VisionRacer VR3 driving simulator

VisionRacer is a racing fanatic’s dream rig – a low-slung, comfortable racing game set-up that puts you in a driving seat of your favourite console or PC game.

The first thing that strikes you about the VisionRacer is the excellent build quality. The tubular stainless steel chassis feels rock solid, and the overall impression is the sort of clean, strong design you’d see in a piece of exercise equipment at a smart hotel gym.

It’s also a very simple set-up – an adjustable bucket seat that faces a monitor, with a standard PS3 unit attached neatly behind and some smart cable management that makes the whole thing feel neat and well put together.

The seat is considerably more comfortable than the one in my first car and feels nicely realistic. There’s a bar under the seat to pull it forwards or backwards, and you can make a few other adjustments to get yourself comfortable – effects which contribute well to the illusion that you’re in a real driving machine.

The steering wheel has impressive force feedback that really judders when you go round corners, and it’s great to have the gear shift low and beside your hand, just like on a real car. The speakers have an easy accessible headphone jack so you can burn rubber without infuriating the people you live with.

As with any driving simulation, what matters is whether the sum of the parts adds up to an immersive racing experience, and here VisionRacer really comes up trumps. The handling of the unit we tested felt fantastic: the judder of the steering wheel alive in your hands leaves you feeling authentically battered after a long race. Our group of wannabee Stigs found the gear stick a bit of a let down – although changing gear manually does draw you into the race, the stick itself doesn't really feel mechanical enough, and was the only control that slightly undermined the illusion of actually driving.

So how much does this driving loveliness cost? For people who already have a monitor and a games console and the various Logitech components, the bare rig will set you back £649. A fully configured "Ready to Drive" option, with a PS3 and a 24-inch monitor, will set you back a hefty £1,849. For someone who adores driving games and has a taste for luxury (and wealthy friends), this could be the ideal gift.