It goes without saying that a good setup is the difference between finishing on the track or on the couch as a sim racing driver.
When it comes to displays during racing, there has recently been a major discussion in the sim community about the effectiveness of VR versus monitors.
While some people cannot get enough of a VR experience, others feel left out without a monitor. Is there really a winner in the end?
Will try to do a comparison of both options, discussing the benefits and drawbacks in the hope of determining the winner.
Sure, a spoiler is an unpleasant thing, but it will be the only one here: the choice depends on which you prefer, VR or an actual monitor, although it appears that most sim racers like using the monitor option (triple screens are particularly).
So, moving along – we say moving along, because this is a debate that has many factors that can be considered, that leads to this choice.
We’re gonna go through some of the major aspects that influence this heavily debated decision including:
- Price
- Graphics quality
- FOV & Realism
- Device Compatibility
- Actual space required
- Ease of use
- Driving Performance
So let’s have a look into each of these points starting from the major one: price.
Table of Contents
What’s most affordable: VR or monitors?
Recently, one of the many reasons that have led to VR gaining traction has been the lower price of the headsets than the high-end monitors in most circumstances.
Nonetheless, there is an abundance of average prices and types of both the monitors and the VR headsets.
Undoubtedly, the cheapest option would be starting out with a VR headset such as Oculus Go which is priced at $199 – however, do note that alternate headsets like HTC Vive will set you back as much as $900.
At the same time, if the definition of the monitor is a priority feature then something along the lines of the Samsung Odyssey G9 which can be bought at $1,900 is in the market – so not cheap, again.
Looking at those general prices as a cluster of the detailed price, even if you wished to get a VR headset, most sim racers would still be looking for a monitor to work as the focal point.
Graphics Quality: Is VR or monitor better?
This is where things start to get a bit complicated because being able to compare the two, side-by-side is not a walk in the park.
On the one hand, monitors have better resolution and one can see finer details as such. But on the other hand, VR headsets have a much larger field of view (FOV) which evokes sensations of immersion which monitors can never achieve.
It really boils down to what the particular user is after and what elements are of high importance to them.
For instance, people could have a preference for monitors because they can
Field of View (FOV) & Realism
In the comparison of both FOV and realism, it goes without saying that VR headsets are virtually in a different league altogether.
Thanks to the increased FOV that VR headsets provide, users will experience such an immersive feel that it would seem as though they are in a racing car itself.
This is one of the significant reasons as to why a lot of sim racers would rather use a VR headset than a monitor.
However, that is not the case, other VR headsets have a higher FOV, while some have a lower FOV.
Take for example The Oculus Go it has a low resolution and lower FOV as compared to say the HTC Vive. If you’re looking for the most immersive experience possible, then please go ahead and buy a VR headset with a large FOV.
Though make sure that the FPS are high enough so that there is no loss in the driving experience.
Device Compatibility: what’s better?
Generally speaking, VR headsets have a lesser device compatibility compared to monitors.
The reason for this is that Steam VR generally has a very limited number of headsets that it can work with.
These are the Oculus Rift, The HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality headsets and Valve Index.
If you do not possess one of those headsets, you may find it impossible to play SteamVR games.
This also includes many of the popular sim racing games like iRacing, Assetto Corsa, ACC, RAceroom and rFactor 2.
On the other hand, monitors are useful, because it is rare to see any device that does not have an HDMI port that is required to connect to the monitor.
Fields of view are another feature that allows players to become fully immersed as you can watch tv for example while sitting down.
You can use almost any monitor out there, whether its a basic model or an ultrawide or a triple screen combination.
Actual space required:
One small advantage of VR headsets is that there is lesser space required as compared to monitors.
People that are naturally concerned about personal space would be most pleased at this aspect.
If you have limited space, however, VR headsets might be a better way to go for you.
Ease of use
This one is a bit challenging to make comparisons on as it is largely dependent on the driver with beginners being the ones that often have a hard time getting their graphics settings correctly for such purposes.
Some people may find it is easier to use the VR headset because there is no need to change applications or to go out of the game using alt tab.
You just have to place the headset, and you can go.
But in practice, monitors are thought to be simpler because you only connect the HDMI cable and you’re all set.
There’s no need to tweak any settings or aim an array of things for calibration.
Driving Performance: VR or monitors?
If your primary goal, however, is simply to run laps quicker than your opponents and in doing so be victorious in online racing then the answer is without a shadow of doubt that monitors would be the preferable option in all situations.
That is because VR headsets tend to in some scenarios hamper the driver’s physical performance against motion persuading feeling that exists in quite a few people.
The reason behind this is that you feel as if you are in a virtual environment and your body seems to be still while your brain is receiving moving sensory inputs.
Furthermore, if your PC hardware is not very strong, you will have a very difficult time getting high FPS and low lags when performing your races online.
That’s right, sim racing games are quite processing heavy and strenuous in nature.
Conclusion
So now, which should you go for, VR or monitors?
As we have established, it really depends on the purpose you want to use them for.
Anyone who has powerful CPU and GPU in their computer and wants to enjoy themselves and not bother about the online racing scene and competition, can look at the VR headsets as an option to try out.
In contrast, if you intend to shave seconds off your lap times and engage in racing competitively, then monitors should be preferred as they have better stability and improved fps.
I hope this article gave you some direction towards what is more appropriate for your needs.
Good luck and happy sim racing! 🙂
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