What do you need for a sim racing setup? Our guide to getting started

If you've ever wondered what you need for a sim racing setup, you've fortunately come to the right place.

We've put together this guide to help you build and upgrade your setup to take your racing game experience to the next level.

Providing you've got a console or PC to play on, we've got everything you need to increase your immersion in your favourite racing titles right here.

Racing Wheel

One of the first moves a lot of people make when they decide to upgrade their sim racing setup is to invest in a wheel. When it comes to finding the right one, however, you are spoilt for choice.

A popular type of wheel is one that includes Force Feedback like this Logitech G923 featured in our list of the best racing wheels for Xbox.

As discussed in our Force Feedback guide, this additional simulation technique is designed to replicate what the driver would feel if he were to race under the exact same conditions in the same location in real life and, ultimately, provide you with a ton of extra information on how your car is performing.

You can also buy a wheel without Force Feedback, or take things a step further and pick up a device with Direct Drive.

This technique refers to when a racing wheel is mounted directly onto the motor via a quick-release hub, allowing you to feel the full effect of the feedback as there are fewer components involved between you, the wheel, and the mechanism.

Racing Seat

We feel the next logical step would be to invest in a racing seat to ensure you're comfortable whilst gaming, but, again, you've got a few options to consider.

If you mainly play your favourite racing titles at a desk, then picking up a gaming chair, like this noblechairs HERO, could be the way to go.

Despite being primarily an office-style chair, its design isn't too dissimilar to the bucket seat which features in a large majority of real-life racing cars.

The alternative leads us to our next category...

Racing Cockpit

Rather than selecting a stand-alone gaming chair, it may be more beneficial to pick up a full racing cockpit, like this Next Level Racing GT Track featured in our list of the best racing seats, as it contains everything you need to house your racing peripherals.

For example, this bit of kit features fully adjustable steering, shifter, and pedal mounts to suit your preference, and is compatible with Next Level Racing's motion platform to take your racing simulation one step further.

Racing Accessories

While not absolutely necessary, you may want to pick up a few extras to completely round off your ultimate sim-racing setup.

For example, purchasing a manual gear stick, like this Logitech Driving Force Shifter, gives you the option of switching between manual or paddle changes depending on the car you're driving, thus adding an extra element of authenticity.

You could also pick up a top pair of racing gloves to take your sim setup to the next level by adding realism, and also helping you maintain control over your wheel with the added grip.

However, one of the most popular racing accessories is the Buttkicker Gamer2.

This unique bit of kit is halfway towards a full motion platform as it's designed to let you feel the bumps of the track, when you hit the kerbs, and the vibrations of your engine by sending powerful feedback through your racing chair.

Overall, the aforementioned hardware are all great bits of kit that should take your sim racing setup up a gear.

Read More: Best budget racing setup equipment available now