The idea of building a racing simulator has been on my mind for a while now. Captain Rob, a buddy here in Naples, mentioned he’s planning to dive into sim racing in 2025, and another friend, Roberto, just went all-in with his own setup. Roberto’s story is what really got me thinking about it. He recently sold his M2 BMW—a car he absolutely loved—for a big truck he needed for work. To help fill the void, he decided to build a proper racing sim. It’s his way of staying connected to the thrill of driving without the car.

That hit home for me because I’ve been in the market for a race car myself. But seeing what Roberto’s done, I’m starting to think a sim might be a better move. No insurance, no gas bills, no track fees—just the fun of racing without all the extras. Plus, I already have a killer PC and a monitor, so I wouldn’t need to spend as much as he did. I’m just trying to figure out how to fit it into my space and whether it would give me the same satisfaction.

What You Actually Need to Build a Sim Rig

Building a racing sim isn’t complicated, but there are a few pieces of gear you’ll need to pull it all together. Here’s the main setup:

The Cockpit/Frame
This is what holds the whole thing together, so you want something solid. I’m looking at the Next Level Racing GTElite Lite Racing Cockpit. It’s sturdy, adjustable, and compact enough that I think I could make it work in my space.

The Seat
Comfort is key. You’re not going to want to race for more than 10 minutes if the seat feels like a lawn chair. The Recaro Simstar Racing Simulator Seat looks perfect for this—it’s built like an actual car seat, so it feels like the real deal. For a more economical option, check out the Next Level Racing ERS3 Elite Series Reclining Seat.

The Steering Wheel
Roberto swears by the Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel, and I trust him on this. It’s got direct drive and TrueForce feedback, which basically means it’s about as close to a real steering wheel as you can get without stepping into a car. He calls the cheaper ones “plastic toys,” and now I can’t imagine going with anything else.

The Pedals
The Logitech Pro Racing Pedals complete the setup. They’ve got a load cell brake, swappable springs, and a heavy-duty feel. Once you’ve tried good pedals like these, you’ll never want to use a cheap set again.

The Display
I’ve already got this part covered with a Samsung G9 UltraWide Monitor and a 48” LG C1 OLED TV. If you’re starting from scratch, a good display can really make or break the experience. Go ultra-wide or 4K if you can.

The PC
This is where a lot of people spend big, but I’m lucky enough to have a custom-built PC that’s more than ready for sim racing: a Ryzen 5950X CPU, RTX 3090Ti GPU, and 64GB of RAM. If you’re building from scratch, aim for a strong GPU and a fast CPU for smooth gameplay.

How Much Does It All Cost?

If you’re starting from zero, this kind of setup can get pricey. Here’s what you’re looking at:

Total: ~$8,461.43

That’s a lot, but since I already have a monitor and PC, I’d only need to buy the cockpit, seat, wheel, and pedals. That cuts the cost down to about $2,900 with tax.

The Space Problem

The one thing holding me back right now is space. I don’t have a huge room, so I’d need to get creative to make it fit. The GTElite Lite Cockpit is pretty compact, but I’d probably have to move some furniture around and maybe wall-mount the monitor to make it work. It’s not impossible, just something I’ll have to plan out.

Why This Makes Sense for Me

Roberto’s M2 was his way of connecting to driving, and now his sim fills that same void. For me, I’ve been thinking about buying a track car, but this might be a smarter way to start. No extra bills, no surprise maintenance costs, no stressing about where to park it. A racing sim is about as close as you can get to the real thing without owning a car.

Putting It All Together

If you’re thinking about building your own rig, here’s what I’d do:

1. Figure Out Your Space: Measure your room and figure out where everything will go.
2. Buy the Gear: Focus on quality for the cockpit, seat, wheel, and pedals.
3. Set It Up: Assemble the cockpit, mount the seat, and attach the wheel and pedals.
4. Connect It All: Hook up your display and PC, and calibrate everything.
5. Start Racing: Fire it up and hit the track.

I’m still deciding if this is the right move for me, but it’s looking more and more tempting. What about you? Are you thinking about building a sim rig, or maybe you’ve already got one? I’d love to hear your setup ideas—or any tips if you’ve already done this before. Let me know in the comments!