Do video games help

[itsnotanova]

Like the title says. Do any of you play racing games to help with your ability on the track? I’m thinking at a minimum it might help learn and remember tracks.

[steved0x]

Yes, I learned the layout for road Atlanta and sebring from playing Forza, and with a wheel and pedals finally got heel/toe braking and rev matching down (while trying to learn Sebring). I used rFactor1 to learn the layout of Carolina Motorsports Park.

My friend Caleb (Cayman and spec miata) uses iracing with a good wheel and pedals and says he learns real car control with it.

Do you have a sim or system in mind?

[The Radium King]

i am interested in this. a lot of the young track rats up here sim race in the winter and swear by it. in fact, one of the open wheel race teams run a sim company w high-end seats and wheels, etc. dont get it myself, but if it works ...

[Bebbetufs]

Yes. Some racers have sold their cars to buy sim racing gear. It is cheaper and very realistic.
Can sims cause recklessness though? When I went to the real track the first time I found I went faster than my ability. Not having experienced a real crash I did not fear it enough. I've had to remind myself that there is no reset button in the real car, unfortunately.

Tip: get the Field Of View correct for your game so distances aren't skewed.

[edc]

Having just spent some time at the Porsche Experience Centre nearly all on the wet and low friction stuff then no amount of Gran Turismo helps for that.

[Bebbetufs]

Originally Posted by edc

Having just spent some time at the Porsche Experience Centre nearly all on the wet and low friction stuff then no amount of Gran Turismo helps for that.

Maybe we need to distinguish sims from video games? Some examples of sims in my mind would be iRacing (which has laser scanned tracks, so they are identical to the real ones), F1 sims, Asetto Corsa, etc. combined with proper hardware such as a very good steering wheel and load-cell pedals.

F1 pilots use sims in their training and in my experience a proper simulator definitively works. Of course a motion platform makes a big difference for those who can afford them.

I consider it a video game if you steer using a game pad from the sofa. These are of limited value, although they will definitely teach choosing the correct line and avoid turning in too early.

[itsnotanova]

I'm not a gamer so I don't have any knowledge on what's good and what's not. I had a Xbox for ten years that got used mostly to watch dvd's. I had one road rally racing game and it didn't seem realistic enough to me. I want to start tracking my car soon and thought maybe about buying another system. That's if it's worth it? Track time can be expensive. I'm thinking a gaming system might save me time/money at the track.

[itsnotanova]

What's the difference between a sim and just a regular video game with a steering wheel controller? foot pedals and a shifter? I'd also like to know what systems you guys have. Thanks

[Bebbetufs]

This is a good starting point. The Simpit. Be aware of sponsored reviews.

In my opinion the difference is this.
Video game: Focus is on fun and a feeling of speed. Realism is sacrificed for ease of use and fun.
Simulator: The focus is on realism. The feeling of speed and ease of access is sacrificed for realism. These computer programs go to great lengths to simulate tracks, tyre wear, tyre temps, corner weighting etc as closely to the real world as possible. This often means it is difficult at first to succeed. They also go to great lengths to ensure that the hardware used to control the program convey the feel of the car's movements as closely as possible.

For example. My simulator cockpit has a steering wheel with strong motors that move the wheel and let's me "feel" what the steering does and the grip of the tyres on the surface. The resolution and accuracy of this feedback from the simulator has become much better in the last few years.

Tip: If I were to do this again I would ensure I had a separate room form my simulator where it was always accessible. The hassle of having to rig it up in my living room every time is too much, and I find that I don't use it as much as a really should and would like.

[edc]

My point was whether you learn the corner sequence of a track on a simulator or video game is to me a bit irrelevant. The feel of a car and how it reacts in a real dynamic situation is much harder to replicate. If a simulator can very accurate relocate that then great.

[Bebbetufs]

As long as the imput motions are the same. I think the brain adapts well between the two. It is true that you don't get exactly the same cues from the sim as a real car. Generally you get less, so it is harder in a sense. It teaches you to drive through mistakes, where to look and how to react, even if the cue that triggered the reaction was limited compared to those you get on track.

To those who haven't tried a real sim I highly recommend you find someone who races one and give it a go. iRacing is generally considered the most realistic and serious. Many professionals use it to learn new tracks and to compete online.

[edc]

I think for professionals like those in F1 who use a simulator to practise new tracks or try new lines it's complementary to the real driving. They are at a level that they don't use a simulator for car control and techniques. For mere mortals like most of us, then for me you can use it for the lines etc but it's no substitute for real driving.

[Bebbetufs]

I agree, it is no substitute, but I do believe it helps a lot. Remember that there is almost no testing in F1 these days. Just about the only practice they get is during the race weekends. Everything else is done on the simulator.

For maximum realism you need this in addittion to the normal gaming computer:
3 screens or 3 projectors. You can get away with one, but you lose the sense of speed and it becomes harder to judge lines and braking.
Steering wheel $500 or more.
Fanatec CSL Elite is a good option in this price range.

Pedals with realistic clutch and load-cell brake: $350
Fanatec Club Sport Pedals is a good bang for the buck option.

+ Seat and a sturdy frame (Buy ready made or make your own)

This is not cheap, but as I said I truly believe it is worth it. It has helped me hone my heel-and-toe skills among other things.

There are other products out there which may be just as good or better. Thrustmaster may have some. I don't know them myself, so I can't say much about them.

[Bebbetufs]

ALMS driver Patrick Long was recently spotted preparing with Richard Lietz at CXC Simulations in Los Angeles, California. Both are regular visitors to the facility and agree with other drivers that simulation is an important part of their training. Currently, Infinity Red Bull Racing is preparing its team for the Canadian Grand Prix with several hours of trial runs on the simulator. The track, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, is known for its challenging surface with very slow corners. The team has been analysing the tyres and suspension to hopefully get better prepared than its competitors.

Whole article

[That986]

To a point it can help but the one thing it can't replicate is G-force and feel.

As most people who push a car will tell you what you feel through your butt and internal gyros while driving can never be replicated properly.

[BRAN]

They sure do...luckily lacking the physical part...and that is why a lot of professions/professionals are using simulations...pilots, all sorts of military personell, race drivers, etc.

I have a complete Fanatec ClubSport rig (CSW V2, 918 wheel, pedals, shifter, handbrake mounted to an APIGA2 stand). Assetto Corsa (PC) with all 3 PORSCHE Packs, on laser scanned tracks...a lot of fun once in a while.

[TrumpyAl]

I fee that Sim time made a huge difference to my first (and only) season on track. I was on-pace with the rest of the field from the second session, and only two seconds a lap behind my very well respected co-driver. A good sim session trains us to concentrate intensely for far longer than every day life typically requires, and track time demands this.

I was also rather dangerous.

My advice is to be aware that any bad habits that you may form when using a sim will likely carry across to the real world. Not so much when things are going well, but when things get intense and you are approaching the limit of how much you can process and respond to - you will have to fight the urge to fall back onto those habits. So always sim with realistic damage on and driver assists all off. And race longer races than you want to.

[That986]

Totally agree that people who game a lot can hold their attention to things a lot more than an average person.

[Bebbetufs]

Here's an interesting interview with Richie Hearn about the similarities between real life racing and sim racing.
Richie Hearn:
Formula Renault
CART
IndyCar Series
Indianapolis 500

[itsnotanova]

Isn't there an F1 driver who got the job because he won some driving sim contest?
Edit; yep https://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-gran-turismo-player-now-driving-race-cars-for-real/1100-6419397/