THE SIM RACERS WHERE E-SPORTS AND MOTOR RACING COLLIDE

We start our virtual engines to explore the world of motorsport simulators with e-sports big names

- Tom Jervis [e-mail]

MOTOR racing has, in principle, stayed very much the same over the past 150 years or so, since the first organised race in the UK was held in Manchester between what were described as “two road steam carriages”. But whether the vehicle is powered by steam, petrol or electricity, the fundamentals remain consistent: the fastest car wins.

Video games, on the other hand, have seen a dramatic transformation over the years. While there almost always remains an ‘objective’ — whether that be solve a puzzle, slay a horde of zombies or win a race — the sheer complexity and number of games available have exploded over the past few decades. In fact, many people now argue that video games can genuinely be considered as an art form.

Competitive gaming has existed since the days of arcade consoles, but thanks to the rise in popularity of online gaming, so-called ‘e-sports’ have attracted millions of players across different platforms and genres in recent years — including in the category of racing games.

But what is sim racing? Is it just a fad? How does it compare with the real thing, and why should you care? We visited the Gran Turismo World Series in London to find out.

WHAT IS SIM RACING?

Sim racing differs from playing traditional car-racing video games because these ‘games’ are designed to provide players with as much realism as possible, with the ability to race against other players online or in person.

There are numerous sim-racing games out there that can be played either on consoles, such as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox, or on high-end gaming PCs. Some titles will even be exclusive to specific platforms.

The most popular of these, such as Gran Turismo, Assetto Corsa, F1 25 and Rennsport, all have their own major championships with big prize money at stake, as well as the potential of gaining a seat in a real-life racing series.

HOW REALISTIC IS SIM RACING?