Mental health & an old hobby

As the nights draw in (sorry – but true) and with everyone concerned about the environment, the economy and whether another pandemic is coming, we all need to take a look at managing our mental health. Over the past couple of years the mental health benefits of play and gaming have been shown.

“Video games … one of the few forms of adult play therapy that carry less social stigma”

Federica Pallavicini

During the Covid pandemic I not only started to tinker with repairing and building guitars as a way of spending time away from everything in my shed, I also rediscovered ‘sim-racing’ on my PlayStation. Sim-racing is the esports equivalent of high performance track racing (F1, GT3, GT500, touring cars etc.) which has the backing of car manufacturers, professional race teams (Williams and McLaren for example have their own esports teams) and motor sport accreditation bodies such as the FIA. Players can participate by simply driving on a standard console controller but you can purchase a basic steering wheel and pedal set that bolts to a desk or invest in a full ‘sim rig’ / cockpit.

I have never been a hardcore gamer but I have always enjoyed the escapism that gaming can offer, usually preferring the immersion of a good narrative like Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2 or the complete freedom to roam in an alternate universe, such as in No Man’s Sky.

A game series that I have also enjoyed is Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo which first appeared on the original PlayStation in 1997 (25 years!!!). I have owned and played every version since but after the release of GT6 in 2013, life took a different path. The game bills itself as ‘the real driving simulator’ and essentially allows you to race at both real world and fictional tracks in a wide collection of production, development or motorsports cars. Most versions are ‘offline’, meaning the competition is AI (programmed).

During lockdown I picked up a copy of GT Sport (a predominantly online racing version of the Gran Turismo series released in 2017) in a sale and purchased a basic Logitech G29 steering controller from Amazon. It was winter in lockdown and I figured I had a few evenings / weekends stuck indoors (plus my wife didn’t object, especially as it kept me quiet!!!) This version of Gran Turismo challenges you to participate in online races with 19 other competitors in your region (mine being Europe). And what a time to rediscover this game series. For a time I did even post a few of my escapades on YouTube!

To cut a long story short, I have made new friends online through the game and I have participated in FIA accredited races that have left me ‘adrenaline buzzing’ for hours after. I have joined and regularly participate in one of the friendliest online communities based around a shared passion for the game / sim-racing, who support each other through whatever life sends our way. The effect on my mental health has been nothing but positive – giving me an escape, pure thrill, something to focus on and enjoy with friends old and new. The effect on my bank balance… not so good. I mean, the Fanatec DD-Pro was possibly not necessary and now I find myself rekindling a former passion for gaming PC building so I can participate in ACC (Assetto Corsa Competizione) events!

Mental health is something we all need to monitor, whether our own or others around us. Sometimes looking back at what we used to enjoy and taking the time to reconnect with that can lead to something really beneficial. So is there something you used to do that you could make room for once more?

Toby Gilbertson, Customer Services Manager. August 2022

#PacSolUK #MentalHealth