Do driving games improve real life driving ?
Poll: Do driving games improve real life driving ?
Total Members Polled: 223
Discussion
Surely not unless you are in a proper simulator with motion feedback and so on. Possibly they may help in regards to car setups and learning about that aspect of driving, but with regards to the actual act of driving, they most likley do nothing. In a real car there are so many more factors, and it is a totally different experience.
Mattt said:
No.
However, I feel that they can give an appreciation of how certain cars (FWD, RWD, 4WD) can handle.
surely that appreciation for what *might* happen makes you more aware and helps a bit?However, I feel that they can give an appreciation of how certain cars (FWD, RWD, 4WD) can handle.
for this reason i've voted yes a bit.
Its taught me what understeer and oversteer are. It has also taught me alot about suspension settings and what all these things do and how they effect a car. As for physically improving my driving.... no.
but as said, its improved my understanding.
Even games like Call of Duty will improve your driving, due to better reaction times and through improved observation skills. I think the likes of GT5 with a decent wheel will give you a better understanding of things, but you're not going to be able to jump straight into a car and emulate what you can do on the PS3 as it's simply not accurate enough.
rsv gone! said:
I've voted no but in retrospect, plenty of people seem to use them to learn tracks. Like the Nurburgring, for example.
True, I knew roughly what turn was next at the real Ring - but it's not exact, and to drive it the same is dangerous. The main thing I noticed were the elevation changes, something the game just doesn't give an impression of.Yes, but not because of hand/eye coordination. Because you start to appreciate how cars can handle and what to do, and you can learn all of the theory of driving and racing through them (Driving lines in particular are something you can understand to a high standard from games).
Just because you're good at a game is never going to mean you can replicate it in real life. But if you understand that, then it will aid you in developing your skills in real life.
Just because you're good at a game is never going to mean you can replicate it in real life. But if you understand that, then it will aid you in developing your skills in real life.
I compete in autosolos throughout the year in my little mx5. I find that if I spend a week or so using racing sims (on the PC) i generally perform better out of the box at the events. So i would say yes they can help a bit. Its mostly to do with controling the car using the throttle which is a very delicate balance. you can only really learn it with practice but i find a lot of the sims handle this quite well and it makes it more instinctive.
It teaches the principle of track driving (i'm talking race-sims BTW), braking points, apex, turn in etc
It also shows you the basics between RWD, 4WD, new vs old etc
I would also argue that AI is good enough now to teach you something about how to pass by braking late or taking alternative lines.
Real world driving - I doubt it has much effect, maybe prepares you slightly more for a slide? You would certainly be more prepared than someone who had passed their test but had no real interest or experience of what to do when things get out of shape.
Equally there are plenty of tits out there who think because they can drive on a computer that they can drive on the road, that normally ends in a mess.
Having said that, I do remember once trying to change gear in my car by pressing on the wheel, forgetting that I was not actually sat playing GTR!
It also shows you the basics between RWD, 4WD, new vs old etc
I would also argue that AI is good enough now to teach you something about how to pass by braking late or taking alternative lines.
Real world driving - I doubt it has much effect, maybe prepares you slightly more for a slide? You would certainly be more prepared than someone who had passed their test but had no real interest or experience of what to do when things get out of shape.
Equally there are plenty of tits out there who think because they can drive on a computer that they can drive on the road, that normally ends in a mess.
Having said that, I do remember once trying to change gear in my car by pressing on the wheel, forgetting that I was not actually sat playing GTR!
It teaches you a bit. E.g. if you floor the throttle in a FWD car you'll go straight to the scene of the accident. While if you do it in a RWD car you'll take a more scenic route and probably have the accident in reverse.
It's no substitute for driving. But it'll help learn some basic principles. It certainly will not let you learn how to "feel" what the car is doing.
It's no substitute for driving. But it'll help learn some basic principles. It certainly will not let you learn how to "feel" what the car is doing.
.All it's gonna do is persuade people they can drive really, really quickly straight at the bend. In the game the car either bounces or stops.
In the real world you're either injured or dead, and whichever way it is, it's gonna cost serious money.
Well, unless you're dead of course, then it's gonna cost someone else lots of money.
In the real world you're either injured or dead, and whichever way it is, it's gonna cost serious money.
Well, unless you're dead of course, then it's gonna cost someone else lots of money.
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