When people talk about iRacing, they are referring to a membership-based premier racing simulator for computers. The intention is to put people in the driver’s seats of their favorite race cars and let them loose across their favorite tracks worldwide. Unlike other racing games of its kind, iRacing strives for an immersive experience in as many ways as possible.
If all of this sounds appealing, which for many people around the world it does, the next question a person might ask is how much it costs. As was stated, iRacing works off of a subscription service and charges every player a small amount every month. There are a variety of plans available to players with unique features for each at different prices.
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One Month Plan- $13
The one-month plan is the most basic plan offered at the time of writing this piece. The monthly subscription is best for people who are not sure if they are interested in iRacing or not. For $13, you can test out the game and get the feel of it. Since the plan terminates after one month, the level of commitment is quite low overall.
At this time, there is a deal that lowers the monthly cost to $7.80. Sales like this are not uncommon when signing up for iRacing, so a prospective customer who wants to save money only needs to wait for a bargain. Much like any other subscription service, customers need to understand that deals like this do not apply to existing subscriptions.
If someone is looking to dip their toes into the waters of iRacing, this is the option for them.
Three Month Plan- $33
For people who liked what they saw during their first month or who are a little more confident that they will enjoy the product, try the slightly longer three-month plan. Utilizing the three-month plan also gives you more time to race and build up your racing team. Other personalized features and cosmetics within the game may only pop up occasionally, so a longer subscription can benefit more serious players.
This offer also comes with a deal at the time of writing this. For a limited time, customers can receive three months of subscription services for only 19.80. It is a one-time payment, the same as the one-month subscription. A particularly frugal customer may even notice that the converted payment per month is lower than the one-month plan with both the deal and the normal payment in this case.
The three-month plan still offers customers all of the same features, but it also gives them much more time to enjoy them. The converted monthly payments are lower than the one-month plan comparatively, so the offer is a wiser choice for those who know they will use the time well.
One Year Plan- $110
The one-year plan is for the serious racers out there. One year — that’s twelve months of membership for sim racing, costs each customer just over $100. This fee may seem like a lot of money until you do the math.
If a member pays for each month individually on the one-month plan, they pay $156 over their twelve payments. If that same person paid for twelve months on the three-month plan, they would end up paying a total of $132 through four payments. Sim car racing costs money, and paying for one year in a lump sum saves a bit of cash, especially if you know you want to be an iRacing member long-term.
Like the others listed here, the one-year plan is currently on sale through a seasonal deal. Now, a prospective member can get a one-year membership for $66. While this is an excellent deal to start people out on the previous two plans, it is an outright game-changer with both the one-year plan and the final plan on this list.
With both the one-month and three-month plans, subsequent payments would be at the normal dollar amount. Using the deal iRacing is currently offering, a member receives one year of membership for the cost of six months with the three-month plan or five and a half months with the one-month plan.
The one-year membership plan is an excellent choice for people who know that they want to be a part of the iRacing community. It’s the most commonly used option for continuous members.
Two Year Plan- $199
If you look at this plan compared to the previous option, the benefits are obvious. The official website for iRacing even highlighted the two-year plan as being their best offer. The relative monthly cost with the two-year subscription would be $4.79 per month, only a fraction of the actual one-month offer.
Repeating the same math experiment shown for the one-year plan would further emphasize the point, but you get the idea. If someone is confident they will use the sim racing service iRacing provides, then the best offer they can take them up on is the two-year plan.
Much like every other entry on this list, new members have a 40% off deal awaiting them at this time. This discount carries more weight depending on the length of your subscription. A new member who jumps straight to the two-year plan can pay a fraction of what they would on one of the other plans in the same span of time and save money on their chosen plan.
Other Expenses
The membership subscription is not the only payment a person will make to iRacing. The added sim racing cost of unique tracks and cars also needs to be factored in. These are commonly referred to as microtransactions, and they are relatively common for games like iRacing or any other computer game that works off a subscription service.
You don’t have to purchase every race car and race track individually. IRacing offers a total of 16 free cars for new members to start. The game also comes with 22 free race tracks with a total of 70 configurations to choose from. A member can never spend a dime outside of their subscription and have a wonderful time playing this sim racing game.
But for anyone who wants to spend a little extra money on a unique experience, iRacing is happy to offer a special experience to its members. Many of the tracks offered for a fee also are notably more challenging and attract more dedicated players. The competition can quickly become fierce, allowing members to carry on the feeling they got when they first started racing in the game and everything seemed new.
Finally, you might also want to take into account the costs of building a sim racing rig. Wheels, pedals, shifters, and other peripherals will help you get the most out of your racing experience.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, iRacing does have something of a paywall for entry. As this list has shown, however, the costs are minimal and greater commitment is rewarded with greater savings. Games like iRacing thrive off of encouraging people to make a greater commitment. Making the two-year plan the most attractive in terms of costs is no accident.
The sim racing costs accrued from playing a game such as iRacing are important to understand, but they are largely affordable for people with interest in the game. How much iRacing costs depends on your commitment, and it is certainly a good enough game to be worth anyone’s dedication.
Last Updated on June 6, 2021