Gaming in virtual reality offers much more than just horror scares and fitness workouts, as VR is also an excellent tool for learning. For example, drivers can use virtual reality to improve their driving skills and take them into the real world.
Whether you’re taking your first steps towards driving or are a professional Formula One driver, VR driving games can be immensely beneficial for everyone. Here are some of the best driving experiences in VR, and why the technology is vital for competitive racers.
Why VR Driving Games Can Boost Your Road Awareness & Confidence
Virtual reality is a brilliant way to enhance your motor skills. Flat driving games offer solid realism, but VR takes driving to a whole new level. You have a full 360-degree 3D view in VR, giving you a far better feeling of being inside the car and the surroundings.
Nothing can replace driving lessons or experience, but VR driving games give you risk-free practice at any given time. You can put on a headset and drive at all hours, in all kinds of weather, improving your skills in hazardous conditions along the way. The possibilities are endless from the comfort of your own home.
Driving in VR also builds up confidence and reduces anxiety. Driving can be stressful for some, so VR driving games are an excellent way to relieve stress and get some much-needed training.
Alongside using VR as a learning tool, virtual reality driving games also offer hours of risk-free fun. Have endless goes at a tough manoeuvre or plan a route before a real-life drive. VR offers unparalleled realism compared to flat driving sims.
Virtual reality driving games are available on various platforms, including the Meta Quest 3. The upcoming Steam Frame is set to rival the Quest and PSVR 2, and various driving sims will be available on Valve’s shiny new headset.
VR Is Hugely Beneficial to F1 Drivers & Competitive Racers
Many top Formula One racing drivers use VR sim racers to prepare for the big Grands Prix. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have home simulators, with Verstappen being a big fan of VR racing.
Games like F1 2025 are incredibly immersive and realistic, and playing them in virtual reality is the next best thing to actual F1 racing. The top drivers in the world have high-end sims to train on between race weekends as well as during time off.
Some F1 teams also use VR in factory simulators. The custom-built machines are perfect for training, track familiarisation, and team strategy. The biggest teams in the world, such as Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes, offer factory VR sims for their F1 drivers.
Away from F1, various other racing drivers use VR driving games to improve their skills. From endurance racers to go-karting pros, loads of genres are available in virtual reality. The likes of Teemu Suninen, James Baldwin, and Jann Mardenborough are VR sim racing advocates.
Of course, some drivers don’t like VR, and there are certainly some drawbacks. The seven-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, doesn’t like any kind of racing simulator, as he believes they lack crucial physical feedback and can hinder real-life performance.
Some complain of motion sickness and physical discomfort, while the lower clarity compared to flat racing sims is also a disadvantage. Instead of VR, many competitive drivers opt for multiple-screen setups. Also, for non-professionals, getting into VR racing sims can be expensive and time-consuming.
What Are the Best VR Driving Games?
Players are spoilt for choice when it comes to VR driving games. On the PC side, iRacing and Assetto Corsa are still popular despite being around for quite some time. For rally fans, DiRT Rally 2.0 offers unrivalled realism and immersion.
Assetto Corsa originally came out way back in 2014. Although it had its flaws, the racing sim paved the way for bigger and better games to follow, including Assetto Corsa Competizione. Automobilista 2 and Project Cars have also received praise.
On the PS5, Gran Turismo 7 is the standout VR racing game. When the PSVR 2 was released, the entire GT7 game was compatible with VR, with Sony and Polyphony Digital getting high praise. The latest Gran Turismo title can be played at your own pace and is excellent for sharpening up your car handling.
For more casual driving sim experiences, BeamNG and Euro Truck Simulator 2 are fantastic choices. BeamNG has incredible physics, while ETS2 offers relaxing truck driving across real roads. RACECLUB is coming to Meta headsets, but the Quest 3 is crying out for more racing games.
If learning is your number one priority, City Car Driving is specifically designed for realistic road driving. The game is like a Highway Code book for VR, focusing on realistic traffic laws and road scenarios. Others, like Car Parking Simulator and City Bus Simulator, can also be tremendously beneficial to your driving.
