NEW iRacing Buyer's Guide 2024 | Keep your COSTS DOWN!!!

[@Tincoco_]

kinda sucks that the iracing community has in a way allowed this type of in game purchase stuff to happen this way. Cus constantly having to buy to play what im playing monthly to play is absurd

[@theshawnmccown]

That's my number one problem with it. Followed by the fact that I couldn't care less how my stats compare to anyone else. I am curious how much better, if at all, is Iracing's simulation of the cars compared to other sims like AC, ACC, R3E, AMS2, RF2. If they had a single player version that just sold tracks and cars and packs but no monthly subscription, then I'd get it. Everyone wants to feel like they are a pro without a car and I feel like there is a lot of hype put into this sim to make players think they can drive in real life like they do in the sim and this sim can be used to prove it. People buy into that and then end up in fantasy land paying whatever they demand to feel like this is real. I have enough sanity to know this is just a sim game and there is ZERO bragging rights in a game. Do it in real life and I'll be impressed.

[@LuukVdStreets]

Probably the amount of people that are interesting in hardcore sim-racing content is very small so to stay financially healthy, iRacing needs to make sure that their player base is slowly turning into financially unhealthy people.

[@theshawnmccown]

@Tincoco_ I purchased a month license and a few tracks and a Porsche 911 gt3 r ($3.50 for the Porsche). Pulled up the same tracks and same car and matched the car setup as closely to iRacing's default for the Porsche in Raceroom and AMS2. Tweeked the triple screen setups to match and the Force feedback as well. Raceroom felt different enough that it was noticeable. AMS2 felt so close that I couldn't hardly tell one from the other, with the exception of graphics. I'm going to do the same thing with ACC, RFactor 2 and PC2 to see how they compare. iRacing right out if the box felt great even with the default car setup. But, with matching setup, AMS2's simulation and FFB feels right up there with it. So, on those fronts, iRacing is overly hyped. IRacing and Raceroom offer the most content for tracks, cars and liveries. IRacing pulls ahead in all these areas with the added bonus of allowing custom liveries. So, iracing gives the realism of AMS2 with greater content selection than Raceroom. But, graphics sits between the two. I love R3E but, after doing this test, iRacing and AMS2 pulls ahead. I wish iRacing would drop the subscription model for people who play single player and A.I. races. Maybe even allow private server races with no earned class points or official races. Just sell content like R3E does. Also, beat out R3E by offering an offline mode.

[@chriscotton4207]

Yup, I'd be willing to spend and even a reasonable monthly. But each track is absurd. That should be part of the monthly.

[@Romad_20]

Guess what, no one cares. Iracing will be fine like they have been for 16 years and will continue to provide updates, support, new tasks and cars and of course, great online racing. I don't really understand the complaints at this point. They are not changing anything for people who don't pay now. Also, they're the only game in town for oval

[@markelliott3906]

Have been thinking of getting into iracing recently and have watched a few of these videos and I think this is the best one I have watched! Thanks!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ah thanks Mark! Let me know if you need any help getting set up if you do take the plunge!

[@WiesiekTV]

Ferrari 296 GT3 is just a no-brainer. I just love this car and the series, love the drama etc. Its sooo coool

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Haha drama is guaranteed!!

[@jaronbrandes5054]

I did my first 296 race last night and it was nuts. People dive bombing from 8 tenths back. I had my most incident points ever in that race. I had 2 from me going off track and I had I have 12 from people resending me trying to dive bomb. It was fun though. Some of those guys need to go back to the Mazda series to learn how to control a car

[@WiesiekTV]

@@jaronbrandes5054 Yeah but tbh 296 gt3 is easy car to drive, some ppl even saying it is one of the easiest car to drive in iracing

[@jaronbrandes5054]

@@WiesiekTV yeah it is easy to drive. Just the dive bombing is annoying. But I don’t take it serious. It gets my racing fix out

[@Slades_Garage]

I hate the way the 296 drives. Sluggish boat.

[@donjezza]

+1 for the Ferrari, one thing to mention is it's easy to drive, very important for beginners. Another good thing to mention is to try to take advantage of the free test sessions during maintenance, this was how I decided which cars to buy early on

[@TheColblas]

Where can I see when these maintenances are? Are they at the end of the seasons?

[@donjezza]

@@TheColblas there is always one every update so definitely in week 13 but also hotfixes, look at the notifications when you start the game. They don't let you use the most recent cars and depending on your timezone it might not be convenient but I found them very useful

[@parker.mp3]

There was a post recently on Reddit about getting 1 year of iRacing and the FIA F4 car in exchange for a $10 donation, it took a day and a bit but I got my code from them, I think it’s only for USA and Canada but I can try to find the post if anyone wants it

[@Reiter.Racing]

Would be cool with the Link :) 😃

[@juliwomp]

that would be amazing if you still had the link

[@TheAIThinkTank]

I think it’s scam

[@parker.mp3]

@@TheAIThinkTank I thought it seemed sketchy too lol

[@justinmuntean7689]

Was not a scam. It was Canada e-sports, and I also got it for a ten dollar donation.

[@Nick_Kearney]

I'm in the iRacing 100% Club, so I own everything. While it is "nice" to be able to join any session I want, there's a lot of content I never get to use in official online sessions. Ben is very right about having to head to AI races or league races to make use of some content, even if it does appear on an official schedule.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Boom, the 100% club! Nice work Nick! I imagine I’ll be there one day 😅

[@limitpointracing]

Great video man for us new Sims Racers. Just Graduated out of Rookies so definitely gonna pick up the Ferrari

[@revenanke3132]

So... How much was it in total?

[@Nick_Kearney]

​@revenanke3132 last I looked it was over $6000 AUD. That's assuming no volume discounts.

[@rogsan_]

These informational videos are always great. Amazing job, Ben!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Thank you buddy! ❤️

[@Pihkalaa]

I wish iracing was like many ither games that you have to spend money once and u get the full game forever

[@martinelliott9961]

I enjoyed your video about this last year Ben, was very helpful. I’m a Very part time gamer, dad too young kids and a job, race when kids are in bed. The Falken challenge is also a good one, I bought the McLaren’s for that and most weeks it works out ok. If not, I race something else for the week to save the bank balance.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ha we are very much in the same boat Martin! Yes great shout re Falken Tyre / GT4. Definitely up there with the most accessible sports car choices!

[@TheNuno190]

Be wary of the gt4 schedule. Since it can be vary alot from season to season!

[@LucarioVz]

Something people dont get is pricing for various countries. In my case, A track or car is a FULL DAY'S worth of my salary. I got a promo of 1 year and the F4 car for the price of a month but I rarely play because I need to buy stuff.

[@theliamonator]

im new and just wondering what the overlay programme is at 4:46 (weather chapter)

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey buddy - it’s RaceLab apps. You can download a free or paid for version. Google it and you’ll find it 👍

[@sloppy_sock]

Hey which layouts are you using in the background footage? Thanks :)

[@Ben_LaBroca]

@@sloppy_sock hey buddy - it’s racelab apps. If you google it you’ll find it 👍

[@Vandantcyclone]

When you buy tracks, do you keep them forever?

[@Ben_LaBroca]

@@Vandantcyclone yes but to access any content you need an active subscription

[@Zombiefruit]

Super helpful in convincing me not to pay them a cent. Ridiculous to charge hundreds of dollars and then charge for cars and tracks on top of that. I'll stick with ACC

[@yeastydynasty]

I find it funny that people bag on triple A companies that do microtransactions but turn around and dump hundreds of dollars on microtransactions in iRacing...

[@carenthusiast6748]

same

[@Master-Songan]

The prices are crazy on iRacing. I love it after driving there for 2 months, but...i bought AMS2 for just 5$ and it has right out of the box more way more tracks / cars and looks even better. But i like the FFB on iRacing way more.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey man - yeah it’s very expensive compared to anything else out there really. But! For online racing it’s unbeatable. I primarily use AMS 2 as my offline sim, so get the best of both.

[@Eddydatscrazy]

$14.99 per track? That’s wild. You can get R Factor 2, Asetto Corsa, and project cars 2 for $20 (Not from steam of course, but insta gaming). You can literally get three games for the price of one track. I thought about joiningI racing, but the player count is always below 300. Don’t waste your money guys.

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ha it's definitely expensive, and you're right re. the number of other titles that are cheaper. But that's not true re. the player count - right now there is 7,953 players online...and that's far from peak time. And as a result the online offer is unmatched.

[@Eddydatscrazy]

@@Ben_LaBroca that’s fair, I used steam player count from google so that information must be wrong. Now that has me thinking about other games I looked up 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@BKFinestt]

I’ve been considering it but I settled with FM and ACC. I love GT7 but I don’t have a wheel for ps5 😢

[@silentbob3999]

yes,it is expensive! but! you get the best simulator. in my opinion,a car and a track every month(only if you want to of course). then it doesn´t hurt so much,when you have spent 1000 or more dollars at some point😅

[@CaptRohmer]

Oof, it’s a subscription service that also requires players to have to buy their own cars? I tried googling the cost but only found actual used cars. Thanks for the info

[@carenthusiast6748]

people who defend this have stockholm syndrome

[@DB-zp9un]

Month to month with no volume discounts or anything is $13 USD.. If you buy everything they have right now, with the 30% discount I think it's just shy of 2k USD... But as they add more things if you want to have EVERYTHING you'd just have to keep buying it..

[@carenthusiast6748]

@@DB-zp9un my comment about this was deleted lol

[@DB-zp9un]

@@carenthusiast6748 interesting.. Did you just post facts like that or were you more critical about it? I mean it is what it is.. If folks dont like the format, they dont have to use the service.. But it's not going to change the price is it?

[@CaptRohmer]

@@DB-zp9un 2k USD seems a little steep for a video game. I get that hobbies are expensive, etc - but these are all digital assets. Same company as Star Citizen or is everyone doing this now?

[@priceG]

Usually when I buy tracks, I use IRBG to see if the tracks that I want are also being used on another series and I'd like to race. I had a blast with the Ferrari 296 last season and with the credit bonus that I've got, I decided to run F4 this season. Hopefully the Super Formulas have a nice schedule next season, that's my goal I'm also interested in IndyCar, but it has a few ovals mixed with road courses. I haven't really raced at any ovals, how hard is it compared to road racing?

[@Darlexis]

YAY!! Thanks you!! I love your opinions on this stuff!

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ah thanks man - hope you enjoyed the vid!

[@MinguMeister]

Hey nice video just wondered where you get that info from at 2:20?

[@Ben_LaBroca]

@@MinguMeister hey buddy! It’s a website called “Iracing reports”. If you google it you’ll find it 👍👍

[@MinguMeister]

@@Ben_LaBroca Thank you so much

[@SimTrackDays]

I'll be honest i keep my costs down by skipping this subpar rental all together..

[@billbaggins1688]

I drive formula cars.. I have given up on buying new tracks for a bit. I just wish iRacing would schedule Interlagos. They NEVER do. ALSO: the currency factor from AUD to USD is horrible.

[@hairlokk8672]

Havent played it in a few years now, but thinking i should get it running again. Need to visit the store tho, after i bought new computer its so bloody hightech i cant use 1 of my screens due hdmi is the oldest stuff on the gfx card

[@billwiley7216]

Really since an iRacing subscriber never really "owns" any content that is usable without an active subscription it would probably be better to be able to buy a "Season Pass" for the different series a racer wanted to participate in that included access to all of the cars and the tracks for that series for the current season with nothing additional needed to purchase. Price the packages reasonable enough that a racer wanting to participate say in 3 different series would not have sticker shock in the amount of outlay to be able to participate. I expect something like this would keep more players coming back multiple years than feeling like every year they have to not only pay for new tracks or maybe a more current car but the subscription cost as well.

[@Romad_20]

I think people are coming back just fine otherwise they would change something

[@billwiley7216]

@@Romad_20 Anytime you see a thread concerning iRacing whether on a sim forum or here on you tube there are countless post of people that comment they will not play iRacing because of their business model of selling every piece of content seperately and also requiring a subscription price. Iracing may be doing okay but they are leaving a lot of potential money on the table that they could add in if they were more reasonable. Also iRacing had a monopoly on good matchmaking and ranking in the past but LFM has threatened that feature and is doing it across multiple game titles with the biggest right now being ACC. Wait until EVO hits and LFM then has a title that may rival also in the types and different classes of cars and racing disciplines and all of the cars and tracks will be availible to the racers for the single retail cost of the game title while also offering modern graphics rather than the decade old cartoonish graphics of iRacing! iRacing is overpriced for what it offers and there are now others in the arena doing the same thing iRacing is doing and really offering a better product at a MUCH cheaper price point.

[@Romad_20]

​@billwiley7216 let's check this in a year or two. Maybe, but there's no evidence that is what will happen. Others have had a decade and a half to do so already. I actually like AM2, ACC, F1 24(or whatever year) and play them, but only as a break. I always come back to iracing. Matchmaking, ovals, community etc keep me coming back. I never feel " I've spent so much I have to play this" or sunken cost fallacy as people like to say.

[@SmithersSimRacing]

Been thinking of buying the super light you might have just helped me out .. cheers Ben also mate you know whats happened to Jamie Red ken ?

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey buddy - yeah Jamie has decided to call time on KZbin. He’s still hanging out on his discord and doing some racing, just not on YT. You can join his discord here! discord.gg/wZweRGNM

[@SmithersSimRacing]

@@Ben_LaBroca Thats a shame use to like watching his stream ... thanks Ben

[@Ben_LaBroca]

@@SmithersSimRacing me too buddy!

[@rmp.attackerfake9446]

15 dollarydoos for a track? My brother bought GT7 for 15 as well 😭 I really want to get into iracing but when it's this expensive...

[@abredzio1272]

I kinda wanna buy iRacing but I dont have anyone to play with...

[@christosswc]

Keep your costs down. That's ironic. A year and a half ago they offered a 3 month special or something like that so I thought I'd give it another go and bought it at the discount. When it expired it charged me a renewal without me ever requesting it. I launched a complaint with iracing and they said that this was specific to their European clients,the automatic renewal, and there was nothing they could do. Adding insult to injury they also said that this practice had now been discontinued and there would be no automatic renewals anymore without the client intentionally requesting it, even for European clients. Back to RF2 then and I'm done with them, that is not an acceptable business practice. When you're looking to get a good deal and keep costs down and fun at the maximum and they go and eff you like that it's GG game over, especially when they refuse to make things right, I do not forgive.

[@larsiedgaming1278]

First i need to find place so i can buy a propper rig😂. Hope i will be able to join you in the naar future!💪🏻

[@Ben_LaBroca]

That would be awesome mate - good luck!

[@SMCORTES]

im spending almost $75 dollars monthly man, this game is way too expensive

[@Romad_20]

Why are you spending $75 a month??

[@MrJohansen]

Iracing buyers guide: buy ACC, LMU, or RF2 instead I cancelled my iracing sub in 2020 and my only regret is not cancelling earlier

[@mattjones1207]

Don’t move from road to Oval like me 😅👍🏻

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Ha - like starting all over again at £0!! 😅

[@ayrtonborges7677]

Too late I already spent 1.1k Canadian in the 7 months I’ve been playing.

[@skibi003]

iracing is better on steam or website ?

[@Ben_LaBroca]

Hey buddy - I’m not too sure of how it works on Steam. I don’t imagine it’s cheaper but you’ll need to compare the costs of sub packages.

[@ScholliUlz]

Keeping your costs down in sim racing? Simply don't drive iRacing. It's the best thing you can do. 😅

[@skobmor3526]

I was considering getting into iRacing, but after all this research no frikin way, pure money grab, nexon has games that are better at monetization ffs

[@Romad_20]

Again, they've been here 16 years and are adding subs. Pretty sure they don't care

[@bobfunk5055]

Background music is annoying.

[@jeeziRacer]

Firstly I’m not a hater and I genuinely want to see everyone either do really well or make a shitload of money. This is the strangest video I’ve ever seen on KZbin and it confuses me Why would your opinion about what cars you should drive have any bearing on absolutely anyone who uses iracing? As we love driving what we love driving and the opinions of a below average sim racer (no disrespect) I’m average and I’ve raced you a few times so that’s just my humble opinion, so it wouldn’t change that and why on earth would you think it would? Like I said no hating at all!! And wish you all the best And im certain 95 people out of 100 don’t actually gives a shit about what things cost on iracing mate? All the best dude

[@chief117s15]

Paying monthly is a scam, I don't care what anyone says. No game needs a player to pay monthly, as well as them having to pay more on top of that for extra content. Literal scam. Will stick to AMS2.

[@JordanHarris]

The updates they provide is 10/10. Debris change as drivers go of course now. They added another free car. The tires are getting more and more real all the time. 🤷‍♂️ It's the only place for good multiplayer races.

[@JordanHarris]

Oh btw I bought a year subscription.

[@DB-zp9un]

Yea, that's not how my brain works unfortunately. Gimme all the stuff..

[@carenthusiast6748]

Yeah no. Gonna stay with ACC. I hate stuff very you dont own it and have to pay till the end of time.

[@richardsracingmad]

Think I will enjoy AC2 more than iRacing…so that’s where I will put my wallet

[@SlowPokeRacing33]

Based on what? There's not even a gameplay video of ac2 yet.

[@glitchinthematrix9306]

Exactly lmao ​@@SlowPokeRacing33

[@MrAlanevo]

@@SlowPokeRacing33does he mean ACC?

[@richardsracingmad]

@@SlowPokeRacing33 based on that AC is my most played sim

[@Wyn3e]

@@MrAlanevono AC2 aka AC evo

[@reganstevenson9532]

The multi piece discount doesn't exist anymore

[@TVCHLORD]

this garbage subscription game has 200 players on steam right now

[@alang.2054]

most people don't play this game via steam, they play using the official website, currently it's around 11k people online. And that's enough. We don't need people who can't afford it, high entry barrier and lower player count keeps the community cleaner

[@Qhimadi]

acc + ac + lfm , the answer

[@mgm418871]

Is someone trying to get people to play acc/ac because no one plays it and the lobbies are empty????

[@stevec850]

the first 1 minute of this video wasn't needed

[@atlantic_love]

Every video I come across nowadays is "leave a like and subscribe, it helps out the channel a lot bla bla bla". It's as if they don't understand that if the content is good, people are likely to do those things. Otherwise, no begging in the world will make them do it.

[@MisterArgos]

I knew that you have to buy cars...plus subscription...now I heard you have to buy tracks...when I will have to buy gas and oil for my car? Coffee and meals for a driver? Give some change for a bum cleaning my car window? Game just lost a potential customer.

[@Sethsimracing]

@Ben_LaBroca thanks for this! Next season, I think I'ma get into the Super Formula Lights and the Ferrari GT3!!!