You need to try iRacing in VR. It covers about a third of the stuff on your list. > no track surface bumpiness... none of them even manages to really reflect

You need to try iRacing in VR. It covers about a third of the stuff on your list. > no track surface bumpiness... none of them even manages to really reflect the track width. iRacing laser-scans real-world tracks. You feel the bumps through your force feedback wheel and/or motion rig if available. > having to actually move your head to check the mirrors You absolutely have to crane your neck 1:1 in VR. Super immersive in flight sims particularly. > having to choose a different line in the wet and dry, dirt on the surface Even simpler sims model this kind of thing, and especially all of the market leaders. iRacing models rubber build-up during the course of the race, track temperature, water evaporation, etc. > This is what keeps you focused. Obviously there's no fear of death in a simulator; but the drivers in these virtual races take this stuff seriously. This isn't Forza. > is just algorithm, once you learn the algorithm, there's no surprise anymore. I'm not sure if you've played any modern sims, but they're incredibly sophisticated. iRacing is used by Nascar, etc. teams. DCS A-10 is an offshoot of a military simulator for pilot training. --- Oh and forgot to add... the F1 game featured in the article is trash as far as driving physics go. It's a 'game', not a 'sim'.