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“Racing is Virtual, But it is So Realistic That it Doesn’t Feel That Way”

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Romain Grosjean of the R8G eSports team, speaks about the potential of SimRacing and the need for strong partners such as Acer in eSports

How has eSports changed since you first became involved?
It has changed a lot! It all started between me and R8G in 2020 during the COVID lockdown. I was in the F1 Australia paddock when the news came about the first lockdown and the effect it was going to have on the whole world.

I had remembered someone telling me about a fun project, a Sim Racing team and it was actually something I had been considering for a few months. When I was younger I played video games which was fun, but it wasn’t really a passion. But after speaking with more people and doing some research, I realized that Sim Racing is much more than a video game. After further consideration, I figured that lockdown was the perfect opportunity to launch a Sim Racing team to see what we could do and we did it in one week!

Part of why I started a Sim Racing team is to share my experience and to help young people explore the world of motorsport. It’s so expensive to take part in motorsport nowadays and there are so many passionate young people who want to experience what it’s like. It’s an incredible opportunity for them because the sim racers are able to race on a grid with real F1 drivers like Button, Verstappen, Montoya, Leclerc, or myself. It’s mega!

There are no other e-sports like that where you can share real-time experiences with real-life champions. Not only do we have a chance to race together, but we can have a conversation and connect with others – the human side of R8G is amazing. I am interacting every day with the racers through Discord and spending quite a bit of my time there, it’s like another family for me. I try to open up and share details about my career, from races in IndyCar to F1, I even share pictures! We have a lot of fun together.

I’ve found since joining Sim Racing that the competition has evolved and it takes a lot more to win. The level at which racers are playing is improving every month. New teams arrive, and it raises the driving standards big time. Now, in most of the competitions, R8G is on the grid with F1 Teams (Williams, Aston Martin, Ferrari eSports, Mercedes, Alpine, Red Bull), big manufacturers (Porsche, BMW, Ford, and so on), and strong structures (Veloce, Unicorn Of Love, and so on F1 Champion Max Verstappen has now his own team too, and in many races, it’s now Grosjean Team vs Verstappen Team! I don’t think Sim Racing would even have dreamed about that before 2020!

Of course, the lockdown has been a big boost for e-sports. Media and partners became more interested in it, and we all believe there is more to come. Virtual will never replace real, but real and virtual can carry on simultaneously, it’s a great combination. It’s incredible to see that all the biggest motorsport series in the world run now their Virtual series too. On F2, one of the main Sim Racing platforms, there is Formula E, IndyCar, Le Mans, and so on. There is F1 eSports of course as well, and SRO, DTM, ADAC… Motorsport and SimRacing will work for hand in hand to create new Series and new opportunities. In the end, we are all in the same boat, sharing the same values. We just all love racing and cars!

How important are sponsors such as Acer to the future of eSports?
Crucial I have to say. SimRacing has a lot of potentials and we need strong partners like Acer to reach it. In the time of 2 years, thanks to the help of Acer and their strong involvement with my team, we have launched a Junior Team to support the growth of young talent. They’ve evolved from beginners to pros and are being paid for their participation. We even have a female driver-focused programe.

With Acer, we create a lot of content around PC screens, and all the gaming technology. We work closely on many different aspects on the tech side, such as the cooling, the headset, etc. They send us the best equipment to race, and I personally test all their products. We work a lot as well on the skin design and 3D conception. Since 2021, together we run a big competition, the Predator SIM Racing Cup, which is open to all. It’s on Assetto Corsa and every year there are between 3,000 and 5,000 drivers from 24 countries taking part within the EMEA region. It’s a big success but every year we try to make it bigger and more engaging.

I’m also proud to have entered the first electric Sim Racing Championship, WORLD eX, where we race for The Climate. We race under the ACER VERO colors, and the 2022 jackpot that comes from the winning races will go to help Acer Humanity. It’s a big initiative that makes us all proud. Acer is also very keen to engage with fans and the community. There are always a lot of raffles, giveaways, and entertaining video content and we’ve built a very strong community. SimRacing really helps to bring people together.

Of course, Acer also helps us to hire new drivers and develop talents. This type of competition requires investment, it’s like real-life racing, we need to find the best drivers and engineers. Acer has been a strong source of support since day one. We collaborate closely and brainstorm frequently to share ideas to make SIM racing even bigger. They’re more than a partner of R8G, they’re the biggest member.

When it comes to transferable skills that can be carried over from eSports to real-world racing, what do you look for in participants?
Today, we have sim racers able to show in real life how quick and talented they are. And it’s the same with real racers proving their pace in Virtual. It’s what we saw in Le Mans Virtual or VCO Pro Sim, where our line-ups were made of a mix of Pro Sim and Pro Drivers. Last year – and it will likely be the same this year – we had a couple of sim racers showing off their skills in real life.

They were part of an F4 Driving School in France, and they finished P3-P4-P6 from over 60 drivers. In our Junior Team, we have 2x F4 race winners: Barter and Vayron. In England, Gordon Mutch is racing with Praga in GT. Altogether, we work around data and set-ups, exactly as we do in real-life. We spend countless hours fine-tuning the set-up. So for me, Virtual and Real require the same quality of dedication, work, and seriousness, just talent is not enough. You have to be smart and willing to work. The hashtag #wearenotplaying is a testament to this; we are not just playing video games. We drive fast cars in a different way, but it requires putting more than 100 kg on the braking pedals as well.

We drive cars with the force-feedback wheel. SimRacing requires what everything does in real life when you want to succeed and be the best. It’s all about dedication and pushing yourself to the max. I am really impressed with 14-year-old kids putting hundreds of hours into testing and driving on the sim, in order to one day be the best. Indeed the Racing is Virtual, but it is so realistic that it doesn’t feel that way.

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Sony Announces INZONE Gaming Tournament

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Sony Middle East and Africa has announced the upcoming INZONE Gaming Tournament, set to take place from February 11 to February 15, 2025, across UAE, KSA, Qatar, and Kuwait. Following the success of the recent INZONE tournament in Qatar, this latest edition expands opportunities for gamers across the region, welcoming over 1,000 participants to compete for a $10,000 prize pool across men’s and women’s divisions.

Participants will put their skills to the test in one of the region’s most competitive esports events, battling it out in Valorant, one of the most popular titles in the GCC gaming community. With separate men’s and women’s divisions, winners will claim their share of the $10,000 prize pool, with $5,000 awarded per tournament. Fans can also tune in live on February 14 and 15 to witness the action unfold in the tournament finals.

This initiative highlights Sony’s commitment to supporting the gaming community by delivering innovative platforms and top-tier esports experiences across the Middle East. Speaking on this, Jobin Joejoe, Managing Director of Sony Middle East and Africa, said, “The INZONE Gaming Tournament reflects our commitment to elevating the gaming experience in the region. With the booming esports expansion across the region, we are reinforcing our commitment to the growth of gaming communities and fostering talent across the GCC.”

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Creator Tools

CORSAIR Levels Up Desk Storage with its Clamp-On Multi Frame Pegboard

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CORSAIR has introduced the Multi Frame Pegboard, a new addition to desk storage solutions. The pegboard attaches to desks using two clamps, allowing for installation in under 30 minutes. It provides additional storage by moving items off the desk surface and onto the pegboard and its shelves.

The Multi Frame Pegboard includes two large pegboards, three adjustable shelves, and various hooks. It features a 3060 aluminium T-channel crossbar that supports a range of aftermarket accessories. Included T-nuts and adapters enable mounting of Elgato hardware, 3D-printed creations, and VESA monitor arms. Integrated wire management channels help keep accessory cables organized.

Available in 4-foot and 6-foot lengths, and in black or white, the pegboard fits home office environments without requiring new desks. The clamp-on system and industry-standard pegboard spacing offer customization with the 13 included hooks.

Inspired by the Elgato Multi Frame, the pegboard addresses the demand for versatile storage. It targets streamers, gamers, and individuals seeking organized workspaces. The CORSAIR Multi Frame Pegboard will be available from the CORSAIR website and authorized retailers and distributors in Q1 2025.

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Gadgets

CORSAIR Unveils VENGEANCE Gaming PCs Featuring GeForce RTX 50 Series

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CORSAIR has announced the launch of its latest VENGEANCE Gaming PCs, featuring the groundbreaking NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards, paired with Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors. Designed to deliver unparalleled performance for gamers and creators, these systems are powered by NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture, bringing cutting-edge AI capabilities, next-level graphics fidelity, and revolutionary features like full ray tracing, Reflex 2 technology, and NVIDIA DLSS for enhanced performance and reduced latency.

The new VENGEANCE PCs are NVIDIA NIM-ready RTX AI PCs, supporting the latest NIM microservices for optimized AI models in language, speech, vision, and content generation. This makes them ideal for developers and enthusiasts looking to build AI-driven tools, productivity plugins, and innovative creative workflows with peak efficiency.

To meet the demanding power requirements of the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, CORSAIR has equipped these systems with its high-quality power supplies, ensuring reliability, efficiency, and longevity. Additionally, each VENGEANCE PC features CORSAIR’s advanced AIO Liquid CPU coolers, delivering ultra-quiet, high-performance cooling with dynamic RGB lighting. The systems also come with the latest DDR5 memory, offering faster speeds, greater capacities, and improved performance.

Available in a range of high-performance cases—2500X, 3500X, and 5000T—the VENGEANCE PCs are designed for exceptional airflow and cooling. They feature CORSAIR’s AirGuide technology and magnetic dome bearings in their fans, ensuring optimized airflow, quiet operation, and long-lasting performance. Whether you’re gaming with stunning graphics, exploring creative workflows, or pushing the boundaries of AI innovation, the VENGEANCE Gaming PCs are built to deliver an exceptional experience.

The new CORSAIR VENGEANCE Gaming PCs with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs are now available in North America through the CORSAIR webstore and authorized retailers. Each system is backed by a two-year warranty and supported by CORSAIR’s global customer service and technical support network.

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