DRL Simulator: The Best Alternative for Flying Indoors

So, it's cold, windy, and snowing outside. What are you supposed to do with that fancy drone of yours? Considering it's hard to fly most drones inside, DRL Simulator is game for PC or MAC that you can use to practice flying.

For a few months now, I have been glued to DRL Simulator. Believe it or not, this has not only helped me learn to fly drones, but it's taught me to learn how to learn. This game is a simulator for FPV drones or racing drones, and you can fly with an Xbox controller, PS4 controller, or an FPV controller. With a huge lack of weather inside, you are left at peace to learn/practice your control with these drones. You have the option to race through a bunch of different courses, or you can simply just go out and freestyle for fun.

I was drawn to this game because it is right up my alley. I've been flying DJI drones a long time, yet these FPV drones have taught me so much that I didn't know before. In DRL, you can build your own drones with parts that are currently on the market and also build your own custom maps. You can change your camera angle and field of view, and on the computer, those graphics! Surprisingly, for a simulator, the graphics and performance while playing are very enjoyable. With all that said, you can do plenty more within the sim, but the multiplayer and leader board features will continue to remind you there are some very good pilots out there.

For fine tuning and a lot more technical knowledge, DRL Simulator allows you to control your physics to understand how the drone's flight will be affected in certain circumstances. I have not yet jumped into this, because I don't understand it enough yet, and I also don't mind crashing and not having to get up to go get my drone to find out what broke on it. It's a game, and you are able to just reset when you need to.

The best part about this game is that everything relates directly to FPV. For me, this simulator has gone such a long way in helping me understand how much control I actually have when it comes to flying. Through hours of practice (82 hours sim time), I have gone from getting super stressed and not being able to complete a race to being able to stay calm while racing and place on the leader boards. Though my controls are slightly altered from a DJI with all the rolling and fast flying, DRL has become a game that I play for fun and use to train.

For $19.99 on Steam, you wont be finding a much better indoor flying solution. If you are looking to connect a drone controller you already have, this adapter will allow you to bind to it so you can fly with that.