I have a laptop, not a gaming computer
I have nothing else
If I wanted to get into it, what would I need and what sort of cost we talking?
Build me out what would be good to get (not great, but not bottom shelf stuff, either)
and what sort of regular costs are involved?
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
I started with the Resident sim racing group. Laptop and keyboard. I was TERRIBLE. But I had fun. I eventually got a controller (mind you I was probably 14 at the time.) It got so much more fun. (again not any good but really fun.) After that I got a xbox one for some other games and a logitech G29(330). Thats a fine bundle but for the cost I will immediately redirect you to the Thrustmaster T300RS GT 3 (449) pedal set and a really nice belt driven wheel. In that ecosystem you can get better pedals and mix and match wheels and wheelbases. After A while I got a ps4 for gran tourismo and needed a compatible wheel setup. So I swapped to a T300RS GT and that was an AMAZING decision. There is a HUGE difference between the G29 and the T300 Keep in mind that sub 449 dollar price tag for this wheel new is still entry or on the verge of medium price overall yet much higher in price and quality for belt driven.. Thats a high quality belt driven system by the way. If you wanted a good budget friendly Direct Drive wheel. Id say and many others would agree go the Moza R3 (300) or R5(430) bundle route. Itll get you everything you need. A slightly controversial wheel is the Thrustmaster T598. Its a direct axial drive but as far as im concerned is great. Now on a budget for an H shifter and handbrake (NOT NEEDED) you can go the ebay handbrake shifter route or whatever your ecosystem offers. I think thats everything you need to know for Wheels. (You can get items used or open box at a cheaper price)
For assetto corsa you can use a laptop. I did. Its not pretty but Itl work. (especially if you actually have a graphics card.) I have gone through 2 different PC builds but even old stuff will run assetto corsa just fine. You should join in on a race sometime.
You don't really need a gaming computer, sims have a long enough lifetime that they're often still popular for so many years that their requirements become basic by modern standards. AC, rFactor1/2, and RBR will now comfortably run on an ordinary office computer. I think iRacing has pretty low requirements too, just not on your wallet 
The fanciest wheel I've ever owned is the fairly humble G29, it works fine. With my folding stand, H-pattern shifter, handbrake etc all my sim control hardware probably adds up to around $750.
Regular costs, hardware wise approximately nothing, maybe you'll wear out some piece of control hardware once a decade, maybe need to grease something every couple years. Software wise most options also cost approximately nothing (AC is like $25 for the total package or less when on sale and has a stupendous amount of free addons available, most sims cost the same as video games so maybe $60 or less), except iRacing again which has ongoing subscription costs and tons of relatively expensive DLC, so it can get way too close to real racing money for my taste.
I don't have time or money to commit to anything serious with a gang of toddlers at home. Picked up a ps3, g25 wheel, and a seat with a bunch of out of date games for $100. It scratches the itch now but is only solo play. Hopefully gives a good baseline if move to something in the future. Also don't mind letting the 3 year old climb up to give it a try.
Wait, people use Xbox and PS for this?
I have a PS4 just laying around...
Can I use a tv as a monitor? Have a spare one of those, too.
Unwound gave you a pretty good rundown of how to do it on a budget if you are just starting out and testing the waters. For the resident league running Assetto Corsa Unwound is right that you might be able to use your laptop. It's a 10 year old game and, as the discussion the other night put it, it'll run on a potato. That said, while it will run you probably would be better served by something that will actually meet the needs. The good news is that I would venture that most are on hardware that is a far cry for the latest hotness, and basically any PC with a halfway decent CPU and a graphics card made in the last 5 years will be enough to run at decent quality. What I would recommend is scouring marketplace and sim racing groups for used gear, there is a TON out there and can further decrease the cost of entry. People sell full setups all the time, though a lot of people over value their stuff so it may take a bit to understand what's being offered and whether it's a fair price. You can always ask here if you find something and the peanut gallery can weigh in.
A TV will work fine as a monitor. You can sim race on a game console but a PC would be better, that's where the sim modding is 
You can use a TV as a monitor, I used to do the same. As for PS4, you can find some titles to run solo but there probably won't be a ton of competition in lobbies and such. Also, there are only a couple wheels that are PS4 compatible and they are definitely dated compared to what's available today.
If you have a ps4 I defintily reccomend gran tourismo.
edit even better: Logitech g29 - Controllers & Attachments - Hillsville, Virginia | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Logitech G920 Racing Wheel - Video Games - Arcadia, North Carolina | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Lowball this guy by a few bucks. Plug it into your laptop. Clamp it to a desk.
Pick up AC Ultimate Edition on the next Steam Sale for $7.99. Pick up Dirt Rally 2.0 on the next sale for a similar price. See if you like it.
From there, upgrade PC as needed, get a rig of some sort, then worry about wheel/pedal/shifter/handbrake upgrades.
Some sims have subscription fees such as iRacing (make sure you are buying a year at a time on sale during black friday or similar). Assetto Corsa does not and is extremely popular with no signs of being replaced anytime soon.
TravisTheHuman said:edit even better: Logitech g29 - Controllers & Attachments - Hillsville, Virginia | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Logitech G920 Racing Wheel - Video Games - Arcadia, North Carolina | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Lowball this guy by a few bucks. Plug it into your laptop. Clamp it to a desk.
Pick up AC Ultimate Edition on the next Steam Sale for $7.99. Pick up Dirt Rally 2.0 on the next sale for a similar price. See if you like it.
From there, upgrade PC as needed, get a rig of some sort, then worry about wheel/pedal/shifter/handbrake upgrades.
Some sims have subscription fees such as iRacing (make sure you are buying a year at a time on sale during black friday or similar). Assetto Corsa does not and is extremely popular with no signs of being replaced anytime soon.
The arcadia one is minutes from me!
And that's a good deal on it?
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
Oh thats a great deal. 240 bucks off new.
I just did this in the past year. Since I'm kind of a PC and DIY nerd, I did build my own. My rig is an Ryzen 5 7600X processor with a Radeon 7800XT and 32 gigs of RAM. It runs AC as smooth as butter, it's honestly probably overbuilt for what I need. I also have a Logitech G29 that I got for $180 last Black Friday and a cheap 32" ultrawide monitor. I built my own rig based on plans I found online and a very kind GRM'er who donated a Miata seat to me. All told, I'm into it for about $1500, but again, it's more than you really need. Here it is:
As for how to get into it, I spent about 3 months playing the career mode in AC before I decided to jump in with the GRM league. I made it about 25% of the way through the career. I wasn't ready. I'm still not, I get my ass kicked every week by these guys. But it's fun, it's a great group, and I'm trying to get better. 
Here's a super-basic sim rig I cobbled together from some of my old equipment to play while on vacation a couple years ago. I still use the same kind of "roped-on office chair" setup for a seat on my current rig. It's not the comfiest but it's compact and portable and well-ventilated.
hybridmomentspass said:TravisTheHuman said:edit even better: Logitech g29 - Controllers & Attachments - Hillsville, Virginia | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Logitech G920 Racing Wheel - Video Games - Arcadia, North Carolina | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Lowball this guy by a few bucks. Plug it into your laptop. Clamp it to a desk.
Pick up AC Ultimate Edition on the next Steam Sale for $7.99. Pick up Dirt Rally 2.0 on the next sale for a similar price. See if you like it.
From there, upgrade PC as needed, get a rig of some sort, then worry about wheel/pedal/shifter/handbrake upgrades.
Some sims have subscription fees such as iRacing (make sure you are buying a year at a time on sale during black friday or similar). Assetto Corsa does not and is extremely popular with no signs of being replaced anytime soon.The arcadia one is minutes from me!
And that's a good deal on it?
I'd go for the VA one first, it has a solid rig that comes with it. I'd you decide you don't like it, separate it and you can easily sell for around the same price. Pretty easy to dip your toes in the water.
I would show you a photo of my set up but it is a weird mix of Moza stuff bolted to a old table and a desk chair that I captured using a sheet of plywood and some 2x4s. Depending on how I sit the rollers of the desk chair relative to the 2x4s it changes my distance to the wheel.
I may send a photo but I have been slowly evolving a DIY cockpit with 2x4s. what I have now is a pretty nice setup.
TravisTheHuman said:hybridmomentspass said:TravisTheHuman said:edit even better: Logitech g29 - Controllers & Attachments - Hillsville, Virginia | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Logitech G920 Racing Wheel - Video Games - Arcadia, North Carolina | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Lowball this guy by a few bucks. Plug it into your laptop. Clamp it to a desk.
Pick up AC Ultimate Edition on the next Steam Sale for $7.99. Pick up Dirt Rally 2.0 on the next sale for a similar price. See if you like it.
From there, upgrade PC as needed, get a rig of some sort, then worry about wheel/pedal/shifter/handbrake upgrades.
Some sims have subscription fees such as iRacing (make sure you are buying a year at a time on sale during black friday or similar). Assetto Corsa does not and is extremely popular with no signs of being replaced anytime soon.The arcadia one is minutes from me!
And that's a good deal on it?
I'd go for the VA one first, it has a solid rig that comes with it. I'd you decide you don't like it, separate it and you can easily sell for around the same price. Pretty easy to dip your toes in the water.
sold. dang. I just focused on the other due to my location, I wish i would have opened
I'll start browsing for a rig like that
Several rigs near me: can someone (multiple??) people message me a text number that I can send links? DOnt have facebook on my computer nd had questions
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