by Have you ever seen something that clearly indicates that anyone buying it has too much money? The kind of purchase that makes no sense and seems to come with a plethora of problems that only the super rich could absolve. Something like buying a social media platform (opens in a new tab) because there are not enough people like you, or you buy one of these F1 Red Bull RB18 show car simulators without any unfathomable reason.
Formula 1 (opens in a new tab) proudly presents two new PC gaming racing simulator setups that no one should ever buy. These are huge pieces of kit based on the RB18 F1 model car which won 17 out of 22 races in 2022. The sims come in two variants, a base model called The Race Edition and an upgraded model called The Champions Edition which has a front fender assembly.
Although the casing is made with the same process used to make real F1 cars, this means you essentially get a half-manufactured racing vehicle shell in your choice of Verstappen or Pérez paint. All for the low price of between £74,999 and £99,999 (opens in a new tab)plus shipping and whatever the cost of remodeling your home to fit.
Of course, these sims aren’t just race car shells. No, because that would be silly. Instead, there’s a hidden game setup here, although sadly F1 is pretty light on the details. We know you’ll get a flavor of curved AOC gaming screen built into the kit, along with the Z906 Ultimate THX surround sound. The list also has “The Latest Gaming Hardware”, but unless that thing is literally full of RTX 4090s (opens in a new tab)s there is no way it justifies the price.
A surge in interest in racing simulations during the pandemic has really sent the industry into hyperdrive. Players are now spoiled for choice when it comes to wheels (opens in a new tab) and controllers (opens in a new tab) for whichever flavor of sim tickles your fancy. But even the most dedicated racing sim enthusiasts don’t spend near those prices on their rigs. They also didn’t have to remodel to fit them into their homes.
We looked at a few top racing rig setups (opens in a new tab) used by professional racers and content creators and even the most expensive of these are closer to the £30,000 mark. Plus, most of them look a bit better for realistic racing, opting for triple-monitor setups and sometimes even incorporating moving parts.
Although I’m just dabbling in this platform forever, the controls look pretty cool, and they would like it. The wheel has got to be one of the coolest I’ve seen, with a big screen and lots of controls. Theoretically, this is also paired with great pedals to deliver a solid racing simulation experience. When you deposit that kind of money, anything less would be a pretty huge insult, regardless of the liveries you chose. Moreover, the idea is to create the most authentic F1 experience possible in this overpriced and immobile piece of metal.
“Driving a Formula 1 car is something most of us can only dream of, but this simulator is as close to reality as it gets. Memento Exclusives have recreated the car to bring the track into your home,” said Red Bull team principal. Christian Horner.
It’s unclear whose house he’s talking about here, because there’s no way this thing will fit in mine, or anyone else’s I know. None of us are dumb enough to buy one in the first place. Especially when you can get amazing racing gear for a fraction of the price, which actually seems more accurate for pro experience anyway. After all, that’s what the real pros use. (opens in a new tab).
