Does being a driver make you better at driving games?

[Kubrick]

Does being a driver make you better at driving games?

I'd have to say "not really" for Arcade games, but being a driver will probably help a little with more realistic games like Gran Turismo.

I'd also say that the opposite applies and that you can become a better driver in real life if you take on board some of the stuff that also works in games.

[JibberX]

Like we've covered before, there's not point in having a realistic driving game is you can't have clutch control and engine braking, those are the only skills that might translate from tarmac to controller

[Kubrick]

More and more cars don't even have a clutch though.
With the way things are going I suspect we'll all have videogame-style gearboxes in our cars before we see a properly-simulated clutch in a videogame...

[Madbury]

It largely depends on when we all move to electric and that aint happening for a while. The varitrans in the Toyota Prius iirc is an iteresting idea. It's been tried before, but looks like the lads at Toyota have made it reliable.

At the end of the day without having some way of disconnecting the drive to the wheels and then putting it back a whole load of driving fun goes out the window.

[razu]

I think it can only help with gear changes, listening to the engine rather than looking at the rev dial.

I wouldn't say driving games compare in any way to driving in real life. Driving a fast car down a country lane at 100mph or accelerating off a line and being pushed into your seat can't really be done justice on a settee and a TV. Oh, silly me, the weeny vibration buzzers in controllers make up for all of that, bzzzZZZzzz

[yashiro]

The answer is no. Put a female driver onto a driving video game.

Watch her bash off the walls.

[Fragmaster]

Lol Yashiro.

Seriously though, all check out the GTR press demo, it is ****ing fab, and it is pretty much real to life, superb clutch simulation as well, (yes you can stall). Probably the most realistic game to date.

Live for Speed is also pretty good and only ?12 so worth getting

[Rhys]

I rode motorbikes for 8 years before getting Moto GP2 and think it helped, but not enough to make a difference to worry about (same with driving games), although being able to drive helps when using manual gears in games.

Yeh, I'd say the gears is the only real benefit from driving a real car first. The rest can all be learnt equally.

[k0pp0]

I'm pretty sure the 2 times I've span my car out, having played driving games for years helped me pretty calmly control the spin.

[Brad]

Threadromancy!

[k0pp0]

LOL. I've just realised the when the last post was.

Erm - I think I need more work.

[QualityChimp]

Why are you updating a thread that's 8 years old, you crazy guy? At least put *bump* in!

My problem is I like games with crazy driving like GTA, Initial D and especially Stuntman, so games probably don't help with my driving.

I can't be the only person on here that sees an empty car transporter and thinks...

[Wools]

I think it does, likewise, if you play simulation racing games and then learn to drive a car, you’ll have a better understanding of what to do.

There’s a few issues as 99% of people will never take a car to its limit on a road and that’s the main aim in racing games! In real life, you have to be aware of your surroundings, learn smooth car control and stick to limits. Games don’t replicate this but I remember using Gran Turismo 3 A Spec during my first few months of learning to try and practise changing gears. I did not have a dedicated wheel set up at the time, but it was good to learn about switching gears between certain revs and getting used to it as it was my weakest aspect of driving.

A few years ago, I went on a track day at Brooklands and got to drive the AMG SLS for the day along with several Mercedes AMG’s and it was a real eye opener. Although years of Videogames have given me experience of the simulated effects of oversteer, understeer, driving lines, breaking points and all number of car control uses, nothing prepares you for the real thing. A nice little surprise was they had booths set up with GT5 and the SLS before I got out onto the race track. Although the feeling is replicated well, the sensation can never be.

A lifelong love of Motorsport and Videogames prepares you for the experience of driving but nothing can simulate what you feel when you go out on busy roads for the first time. In my eyes anyway.

[Neon Ignition]

I think games are good for getting a grasp of the basics but beyond that not much. Even with an elaborate set up, driving games are never like the experience of driving in real life

[EvilBoris]

Although the feeling is replicated well, the sensation can never be.

I think that about sums it up