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How to Get Iracing on Steam

How to get iRacing on Steam: clear steps for iRacing drivers to add iRacing as a non‑Steam game, enable Steam overlay/VR, and solve common launch issues fast.

If you’re dealing with how to get iracing on steam, the fastest solution is to add iRacing (the launcher or the sim exe) to your Steam library as a non‑Steam game. That gives you Steam overlay, shortcuts, controller mapping and SteamVR integration without reinstalling anything.

You’re in the right place — below I explain what’s happening and give easy, exact steps to fix it.

how to get iracing on steam (quick answer)

iRacing isn’t always listed in your Steam library by default. Add the iRacing Launcher (or iRacingSim64.exe for VR) to Steam via Steam → Games → Add a Non‑Steam Game, enable the Steam overlay in the new entry, and launch through Steam. If overlay or VR fails, check admin and SteamVR order.

What’s really going on

Steam only shows titles it knows about or ones you add. Most iRacing installs use the iRacing Launcher (updates and credentials) which isn’t automatically in Steam. Adding the launcher as a non‑Steam game lets Steam “wrap” the app so you can use Steam features — overlay, screenshots, Big Picture, controller configs and SteamVR — while still running iRacing’s own client and files.

Common reasons things fail: Steam overlay blocked (often because of admin/compatibility mismatch), you added the wrong executable, or SteamVR wasn’t started before iRacing.

Step-by-step fix

  1. Open Steam on your PC.
  2. From the top menu choose Games → Add a Non‑Steam Game to My Library.
  3. Browse to the iRacing folder (default: C:\Program Files (x86)\iRacing) and select iRacingLauncher.exe. Click Add Selected Programs.
  4. In your Steam library, right‑click the new entry → Properties → set a custom name like “iRacing (Launcher)”. Tick “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
  5. If you want VR: either start SteamVR first, then launch iRacing from Steam, or add iRacingSim64.exe directly instead of the launcher if VR doesn’t engage.
  6. If overlay or controller mapping won’t work, make sure neither Steam nor iRacing are running as Administrator (mismatch blocks overlay). Restart Steam after changes.

Extra tips / checklist

  • If iRacing won’t launch from Steam, try adding the sim exe (iRacingSim64.exe) instead of the launcher.
  • Disable “Run this program as an administrator” in compatibility for both Steam and iRacing to allow the overlay.
  • If SteamVR won’t detect iRacing, launch SteamVR first, then start iRacing from Steam.
  • Turn off aggressive antivirus or add iRacing to exclusions if files fail to load.
  • Rename the Steam shortcut to something clear and pin it to Big Picture for quick access.

FAQs

Q: Can I buy iRacing on Steam?
A: Historically, iRacing is distributed outside Steam, so most users add it as a non‑Steam game. If iRacing appears in the Steam store in the future, purchase flow will change.

Q: Which exe should I add for VR?
A: Try Steam → add iRacingSim64.exe (the 64‑bit sim) if VR won’t start via the launcher. Also start SteamVR before launching.

Q: Why isn’t the Steam overlay showing?
A: Common causes: Steam or iRacing running with different privileges (admin vs normal), overlay disabled in Steam settings, or incompatible exe added. Ensure Steam overlay is enabled globally and per‑game.

Q: Will adding iRacing to Steam affect my files or account?
A: No — adding as a non‑Steam game only creates a shortcut in Steam. Your iRacing account, cars, setups and logs remain in the iRacing folder and servers.

Wrap‑up

Adding iRacing to Steam is quick: add the launcher or sim exe as a non‑Steam game, enable the overlay, and check admin/VR order if things fail. Test in a short practice session to confirm overlays and VR behave before racing.