GT5 vs iRacing

  • Thread starter Uscbryan
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Uscbryan
I signed up for iRacing this weekend. They had a 2 months free trial. To be fair I hadn't had a chance to really get into it. I took a couple of the cars they give you for a test drive and I don't get it. The graphics are stone age compared to GT5 and on some of those oval tracks I didn't even know which way I was going or if I was even going the right way. Now I am sure there is more to it because of the popularity and maybe it is a physics thing not a graphics thing. Can anybody out there that plays both let me know the attraction to iRacing as compared to GT5? Maybe I am missing something.
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I haven't played iRacing, but from what I've heard of the physics, I doubt that I would not enjoy it. I honestly dislike the visual attention to detail in GT at times because it seems to rob PD's time and prevent them from doing more important things.

The only reason I don't go all out and buy a true PC racing sim is because I've decided to dedicate my PC simming to flight sims, which I enjoy more than driving/racing sims. Flight sticks are expensive enough, I don't need to be worrying about having the latest HOTAS and driving rig lol.
 
Awww I get the sarcasm. But yes that's what I'm asking. The Vaio may only be a year old. But I may do some research on building a
PC dedicated to online racing since you are saying it will improve the graphics.

Wolfe
So you're saying a game with a massive budget and ~5 years of dedicated polishing, with the explicit goal of creating the best-looking driving experience yet, on a modern multi-core console optimized to squeeze the most performance it can out of each of its components (which are standardized on every unit)...looks better than a nearly-two-and-a-half-year-old PC sim focused primarily on physics simulation running on an old Vaio notebook, ostensibly with graphics features turned down or off, with the image blown up onto a TV?

What a surprise.


If you can't find any in-game indicators, everyone who makes fun of oval racing mocks the "endless left turns," you know.


I think I can answer, even having never played the game:
  1. Physics
  2. Physics
  3. Rules, details, and nuances of a real-world racing experience Gran Turismo completely glosses over
  4. Physics
  5. An online community of some of the hardest-core, cleanest drivers you'll ever meet through a phone line/cable
  6. Physics
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Gejabo
biggest diferance is PC - PS3

I don't play anything on PC
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Uscbryan
May I ask why?
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Good question. The only reason I even own an XBox or Playstation is for GT and Forza. If these games were available of the PC I would never touch either console as my weakest PC runs circles around all the consoles and my strongest PC is light years ahead of them.
 
I Dont care much for graphics any more as long as the graphics are at a fair standard I am happy.
Its the playability I like and for me I racing just blows most things out of the water.
 
I'm still into graphics but I can forgive a little if it makes up for it in the physics.

If GT took that part from iRacing GT would be the best racing game period. The realism in iRacing is great. I blew a transmission last night and it scared the doo doo out if me. I wasn't expecting it and I down shifted instead of upshifting and BAM. I have the buttkicker attached to my playseat and when the trans went out it not only went BAM it sent a quick vibration to the seat which scared me even more. Lol
 
Exorcet
The only reason I don't go all out and buy a true PC racing sim is because I've decided to dedicate my PC simming to flight sims, which I enjoy more than driving/racing sims. Flight sticks are expensive enough, I don't need to be worrying about having the latest HOTAS and driving rig lol.
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Same here, not that i have a monster HOTAS (X52) but don't want to have 2 expensive control systems sitting around the house. If i do get into PC racing Iracing sounds like the way to go. The flight combat sim i play sacrifices graphics for gameplay and physics which i enjoy more than the pretty looking sims with flight models that don't vary from AC to AC.
 
Uscbryan, this thread

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89502

might be interesting to you - it's GTPlanet's iRacing thread.

GT and iRacing are very different and so which you prefer depends on what you are looking for in a game. Until last summer GT was my number one game, now it is iRacing as I want to race simulated cars on great tracks with great physics against great opponents and I think iRacing meets each of those three requirements the best - they're trying to emulate real racing as close as possible. I still play GT5 though because it is still great - just in different ways.

Personally I don't agree that the iRacing graphics are worse than GT5, they're just different. GT5 has more special effects but iRacing can use higher resolutions and has more graphical detail.

iRacing pluses - physics, track quality, general realism, online racing quality.
GT5 pluses - number of cars, game progression, offline racing, cost, GTPlanet :-).

By the way, there are the two sides to iRacing, Ovals and Road - you can just go Road racing and completely ignore the Oval side no problem. I presume you haven't actually raced in iRacing yet - when you do you'll find races around the clock without people crashing here, there and everywhere due to the safety rating system that they have in place.
 
The just released Spa is the most beautiful track by iRacing released so far. The older tracks look a bit empty but they will get upfates in the future.

Corvette @ Spa:


 
Anyone have any thoughts on Toca Race Driver 3 compared to iRacing? I found it a lot more realistic than GT5, but more interesting than iRacing (at least that was my unexperienced uneducated opinion).
 
carn_the_pies
The biggest difference is that GT5 has sold tons more copies and will always be the premier racing game.
Console or PC.
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Kind of funny, I went from questioning iRacing to now questioning GT5. I have hardly touched GT5 since I started iRacing about a month ago. I actually went so nuts over iRacing I went and bought a Dell gaming PC and have set up triple 27" monitors. As a previous poster posted, GT 5 may have better special effects but is nowhere close to iRacing in the car details. And I hate to say this because a month ago I would defend GT5's physics to the end but now when I go from iRacing to GT5 I see a huge difference.

As far as GT5 being premier, that isn't always a selling point. That can mean they are trying to please everybody and that isn't always a good thing.

Please don't get me wrong, I love GT5, it's just hard to go back to after iRacing. And the triple screens are awesome. The FOV is amazing.
 
The reality is that you can talk up iracing as much as you like.
GT has the numbers and at the end of the day thats what matters.
Im not saying its better or worse, im saying it has sold more so clearly it has the majority audience.
 
carn_the_pies
GT has the numbers and at the end of the day thats what matters.
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I don't see my racing experience magically heightened as GT5 sales increases. It would be all that matters if you are a shareholder.....well maybe you are one I don't know.
 
carn_the_pies
The reality is that you can talk up iracing as much as you like.
GT has the numbers and at the end of the day thats what matters.
Im not saying its better or worse, im saying it has sold more so clearly it has the majority audience.
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Numbers aren't always everything. Quality, not quantity.

For me GT5 is aimed more at a mainstream/sim audience with it's Single player and various other features. Where as iRacing and rFactor are pretty much aimed straight at the racing purists who are looking for a game that is as realistic as possible.

But i've said many times before, none of this matters. They are both brilliant in their own ways and both of them have there pro and cons. Just a matter of personal opinion in the end.
 
Both are great games and im not saying either one is better,Although I am a GT original so i will stick by the game that revolutionized the racing genre and bought us this great site we call GT planet.
Again im not bagging Iracing im purely pointing out that GT has alot more numbers on the board than iracing.
 
The way I see it is:

iRacing = Beef!
GT = Lobster!
Mario Kart = Beef wrapped lobster with chicken n' waffles, served with Grandma's apple pie for dessert!


I believe that iRacing is a better simulator but I'd much rather play Gran Turismo because, I'm not going to lie, I like driving cars that look sexy. I was never really into iRacing either, it seemed too hardcore for me. I grew up playing GT games so I'd much rather stick with it. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.
 
marky5244
I presume you haven't actually raced in iRacing yet - when you do you'll find races around the clock without people crashing here, there and everywhere due to the safety rating system that they have in place.
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I suspect this is one thing that actually puts a lot of people off serious race sims - there's an air of elitism about every discussion of playing them.

I'd love to play driving games with much more accurate physics than GT/Forza, but since my driving isn't the most consistent - and I'm not interested in spoiling other people's races (or even in racing online at all, ideally) - I guess I'll just stick to the consoles.
 
For me the GT5's simplicity is it's advantage. When i played in one rfactor league it could take me a week to find a good setup and learn the track for one one hour racing session. In GT5 i can just choose a car and race it.

On the other hand i do wish that when it comes to actual race cars that GT5 would be more like it's PC cousins on some aspects...
 
I used iracing a few times but in the end, I stopped driving there.

iracing letdowns:

- monthly fee
- no street cars and only uninteresting race cars
- uninteresting tracks (missing Norschleife and a lot of other GP tracks)
- no weather
- no time changing
- no offline driving
- no AI
- the graphics look partially bad (cars look like they are made of plastic, like rc cars)

Off course it has the best physics and FFB. But that's not enough for me.
 
You really need to have alot of time to get the most out of iRacing, whereas with GT5 you can just sort of jump in and play for a half hour here and there.

iRacing has MX-5 Cup cars though... And Infineon. Really I would say I much prefer the track selection in iRacing, I never really like the fantasy tracks.

GT5 is still better overall for my needs though.
 
carn_the_pies
The reality is that you can talk up iracing as much as you like.
GT has the numbers and at the end of the day thats what matters.
Im not saying its better or worse, im saying it has sold more so clearly it has the majority audience.
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There are more Honda civics on the street than Lambos or ferraris I suppose that is a better car? I am not knocking gt5 just saying your point isn't logical unless I was asking "who sales more" actually your statement makes the opposite point you are trying to make. Usually when something has mainstream popularity it is lacking in some areas in order to please EVERYBODY. In a racing game that would be physics. The Arcade crowd doesn't want to learn how to drive a real race car, they want to get in and drive and not worry braking points, balance transfer, tire temp and wear etc.
 
Khaddar
I suspect this is one thing that actually puts a lot of people off serious race sims - there's an air of elitism about every discussion of playing them.

I'd love to play driving games with much more accurate physics than GT/Forza, but since my driving isn't the most consistent - and I'm not interested in spoiling other people's races (or even in racing online at all, ideally) - I guess I'll just stick to the consoles.
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Not sure where elitism comes from. I'm guessing you lean to the left politically?
 
Khaddar
Judging by that response, I doubt you're sure of very much at all.
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I'm not SURE what that means? Does being SURE if something make it right? Does it make you more intelligent? The reason I ask is the left likes to throw that word around and I don't get how somebody is an elitist based on a racing game and wanting one where there are strict rules. In GT5 there isn't a lot to
stop people from bouncing off each other. Even if you consider yourself a clean driver you know that if you brake late and hit the guy in front of you there are no penalties. In iRacing there is and it does help. I have had clean races in GT5 but at the same time I knew I could push the car beyond it's limits and if I hit a wall I just bounce back into play.

I never intended this to be an iRacing vs GT5 thread. I think they both have thier market. If you want to drive a bunch of beautiful cars and have some good races, GT5 is the best. If you want to get as close to being on the track as possible but with few choices of cars and have a very structured racing series iRacing is great. GT5 is prettier, iRacing is more detailed.

I just wish I could use the triple screens on GT5.
 
I know that I will be giving iRacing a try once I receive my Fanatec wheel in the mail. It looks like it is a great time, and I love all the different classes of race cars that are offered in the game.
 
I think its inevitable that I'll eventually try out iRacing, but for someone who races very little online the lack of an off-line component is holding me back. I've played pretty much all the worthwhile sim-like game on PC though, so I think its unavoidable I'll probably give in to it soon....

Still waiting for rFactor 2 as well....can't really go wrong with ISI game for PC based racing game...
 
Uscbryan
There are more Honda civics on the street than Lambos or ferraris I suppose that is a better car? I am not knocking gt5 just saying your point isn't logical unless I was asking "who sales more" actually your statement makes the opposite point you are trying to make. Usually when something has mainstream popularity it is lacking in some areas in order to please EVERYBODY. In a racing game that would be physics. The Arcade crowd doesn't want to learn how to drive a real race car, they want to get in and drive and not worry braking points, balance transfer, tire temp and wear etc.
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That comparision isnt accurate at all.
A ferrari costs hundreds of thousands of dollars .
GT and iracing are the same cost,in fact Iracing would be cheaper so your point isnt valid at all.
 

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