If you were wondering what the cockpit view of racing games should be/feel like in order to be realistic, this video explains it better than words. GoPro cameras can now give us an exact driver’s eye view of the action, like in this quite exciting first-person drift video.
Chris Forsberg powers his Nissan VK56 V8-swapped 370Z coupe through the course at the Red Bull Drift Shifters 2014, in Auckland, New Zealand. At one point, it has drifters slide under a slightly raised semi-truck and trailer – undoubtedly the highpoint of the entire run.
Watching the video, it’s clear that racing game developers have nailed the correct field of view, effects and sense of speed-inducing camera shake. What’s still problematic is the driver’s hand movements on the wheel – it so happens that games either have too little lock on the wheel to look realistic, or if they do, then the hands/arms either look unnatural or they’re missing completely.
The online racing title Live for Speed does this pretty well, although it’s still far from perfect.