The V8 driver from Smoby is a fun toy for any young boys in your family who like to play with cars or driving games. This toy has a seat, steering wheels, pedals, animations and the option to attach a mobile phone so you can use the simulator to drive on a racing app on your phone.
If your toddlers are somewhere between pushing ride-on cars around the living room, turning replica steering wheels round and using their imagination to go on driving adventures, and having the balance and coordination skills to be able to play a computer game like Mario kart then this is the ideal step-up toy to lead them on the path to more advanced driving experiences and eventually go karts and kids ATV’s
Let’s take a look at the Smoby V8 driver and find out what it is, who it is for and what it can do.Then I’ll show you a few alternative driving simulator products for children that you might enjoy.
A review of the smoby V8 driving simulator
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The Smoby V8 driver looks a little bit like a mini version of the car seats you might see on an arcade driving simulator. I think every young boy will love this futuristic red design with curved lines as soon as they see it. Sit down and in front of you you’ll see a big black steering wheel with a selection of several different buttons and knobs to press and turn. This is a steering wheel that works and is accurate enough to drive side to side along the map that is moving up and down on the screen above the wheel.
If you want a more exciting driving experience there is a Smoby V8 driver app you can download onto your phone or tablet and then attach your device above the steering wheel. The steering wheel will then control the steering for the car on the app. When you move the car on the app it moves slowly giving youngsters plenty of time to react and avoid any obstacles.
Kids love having their own cute mini driver seat, pedals and wheel to play with. Even if there was no screen, kids would be creative and use their imagination to drive themselves on lots of exciting adventures. Using the app is simple for children aged 3 years and above and the race track is engaging. If you are looking for a realistic driving experience on par with ps4 or arcade games, this won’t offer that level of experience, but for a fun and simple driving experience for a toddler this is a lot of fun.
This product is sturdy and looks exciting for a child. It is definitely not a high quality toy with strong and long lasting pieces but the seat is comfortable and the steering wheel has lots of nice detailing which add to the overall Smoby V8 Driver experience. If your child loves to drive and you want to introduce them to driving with a fun children’s toy then they will enjoy sitting in the seat, pressing the buttons and turning a real steering wheel.
The seat can be adjusted a little bit so you can make sure your youngsters are able to reach the wheel. You’ll have to assemble the products but good clear instructions are included and it shouldn’t take more than 10 or 15 minutes to assemble because the car and frame is quite small.
If your children are a little older and have experienced driving games like mario kart and more in depth driving apps then they might find the Smoby V8 boring because the driving experience is much more limited. The Smoby V8 pilot is definitely aimed at giving toddlers their first driving experience before they are fully able to control a real driving simulator. On the screen the map just moves up and down and you can choose whether your car goes forwards or backwards and then the course will move in the opposite direction.
There are two roads that join and then separate, the car on the screen turns directly left or right while still facing forwards so it doesn’t matter whether you drive near the road or over the trees and landscaping beside it.
Overall the Smoby V8 driver is perfect for toddlers who can’t yet fully operate a driving game but want a fun experience that doesn’t require very much accuracy and instead is about the experience of sitting in your own red car, touching the buttons and feeling like a real racing driver.
There aren’t many other toys around that offer this experience, a seat, wheel, pedals and game all in one unit. Most toys offer a computer game experience, ride on experience or just a steering wheel with buttons and sounds. Even though this toy isn’t perfect it still offers a fun experience and a nice step up from steering wheels and toy cars towards being able to drive cars on computer games or remote control cars.
Smoby V8 Alternative – Amazing Tech Depot red ride on car
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This is a little bit of a wildcard and our next alternative is another simulator style toy, but let’s look at why this option is a good choice. For a price that is usually lower than the Smoby car simulator, you can buy a very cool looking red ride-on that is suitable for toddlers. Not only can toddlers turn a steering wheel but they can also move the car around the house, in the garden or wherever you want them to drive you to.
A ride-on gives toddlers lots of exercise while also using their imagination and experiencing the closest thing to actually driving a car. This Amazing tech depot ride-on had sound effects, cool racing stickers, a registration plate and flashing front lights. Toddlers love ride-ons and this is a fun well made toy car that looks great and can hold up to a maximum weight of 20kg.
Smoby V8 alternative – VR real feel virtual reality racing sim
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For toddlers who are a little bit older this VR headset offers a much more immersive and realistic racing experience. Usually with a VR headset you have to turn by moving your head side to side but this set includes both goggles and a steering wheel which you must use to turn the car in the game.
Choose from 4 different cars and 8 tracks and get racing. To play you need to connect the headset and wheel to your phone or tablet and download an app. This is a toy that toddlers and older kids can both enjoy, but younger children might find it challenging, even though it will still be an enjoyable and immersive experience you do need some level of coordination skills to fully master the driving sim.
Review summary – Is the Smoby V8 driver worth the money
Overall I think the Smoby V8 driver is a great toy and would make a great Christmas toy. If you are expecting a realistic and fully immersive driving experience like you might find on a computer game then this isn’t for you, but if you know what to expect and buy this toy for a toddler at the right stage in their development, this is an excellent choice.
As toddlers grow up they usually move up from pushing toy cars around the living room, to holding a steering wheel and pressing buttons, long before they have the coordination skills to turn the wheel and manoeuvre a vehicle. Once toddlers begin to improve their coordination skills they can start to understand how turning a steering wheel on a ride-on style toy will affect movement.
At this stage in a toddlers physical development you can introduce the V8 driver and let them experience what it is like to sit in their very own car. You could even introduce it earlier and let them enjoy pressing the buttons and turning the wheel even if they don’t yet fully understand how to move the car they will have fun developing coordination skills.
This driving simulator is a lot of fun and if you buy it for a toddler at the right stage in their development it can help improve their coordination and imagination skills before they step up to more challenging and realistic driving simulators and games.
Toddlers who are learning hand eye coordination skills might also enjoy throwing a flying disc or playing with some fun and colourful bath toys. We hope you enjoy the V8 driver and find lots of fun activities and toys to keep your children entertained.
