's biggest title, this is your window! Costing $7.80 for a single month, and $119.40 for 2 full years, which means a month would cost you $4.97! You would be paying almost half as much as you usually would!
Importantly, there are also perks you get with the basic membership. You can check what the plan offers you in our detailed list, which includes bonus features, discounts, and special events!
iRacing hardware costs
As nearly every PC game offers you, there is a minimum required for you to run the game functionally, but the game can be experienced differently the better your setup is.
A list of minimum, recommended, and high-end optimisation requirements are all compiled by the iRacing team in a list. Their list also offers you a tool that checks if your system can run the game, aiding you in times of uncertainty. All in all, it is unlikely that you would require an upgrade to your current setup. The bare minimum requirements is met by most current generation systems.
If you are looking to cop some fancy peripherals, you might have to spend a bit more on your rig. There is also a comprehensive list of wheels and controllers that work with iRacing! Could be a regular console controller, costing you around $50 on average, unless you already own one. Or you could go all the way to get a brand new Logitech G920 wheel costing you $399.99.
You could also invest in a VR headset such as the Oculus or the HTC Vive. It'll be a few hundred, or thousand dollars depending on what you decide to cop. If you really want the full experience, you could go ahead and get yourself a full motion life-size cockpit!
In game add-on's
Finally, iRacing offers you a large amount of laser scanned cars and tracks. You get 16 for free with the required membership. and each additional car, will cost you $11.95. On the bright side, it is definitely cheaper than a real car!
In addition, each track will require you to pay a one-time fee of either $11.95 or $14.95, depending on the track. And hosting a private 4-hour session will cost you $2.
All in all, iRacing stays true to its principle that says, "Anyone Can Race". With the game being available to almost anyone on nearly any modern PC, the only cost you must pay is the iRacing subscription cost. But the limit is your imagination, and budget, with all the options available! You can get creative to get the experience you want, and tailor it to your liking. Make sure to tune in again for anything you need to know on iRacing, right here!