Be my guest...
I understand your hesitation, since I worked my way upwards on the price ladder myself and was not always able nor eager to afford what now I could afford and would not drive without anymore, and 20 years back it also was not available. I had a MS Sidewinder FFB Wheel, and then a Thrustmaster Ferrari something wheel, and they had limited 270 and 450° rotation (in total) only and cheap duo-pedals, I next got a Logitech G27, which probably was the best bang-for-the-buck complete package with wheel, triple pedals and shifter and indeed I liked it a lot but everything, from springs to FFB, was just too soft, and finally I got the Fanatec stuff. Everytime I climbed up on the price ladder, but every time I also found the additional spending worth it. I could not imagine to have spend almost 1000 coins on such stuff ten years ago, today I see that there is justification in it: quality, that is, but quality of course does not mean it is affordable for everone.
If somebody has a limit of say 1000 for everything racing related , but does not often drive at all, I even would recommend to not go for this expensive Fanatec stuff, instead get some complete wheel-pedals pack (G29 or so) for not more 500 - and spend the other 500 on the G2 VR set. VR makes all the difference, it opens the gate into another level of racing, no screen and no triple screen can get even close to it. Its a game changer.
One last tip, on the shifter. Its not essential, but especially in AC, it adds to immersion. But only if it is a real good shifter, no light plastic toy thing. Setting my Fanatec shifter both to very hard or to very soft has something satisfactory in it if you throw in the next gear with harsh force and thin lips - or with just a casual, elegant swing in your handwrist, and AC strongly interacts the shifter with the clutch pedal, you can ruin your gearbox quite quickly if you do not do it right. It has something very satisfactory in it, but I admit: I mostly do not use the shifter even in older cars that had one. So, shifter probably is the last item on your driver's list, if you find the money laying on the pavement... If you go for it, go with a real good one - or dont bother to even start looking for one. Its all in, or all out.
The G2 VR has
excellent resolution. No screendoor effect. The tracking cameras are in the headset, which means it is not the best solution if you plan to play things where very fast but accurate handmovement is key (table tennis for example depends desperately on precision here), then a set with external cameras might be better suited for this more general approach, but if cockpit things are your thing where you stay seated or where you move hands and legs more relaxed and do not focus on utmost precise and superfast hand movements like for table tennis, then the G2 is possibly currently the best deal possible. The Steam hardware has excellent tracking, but it costs a very lot more. The Pimax masks on paper have even more resolution, but they have other disadvantages, and depend on top GFX boards. Now look at the costs for top GFX boards, and start crying.
I got mine not at Amazon, but Mediamarkt, they beat the Amazon price by 150 bucks back then. Handpieces cannot be bought separately, so before buying the even cheaper only-helmet offer, think twice. You cannot ugrade later. Its a stupid offer they make, for many other things you simply NEED handsticks, Google Earth and such.