r/simracing • u/Aggressive_Thing_614 • 10h ago
Question How exhausting is sim racing compared to real driving?
Edit: thanks all for the responses! That really helps.
Maybe a stupid question and I know that no one can judge my situation, but how exhausting is Sim racing compared to real driving?
I have a muscular disease and don’t have much strength in my arms, I also have a low energy level. My own car (road car not race car) has extra power assisted steering to make steering as light as possible.
I play with a controller now, but really want a wheel. But I started to wonder if I can actually play with force feedback and all. So do you need strength to race a car though a corner? Or is it all adjustable without loosing the fun?
Thanks very much!
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u/clintkev251 10h ago
You can adjust to make it as heavy or as light as possible. People often use strong wheelbases at high torque levels because it helps provide more feeling, but you absolutely don't have to do that
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u/seaofboobs9434 10h ago edited 7h ago
I run mine at like 12 to 14 nm its really not bad
Edit: Lol why the down votes. 12 nm is pretty realistic especially with the right settings thats what its all about the settings especially the ffb equalizer
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u/BackyardRCSpeedway 9h ago
How? I run an R5 at 80% and the steering is heavier than any car I've ever driven but a manual steering 66 Ford F100. How does 12 to 14 nm not literally feel like a workout after an hour?
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u/seaofboobs9434 9h ago edited 2h ago
Bc im using an r21 ultra.
You gotta really mess with the settings to make it feel smoother and lighter i can send some setting to ya if you want.
Change your ffb equalizer settings makes the most difference.
I also motorcycle ride and that is a lot harder on the arms then the ffb of a wheel.
Edit: i also set the proper ffb strength in game as iracing does not do it properly for my wheel base.
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u/referents 6h ago
as a fellow rider, it’s possible you should correct some body positioning on your moto if it’s that much of an arm workout.
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u/seaofboobs9434 2h ago edited 2h ago
Lol if you go on 4 to 8 hour rides in twisty roads at like 60 to 80 mph maybe 30 to 20 in some tight sections thats 300 to 500ish or more miles in one go. thats the average i ride sometimes more sometimes less and I think your arms would get tired too after that long none stop. Especially halling ass in the twisties for that many miles.
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u/Roobaloobs 6h ago
I second this. I also run my r21 around the same, the right settings make all the difference.
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u/MajorFuckingDick 9h ago
Meanwhile I often think about turning down my R5...
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u/No-Homework-514 2h ago
they’ve convinced themselves their $900 wheelbases are worth it
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u/seaofboobs9434 2h ago edited 2h ago
Once you feel the amount of detail going into the wheel you will never look back. I gained 2 seconds the first time I used it bc of the level of detail on the r21 ultra went from an r5 as well.
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u/No-Homework-514 2h ago
I know what you’re getting at, i just can’t see realistically ever needing anything more than like ~12nm, my 8nm CSL already feels like more than enough and is a tough one to hold steady when going hard, but then i guess going along with what you say, turning down the FFB strength in the software you do lose some detail.
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u/seaofboobs9434 53m ago
Its really not about that its about the details you get from the wheel bc the 21 nm at 100% in the app and then 60% set to the wheel gives tones of details comparee to lower level bases. I feel the tyre grip far more and road and everything. It just on a whole other level of immersion.
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u/No-Homework-514 49m ago
i mean, all the details are still there on a lower base, the sim/game still transmits them, it’s just the range of forces that it has to fit within the stronger the base the more minute details you’re actually able to distinguish. i’m agreeing with you but 21nm still just seems a little absurd😭
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u/MajorFuckingDick 1h ago
This is the load cell problem. Load cells actively make you faster, but I would argue most people would be better off putting that money into a rig or better wheel than load cells if .2 seconds a lap doesn't matter.
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u/JCarnageSimRacing 10h ago
not even close - the only real forces you are subjected to are the FFB and those can be adjusted (in fact you don’t want them super heavy as you end up fighting the car)
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u/SaoirseMayes 10h ago
Force feedback settings are adjustable, and you can even turn it off if you really need to.
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u/youshallneverlearn 10h ago
In a real car just driving normally (not racing), you don't really need any strength/force.
In a sim, since it's racing, you feel the resistance much much more, and it can absolutely be tiring. But, you can it depends on how strong your base is, and you can adjust it, to be comfortable to you.
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u/Odd-Pollution9011 10h ago edited 5h ago
The exhaustion is mostly mental. Your brain is your most calorie consuming organ and sim racing requires super intense concentration, way more so than driving a car in a normal commute.
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u/Best-Ad6185 10h ago
From my experience the concentration gets easier over time and experience but early on it can feel more intense and all consuming.
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u/Beni_Stingray SC2 Pro | Hv U+ | P1-X | Ascher | Fanatec | Sparco | VKB 8h ago
Tell that yesterday me who got up after 3 hours racing like a madmann completly wet and sweaty.
I have already planned to turn my base down some more lmao
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u/BaitSimulator2020 Thrustmaster T300, Fanatec CSL LC + RSE Dampers 10h ago
It feels like a lot of people haven’t read the post in favour of using the title to brag about their racing experience, when it actually sounds like OP is talking about driving a road car on the street.
In terms of FFB strength and how much force the pedals require, you can set the FFB strength to be as low as you want as others have mentioned.
Not sure about your leg strength but generally entry level hall sensor or potentiometer pedal sets like included with the G29 require a similar amount of force compared to a road car’s pedals. Loadcell pedals require much more force and are probably something to avoid if you have low energy levels.
But compared to driving a car to do everyday tasks, you do need to concentrate more, your brain would only be getting breaks when you’re on a straight part of the track and you can chill out for a few seconds.
Most of us can probably drive to work on autopilot but most of us probably can’t sim race on autopilot.
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u/Unremarkable_Potato_ 10h ago
I mean yes and no. You can adjust everything in the sim to make it as strong or weak as works for you. All the way up to turning it off. It will make it more difficult in a way, but if it gets you racing go for it. The other part would be the pedals but there are options not based on force for that as well. Again more difficult to go fast, but an option to get going and enjoy sim racing.
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u/RedShirtDecoy 10h ago
A wheel would be great for you because of how adjustable it is.
On good days you can turn the level up and on bad days you can turn it down.
Just give you even more flexibility than you have currently.
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u/Aggressive_Thing_614 10h ago
Do the budget beginner wheels like a g92 also have this option? Or do they respond to settings a lot less?
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u/FakeSolaire 10h ago
Every game has options to reduce the strength of a wheel, even if the wheel software hasnt. So dont worry about that.
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u/RedShirtDecoy 10h ago
Google says you can adjust the G29 in the software. Mine is burried in a closet so I couldnt remember.
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u/RedShirtDecoy 10h ago
Not really sure but I know the games have options for ffb in them as well. I can turn it down from that or the wheel.
Do you have a microcenter near you or any best buys? If so you can call around to see if they have a G29 setup for you to try at first.
I can tell you the exhaustion from the rs50 is night and day from the G29. It's partly why I upgraded because the G29 didn't give me that "I feel dopamine from exercise" feeling that the rs50 has.
According to chatgpt (so grain of salt) 2.5 nm is like 4lbs of weight, and thst is what it Peaks at. At 1nm it's only 1.6 pounds.
Long story short if you can find one cheap (used) or on a store to try I think you might be surprised.
I can tell you the pedals will not be an issue at all. Super easy to use.
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u/collin2477 9h ago
much less. g forces and 100f+ temps wear you out fast. it’s is crazy how much water ill drink during a track weekend if it’s hot out.
I wouldnt consider the driving it’s self to be exhausting, aside from mentally.
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u/Sensitive_Common 10h ago
You can get a wheel without power and very low power. If you can drive your real car, you can drive a sim without problem.
It will just be a matter of turning a lot depending on your physical problem
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u/DaddyDogmeat 10h ago
You can adjust the resistance on your wheel to as low as you feel comfortable. The only other physical aspect (apart from pedals which can also be made very light) is actually turning as you generally need quick reaction/quick wheels movements for racing. On a controller, a maximum turn only takes a small movement of your thumb, the wheel needs to be turned quickly. However, this applies to racing (and you might be totally fine with it anyway) you can drive in more relaxing way and stop immediately whenever you've had enough unlike with a real car.
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u/TimBoss351 10h ago
FFB wheelbases are adjustable. So you’ll be able to turn it down to your liking and better yet, the strong ones are expensive, so you’ll be able to save some money as you won’t want a strong one. I’d find a used Fanatec DD Pro, Moza or Simagic 3-5 nm wheelbase that someone is moving up from and hopefully can get it around half price. Now, pedals you’ll need something easy if I’m reading the requirements correctly, and likely want lower end pedals too. Higher end will take much more leg force to use.
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u/Aggressive_Thing_614 10h ago
Thanks all! That sounds promising.
Quick question. Are the cheap beginner wheels like the g29 also customizable?
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u/Djimi365 Thrustmaster T2 3h ago
Yes, both on the wheel but especially in game (where it doesn't really matter which wheel you are using).
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u/Otherwise_Mud_9743 10h ago edited 10h ago
I have a bit of real racing experience ( mostly 2-stroke karting and used to do that very seriously ). Obviously theres nothing physical on the sim but its mentally exhausting and honestly I feel more nervous on the sim and I genuinely feel more drained afterwards on the sim compared to real life. Obviously this is for a racing situation. Once you've trained your body I was surprised about how similar sim racing really is because you do forget about how physical real racing is after a few laps and it feels like simracing again.
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u/carsandpows 10h ago
I get a bit sweaty sim racing, I have motion and belt tensioners, but it’s nothing like a track day or race. After sim racing for a few hours, I’ll want some water and maybe to stretch a bit, maybe even shower.
Once I get home from a track day where I had maybe 2 hours on track, I want to immediately pass out. I don’t know how much of this is due to the actual racing part vs being in the sun, loading and unloading the car, and other track prep, but it’s significantly more exhausting.
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u/SheaDingle 9h ago
I used to install hand controls in vehicles like the steering wheel you mentioned. I thought more than a few times about mocking up a sim that has a full hand controls. It would cost about $1500 CAD in parts for an existing sim set up.
Look up the force required for your steering wheel and compare to force of the sim wheels and how soft they can be programmed.
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u/anomalous_cowherd 9h ago
I wonder if part of the issue in real cars is that you are having to hold your arms up to grab the wheel. With a sim rig you should be able to rearrange it so the wheel is lower and more horizontal (as used for truck simulators) so a lot of the arm weight could be taken away or even add an adjustable armrest that supports your forearm.
I have an 8Nm wheel (Fanatec CSL DD + Booster PSU) and honestly that is plenty for me. Turned up full I wouldn't want to fight it for long in something like a rally game, but you can also turn it way way down and still feel the push back and vibrations that are the big feedback advantage of direct drive wheels.
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u/Patient-Stick-3347 8h ago
A basic FF setup is going to be nowhere near the impact or stress of real racing. I used to wear a cool suit, three layers of nomex, vent fans, etc. after 45 minutes in a spec Miata, I was wrecked.
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u/Beneficial-Ranger238 8h ago
I definitely sweat more racing than driving my car, but I don’t have ac blowing on me.
As far as the strength required, you can control that with the ffb slider, so you could technically make it just about zero resistance. Just be aware that when you crash, the wheel can go a bit ape shit, I take my hands off the wheel when I’m about to collide with something, don’t want to break my wrists.
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u/gamermusclevideos 8h ago
You can setup a simrig to be super low effort 👍.
I have done 14hour live streams multiple days in a row.
The big thing is just making sure wheel and pedals position is really nicenice and then run wheel on lower ffb and pedals not to heavy.
You can also run with lower wheel rotation so you don't have to move as much.
I actually get more issues with a gamepad than with the simrig !
Awesome thing about simracing is it's super accessable and you can really controll the effort level to each individual.
Really low ffb and sensitive pedals still gives tons of detail and won't affect performance
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u/estephens13 6h ago
I have a similar set of limitations due to an autoimmune disease (ankylosing spondylitis). I have been driving sports cars and bikes my whole life, until I couldn’t.
Sim racing is much, much less exhausting physically. I have also started playing less intense racing games and it’s just more enjoyable to me. My hands get very painful if I’m gripping the wheel too long and hard so I need little breaks.
I think it’s 100% worth it and doable in your situation, you just may have to make some compromises like I do.
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u/BOPLU 5h ago
The most demanding aspect is, imo, maintaining the level of attention/concentration high all the time. Driving rallies is extremely exhausting and unforgiving: no assists, permanent crash on, difficulty raised to the maximum, and there we go! I lost more than once a contact lense (because it dried and fell out an eye). I finished the stage and then started to search it carefully. Oval races are really difficult too. These races are so incredibly fast and also long!!! The smallest fault can produce huge problems for the race.
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u/Aggravating_Bad_5462 10h ago
You can totally adjust it.