Do you love racing games and want a more immersive experience? Then look no further than racing simulator chairs. With this simple tool, you can experience professional driving like the pros and multiply your enjoyment by living a truly immersive experience!
Comparison of the best racing simulator chairs
What to know before purchasing
- There are different types of chair installations depending on your preferences
- Racing simulator chairs are used with a console such as Playstation, Xbox, or simply on a computer
- Racing simulator chairs are used both by professional racers for training and by making this world accessible to a wider audience, offering an immersive gaming experience
1. Playseat F1: ideal for F1 game fans
Features and Reviews
This Playseat product is sold for €1165.36, the most expensive racing simulation chair on the market. The result of high-end, quality manufacturing, its design is derived from that of a Formula 1 car, offering the user a comfortable seat. The seat frame is upholstered in faux leather, giving it a luxurious feel and a rather understated appearance.
Featuring a height-adjustable pedal and steering wheel support that mimics an aircraft design, this F1 seat's frame accommodates almost all body types, from 120 to 220 cm tall and weighing between 20 and 122 kg. The optimal seat height is 88 cm.
With its broad compatibility, this Playseat F1 model is suitable for accessories (steering wheels and pedals) from Fanatec, Thrustmaster, Logitech, and more. It can be connected to all types of game consoles, but is particularly ideal with a PS3. A well-known brand in the creation of racing simulation accessories, the Playseat F1 is designed based on the cockpit of Formula 1 cars. It's the perfect seat, especially if you're a fan of racing simulation games and, above all, if you want to experience the real feel of F1.
2. Next Level Racing GT Ultimate V2: a racing wheelchair designed for professionals
Features and Reviews
Manufactured by Next Level Racing, this GT Ultimate V2 racing simulator chair is designed for your home racing simulation games. A product used by professional racers, this bucket seat retails for €802.73.
With its unparalleled build quality, this seat stands out from other models thanks to its modern and ergonomic design. This patented chair can be separated into two parts or folded for compact storage. For added convenience, the steering wheel, gearshift, and pedal positions are adjustable to suit your height and body shape.
To offer you optimal comfort and better cornering, this GT Ultimate V2 racing simulator chair is equipped with a seat slider, lumbar support cushion, and racing harness. Custom-designed, it can support a user's weight of up to 150 kg, allowing you to fully enjoy your racing session. For personalized configurations and enhanced gaming experience, the chair's frame is compatible with Logitech and Thrustmaster accessories.
3. Z ZELUS: a high-quality racing simulation seat
Features and Reviews
Designed by Z ZELUS, this racing simulator seat is made of synthetic leather, padded with injection-molded foam to offer optimal comfort during your gaming sessions. Its graphics provide a more realistic feel.
The seat measures 78 x 60 x 29 cm and weighs 16 kg, while the stand measures 74 x 56.9 x 20 cm and weighs 17 kg. This Z ZELUS chair is made of highly resistant carbon steel and PVC, allowing it to support a load of 150 kg.
For your comfort, this seat is fully adjustable, sliding forward and backward, and the backrest reclines. Depending on your height, the pedal support can be adjusted from 10 to 40 degrees. At €199.99, this seat is a great deal for simulation game enthusiasts. Combining quality, comfort, and sturdiness, you won't be disappointed. As for compatibility, this chair is suitable for most steering wheels and pedal sets for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Logitech, and Thrustmaster.
4. Playseat Revolution: the best way to reach a higher level of play
Features and Reviews
For €339.00, treat yourself to this Playseat Revolution racing simulator chair. With a robust steel frame, its unique and attractive design mimics that of a racing bucket seat. Upholstered in leather with lining and a reinforced headrest, it will provide you with a more realistic and comfortable experience during your racing simulation games.
Featuring a patented system, you can adjust it to your liking. The pedal and steering wheel attachments are also adjustable. You can easily reach peak gaming performance with this chair that combines quality and comfort. Measuring 98 x 50 x 132.1 cm (L x W x H), the Playseat Revolution brand offers two different sizes, each supporting a weight of 20 kg and 122 kg.
To save space in your home when not in use, it features a folding and easy storage system. Its unique and attractive design offers broad compatibility with almost all accessories needed for simulation games, including steering wheels and pedals.
5. SRC 900: Treat yourself to a bucket seat for your racing games
Features and Reviews
Designed with an ergonomic, stylish, and original design, this racing simulation seat is the result of high-quality craftsmanship. The seat frame is made of metal, providing strength and stability. The seat itself is upholstered in faux leather and ultra-comfortable foam, making it very attractive.
If you're a fan of racing games and want to maximize your enjoyment, budget €494.30 for this SRC 900 racing chair. For optimal comfort, the seat can slide forward or backward depending on your height, and the backrest is also adjustable.
The steering wheel and pedal supports are adjustable in height, depth, and angle to suit all body types. This allows you to play comfortably and with a high degree of realism.
With its wide compatibility, this racing simulator chair works with almost all steering wheels for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch; Thrustmaster, Logitech, and more. The seat's size is medium, suitable for both children and adults. Easy to clean, it features non-slip pads to protect your floor from scratches.
Racing simulator chairs: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a racing simulator?
Racing simulators and virtual reality racing are much more than just video games. Unlike driving video games, which are designed for novice drivers, racing simulators use advanced physics that replicate the experience of professional racing almost perfectly.
Racing simulators are also far more challenging and rewarding than a simple video game. The advanced technology of racing simulators demands that the driver behave like a professional racer. You'll experience the full reality of a race car and will have to consider factors such as fuel consumption levels, tire wear, external damage, suspension settings, and other crucial on-track variables that affect performance and, ultimately, the race outcome.
What games are suitable for a racing simulator chair?
Of course, all this equipment is useless without a game, right? F1, Touring Car, Rally… whatever type of racing you're planning to do, there's bound to be a game that suits it, many of which focus on several different racing genres. Let's take a look at the types of games compatible with racing chairs that are available.
First, we have the GT/Sports category. These are games that only feature asphalt racing and cars designed for it. They may include tracks with dirt sections, but the game does not focus on off-road driving at all.
Next, we have the rally/off-road section. Off-road tracks are used to push your Jeep's suspension to its limits! But sometimes, off-road tracks are well-maintained and monitored areas where drivers can achieve the best times in vehicles that have been almost entirely modified for hardcore racing.
Finally, we have the mixed category. These are games that offer off-road racing, but generally focus on road racing and don't really allow you to do rally or rallycross in many cases. For off-road racing, they do, of course, offer dedicated off-road vehicles.
In short, there's a wide variety of choices when it comes to racing games for racing simulator chairs. Chances are you won't buy just one racing game, because they're all different. Instead, you might buy several different types to keep things interesting!
Here is a short list of games compatible with the racing simulator chair: Assetto Corsa, Driveclub, F1, Forza Motorsport, Grid, Live for Speed, Project Cars, rFactor, RaceRoom, Stock Car Extreme, Dirt, WRC, Automobilista, Gran Turismo, iRacing.
Which platform should be used with a racing simulator chair?
So far, we've seen everything you need to simulate a racing experience, except for the most important thing: the platform! Even if you've bought a ton of accessories, they'll be unusable if you don't have the right platform.
You need a platform with a system powerful enough to reproduce all the components of a virtual race, from the details of the track and the car to the crowd of spectators. So, as you can imagine, you won't be able to use your racing simulator chair with your Nintendo 3DS or Switch!
You will need at least a PC or a Mac for this. As for consoles, you'll find what you're looking for with the PS3 and its higher-end versions, as well as the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
What is better for a racing simulator chair: a computer or a console?
As we have seen, the use of a racing simulator chair is compatible with both an Xbox or Playstation type console, but also with a computer.
Is one variant superior to the other?
Most people assume that computers are far more powerful and have preconceived notions about consoles. For example, you often hear that the number of frames per second is very limited on consoles. But not all of these ideas are true. However, it must be acknowledged that computers do have some advantages.
First, it allows the use of multiple screens, which is impossible on consoles. There are also differences in augmented reality support. Computers offer a much wider range of options than consoles in this regard.
In short, the gap between computers and consoles is actually much smaller than you might think. Remember, the important thing is the racing simulator chair: not the platform!
Racing simulator chair: what performance can a computer expect?
Want to use your racing simulator chair with a computer? Then you absolutely need the right setup. Let's look at the features you should have.
Desktop or laptop computers: Unlike consoles, with personal computers you can customize your machine's hardware. For example, you can play on multiple screens and mix and match internal components. Consoles are still a good option in terms of budget, but computers offer certain features that consoles don't.
However, you can't just choose any computer and play a racing simulation on it. Even if you're on a supported platform, you need to make sure its specifications are high enough to run the games.
In terms of processor, a dual-core or quad-core of 2 GHz or higher is recommended. A minimum of 8 GB of RAM is required. For the GPU, a minimum of 1 TFLOP, 900 MHz or higher, or 1 GB of VRAM or more is necessary. Minimum storage capacity is 240 GB.
Windows is the most widely supported operating system. It can be installed on virtually any machine, giving users a choice of hardware. In addition, there's a wide range of more advanced racing simulation hardware options that are exclusively compatible with Windows , such as steering wheels and VR headsets.
Next, we have Macs.
The choice of hardware for this operating system is much more limited. Furthermore, macOS is not natively supported by most PC games, especially the biggest titles. This is why Macs are generally not used for gaming.
But contrary to popular belief, not only can they be used for a good level of native gaming, but they also have the right features to try your hand at racing simulations. Furthermore, tools like Wineskin and PlayOnMac allow you to play Windows exclusive games on macOS (although you can also use Bootcamp to run Windows on a Mac, which requires a Windowslicense).
However, it's not recommended to buy a Mac solely for gaming, so this option is really only for those who already own one, or who plan to buy one anyway. In that case, aim for a MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro compatible with macOS 10.12 or later.
What are the advantages of having racing simulator chairs?
A near-realistic experience
The obvious advantage of racing simulator chairs is that they allow you to recreate a real race without the associated problems. These include various costs and the risk of damage and injury to both the driver and the vehicle.
Accessibility
Thanks to the racing simulator chair, anyone can experience racing simulation, even minors or those who cannot participate in a real race.
Fun of the game
And finally, the realistic aspect of the simulation makes any racing game much more enjoyable. You don't just have a screen and a controller; you have the complete arsenal of the perfect driver! Suffice it to say, the immersion is real.
Better driving
Racing simulators are also an ideal way to improve driving skills in everyday life and can be used for this purpose.
What are the disadvantages of having racing simulator chairs?
Place and installation
The biggest problem with racing simulator chairs is that they take up a lot of space! You need to dedicate a large enough area in your home to accommodate not only the chair, but also your console and monitor. This can be particularly complicated because a chair can't simply be folded or stored away. You need to find a permanent place for it.
Bad Habits:
This is a rare risk, but one that must be emphasized. By getting used to playing with a racing simulator chair, you can develop habits that will be replicated in real-life conditions. Therefore, be careful not to mistake the road for a playground: don't confuse simulation with reality!
Do racing simulators help improve driving skills?
Yes, in fact, these racing simulators are sometimes used by professional racing drivers for training. However, one thing to be aware of is that while racing simulation is a serious exercise, knowing that it's just a simulation means you can feel a little more relaxed and take a freer approach to this unique activity.
So, even if you feel like you're off-track on the professional circuit, you won't suffer any disadvantage. The result: an experience that's both stimulating and fun.
Racing simulator chairs, yes or no?
Racing simulator chairs are an incredible tool for amplifying gaming enjoyment and providing a near-realistic racing experience. This can be seen as both positive and negative. Positive, because you get a realistic racing experience, just like the professionals. Negative, because knowing you're in a simulation can lead you to take the experience less seriously.
There is also the risk that we will confuse the game with real life by transferring our habits from the simulation to real driving.
There are many types of racing games, each with its own specific features. You can choose to play classic races or test your suspension by venturing off-road. As for the equipment, it's simple: all you need is a PlayStation or Xbox console to play your favorite games! The main thing is to have enough space at home to set up the racing chair and equipment.
