iRacing is one of the best MICROTRANSACTIONS game, with full access to laser-scanned MONTHLY FEES and a good MICROTRANSACTIONS community. Unlike in other sims such as Assetto Corsa, here you have a MONTHLY FEES system where you can MICROTRANSACTIONS and race with MICROTRANSACTIONS at your skill level. You start at the MONTHLY FEES level and progress up to MICROTRANSACTIONS level, but you require MICROTRANSACTIONS in order to rank up and MONTHLY FEES with better MICROTRANSACTIONS driving fast MICROTRANSACTIONS.

This game has a lot of MONTHLY FEES and laser-scanned MICROTRANSACTIONS, with an outstanding MICROTRANSACTIONS quality that doesn't need to show post-processing MICROTRANSACTIONS and other useless effects to appear eyecandy enough.

As I said, this game has a good MICROTRANSACTIONS community. They are open to MONTHLY FEES and constantly telling newcomers how to MICROTRANSACTIONS in order to progress and MONTHLY FEES well.

+ Great MONTHLY FEES.
+ Awesome MONTHLY FEES.
+ A large number of laser-scanned MONTHLY FEES such as WALLET MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LIME DOSH PARK, and more.
+ Full support for the MONTHLY FEES, MONTHLY FEES and virtual MONTHLY FEES.
+ Constantly updated with new MONTHLY FEES.

- Tons of MICROTRANSACTIONS.
- You must MICROTRANSACTIONS in order to rank up and get faster MONTHLY FEES.
- Community is full of MICROTRANSACTIONS.
- You have to MONTHLY FEES every month in order to MICROTRANSACTIONS.

TL;DR: iRacing is the most polished and competitive sim you can find, but its pricing model just kills it (for me). You have to have a lot of money if you want to drive virtual cars, otherwise, according to the community, the game is "not for you" and "you should go back to Forza lololo".

great sim,
but everything is for sale plus a monthly fee
lest say you wan to race in Le Mans in a gt3 Porsche
the track himself is $15
and the Porsche is $12
add that to your monthly fees
- 2011 graphics
- no story
- limited content that looks generic

Great Sim Racing game however the online protest system is a joke. The community members of this game are mentally ill and truly beleive they are all "real race car drivers". God forbid you spin or crash taking one of them out and fall into the nonsense protest system run by one disgruntled neckbeard named NIM (Please Google NIM and IRACING) who was cleary buillied in high school.

Great Sim Racing Product
Terrible Online Community and Cancerous IRacing Staff.
Price Point is very expensive if you want all of the content. $1000 plus in addtion to your monthly subscription.

Not only you have to pay for every single track and car to race, you also have to pay this monthly. And now the monthly price is doubled. This isn't just a racing simulator, but gives you the best poverty experience ever!

edt: Today, 13/07/2023, iRacing has announced a price increase of $1,00 for all cars and tracks for Steam users.

First off, I've had iRacing for years now, and I was one of those in the early days of owning it to blow my load on all of the content, so I do know where I am coming from here.

I vote no, the price is NOT justified, it's actually a WORSE physics experience than Assetto Corsa for a start, but lets give a full list of the reasons why I would NOT recommend this game.


1. The Physics : Whilst they are more realistic than most of the games people are used to this can barely be called simulation, whilst things have improved and continue to improve, the game lacks fundamental tire model elements that would define this title as a simulation. Fundamentally the iRacing engine is based off the Nascar Racing 2003 game engine, which in turn was based off the Grand Prix Legends engine of 1997.

So in a nut shell this core engine is almost 20 years old. The company themselves and most definitely the players and community like to believe the simulation models tire wear which it doesn't, all it models is that an overheated tyre is a slippy tire so basically one or two sideways moments in a lap, requires potentially 5 corners afterwards on knife-edge oversteer to let the tires cool down again [exactly the same game engine tyre properties that were there on GPL] - which in real life just isn't the case and if you're used to real life racing physics and simulation you will be fighting the car on corner entry as braking and turning on iRacing seems to overwhelm the game engine and generally send you into a low speed spin, again something that wouldn't happen in real life. Despite these short-falls they are more interested in variable weather conditions than fixing the core issues of the game engine.

2. The Price : Under no circumstance is the price of this title acceptable. Not only does it require monthly subscription but also the purchase of tracks and cars. Enjoy racing the skip barber on the North American circuits? Well next time they release a new track you can be it will be on the skip schedule almost forcing you to buy it. You don't 'purchase what you want/can' you end up being forced to make purchases whilst being given the impression it was the customers choice. 300$ plus change for all of the content. For a game? You'd expect such a price for a high end commercial simulator, but it's not, it's a nigh on 20year old game essentially and for this, it's a joke. The tracks are the service's most acclaimed piece, but realistically they botch their laser scans, the Monza oval for instance is in no way in a scanable condition, so they have essentially just created a track on the fly, not to mention the 'tech tracks'. Lets not forget, iRacing aren't the only ones who laser scan tracks now, do Assetto Corsa charge extortionate amounts because they laser scan their tracks? And IMO do a better job of it.

You can get just the same enjoyment at a tenth of the price with Assetto Corsa, or even rFactor 2 if you find a private LEAGUE to race in, rather than just trying to join some public server full of wreckers and then complain about the community of that game. Anyone who tries justify the price I garentee has most, if not ALL of the content and feels that natural urge to protect their investment which brings me on to point 3 .

3. The cult : After spending so much money on iRacing for all of the necessary content people in the community then have this natural defense mechanism on their 'investment' and will defend iRacing on all levels unjustly, refusing to listen to logical critique and hyperpraising things such as the tracks [one of the things they love to do is pretend that iRacing models tire wear, which it definitely does not].

tl;dr you pay 300$+ to get the less overall enjoyment with substandard physics than you would in a private rFactor 2 or Assetto Corsa league with. Do not confuse immersion with simulation guys! Shiney tracks and a decent public service still do not justify the price!

***EDITED to reflect progress***
I'll admit it, iRacing is finally getting it right. The current tire and damage model is so much better than when I wrote my original review. I'm actually shocked that they have progressed so positively. Granted, there are a few things that still need sorted. The issues that still stand out are the incident points system, (although I don't know what they can do to fix it) and the vehicle physics on grass. Cars are still generally uncontrollable once off the racing surface. Lack of grip is understandable to a degree, but not zero grip. iRacing doesn't have wet weather, therefor the grass should reflect that. Otherwise, they've made good progress.

***Original Review***
Do you like racing? Then move along. Do you like ice skating? You do?!? Then this is the sim for you. The road racing tire model is laughable at best. Why? Because you're either going to do one of two things when you drive this sim. Get angry or laugh at how ridiculously inaccurate the tire model is. iRacing owns the multiplayer market, there's no doubt about it. But there are so many better sims out there if you appreciate realism. ACC and rF2 for starters. Try those first.

This is not a video game, nor a simulation, but just a gas plant and a MONEY PUMP, it's a pay to play, you have to pay to play and this every month, and you are not sure to play during the week because you need the circuits of the season in addition to the car ... no comment.
And when you see the number of jerks connected during peak hours and weekends, who have no respect for others (big dedication to the Spanish), who ruin your race instantly, it does not make you want to invest. And the system of "REPORT" of iracing is useless because they have will do nothing, as long as the jerks pays, so they will not ban, because it makes less money in the pocket. So they let the morons proliferate (money when you hold us), and all this small condescending and mediocre world, take themselves for "true" "racers" ... And even at a supposedly higher level, the Mentalities and behaviors are the same , far too disrespectful, irresponsible and oblivious. It's just pathetic.
This PEGI 3 "video game" is extremely EXPENSIVE, because if you want to perform you will need a DirectDrive steering wheel + the cokpit + the triple screen + the pedals ... etc, an installation at several thousand euros therefore, and all that to play with jerks ...
Finally, the physics of this PEGI3 GAME is not flawless, in short, go your way ... the investment in time and money is not worth the effort.
A word to the wise.

Ceci n'est pas un jeu, ni une simulation, mais juste une usine à gaz et une POMPE à FRIC, c'est un pay to play, faut payer pour jouer et ceci tous les mois, et l'on est pas sùr de jouer dans la semaine car il faut les circuits de la saison en plus de la voiture...no comment.
Quand on voit le nombre d'attardés connectés au heures de pointes et le weekend, qui n'ont aucun respect des autres (grosse dédicace aux espagnols), qui te ruinent ta course instantanément, ça donne pas envie de s'investir. Et le système de "report" d' iracing ne sert à rien car ils n'ent ont rien à faire, tant que kevin l'attardé paye, donc ils peuvent pas le ban sinon, ça fait moins de sousous dans la popoche. Donc ils laissent les kevinattardés proliférer (pognon quand tu nous tiens), et tout ce petit monde condescendant et médiocre, se prennent pour des pseudos "pilotes"... Et même à un niveau soit-disant plus élevé, les Mentalités sont les mêmes, beaucoup trop d'attardés irrespectueux, irresponsables et inconscients. C'est juste pathétique.
Ce "jeu vidéo" pegi3, est extrèmement CHER, car si tu veux performer il te faudra un volant DirectDrive + le cokpit + le triple screen + le pédalier...etc, une installation à plusieurs milliers d'euros donc, et tout ça pour jouer avec des idiotts condescendants et nombrilistes.
Pour finir, la physique de ce JEU n'est pas irréprochable, bref, passez votre chemin...l'investissement en temps et en argent n'en vaut pas la chandelle.
A bon entendeur.

Now that steam is in dolars for the south american region this makes the game unpayable. I work 2 jobs but I have to cut from iRacing. Imagine paying $13,000 dolars a month to play, thats how it feels in Argentina for the time being. Un-pay-able unless your a millionare. This is a sad after being a member from 2016.

This is just more MONEY MONGERING - FOR THOSE WITH MONEY AND NOBODY ELSE. HOW DO LESS FORTUNATE PEOPLE PLAY THIS? You can't even complete a simple official series in just one car unless you spend money on missing tracks etc., on top of your monthly subscription.... Endless spending - AND YOU STILL HAVE DIRTY DRIVERS WITH A GIMPY PENALTY SYSTEM and NON-EXISTENT MARSHALLING & MODERATING. Sorry but this is ludicrous money, over $3000 just to own the "complete game". "Oh and next month here's another car/track pack for R...." BASICALLY, IT'S HAVE MONEY - Or bugger off - It's sick. If only 5000 players pay their subscription of R129 (south africa) iRACING is making over R650,000.00 a month??? And there are MANY MORE SUBSCRIBERS?? EXCLUDING RACE FEES and CAR/TRACK purchases???? HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU WANT iRACING?? SICK SICK SICK

Because of STEAM this game gets a MEGA THUMBSDOWN!

I can buy cars tracks, and any other video game with my steam wallet, but I can't pay my subscription? WTF? ♥♥♥♥ you STEAM. STEAM sells those subscription cards at walmart and longs so why can't I use it to pay my subscription? Oh, it's because STEAM RECOMMENDS I should buy the game from iracing instead of STEAM? BUT THEY ONLY TELL YOU AFTER YOU HAVE SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY AND START HAVING PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY DON'T YOU PRINT THAT ON THE FRONT OF THE STORE PAGE!

Every time I buy something from STEAM I get fracked over. I can't renew my Iracing subscription here, so I have to go reinlist at the iracing web site which means I lose all my cars and tracks I paid for. Because I paid STEAM I have to go buy them all (over $100) again. There's no way in hell I'm going to spend all that money A-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥-GAIN!!! It was only then that I found in the store page FAQ or WTF that STEAM recommends I buy the game directly from Iracing rather than STEAM, WHICH YOU SHOULD PRINT ON THE STORE PAGE SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW BEFORE GIVING YOU THEIR MONEY YOU FRACKING THIEF! ♥♥♥♥ you STEAM.

YOU ALWAYS RUIN MY GAMING EXPERIENCES.
EVERY TIME I BUY A GAME FROM STEAM I WIND UP WISHING I HAD STOLEN THE TORRENT VERSION INSTEAD BECAUSE I NEVER GET WHAT I PAY FOR.

ITS A GOOD THING WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY BILLIONS OF SUCKERS... I MEAN PEOPLE... THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER IF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE HAPPY BECAUSE WE WON'T LOOSE MONEY FROM LOSING A CUSTOMER, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER SUCKER RIGHT BEHIND HIM.

At the end of the day, you'll read my angry review, laugh and forget about me. You already got my money so I can just frack off