Racing Wheel VS Driver’s Education

Last week I reviewed Forza Horizon 3, an open world racing game praised for its top-notch physics. Most players would be content with using a standard controller for racing games. However, those who are particularly fond of these games may consider buying a racing wheel to make them more fun and immersive. Of course, driving wheels and pedals for gaming don’t come cheap. In fact, the best ones often cost around $300, which is about the same amount of money that a Driver’s Education course would cost. At first glance, it would seem silly to spend $300 on a toy when you could spend that money on learning how to do the real thing. However, is Driver’s Education really the best choice? Let’s take a look.

With a proper gaming setup, a console or PC with your favorite racing game, and a high-quality racing wheel (complete with pedals,) you can drive with any car in any environment your racing games provide. Want to drive a Ferrari FXX-K on a racetrack in Dubai? No problem! Want to drive a Ford F-150 through the Australian outback? Go ahead! Driver’s Education, on the other hand, is much more limited by comparison. For starters, your selection of cars is quite limited. Chances are you’ll only get to drive something like a Chevrolet Caviler or a Toyota Corolla; you won’t get to drive anything fun like a Pagani Zonda during your driving test. Additionally, you can only drive wherever your instructor allows you to. No trips to Ocean City or donuts in an empty parking lot. To earn that freedom, you need to pass a driving test. Finally, if you don’t pass the test the first time, you have to pay to take it again! Even EA doesn’t charge players to let them replay tutorials (at least not yet).

Another benefit of opting for a gaming wheel over drivers education is that it will save you a lot of money in the long run. In racing games, upkeep costs on cars are often minimized or just nonexistent. Often, you won’t have to worry about fuel costs, insurance, repairs, and so on. You’ll either be able to keep them running with an in-game currency, or your cars will be completely invincible. Not only will this save you thousands of dollars you would have spent on a real car, but this makes it so that crashing into walls and other drivers is of no consequence! In real life, crashing causes so many problems it isn’t funny. Your car will be wrecked, the guy you t-boned will be pissed, you’ll have to pay more for your insurance and for the other guy’s hospital bill, you might get charged for reckless driving and lose your license- all sorts of nasty stuff that nobody has time for. When you crash in a video game, all you have to do is shift into reverse, then keep driving! No hassle whatsoever.

With these points in mind, a driving wheel for gaming seems like a blatantly obvious choice over driver’s education. It’s a lot more fun, gives you much more freedom, and lets you bypass laws and consequences you would normally be bound by while driving in real life. However, the latter has one minor advantage that a driving wheel can’t match: learning how to drive in real life let’s you drive to places in real life. This will let you drive to work/classes, the grocery store, run errands, gives rides to friends, go on vacation, and other similar things that require going anywhere that isn’t within a reasonable walking distance. While this seems like a solid reason to get driver’s education instead, let’s be honest, real life is over-rated. It’s much more fun to just stay in your room and play games. After all, you can always just bum off your friends for car rides and money. (Note: This article is satire. Please don’t take it seriously.)