Geoff Ang, a photographer and self-confessed "car nut" built a high-end racing simulator that is "similar to those that pro drivers use to train on".

The entire setup, which was built up over the last two years and cost an estimated S$40,000, has been "reluctantly" offered for sale at a 25 per cent markdown, as Ang is relocating soon.

What S$30,000 can buy

Here's a closer look at what S$30,000 would get you.

The rig includes several features that help recreate the experience of racing.

Controls

The steering wheel on the rig features an Open Sim Wheel (OSW), which is a conveyer belt motor redesigned for simulator racing, Ang explains.

The wheel can be swapped out, depending on the kind of car in use.

It's not just the steering wheels that recreate the controls of an actual car.

There are button boxes, a handbrake, as well as a six-speed manual gear box that uses real car parts.

Effects

Close attention has been devoted to recreating the forces that might act the car from the outside, too.

There are D-Box motion actuators that simulate the motion of the car as you drive.

The pedals mimic the forces one might experience in a real race car. The brakes in particular, can generate over 100kg in load force, according to Ang.

And wind tubes mounted behind the steering wheel blow at the driver as the in-game car picks up speed.

VR goggles

As a final touch to the rig, there are Virtual Reality (VR) goggles as well.

Ang says he started to use these during the Circuit Breaker period this year, for a truly immersive experience.

This allowed him to "escape the suffocating world" by recreating the feeling of driving on a race track.

Why?

Ang shared with Mothership that he used to drive his cars on a race track in Sepang in Malaysia in his younger days.

After he started a family, however, he stopped the "dangerous" activity, and switched to racing on a Playstation instead, with the Gran Turismo series of racing games.

Ang's rig, which started with a single screen in 2018, has evolved over the years.

Today, the end result is "similar to those that pro drivers use to train on", according to Ang.

Escape reality without consequences

Ang has had gaming sessions of four to five hours without getting giddy at all, which he attributes to the simulated motion being "very natural".

"This is really the ultimate fun where u can push yourself and the car without consequences," said Ang, explaining that he would not feel safe to "really push hard and drive on the limit" when racing in real life.

Ang said:

"It's really an amazing hobby that have brought me tons of joy, escaping everyday into this virtual world during this pandemic has been such a comfort!"

If Ang's asking price of S$30,000 seems a bit expensive, Ang is also offering the rig without the D-Box motion system for S$18,000.

You can see his post here:

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Top image via Geoff Ang on Facebook