What is the difference between Virtual Sports and eSports?

The difference is simple, eSports are competitive video game matches played out between real people. Comparatively, Virtual Sports are simulations of traditional sporting events run via a computer and a random number generator (RNG).

When regular sports were suspended during the pandemic, many sports and players turned to eSports to carry on the show virtually. Premier League footballers took to streaming FIFA on services such as Twitch, while the F1 ran a virtual Grand Prix when the races were supposed to be on.