Project CARS 2 VR Review: Why It’s Still The “Gateway Sim”
Quick Verdict: Despite being delisted from Steam, Project CARS 2 remains the best “all-in-one” VR package for beginners. With an incredible variety of cars (IndyCar, RallyCross, GT3) and the best snow/ice physics in VR, it is worth hunting down a key for.
Project CARS 2 holds a strange place in history. It isn’t as realistic as Assetto Corsa, and it isn’t as polished as Gran Turismo 7, but it does things no other sim does. It lets you drive a Ferrari on a frozen lake in Sweden in the middle of a blizzard.
KartVR Rating: 8.5 / 10 (Best Weather Effects)
The “LiveTrack” Weather System
The weather in this game is terrifying.
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Dynamic Puddles: As it rains, puddles form organically on the track. If you hit one at 150mph in VR, the hydroplaning effect feels incredibly real through the steering wheel.
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Snow & Ice: This is one of the only VR sims that features proper ice racing (Mercedes on a frozen lake). In VR, the white-out blizzard conditions are genuinely disorienting.
The Physics: “Jack of All Trades”
The physics are often criticized by hardcore racers for being a bit “loose” or “slidey” compared to iRacing.
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The “Hero” Feel: The cars are slightly easier to catch when they slide, which makes it much more fun for beginners. You feel like a drift god rather than constantly spinning out.
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Karting: It includes 125cc shifters and go-kart tracks. While not as brutal as KartKraft, it is a great entry point for VR karting.
The Delisted Problem
The license for the cars expired, so you can no longer buy this directly on Steam.
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The Solution: You must buy a “Global Steam Key” from a reseller like CDKeys or Kinguin. Once you activate it, it works forever and is fully legal.
Performance: Runs incredibly well on older graphics cards (GTX 1080 era).
Content Variety: RallyCross, IndyCar, and Le Mans Prototypes all in one game.
Weather: Best snow and ice racing in VR, period.
Force Feedback: Requires some tweaking to feel "connected" compared to modern sims.
Inconsistent AI: The computer drivers are slow in the rain but super fast in the dry.
Delisted: You have to buy a key from a third-party site; not on Steam directly.
Conclusion: The Ultimate Sandbox
Project CARS 2 is a “Greatest Hits” album of motorsport. It might not be the most realistic sim ever made, but it is definitely the most fun. If you want to race a RallyCross car against a Formula 1 car in the snow, this is the only place you can do it.
Where to Buy
For PC VR (Steam Key): 👉 Buy Global Steam Key via CDKeys This is the only way to get the game in 2026.
Essential VR Headsets:
🥽 Meta Quest 3 (Amazon)The best all-around headset. Works wirelessly with your PC to drift without tripping over cables.
🥽 PlayStation VR2 (Amazon)Required if you want to play the console version (when supported) with OLED visuals.
🏎️ Thrustmaster T248 Racing Wheel (Amazon) The official wheel of Gran Turismo. The screen on the wheel actually syncs with the game.