In the gaming world there is no hobby as expensive as simulation. Can reproduce the real world environment at home And that means adding lots of accessories for maximum realism. Steering wheels, pedals, cockpits, gear levers, information screens… a veritable ocean of possibilities for all budgets.
We will leave the choice of computer aside, without forgetting that to have a good experience you need a mid-range or high-end computer.
The screen configuration to use is another important choice that we already discussed in this other post.
So let’s go focus on peripheralsincluding cockpit, backet, steering wheel and pedals as something basic, but we could add gear levers and handbrakes, or keypads to access different options for each simulator.
Less than €1000
A basic cockpit, steering wheel and pedals would be the lowest possible setting and the recommended for a occasional use. The cheapest cockpits have a simpler structure and materials, so they do not have the necessary strength for good comfort and precision in the simulation. But you could enjoy.
A playseat challenge and a steering wheel Thrustmaster T150 They would be enough to start without spending more than €500. Raising the level a bit, we would choose a somewhat more robust cockpit and a slightly more expensive steering wheel such as a Logitech G29 and we would still be below €1000.
The pedals that usually come with the steering wheels The basic ones are not of great quality, but they are good for an initial experience in the simulation.
Between €1000 and €2000
From €1000 we can start talking about more serious simulators, with structures in better materials and mid-range steering wheels. Here we already add low or medium range pedals. It would be the most popular setup in the sim racing world.
As for the cockpit, we would be in ranges from €300 to €1000. You can find from a Playseat Evolution still Next Level Racing Elite ES1going through the Zalem Alu ProThe Playseat is still a basic cockpit, while the NextLevel would already be a first step towards the professional simulator, with top quality material and great solidity.
In some cases the cockpit already has the backet incorporated and in others it does not. But you can find backets from around €100.
The two most popular wheels in non-professional simracing are the Logitech G29 and several Thrustmaster models, among which I would highlight the Thrustmaster T300 or something more advanced like the Thrustmaster TS-PC. Although you can find other brands with similar options with prices from €300 to €500.
In both cases pedals are included with the wheel, so in this case it would not be necessary to add separate pedals. However, the pedals that accompany these wheels are not the best, so you could add some more professional pedals of the lowest or commercial range. There are quality pedalboards starting at €300
The same goes for the gear stick. Some steering wheels include the gear stickbut if you want to install it separately you can find gear levers like the Thrustmaster TH8A from about €180.
More than €2000
We entered the most professional terrain of simracing. Either because you are going to compete online or because you are going to pass many hours in your simulatoryou need high quality material: a robust cockpit that supports the enormous forces that you are going to do with the Direct Drive steering wheel, plus some high quality and hard pedals.
There is high-end cockpits from €1,000 to €3,000. Various materials and many configuration options, depending on the steering wheel and pedals that you are going to mount or if you are going to include a gear lever or handbrake.
As for the steering wheel, we already talked Direct Drive flywheels only. In many cases, the steering wheel base and the rim itself are purchased separately, although you can also find all-inclusive deals.
Within this high range we will find flyers from €800 to €2400, depending on the base and the ring that we are going to choose. The advantage of these steering wheels is that they all use the Quick Release system (which allows the steering wheel rims to be interchanged), so that you can have a different base and ruffles depending on the simulator or type of car you are going to use.
we have left the pedals, perhaps an underworld within racing simulation, since here personal taste and especially the simulator to use have a lot to do with it. There is a wide variety of brands and solutions on the market, from around €500 to around €3,000.
I advise you to tinker a lot through the specialized pages due to the immense range of possibilities. In simtechpro either jynracingshop you can find all these options that we have talked about.
The possibilities for improvement do not end here. If you wanted to set up a top-quality simulator, you would have to think about budgets above €6,000.
Some brands like Simtechpro offer the possibility of assemble the complete simulator (including the gaming computer and the screens), from €3,200reaching authentic “toys” of €17,450 such as the Simtechpro Stage 5which has practically everything.
