We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

This DIY racing simulator brings a whole new level of danger to racing

This YouTuber's DIY drift simulator might not be the safest, but it’s definitely the most adrenaline-pumping way to get your racing fix.

YouTuber's DIY racing sim

If you’ve ever wanted to really simulate the dangers of driving, but without the car, this DIY racing simulator by a Taiwanese YouTuber might interest you. It features a fairly standard driving sim set up with a TV, racing wheel, pedals, and gears, but throws it onto a platform that takes the driver for a real spin. It even has an ejector seat for crashes.

Put simply: this isn’t something you shouldn’t try to build at home. If you want the DIY racing sim experience, you’re going to be better off buying a racing wheel like the Logitech G923, one of the best PC steering wheels you can buy today, and connecting it to your PC or console.

YouTube Thumbnail

The YouTuber behind this unique project (named 马鹿blyat, or Red Deer Blyat) has form for building projects such as this one. For instance, several videos on their channel show various stages in developing a tank simulator with a “working” gun that, when fired, fires a weapon in a PC game.

This project seems more dangerous, though, and the drift simulator video shows off a whole number of dangerous stunts. As the driver races in-game, the platform drifts with each spin of the wheel. There are a lot of sharp movements, and not a lot of padding to be seen, and when the driver crashes or goes too far, the seat itself is designed to throw them off.

I have to respect the ingenuity here, if nothing else. This is a completely unrealistic build, but it certainly ups the ante if you’re a speed demon and enjoy the adrenaline rush. That said, the best PC racing games can already be configured to respond to dangerous situations in-game, sending vibrations and force feedback through to racing wheels to generate excitement, although this DIY simulator is a few danger notches higher.

You can build something better (and safer) with a force feedback wheel like the Thrustmaster T300 RS, as long as your PC supports the Forza Motorsport system requirements. If your PC doesn’t meet the minimum specs, it might be time to build a gaming PC that can handle your racing sim desires. Sure, it won’t be as dangerous as this monstrosity, but it’ll be a lot safer around those tight corners.