The sim racer’s Christmas gift guide: stocking fillers for the discerning virtual racer

Christmas and sim racing. A time for togetherness, generosity of spirit and rosy-cheeked bonhomie, and a pastime that requires isolation, absolute concentration, and ruthless competitiveness. No contest really, is it? See you on the LFM servers.

But what if there was a way to bring these opposing forces together, like two reluctant toddlers forced into a parent-mandated play date? The festive season affords us that very opportunity – a gift guide for the virtual racer. It’s the spirit of giving and the spirit of (over)taking, together at last.

There are two aspects to sim racing’s relentless quest for realism. There’s the performance-focused side – you know, the whole ‘better simulation equals better training tool for real motorsport’ philosophy. And then there’s the oft-overlooked truism that sitting down in a sim rig makes us feel like a racing driver, however out of reach a real motorsport career might be to us.

Which is a roundabout way of saying that putting on a pair of gloves before doing a league race in ACC just feels… well, it feels pro, somehow. Especially so with these ultra-sleek Freem SIM21 gloves, the lightest in the world, apparently. Priced at £40, they’re crafted in Italy from the most breathable, odour-neutralising materials available. They weigh in at a dainty 32g and they just look fast, don’t they?

There’s also the very practical benefit of establishing a barrier between your sweaty paws and your precious wheel, so you get better grip in those long endurance races and your wheel doesn’t look like an old bus seat after you’re done. Speaking of…

To the untrained eye, the rigging and bucket seat of a sim racing rig might look over-engineered – you’re hardly going to be flung about while lapping in Assetto Corsa, however strong you set your force feedback, after all. But the seating position in a great rig like this F1 branded Formula Instinct from Playseat really does offer benefits.

For starters, you can properly stamp on the brake from this lower body position with your legs outstretched. Particularly handy if you’re using pedals with swappable load cells that create a more realistic braking stiffness, you can put your foot down and feel out the sweet spot between optimal braking and locking up.

Also: looks cool. We could easily see Max, Lando or Charles setting one of these up in their garage before streaming iRacing for longer than their team principals would be comfortable with. This particular model’s available for £520, which is roughly par for a good quality rig.

Not feeling the aesthetic? Fantatec’s rigs are also worth a look, especially now their new owner Corsair has gone back to using Fanatec branding on them.

This one’s more of a gift for your rig than a gift for you. But think of all the good times – it’s earned some TLC.

Let’s say you went and bought a fancy direct drive wheel with Alcantara grips and then ate a big bag of fish and chips with your bare hands in between hotlap sessions. No judgment, purple sectors are hungry work.

Or, slightly more realistically, you’ve just noticed some accumulated grime from gripping said fancy wheel with your bare hands. In any event, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s possible to bring the material back to its former glory with some specialised cleaning products and a gentle touch. This kit from Pure Definition’s available for £8.95. Just don’t scrub at the wheel, or you’ll only rough up the surface.

Every year, Fanatec releases a small batch of limited edition ClubSport wheels for its sim racing ecosystem. While the Podium range sits right at the top of the tree, ClubSport gear is pretty premium in its own right, making the 2,024 units of this Red Bull special edition wheel rather sought after.

It’s the perfect peripheral for living out your Sergio Perez power fantasy: a Red Bull-themed colour scheme adorns the numerous buttons and dials, featuring the F1 team’s logos on the front and rear. Fanatec aficionados will note the motorsport-grade QR-2 quick release system comes preinstalled on this version of the wheel, usually a £150+ upgrade. Priced at €650/£540, it’s everything you need to pilot yourself to a baffling P11 finish.

Racing on a carpet? Unthinkable. The thinking person’s sim racer invests in a floor mat to sit underneath their rig. Why? Because you have a go at hoovering around one, that’s why. This little number from Trak Racer, priced at £70, brings the added benefit of RGB lighting, so you can summon the Need For Speed Underground vibes and essentially add some neon underlighting to your setup.

It’s one of those finishing touches that conveys you’re serious about this whole sim racing thing. And about hoovering.

Like many of life’s hobbies, sim racing rigs are subject to the n+1 rule: you always need one more thingy for it than you currently have. Like this digital dashboard from Ascher, which gives you a tonne of data in a compact form, from a coloured LED rev counter to current lap deltas.

Some wheels have an LED display integrated, so your particular setup might not require even more screen space unless you’re hellbent on having the FTSE 100 scrolling along while you race. For everyone else, an extra digital dash adds not just further immersion but a few key data points that you’ll want to keep your eye on during a race.

This particular model’s going for £290 on Demon Tweeks.