Learn how to use 3D Driving Simulator on Google Maps , the new 3D vehicle driving simulator on 2D real world maps.
Do you love organizing your trips? Then it’s time to get to know a very interesting feature of Google Maps: 3D Driving Simulator . It is a fun game to drive virtually within the maps of Google Maps. By doing this you will be able to travel the world directly from the sofa of your home and view the places you want to visit in preview mode.
Definitely an excellent solution to have a precise idea of the place where you are going to stay and to ensure a pleasant holiday. But let’s find out together how 3D Driving Simulator works and what are the commands to use it to the fullest.
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Index
- How to use Google Maps 3D Driving Simulator
- The history of 3D Driving Simulator
- Other driving simulators
How to use Google Maps 3D Driving Simulator
3D Driving Simulator is an online driving simulator which, using the Google Maps graphics engine , allows you to drive on the streets of any city for a truly fun virtual journey.
You will be able to select the type of map , the geographical location from which to start, drive a 3D vehicle on a 2D real world map and create an itinerary on Google Maps . You will notice how the game is very basic and how the game does not take into account objects and roadsides.
To enjoy 3D Driving Simulator, you must connect to the developer’s website and press the Start button . You will see a page with the Google Maps map and buttons at the top.
You can choose whether to travel by car or bus by pressing the left Bus or Car buttons . The Map , Satellite and Hybrid buttons are used to change the type of map, while the Location box with the Go button allows you to enter the place from which you want to start. For example you can enter: Rome, Via del Corso 54 or also enter the Longitude and Latitude coordinates .
The buttons at the top right are also very interesting:
- Tilt Downand Tilt Up : allow you to zoom by tilting the image downwards or upwards.
- North Upand Head Up : serve to change the angle and therefore the perspective of the game.
Always at the top, by pressing on Preset Locations , you will be able to teleport directly to other predefined cities, such as: Las Vegas , Tokyo , London , New York , etc.
The distance traveled is clearly visible at the bottom , useful for calculating the route by car , and a virtual steering wheel to let you understand how you are driving.
As already said you can drive vehicles on Google Maps safely ignoring the roads, park and race on a circuit and travel the world.
The commands to drive your car are as follows:
- Left/right arrow keys: to turn the car.
- Up/down arrow keys: to go forward or backward.
The history of 3D Driving Simulator
This entertaining game was developed by the Japanese Katsuomi Kobavashi , who managed to recreate the whole world in 3D with all possible details, such as: tourist attractions, streets and everything in between.
The game was released in its first version in 2013 on Google Earth and naturally has some obvious limitations. Given the large amount of work and its constant updating, it is certainly a very useful video game for those who want to virtually explore the real world .
Make sure you have plenty of CPU and GPU and if you are having problems try a different web browser between Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Have fun taking pictures of the places you’ll go virtually and start the game from any device, even mobile.
Other driving simulators
If you love driving simulators we recommend that you also check out the following games.
- Rigs of Rods: A free open source game to download on PC with 3D vehicle.
- RaceRoom: it’s a really realistic free car simulator where you can compete with other cars.
- LifeForSpeed: improve your performance in this realistic video game with competitions and prizes.
- Truck Driving Game: It’s a fun driver simulation and education game for kids. You will have to transport goods and make sure that the cargo arrives at its destination.
For other driving simulator games, we refer you to our tutorial on the best flash game sites .