For events, triple screens are usually the better fit. Guests sit down and drive with nothing to fit on their head, the people watching see the same view as the driver, and research comparing displays in driving simulators has found more simulator sickness with a headset than with monitors. VR does give real depth perception and lets you turn your head to look into a corner, which is why many home sim racers prefer it for solo driving.
Motion sickness: what the research says
In a 2021 study in Frontiers in Psychology, Sarah Malone and Roland Brünken compared a head-mounted display with a triple-monitor setup in a driving simulator. Simulator sickness rose significantly more in the headset group, and three of 42 headset participants (7%) had to stop early because of nausea (Malone & Brünken, 2021, PubMed Central). Not everyone gets sick, but at an event where dozens of first-timers rotate through a seat, a lower-sickness setup keeps the line moving and the guests happy.
Headset makers say the same. Meta's health and safety warnings for Quest 3S set a minimum account age of 10, say children's use should always be supervised by an adult, and warn that extended use without breaks can increase discomfort (Meta Quest 3S health and safety warnings).
How triple screens create the view
A well-set-up triple-screen rig renders each monitor from its own camera so the side screens show the correct perspective. iRacing's setup guide has you enter the angle between the center and side screens and your eye distance to the center screen, then computes the field of view (iRacing support). Set up that way, the side screens fill your peripheral vision for judging corners and cars alongside.
What VR does better
- Depth and scale. iRacing describes VR headsets as putting you in the driver's seat, with sound that follows your head movement (iRacing).
- Looking into corners. You turn your head to look at the apex, as in a real car.
- Space. A headset replaces three large screens.
On a motion platform, VR needs extra setup: the headset's tracking has to be compensated for the seat's movement. SIGMA Integrale publishes a dedicated VR motion compensation setup guide for its platforms.
Side by side for events
| VR headset | Triple screens | |
|---|---|---|
| Simulator sickness | Higher in the study above | Lower in the study above |
| Changeover between guests | Fit, adjust and clean the headset each time | Sit down and drive |
| Spectators | Need a separate screen to follow along | Watch the same screens as the driver |
| Photos and video | Face covered by the headset | Driver's face and screens both in shot |
| Depth perception | Stronger | Flat images |
Our take for your event
For a party, corporate event or brand activation, screens keep the experience social and easy to film. VR suits a small, keen group who want maximum immersion and will spend longer in the seat. Tell us about your guests and we will talk through the setup. Rates are $2,750 per full-motion rig per day, plus tax and insurance; see pricing.
Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or request a date. We reply within 24 hours and can book with as little as 24 hours' notice.