It all depends on how "sim" you like your sims. I have had a Playstation
for the last 2 years and I have enjoyed almost all the racing games that
have come out for it(Ridge and Rage Racer, Rally Cross, Formula 1, Jet
Moto, Wipeout XL, Nascar 98, Cart World Series, Formula 1 Championship
Edition, etc.)
I also have a P166 with 32mb of ram, Rendtion Verite Video Card and Canopus
Pure 3D(3DFX card) as well as a T2. I have played all versions of Papyrus
Nascar and Indycar sims, as well as Microprose Grand Prix sims. The
Rendition versions of Indycar 2 and Nascar 2 are some of the best looking
and and smooth running I have ever played, and in the last year I have
played them more than any other games I've owned. They are true sims in
every sense of the word. There are no games on the Playstation that come
close to them in graphics, or gameplay, especially if you have a T2. Again,
I have just about every driving game for the Playstation and have enjoyed
them but even at their most difficult levels they are really arcade racers.
The Playstation has by far the most, best, and cheapest titles out
currently compared to the other consoles.(I own N64 and Saturn as well)
However, even though the Playstation is a great system, it cannot do
things graphically that the PC can do, especially one with a 3D
accelerator. I have both versions of Tomb Raider as well, and your friend
must not have a 3DFX card, because the 3DFX PC version of Tomb Raider
absolutley blows away the Playstation version in every aspect. You say that
the Playstation is cheaper than buying a 3D card, however, I have a great
option for you if you like Indycar 2 and Nascar 2, and it will only cost
you $99.00, and comes with 4 games. Intergraph is currently offering their
Intense 3D 100 Rendition Verite card for $99.00. Go to
http://www.intergraph.com/ics/I3D100/ for the details. It comes with the
Rendition version of Indycar 2, and if you already own Nascar 2, it will
work great with that as well. There are Rendition versions of Quake, Tomb
Raider, MDK, Descent II, and it will run all Direct 3D games as well. It
does not perform as well as a 3DFX card, but currently their are no better
actual sims than Indycar 2 and Nascar 2 and they are Rendition accelerated
only. That may change shortly, but again for $99.00 this deal cannot be
beat. The only thing I am not sure of is whether you can install this card
on a 486-120; that may be the hitch. I would say it would be worth looking
into anyway. By the way, you cannot use your T2 with the Playstation. I own
2 steering controllers for the Playstation as well, but neither compare to
the T2. So, to sum it up, if your idea of "sims" is more along the lines of
arcade and you really don't plan to upgrade your PC, the Playstation is an
enjoyable machine. However, if you are really into the "sim" of racing sims
than save your money for an upgrade. And try the Rendition option as a
possible stepping stone. Hope this helps.
Don Chapman
