How much does iRacing cost in reality?!

[@alfyb4512]

iRacing pricing model is not just expensive, it’s exploitative. Getting a subscription puts pressure to get enough content to enjoy it. Buying tracks and cars pressures you to keep your subscription, because otherwise you have all this content you paid for you’re not using. It’s about the same model as some battle passes, and there everybody knows it’s a very anti-consumer model. Somehow with iRacing, it just becomes “it’s expensive”. But being expensive and exploitative is simply not the same thing, I wish some reviewers would really look at the difference.

[@SimRacingJason]

You are a brave man to sit down and work out just what sim racing can cost, I stopped counting years ago just in case the wife ever finds out and it also allows me to race way with that ignorance is bliss feeing 😁 it was a very interesting video all the same and did enjoy seeing how you went about maximising your racing in relation to your spending. 👍

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ah cheers man - I know I had no idea until I actually did the sums, which was a bit frightening! 😂 Still very likely to buy more for the new season too... 🤪

[@SimRacingJason]

@@Ben_LaBroca I know i will be parting with my cash for the next season as we have a new TCR car coming !!!

[@zretil]

I'm pretty sure I hold the record for minimum spending in iRacing I've been an active member since 2010, have almost all road content, no oval or dirt though, and spent a good amount of credits on hosted, All this for just 184$. In my first years, I used to get a lot of credits through the referral program, then started to do races with payouts, iRacing used to run these supers sessions each week with big credits for the top 3, collected a good amount from those races, so basically I didn't use my wallet since 2010.

[@ThEnKcreally]

Is that excluding the monthly membership?

[@zretil]

@@ThEnKcreally This covers everything including membership, and I usually resub using black friday deals saving a bit more credits 😊

[@ThEnKcreally]

@@zretil how do you get membership for that low? Only black friday deals? Have you had the membership consistently since 2010? Or was it just easier early on to make credits in game to pay for itself? Also, sidenote, holy shit I had *no idea* iracing came out in 2008 lol

[@zretil]

@@ThEnKcreally I've payed with my credit card only twice it was in my first year, after my first six months I had already collected enough credits from referrals to cover the cost for next year sub including ingame purchase, and from there I just kept collecting more credits every year and never had to use my credit card since then.

[@kularace7351]

@@zretil good lap dog doing a lot of free work for iracing recruiting members.

[@RRRsimracing]

iRacing becomes more than worth it once you have the time to invest in it, but if you don't, then there's plenty of other sims that's also well worth it and even a few that are well beyond their value... good video

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Yeah I've definitely found that this season buddy - I've enjoyed the TCR loads and the more I've raced, the more I've enjoyed it!

[@RRRsimracing]

@La Broca Sim Racing same here, man. I agree

[@tcr_tagger3738]

I'm also new to iracing, I've already spent around £150 on content haha! But...I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't gamble. I have mates that drop at least £100 a weekend going out. Plus my kids love trying to beat my times haha! Subbed, looking forward to more vids!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha cheers buddy - and yep I empathise with all of that! Thanks for subbing and hope you enjoy the rest of the content on the channel!

[@Dcully]

Well put together video. I was one if the first 500 to beta test iracing all those years ago, I was addicted. Eventually I spent £360 Irish pounds which is well over 400 euros in today's currency on content that I cannot use unless I'm subscribed. I've considered returning a few times but each time I realised I will have to spend a lot more money to even compete in any if the series fir the cars I own. Just crazy expensive for me personally these days.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey Cully mate - yeah it is objectively mad, so totally understand what you say. Maybe one day there'll be an alignment on tracks which mean you can dip back in using some of the content you already own?

[@Dcully]

@@Ben_LaBroca that would be nice, I often thought if coming back even for some ai racing

[@oscarstrombeck7194]

When i played in 2020 it was a decent price to buy cars and tracks however nowdays it so expensive for me since the swedish kronor is very weak whilst the dollar is strong. I can buy 2 tracks and 1 car for the same as 1 car and 4tracks.

[@richardople]

Similar experience to you mate. I'm a husband, father to two little ones, I work full-time with very little time to race. I'll get in between 1-5 races a week and racing starts after everyone has settled in for the evening. Sim Racing in general is my main form of entertainment and a passion. iRacing is money well spent in my personal opinion. Allows me to dream about driving fast cars on any track in the world with no mortality dangers for the sake of my family. LOL

[@ZheikoNileth]

It would be nice to see a graphical breakdown of all the costs acumulated at the end of the video

[@leemzgoogle917]

I spent about $950 in roughly 2 years. But, I'm done with that service and don't use it anymore. I simply can't justify spending my hard earned money on BOTH the content AND the service. Just not worth it to me.

[@raynorton5920]

Great video Ben and very honest. I'm sure you personally think it's money well spent so in that regard you have paid what you've stated but had great enjoyment from your outlay. Every hobby I've ever done be it mountain biking, railway modelling, air rifle, tropical fish, gaming etc etc and my favourite hobby.... drinking have all cost me a hell of a lot more than what you have quoted....so far, so keep up the good work and treat yourself to a couple of new tracks m8.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Cheers Ray - it's a great point re. alternatives... everything comes with a price tag of one kind or another!

[@robinv1485]

If you're talking about the hobby you have to add more costs, because it's not just iRacing itself. There's peripherals, most people are running 1000$+ wheels+rig+pedals etc.

[@tigerbalm666]

I week or so ago, I spent $20 each for ACC and Automobilayada 2 and $5 for DLC's...great buys to go with my AC!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

That's great - lots and lots of value in those games!

[@Walt1119]

Ben, NO, you haven't lost your mind or gotten taken!!! Other hobbies can cost a lot more than your iracing, ie; radio control airplanes,, fishing, buying a boat or kayak, and I could go on and on!!! For the enjoyment your getting and it being your hobby, I think your value is just fine there Buddy! The other thing too,,, you are at home with your family, not sitting in a pub somewhere, or out getting into trouble!! Which means an awful lot!! Keep up your racing, you have improved so much over the year!! And as always, thanks for sharing with us Ben, always enjoy seeing you in the SCB races when you have time!!! w.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ah thanks Walt buddy, really appreciate that!

[@christiangrotte]

Very tidy narrating here! Good job laying out everything very clearly and concisely, with some sensible reflections and caveats. I'm still taken aback by the insane pricing model of iRacing though, even if the online system is admittedly very good. But with what I've spent on sim racing gear, I should probably shut up😂

[@lloydusj]

As a relative newcomer to sim racing (around 3-4 months) I find it hard to justify wanting to start down the iRacing rabbit hole. Coming from console to PC I think that makes it harder to pay for as for the price of £40-50 you can get a good quality title and that's it (if you don't get DLC) Having to pay a sub fee and then having to buy content on top of that just smells of robbing the blind. I 100% understand people are happy to pay for this as the quality is up there at the top just not for me

[@keeef23]

My thoughts were exactly the same at first. But after getting a discounted 3 month membership and trying the game, I am hooked 😅. Now instead of spending so much money on takeaway food and nights out I buy tracks and cars 🤣

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Yeah that is fair man - the great thing is there is alot of choice on the market!

[@avgfinnishdude]

Yeah.. but the expensive part of iracing makes it more "simulator" feel.. people are not usually trying to crash etc.. like in forza games or F1 games.. people actually care in Iracing, because it's just different.. Also i tried ACC but didn't feel like people cared so much as they care in iracing

[@Baltuc_Racing]

Nothing comes close to iracing (imo) ive spend 10.000dollars on my rig and pc alone , just so i can race . Its a hobby like everything else, when you stop seeing iracing as a game and more like a hobby , it makes more sense.

[@samdajellybeenie14]

I felt exactly the same way until I came across the Humble Bundle pack that included sims like RF2, Automobilista (1 or 2, can’t remember), ACC, AND 3 months of iRacing all for $13. After some deliberation, I bought it. So I basically got 3 free months to try it out and like 5 or 6 other sims.

[@hugograce5976]

As I explained to my wife recently: 10 years ago I bought Road America for iRacing for A$16. 10 years later I'm still using it. I once paid $4500 to enter a real-life car race. My iRacing subscription costs A$120 per year (or thereabouts). She buys skin care products that cost >$50 and last three months. She goes out to lunch with friends for $30 and the meal is consumed instantly. No comparison really. The introduction of AI has been the real wallet killer for me. But if you love sim racing and you love iRacing its money well spent.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Superb! I’ve written notes down from this and expect it’s going to save my marriage 😅 Seriously though you’re quite right in the points you make - providing the game continues to exist. But that’s a risk that exists in so many games now it’s become a feature of the market

[@andrewcurtis4568]

Should you buy iracing? If you like 2005 graphics and being broke then go for it.

[@timhofhuis5890]

Very well done video. I wanna get in to iRacing and this is more than usefull

[@TheMx5Channel]

2:40 The fact that i i started racing with 3 months ( because who pays 120+ euros if you don't even know you like it). and as a member for one year you never get discounts. I think it's somewhat of a monopoly game. Also i feel like you're overpaying it's not like evey race has a race director or something, but you pay alot for this game. Got loads of mixed feelings about iracing. If you don't play every single or or manny hours a week. it's hard to justify. Especially if games like ACC excist wich cotst 1/3 of the price, you get all the cars, all the tracks and you can also race. It's just the community that you pay for and to be honnest, i had alot of bad experiences in racing, people still hit you it's still a game so the feel of damage is still non excisted.

[@trick6579]

Awesome video Ben, thanks for sharing. I’m currently sitting on the fence with iracing but not far off from taking the plunge when life allows me the time. This video is a great insight as to how to get started and get into iracing when I’m ready. Cheers 👊🏻

[@Willy78wilfred]

Nice video. Although iRacing is the most famous, it's not the best sim racing title around. If you really like the timed schedules, then iRacing is the way to go. For much better graphics, better FFB, better physics, a lot more tracks (> 70), a lot more cars (> 100) Automobilista 2 is a better option. Just I one time buy and no monthly fee. Right now I am racing for 2 years and it cost my only €110 (total).

[@TheRP83]

Sadly the multiplayer of automobilista 2 it’s literally empty...time trial leaderboard too are empty, seems like we are just 100 people around the world that playing these game, and I can’t understand because it’s one of the best sim on the market today, improving every month from the start and now it’s a very good sim.

[@MFalcon215]

I totally agree! I absolutely love AMS2. I just recently re-installed ACC because of the amount of people playing it compared to AMS2. and I keep going back to AMS2 because it is so much better... in every way to ACC... except online... so sad.

[@erikpiussi2960]

I have alot of money into iRacing over a year now.. its much money but i enjoy myself very much on iRacing.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Cheers Erik - I think this season has been my most enjoyable so far... I've really enjoyed the TCR cars!

[@titolieb2689]

I have +60 pieces of content, which sums up to 800 usd almost, luckily in my country I have steam regional price for the sub, and I pay 12usd per year, and I’ve been in iracing for 2 years now, so my total is about 820usd give or take. And even that that’s about 2 months of work, I don’t regret it. Iracing has given me more entertainment than anything I have ever spent before. Even on my g29 setup 🤣

[@Cheiff117]

I got I racing recently is A gt3 / gt4 / gtp and some 4 tracks , but I can understand why this is so expensive it’s a totally different feel from other games it really stands out ! Can’t wait to blast through the ranks

[@johnschneible4812]

I can only speak for myself when I say every penny I spend on iRacing is worth it. As a former SCCA and Kart racer, iRacing is the best (in my opinion) sim on the market to let me continue to enjoy competitive motorsports on the cheap (comparatively). For example, real world Kart racing (the lowest cost racing short of autocross) roughly broke down to $2500 for a used kart, $1000 in safety equipment, $1500 for a used trailer (fortunately I already had a truck to pull it), $200 ish in IKF and my local club annual fees and $80 entry fees for a single day event. So, in my opinion, iRacing is the bargain of motorsports!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Cheers John - yeah it's a funny one isn't it... I think iRacing does try to position itself as an alternative to the real world, rather than alongside other games. I'm not sure I'd be doing much real world racing though, so not sure I can claim the same comparison! 😂

[@Laffsatyou]

I truly wonder.. and maybe you might be able to answer. Do you think anyone with great skill and experience in sim racing transfers into the real world in any way? I drive the audi r8 exclusively in ACC and iracing and wonder how I would do in an audi gt3 spec on a track that I am familiar with.

[@johnschneible4812]

@@Laffsatyou who knows. You have the advantage of understanding the racing line and race craft over new real world racers who are starting out. However, the real world is exactly that, it's real. No reset button. Everyone will be different but you never know until you try. Maybe try racing karts and see how it goes.

[@richlavigne1505]

Great video! Don’t forget the cost of a great, custom livery!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha good point Rich - makes you go even faster I've heard!!

[@ot0m0t0]

I dont get it? Cant you make your own livery and use it??

[@TheEmerytan]

What's your favorite iracing car to date? I'm contemplating a buy into the USF-2000 series.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey Emery - a great question!! So I really enjoyed the USF, but I just clocked that iRacing is introducing a new F4 car in the next build next week. So I'd hold off on that if I were you and see what licence the F4 is and what participation rates are like across USF, Renault 2.0 and the new F4 car. My favourite so far is definitely the Honda TCR though - great, close racing.

[@thorgrimb2416]

I joined a few years ago when they did a 1 yr introductory offer for £20 plus vat. Unfortunately about 8 months in max my gpu blew and with the lock downs and sky high gou prices stuck using a very old gpu so no racing. I was hoping to re sub on black Friday 2022 but with fuel, food prices etc etc going sky high I stupidly thought imaging would offer a better deal than normal to get membership fixed for two years rather than risk loosing members who decide that a luxury item even within luxury items that will cost at least 100 maybe 200 to renew for one or two years is just not as important as food or fuel etc, but no they stuck with another two fingers up dual when they could easily have just offer the new member price. Now for me I now have a 3070 Ti and own almost all the other sims admitted rF2 and AMS2 just base content but far too juch AC and all but latest two DLC for ACC so guess where my money will be going soon especially as one of those DEC'S contains my fav track the Glen. So iracing rather than offering an extra 15% saving ie from 25% to 40% on a two year membership and me then racing earning the 10 dollars x4 for race participation and using that to buy 6 or more teack/car combinations each year so spending probably £30 if not £40 plus each year gets nothing. With the new options for competitive racing with ACC, rF2, and I think AC as well who knows I might get to enjoy racing on those sims more and never renew that is the risk iRacing face because of greed.

[@Boradumir]

thx for this summary... that totally told me to stay with R3E, having already a lot of content for that sim. I can totally understand why you bought it, but I won't.

[@ChristianNelsonn]

Just to put some perspective on this; iRacing does not do regional pricing either. So in countries where purchasing power and exchange rates are strongly skewed against the consumer, spending £280 is more like spending £2800.

[@coopergt1]

Hi Ben great video I my self have just started in sim racing with iracing in the last month I also opted for the 2 years sub but al be slumming it at bottom til a find my feet an see how things work 😂

[@pandacongolais]

Thanks a lot for sharing ! Would be nice to have : a table listing all items and the grand total. Yeah, I know, I can as well watch the video again and take notes ;-)

[@bustab8649]

Great, informative video, thanks Ben. Like some others below, I am on the fence with regard to iRacing - do I take the plunge or not? I think the point you made at the end is well made, which was that there is an initial outlay (maybe in the first year or so) to buy content, but after that you are paying the subscription only, i.e. content is purchased through one-off payments. Also, compared to the real world, it is not a lot of money (but only if you can afford it, of course). I run a Caterham on the road, which costs me about £500 a year just to tax and insure. If I raced it, it would cost me that much every race weekend!

[@HalStargazer]

iracing get away with their extortionate prices because there's no serious competition in the multiplayer side of things. as long as they hold the monopoly on that then things won't change. the absolute killer is the monthly subscription you have to pay to get access to any of the content. it's highway robbery no matter how you try to justify the cost

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey Hal! So there are rumours AMS2 has commissioned an external provider to produce a ranked online mode, and of course LFM is going from strength to strength on ACC. Maybe AC 2 will be the answer?

[@WhippyWhipGaming]

@@Ben_LaBroca ams 2 has poor physics and even with a good multiplayer system it would not be popular

[@simonwillmot374]

Excellent video Ben! With some great points. Both pro/con. I too am a Dad, with a full-time job and other commitments. But I do find that iracing is pretty fair and reasonable price wise. I'm happy with what I have, and the series I race, and don't feel over committed. I think you give a very informative and balanced view.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Thanks Simon mate - I totally empathise with what you say...it just provides a very convenient way to go racing, even if it does come at a price!

[@stevek7760]

Nothing to worry about. That amount spent won't even get you the 2 sets of tyres you need for a kart race weekend meeting (here in Aust at least). iRacing gets you racing with other real life people on demand.. no other sims do*. Only other option is real life racing as mentioned. So in this case it's a bargain.

[@nulilp4463]

You definetely did a lot more planning and cost saving than i did xD by now I have spent over double of your amount in euros in the same span. so could you do a tutorial on how you did ur planning, what softwares/websites and so on?

[@chrisrogerssimracing]

Bloody hell Ben, I hope your missus doesn’t find this video 😂 Haha. One thing I’ve realised I should have done differently straight away, after watching this - a longer subscription. I decided to take a monthly renewal, thinking that I could just cancel it if I wasn’t enjoying it. But your £49 over 11 months sounds far better than my £14 EVERY month! I’ve bought far fewer cars and tracks than you, but I bet my overall spend isn’t that much different - thanks to all those extra subscription costs. Generally though, I look at the monthly subscription as being similar to my Netflix monthly subscription. And out of those two, I know which one I use more… sim racing, every time!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha yes it's a bit of a risk!! I think she probably has a sense that the numbers involved with this hobby are not good "out loud figures" and so turns a blind eye anyway! 🤣 And it keeps me out of mischief!

[@Sweatydave1]

Great info👍 be interesting to work it out as an hourly rate…cost against how many hours entertainment you’ve had from it over the year. If I go near the pub I can spend that in a few nights out….and to be fair I’d rather be sat indoors racing anyway😂

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha that's fair - I definitely used to spend alot more in the pub pre pandemic / having a child!

[@Weini123]

It always depends on how much income you have and how much of that income you are willing and able to spend on your hobby. I for example would love to race cars also in the real world but the cost of buying an already built up race car plus fuel, tires, maintenance and track cost is just astronomically high even with my above average income. So I'm instead racing my motorbike where the cost of entry is a lot lower. Front tires usually last 2 weekends and one rear tire every weekend. So depending on the track you spend betweek 600-1000€ for 3 days. I usually go on track days 2-3 times a year so that puts me at about 2000€. Which is a lot but compared to what it would cost to race a car it's not even close. For the cost of a single Bridgestone V02 slick tire I could get a two year iRacing subscription. That being said I don't have an iRacing subscription and am instead doing online races in raceroom (bought the ultimate package) and ACC. For me that is enough but I do acknowledge that the online multiplayer on iRacing is simply the best there is. If YOU feel it's worth it don't let anyone else convince you otherwise a hobby is a hobby and everyone needs to know how much he or she is willing to spend on said hobby.

[@bales1569]

I like the expensive cost. It provides an incentive to want to improve your own racecraft and you always know you'll come against other players that actually want to be there :)

[@RRRsimracing]

That's a positive way to look at it. I respect that

[@bales1569]

@@RRRsimracing it's no different to buying and maintaining a go-kart, while going down to the local track once a week which costs $$$

[@RRRsimracing]

@bales I agree I myself track my car 10 plus times a year... iRacing follows a similar philosophy... Got to pay2play

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha I think that might be true for many Bales buddy, but there's always the odd one who enjoys a good old destruction derby!! 🤣 Thankfully iRacing doesn't charge you for repairs!!

[@RRRsimracing]

@La Broca Sim Racing "doesn't charge you for repairs" 😂 fax

[@james72249]

Im totally speechless i did not know i always taught if you buy the game the content is included and now that im diving deeper to know what i can expect its a bit disappointing that im gonna have to spend al that money to drive those cars and tracks it looked so fun thanks for the information nice video 👍🏽💪🏽🔥

[@mrmidnight32]

I’m about $600 deep in 3 months… I don’t wanna talk about it lol All I gatta say, is if they come out with a iRacing2 they sure as fuck better transfer everything I purchased

[@egj1975]

I dont understand how people can say that 2-300 pounds is alot. Think of the hours you get out of this purchase. You are sitting at home and doing something you really enjoy... and the cost per hour is extremely low compared to so many other things. Its like people expect everything to be free or at least as close as possible and at the same time demand that everything is working perfectly.

[@D0nk3yzz]

I think in the end it really all depends on your budget and what you're willing to set aside for your gaming "needs". I don't find it hard to justify buying iRacing cars and tracks at random at all. I currently hold a Microsoft Game Pass (which, for me personally, provides me with an abundance of gaming content) and my iRacing membership, plus whatever I spend in iRacing on cars and tracks. That cost is MUCH lower than what I used to spend on buying random full games for anywhere between $10 and $70 a piece. Good on all of you who try to do it for the lowest cost possible, I think that's quite the achievement in itself. I'm just too interested in trying it all out, rather than sticking to one particular league, haha. That most likely hurts my overall performance in certain leagues, but at the same time makes it very enjoyable for me.

[@wegpiraatjochem]

I just started I got my D license ready to compete in the next season of fixed ferrari. Do you know when the new schedule will get released, will it be next week? The ferrari will be my first purchase and I will buy it together with the first 2 tracks to get a discount. For now I will get back to raceroom until the new schedule is out.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey buddy - so D class series schedules usually come out at the end of week 13, so the end of next week. Other classes tend to go up on the forums as draft, but aren't confirmed until the beginning of the new season.

[@WhippyWhipGaming]

iracing pricing is disgusting

[@shawndixon4536]

My question is how many hours per week were put into climbing to the next license? I had a free 3 month trial early this year, and I put in less than 20 hours into it. Most of it was practicing to learn the cars and tracks. I have 20 other racers like AC, ACC, PC 1 & 2, Race room, ASM 1 & 2, etc. I am perfectly fine racing against AI vs online. Sure, it was great to see the opponents from around the world you were racing against, but when you only get about 4 hours every 3 weeks to race, the cost of iRacing doesn't seem like a bargain considering I spent less to $75 CAD on the 20 other racers I can play, most of which have all the tracks, or in the case of AC, a large mod community.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey Shawn - so I’m not a good example on time to climb the licences as I haven’t really focussed on that. But from memory I got my B licence after 6-9 months. But like I say I really enjoy the shorter D class races so have spent most of my time on those. Totally get what you’re saying about value for money and offline versus online when time is tight!

[@woodcote7617]

Thanks for the analysis I have found this really useful as an iRacing 'watcher'.... I did not take the plunge then but the black Friday deal looked like the way to go to make a start....

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey Nij! It definitely is, although the big cost is the content, rather than the subscription!

[@VRixxo123]

I'm sorry but I refuse to get taken advantage of like this. Pay for cars, pay for tracks, plus a subscription? You guys are getting taken advantage of

[@cbrdealer]

The amount of hours I have into iracing vs how much I spent. I don't think its as bad people make. After the first year I had most of the tracks you see in road series. Since then I haven't "had" to buy much content, a car here, a track there. Buying a new PC release is, 50-60$? How many games do you buy a year or over 3 years? How many hours do you put into those games? It just depends on how much you use it. I have got my moneys worth out of my purchases in iracing. Getting started is rough if you dont have the extra income, but once you get past the initial hump and get some tracks that are used in multiple series it's not as bad as people make seem.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Yeah I agree with you buddy - I don't regret the investment. It's given me fantastic fun and the kind of experience you can't really get anywhere else, especially since RaceRoom's ranked servers became alot less populated.

[@gjdriessen1]

They should offer various subscription services , eg a higher amount to access all content (like Netflix) and offline only now the ai is really good.

[@noduj]

I wish they had a other pricemodel, its too expensive for many players, especially with all the other costs of sim racing. I still love it and its my most played Sim, because the participation is always good and i can race at any time. The Tracks are top notch, good variety of race series, best Multiplayermode and i can't wait for the rain update. I just wish, more people could enjoy it.

[@ClaudioBernasconi]

I'm in the same position as you are. However, I started asking myself whether looking at it, in the long run, is still the right thing to do. This game is 14 years old, and has bad graphics and exploits like the one shown in the 24h of Spa. The biggest advantage of iRacing is that there hasn't been a real competitor for a long time. However, what if AC2 or Rennsport will split the community and the service becomes less attractive? If iRacing is not able to provide a better service with how much money they take from each player, maybe their limited by the current state of the game. Remember it's age. What do you think?

[@chrisr236]

The graphics of AMS2, with the online abilities and VR performance of iRacing, and the physics of ACC. That's the perfect sim

[@Ben_LaBroca]

What a combo that would be! Maybe Rensport will get us closer to it?

[@MikeDasani]

Pretty cheap all things considered. This year it cost me $2,200 for 4 track days including ticket price, track insurance and fuel. That doesn't take into account wear on consumables like tires, and brakes as well as brake fluid flush, oil changes, etc..

[@GiosSimCorner]

I really wan to try iracing but I cant get over the fact of how shitty the graphics are compared to other titles like ACC.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey man - yeah you can’t get away from the fact it’s an older game. But with settings cranked up and some nvidia filters applied it doesn’t look terrible I reckon. Sampsoid has a good tutorial for the kind of thing I’m talking about.

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

It’s that you are spending hundreds of pounds for a decade old game that you don’t own that stops me picking it up.

[@LilianC81]

Very useful indeed ! Thank you Ben

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Thanks Lilian!

[@AgeOfunReason]

iRacing is fun but is it the most expensive sport on earth ? Looking at total cost put in, the cost of PC graphics card. Steering wheel pedals and I guess optional VR or chair and rig. Is not more expensive then any other sport? Is it cheaper to play golf? Or even cheaper to go on track days for real?

[@renamain2205]

im kinda stuck right now i got iracing around 4 days ago and im quickly out of rookies the new season just started and i have a d license and i think im set on doing the usf 2000 and 2 tracks but im not sure if im ready to spend another 40 dollars all ready so i dont know if i should stay doing rookie races or just make the move while we are still at the beginning of a season

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey man - so I made a buyers guide on the channel which might help - there are D class races you can do in your Mazda for example. If you do decide to go for another class, be careful with USF. I really liked it, but they’ve just released a new F4 car, so the player base of the USF may go down a lot.

[@renamain2205]

@@Ben_LaBroca yeah the new f4 cars series only has 2 free track so its kinda tough decision thanks for the input though

[@Ben_LaBroca]

@@renamain2205 no worries man - let me know what you choose to do!

[@SuperLisandro86]

They should make it free to play hotlaps or agains IA, since there is no server use. Anyother way, if you stop paying the subscription one day, you lose everything, which is straight theft. But I think the price of the game content is adequate, but not the sub cost.

[@bas2362]

There’s another way to look at it. You can also go out into the real worth and spend thousands upon thousands on getting into a team to do some track days and a few races/events or even go solo and spend tens- if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on a car. iRacing provides all of this in the comfort of your own home. Of course it is not the same as racing in real life. But for that amount of money you will get way more value than if you decide to start racing while you’re not sponsored.

[@-Thunder]

And that's not including hardware. But... I've been into 3D printing, skiiing, scuba, golf, guitars, girls and it's pretty easy to burn more cash on those. Especially the last one.

[@aaaaaaab11]

The price of a half-decent PC is the problem. When is it going to come to series X? I tried a $2,500 PC in Canada and I returned it cuz it ran like a piece of s*** to much fiddling. My series X runs so smooth on my BenQ tx700 gaming projector it's quite good.

[@oscarchavezracing]

I have this idea in mind when I see this videos. So my idea for iracing is to buy al tracks needed for one specific series and race in gt3/gt4 series only. Considering that I only buy one car in each series, and all the tracks needed for each series, and decide to only stick for that series for all 13 weeks then the only purcheses i’ll need to do are the prices for the subscription, right?

[@oscarchavezracing]

Coneidering I buy in the GT4 class the McLaren GT4 car and the tracks are -Charlotte motor speedway -Sebring -Barber Motorsports Park -Mid-Ohio -Red Bull Ring -Circut Gilles -Indianapolis -Nurburgring -Circuito de Jerez -Laguna seca -Detroit GP -Spa All tracks and the car will cost 206.3 (not taking in consideration bulk discounts and the mpr credits)

[@LuisOrtiz-tg6bp]

what I don't like about paying for Iracing is not the cars or tracks. it's how other drivers talk to you when you taking someone out buy Mistake. not paying to be called "Idiot."

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ah I know what you mean Luis - it’s why I have never and will never turn voice chat on! I don’t need that in my life!

[@necromalice3530]

I spend 1 or 2 hours a day racing project cars 2. I do just career stuff, and I don't mind it. I have a little DLC for it. I also have ACC, and I think all the DLC, and there are no servers in my area. I only bought ACC for the online play, and spent about what you did on the game and DLC. The difference is you still get to play online. Thank you for the review. You just earned a sub. Oh ya and I have spent way more then that on dumber things in my life. I also would like to say I am very anti- pay to play game style. But I might just bust it out for this, I do like to race online and stuff. What is the online racing like anyways? Is it smooth transfer? Have you any experience with VR and iRacing?

[@mrquickogaming]

Shame when doing this now the £ to $ is the worst it’s ever been so it’s very expensive but then I love it!

[@jasonanderson8892]

Well I've spent more than triple that, I was hoping your number would be much higher...damn!

[@markc3456]

I almost exclusively do single player racing, so iRacing would make 0 sense for me. Although I often do feel that other sims don't cost enough. It's pretty easy to name 5 things we wish every sim (including iRacing) would work on, but that cost money...

[@vsm1456]

iRacing has AI drivers now too. people say that AI is one of the best in simracing

[@Ben_LaBroca]

As the comment below says there is ai in iRacing now - I've not checked it out properly but do intend to. Problem is you need to pay the subscription anyway to only race offline, which means RaceRoom is in my opinion a much better bet.

[@TheRP83]

@@vsm1456 indeed I find iRacing AI the best...but you must pay for playing offline with the expensive content that we have paid 👎🏼

[@emjeyPT]

Good presentation for sure. Its a hobby. If you can just do it... If you dont, find other ways to enjoy your hobby. For now, i cant, and so i stick with other games... Thank you for the info 😉

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Thanks man, and for taking the time to comment!

[@miltipello]

Very fair video that acknowledges the cost and that 'value' is subjective. Weirdly, my take away from this video is I want to ask what the USF2000 is like to drive? I want to get into open wheelers more, but I'm not a fan of the Skippy and the F3 feels a bit too advanced for me. How did you find it to drive, and what was the racing like?

[@VishnuRajam4x4]

It’s a gem of a car. Buy it immediately

[@miltipello]

@@VishnuRajam4x4 Haha - sold! Does look like a lot of fun to be fair, and sneaking in some more oval stuff is exactly what I want.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey fella - I agree it's fantastic BUT they've just annoucned a new F4 car, so if you haven't bought it already I'd hold off to see new season schedules and participation rates, as they will be very similar cars ultimately.

[@miltipello]

@@Ben_LaBroca Yeah I saw that. I'll hold fire until the schedules come out and go from there. The draw of USF2000 for me is that oval element and being able to build that license whilst still staying largely on the road side.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

@@miltipello great shout buddy - that is a real bonus of that series!

[@brentritchie6199]

A good and fair video thank you

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Cheers Brent!

[@jennygw1883]

if you had just gone to the pub 10 times over that period you would easily have spent way over that amount. i think its good value for money, but are there reasonable alternatives to iracing that give better value?

[@dazturner1576]

Good shout I pumped in over £100 about 10 years ago. I got sucked into buying lots of cars / tracks because of how popular the week was with new content, especially as they were running servers with much more players. Pulled the plug many years ago and I will not justify paying anymore on something that graphically has never changed.

[@nigelbradby5548]

Problem is people are used to buying a game and that's it until they 'finish' it and then they buy the next one. If you treat iRacing as a hobby, which you and a lot of others do, then I don't see the issue. I used to do trackdays before I got the Sim bug, and I can tell you now if you were to do a trackday a week for a year you would be laughing! £150 will get you 1 trackday and then there's petrol and wear an tear of the car, once you've brought one! Also don't know many hobbies that once you have committed to your initial purchase there is no more outlay? My dad was a model railway nut and he spent thousands! I don't smoke or drink (much) so I think it's well worth the cost. But that's just me

[@Ben_LaBroca]

I ultimately agree Nigel. I think the bit that sticks in my craw a bit is ultimately without a subscription you can’t access what you pay for. It would be like your dad needing to pay weekly to use his model railway. I suppose maybe if it was so big and he was renting a warehouse to run it, that would be an equivalent! 😅😅

[@Meylan191083]

The monthly cost of your subscription and content is only £21 which is less than most hobbies (that require ongoing spend) will cost.

[@edvardmyhre8162]

Very informative, thanks!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Thanks for stopping by Edvard, glad you found it helpful!

[@casekito5314]

what is VAT?

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey buddy - that’s value added tax 👍

[@janseendiguiseppiThomasMC]

Iracing just feels better than most sims. The drifting around corners on iracing is more realistic in my opinion compared to other Sims like assetto etc. and such

[@Ben_LaBroca]

I know some disagree but I enjoy the physics of iRacing too - I even think they've improved alot over the year I've been playing!

[@Laffsatyou]

I just started iracing myself and do quite prefer the physics and the way the cars feel and handle. One of my favorite pastimes is to sometimes just spectate and tick the "focus on crashes" option. I have seen some hilarious wrecks and attempted recoveries after a slide.

[@cha11eng3r7]

Not trying to justify their prices, but a set of tires for a dirt midget is like $300. When you look at it that way, Iracing becomes very economical and convenient. But also, so is Asseto Corsa, costing like $30 to get everything.

[@secularist1969]

$20 or so per month is dirt cheap for what you get. The value is there if you use it, like anything else.

[@crazyoldbiker938]

To answer your question about having spent too much money, well, I spend $108/mo just for internet, and if I add up my hardware alone, that's at least another $150/month based on upgrades.

[@crazyoldbiker938]

Oh, and Call Of Duty (to compare) puts out a new game each year for another $140 and suckers gamers into multiple $25 packages several times a year. In relation to this, iRacing is cheap, except to the financially responsible.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha that made me chuckle. You're quite right though - there's loads of expensive hobbies out there, and as a pal of mine says, it's cheaper than a golf club membership or any number of other mid life crises you could have!

[@leemzgoogle917]

I spent $900+ on iRacing in about a year or so. I eventually quit due to cost and the fact that you never, ever, OWN any of the content you "buy" (you don't buy it, you lease it). At the time there was no racing vs AI and there was no way to even access your content offline. I just had too many bad experiences in the online racing. I also didn't care for the tire model that was available at the time. There were also just far too many a-holes to deal with in the online races. I even had one guy repeatedly ramming me, deliberately, in a PRACTICE session that I was hosting. That was the last straw for me. That was about 5 years ago. A friend of mine is a member and I promised him I'd do some racing with him (only because I found I had accrued some credits that would pay for a month's subscription). I went into the sim and found that much of the content I'd paid for had been "archived", so there weren't even any races involving a lot of the content I'd bought. So, needless to say, I won't be back.

[@Slakass55]

You are (and I mean this not as an offense) the kid that was offered free dope at school. After trying it, he got hooked and the dealer owned him from that point on. After your "recovery" you can look back and realize what a bottomless pit iracing is. Believe me, I've been seriously contemplating it due to the very low cost on Steam for a month. But I am now learning from others' experiences that this is a drug I simply cannot afford. There are healthier alternatives out there that won't break the bank. Thanks for sharing your dip into the dark hole. Glad you made it out.

[@leemzgoogle917]

@@Slakass55That's as good of an analogy as any.

[@Slakass55]

👍@@leemzgoogle917

[@musicmate70]

there is just noway I will ever get into Iracing Ben its just so anti consumer. charging a sub & then having to pay for each track & car but that is just me,

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey Steven - I think you’re spot on in that this is the biggest thing that is unjustifiable, together with the need for a live sub to use any of that purchases content. I’m prepared to go with it but totally understand those who aren’t!

[@musicmate70]

@@Ben_LaBroca Ben to be forced to sub or you cant use content you have paid for, is just disgraceful I am surprised they are allowed to get away with that 🤐🤐

[@RTR_RRoomes73]

Good job Ben

[@keithdenton8386]

how much ???? on a game that is 14 years old. it should be six quid same as any other old game.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Honestly Keith I know, it’s a crazy sum!

[@MegaIronica]

As a young dad who mostly sim races at night, I feel we are in the exact same boat. I would not be surprised if young tech savvy dads are the target demographic of iRacing. It just so happens it is a very lucrative demographic. Now, shut up iRacing and take our money 🤣🤣

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha I’m really sure we are EXACTLY their target customer!! 💰 💰 💰

[@tigerbalm666]

Gaming is far cheaper than just about anything like golfing, movies in theaters, food, paying for prositution, etc. It's literally pennis on the hour!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha fair point - I definitely used to spend alot more down the pub over a weekend!

[@GTI-Eddy]

When you compare it to FIFA and what people spend on that game just to not play that title when the next one comes out is what you call eye watering. I, myself, can tell you I have wasted stupid amounts of money just to stop playing the game when it goes stale. You are paying for a hobby, and like most actually fun hobbies, they come with costs. I always see/hear people complaining of prices in iRacing yet their setup probably cost well over £5000.. They probably have i9 3090 custom loop builds with the windows watermark as well...

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha I think you're right buddy - in the end if it's bringing you joy then it's a decent investment. And there isn't any other title that can guarantee the variety and competitiveness of the online racing that iRacing does. Not yet anyway!

[@GTI-Eddy]

@@Ben_LaBroca We're not getting any younger, relish the things you enjoy!

[@jenscee7679]

Let’s just say I’ve been in the 40+ club. One advantage is more content is 20% off now. It’s a f@ckton of money but worth it as have driven thousands of hours

[@Slakass55]

Damn, that's over Canadian $500/year. Guess that iracing is for the irich.

[@Sir__Gambit]

"There will NEVER be an iRacing 2, or 3 or 4".. no sequels, ever!! just the forever continual development and improvement of a sim-racing platform that you are either prepared to invest in or 'not' invest in. If you are 'not' prepared to invest or support iRacing then don't, if you are then there is nothing wrong in supporting what you are enthusiastic about, there are plenty of other platforms to go.. if you feel you have spent too much I am afraid the fault lies with you and you only.

[@Baltuc_Racing]

Ive been on iRacing for 10years now , i really dont wanna know how much ive spent 🤣

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha yeah that's probably best left a mystery! 🤣

[@Baltuc_Racing]

@@Ben_LaBroca indeed 🤣

[@Roger_Diz]

Still a freaking bargain compared to Diablo immoral 😝

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha!! A pal of mine also compared it to a golf club membership…

[@Roger_Diz]

@@Ben_LaBroca great comparison as I can only afford public courses... lol and one good thing about iracing is at least they don't try to hide their pricing model. Everything is pretty much right there on the website and in today's world, I do appreciate that. Good thing the public courses (ac and acc) are really good. 😁 I'd gladly pay a subscription fee if they adopted a pricing model more like ACC.

[@RichAbe23]

You pay to participate and not to own unfortunately. That’s how you have to view iracing. The best online competitive experience hands down and you pay for it dearly.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

A nice summary Rich! Thanks for commenting buddy.

[@billgulker6187]

Iracing is one of the few racing games I have no interest in playing. I simply have no time for online races.

[@RobertKarkkanen]

104$ since 2016. racing a few month/year. The subscription is the worst part for your money. Oh, almost forgot. and also a new set of steering wheel and pedal,. Fanatec elite 800$. Money well spent ..... maybe.

[@ludmilpan]

it's just so super overpriced that its insane, they should really introduce at least something like packs, but everoyne knows they wont do it cause money is everything for them, Ill much rather pay 100 euros for everything in raceroom, or around 50 euros for ACC with all of its dlcs, than to give something to this "company"