Best Sim Racing Setup Under $1000

If you have been sim racing for a while, you may well be at the stage where you are looking to upgrade your budget sim racing setup.

When upgrading your sim racing setup, or buying one for the first time, there has to be a lot of questions asked. Questions such as; how much space do you have, how much budget do you have, and how good do you want your setup to be?

The answer to the last question is nearly always, “as good as I can afford”. And for under $1000, you can afford a pretty decent sim racing setup, including a direct drive racing wheel and pedals.

In this sim rig guide, I’ll run through a sim racing rig setup which you can buy for under $1000. This is what I call the medium to high-end racing rig build.

The products that make up this $1000 sim racing setup

This racing rig build consists of a direct drive wheelbase, which would normally cost you around $1000 alone. It’ll also include a BMW licensed steering wheel and a set of the latest sim racing pedals. And it includes a full cockpit with a seat.

Many of the items I’ve just spoken about should carry a large price tag. However, by purchasing smartly, we can afford all of these semi-premium sim racing products for under $1000.

Why choose this under $1000 racing simulator build?

I’ve designed this rig for those who want performance from their sim racing set-up, all for a reasonable budget. Sim racing equipment can be expensive. As an example of this, our Fanatec sim racing rig build comes in at over $2000. You can view that rig build here if you are interested.

So putting together the best sim racing setup for under $1000 can be tricky. The products that I’ve combined into this rig build are of extremely good quality, but they all have one eye on their price tag.

If you want to build a racing rig set-up on a tighter budget, check out our $500 sim racing rig build here.

This build includes a direct-drive wheelbase as part of a complete sim racing bundle. Direct-drive is the name for the technology that drives the force feedback. Essentially, a direct-drive wheelbase links the steering wheel directly to the motor, meaning there is little to no loss in force feedback strength or fidelity. Simply put, this technology is the creme de la creme.

I’ve also included a complete sim racing cockpit. To run a direct-drive wheel, you need a stable platform, and a full cockpit is essential to providing that stability.

If you are a little tight on space and would rather have a sim rig built that you can fold away and store, you can always replace this sim rig with a wheel stand and a separate gaming chair. For one of the best wheel stands, check out our GT Omega Apex Wheel Stand review.

The Wheelbase

Fanatec CSL DD

Let’s jump into the first, and possibly most crucial piece of hardware in this build, the wheelbase. The wheelbase is the part of your sim racing set-up that will ultimately determine many other decisions. It is the part of your setup that generates the force feedback, and it will dictate what steering wheels you can run and which cockpit is needed to handle the power.

I always recommend starting any sim racing rig build by choosing a wheelbase first. Ensuring you make the right decision here is critical. It will often be the most expensive part of your build, so you should allocate a large portion of your budget to this.

The Fanatec CSL DD wheelbase which I have chosen for this build is one of the best modern wheelbases on the market. It was released in 2021 as the cheapest direct drive wheelbase for sale. And it quickly became a favourite with sim racers around the world.

In fact, demand is still so high for this wheelbase that at the time of writing, certain variations of this product are still on backorder with reasonably long wait times.

The CSL DD comes with a motor that can generate 5Nm of torque. This torque is sent directly to the steering wheel via a carbon fiber composite motor shaft, allowing you to feel the full force of the motor.

For a full in-depth review of this wheelbase, read our Fanatec CSL DD review.

The wheelbase is sold separately from any steering wheels and features a quick-release system allowing you to attach any compatible steering wheel you choose. This gives the product great versatility, allowing you to customise it to your preferences.

There is also an optional Boost Kit available for the CSL DD which increases the torque output even further to 8Nm. While I do really recommend this addition in my Fanatec CSL DD review, it isn’t crucial if you are shopping on a budget.

The boost kit costs around $150 when purchased separately, so it does have to be considered a purchase. It is slightly cheaper