Drive any real-world location on Earth using Google’s 3D terrain, buildings, and roads, with authentic driving physics.
Ready to build your own rig? Here is a step-by-step guide for the most accessible method using Real World Navigation or ExoGP.
Step 1: The Hardware
Step 2: The Software
Step 3: Connection
Step 4: The Drive
The modding community has attempted to bridge the gap between hard-core racing sims (like Assetto Corsa) and Google Earth. While technically challenging due to file format differences, some projects have successfully imported Google Maps 3D data into game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, creating "open world" driving experiences that look exactly like the real world. 3d Driving Simulator Google Earth
Before diving into the "how," we need to define the "what." A traditional driving simulator (like Assetto Corsa or Forza Horizon) offers beautiful, hand-crafted tracks. A 3D Driving Simulator Google Earth setup is fundamentally different.
It utilizes Google’s massive database of 3D photogrammetry. Google has scanned thousands of cities worldwide using planes and satellites, creating a mesh of textured polygons that look startlingly real from a bird’s eye view or a low-flying angle.
When you plug a driving simulator interface into this data, you aren't just driving on a flat map. You are driving on the actual elevation data (DEM - Digital Elevation Model) overlaid with photographic textures. The result is a simulation that is infinitely larger than any game map, but slightly less detailed up close (you’ll notice "melted" cars or trees that look like green blobs). Drive any real-world location on Earth using Google’s
This is the most common question. Does Google Earth have a built-in driving mode? The short answer is no.
The classic Google Earth Pro application has a "Flight Simulator" hidden inside (press Ctrl+Alt+A), but there is no native "Driving Simulator" mode. You cannot use your keyboard arrows to drive a car down a street in the standard Google Earth viewer because the physics engine treats you like a camera, not a vehicle. You clip through buildings and hover over the terrain.
However, the spirit of the 3D Driving Simulator Google Earth survives through third-party developers who have reverse-engineered or licensed the Google Maps API. Ready to build your own rig