Did you just get into sim racing and wondered if it is best to purchase it standalone or via Steam and why so?
Actually, for absolute novices, choosing between iRacing Steam version and the one on the official website might be an irritating maze.
In this article, we will address these differences between the two to help you make the right choice hence in the end.
I wouldn’t want to spoil the entire article however it is evident to you if you are serious about sim racing that the most logical way is towards iRacing.com. 😉
Now let us turn to the different alternatives in more detail.
Table of Contents
Do I need Steam for iRacing?
Unlike most other associated sports games, to play iRacing, one does not really have to need to buy it from Steam. You can either subscribe via the Steam application or opt to remain on the official iRacing site.
However, keep in mind that in iRacing, as opposed to other games, you do not get the game and that’s it. With iRacing, there is a fee periodic (monthly or annually) which you need to pay to maintain the membership.
Benefits of using the iRacing official website
In the case of taking a subscription through the iRacing’s official page, it is in itself a flawless experience. No updates issues, switch to every feature, and it’s also cheaper long terms with official iRacing deals.
Actually, there are three main advantages that you are likely to obtain when one subscribes via the website.
There are benefits, however, in the long run there appear to be far more savings from paying the subscription directly from the iRacing.com.
If you bought it on their official website, you may search for Steam key in order to link your iRacing to Steam afterwards.
The iRacing website also has a pretty active forum and almost everyone is there to help out new sim racers.
They are already on DX11 for graphics. In fact the good thing about iRacing is that it puts out patches every few months (between seasons roughly) which is also consistent with faster deployment and fewer problems than’s as done on Steam.
Benefits of using Steam for iRacing
Everyone knows that even the main outcome of the iRacing subscription by most simracers, is perhaps, one of the most advantageous avenues to subscribe to steam.
Aside from subscriptions, another factor which can lower your iRacing expenses is if you are in Vietnam and Nigeria.
One more great thing I would like to mention about using Steam for iRacing is that it allows you to have everything together in one place. All your licenses, achievements and even “friends” are in Steam so it might be a good idea although it is also possible to do it from iRacing’s website.
What if I live in the United States?
If you are based in the US then it is a no-brainer, you go for iRacing.com. You won’t save any cash going the Steam route and the issues with the updates will still prove to be quite annoying.
Steam has also been known to be really buggy and instability was quite common hence it is not a plus on that composition.
All in all, if you want the best experience and you’re in the US, stick with the official iRacing.com website for your subscription.
What about VR?
In terms of VR, you have to keep in mind that VR is original in iRacing so there is really no need for Steam to be further incorporated.
The very first thing, I should remind you that the iRacing was conceived, and later upgraded for VR use so you will have the full VR effect without dealing with any adaptation problems at their site.
Their FPS are really outsdanding and you won’t have to worry about any lags or issues like that.
With all that being said SteamVR is also quite good, although, probably, nog as good as the official vr for iRacing.
iRacing Steam vs official website: what’s better?
If you’re from the US, then 100% go with iRacing.com as you’ll have a better and more enjoyable long term experience. The cost savings won’t be there if you go through Steam while you’ll be enjoying with all the updates coming directly from iRacing.
For those living in other countries though, it could be wiser to choose Steam as well as you would be making some savings in accordance with your country’s local currency. Just remember, however, that the updates might not always be as flawless as one would prefer.
When it comes to vr iRacing has very good native oculus support and does not need to do anything in steam for you to enjoy the full power of vr making it flexible with no issues of cross compatibility.
For those who seek F1 experience at its very best, turning to the official iRacing website for subscription ought to be the best approach. You will be receiving all the updates straight from iRacing and will be able to take advantage of all the features including VR.
Hope the article was useful. As usual happy sim racing!
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