Sim racing in the comfort of your home normally requires two things:

1. Enough money to afford sim racing equipment
2. Enough space to set up your equipment

Today I am going to debunk that for you by showing you two pieces of equipment that are not only affordable, but also fold up easy for storage.

Affordable Racing Wheels

Racing wheels can certainly be expensive and typically the more they cost the more simulated they perform and most of these are intended for high end gaming PC’s. However with the rise in popularity of sim racing there are racing wheel manufacturers who are catering to the console market, which means lower priced racing wheels. These companies are trying to market to the console gamer and offer a racing peripheral that can cost less than the console itself.

The companies Thrustmaster and Hori both offer options for steering wheels ranging from $60 to $200. Now of course these low budget options don’t have all of the features of the high end wheels, but some include force feedback, vibration, and even the ability to add on a shifter. These wheels also don’t require mounting to a huge racing rig, in fact they come with table clamps for mounting to a table or computer desk. Truly though the best option for budget sim racing is a wheel stand.

Wheel Stands

Wheel stands are simple contraptions that allow you to mount your racing wheel and secure your pedals into place. They allow you to sit in an office chair or on your couch and secure your racing wheel in front of you.

There are four qualities about wheel stands that make them great for budget sim racing: they range from $75 - $175, they fold up and some can even slide under a low couch or bed, they secure your pedals in place so they don’t slide around, and they put your body in a perfect racing position which adds to your racing immersion.

Getting an Inexpensive Racing Setup

For about $300 you can get a decent entry level Thrustmaster wheel and good wheel stand. The two pieces together will cost less than your console, but what’s even nicer is that this setup will also work on PC. So this type of setup is not only affordable and space savvy, but it’s flexible in the sense that it can work on console or PC. Typically these low budget wheels are compatible with only one console Xbox One or PS4 and not both though.

Where to Find Inexpensive Sim Racing Gear

If you are looking for the best cheap PS4 racing wheel or the best cheap Xbox racing wheel, there are a handful of sites that review these steering wheels. Finding affordable sim racing equipment isn’t impossible anymore and has made it super easy for anyone to get into sim racing no matter your budget.