Should we have a sim racing omnibus thread?

I got a bunch of Amazon gift cards for Christmas, thinking of putting it towards a sim chair. The main requirement is that I do not want a bar between my legs, I want it open like a car.

The first is the Next Level Racing F-GT cockpit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FY342LV/

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....GS8-L._AC_.jpg

It's interesting in that the seating position is convertible so you can set it like a regular GT car, or drop it down for a formula perspective. Seems to be well reviewed.





The other is the GTR Racing Simulator GTA cockpit: https://www.amazon.com/GTR-Simulator...dp/B01NAH6I2F/

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1366_.jpg

It's about $100 cheaper and is a more traditional design. The big complaint I have seen with it is the wheel mount portion is not as sturdy as it should be. That's a huge drawback as that's kind of the whole point of these. Supposedly they can be reinforced but it voids the warranty to modify it.


Anyone have any direct experience with either of these? Or thoughts based on general observations? I'm not going to purchase it until I'm sure I have the Rift problem corrected as I do not intend to use this with monitors. If money were no object I'd have an Obutto, but that's not in the cards.

Did you see this review of the Next Level?
https://youtu.be/1x-99Aob_Ws

Thought about any of the 80/20 aluminium profile rigs, if any are available on Amazon? iracing member forums will provide plenty of inspiration.

No, but by coincidence I happened to watch this one about an hour ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwy7I_in2ak

It answered a lot of questions. I'm hesitant to do anything right now until I get things settled with Oculus. I'm not interested in setting up a cockpit for a triple monitor setup and if this headset thing isn't worked out I'm not spending more money on this anytime soon.

I haven't played a racing game in ages, but my (admittedly not very busy) schedule cleared up last Saturday, so I dragged out the wheel for a bit of a session. I spent aaaaaaaaaall day having a go at various things. Hours and hours. I started with GT Sport and Assetto Corsa on the PS4, then flicked over to the PC to play some proper sims.

I'd bought Automobilista (AMS) on a Steam sale back in November, but since I hadn't had the wheel out in a while I'd never even installed it. I am really chuffed to say that it is a brilliant little game. It has a really charming low-budget appeal, so it leans heavily into low budget racing classes, along with its one dramatic looping tune on the main menu. Not a lot of the cars that come with the game are licensed but there are a few. But the real interest lies in the cheap slow car series that get the heart racing even though the needle doesn't go much past 150km/h. A major highlight is the ARC class, otherwise known as Aussie Racing Cars. They're little tube-frame chassis wrapped in a cheap fiberglass body that vaguely resembles a Camaro, but powered by a Yamaha FJ1200 engine. The cars weigh about twice as much as the bikes they're donated from, but there is tonnes of torque available from the screaming four-cylinder so the cars get along at a fairly mean pace.

Also pairing up the stadium trucks with a ramp-laden Adelaide street circuit is a recipe for belly-cramping laughter.

I've since downloaded the CART Extreme mod for AMS and that's a frigging hoot. The mod is an adaptation for the famous CART mod for rFactor so you know it's of high quality. As I type this I'm also getting a mod called the Ultimate Megapack. It's over 5 GB and contains something like 15 tracks, compiled from an array of high quality tracks found on Race Department.

Another one I finally got around to playing is Assetto Corsa Competizione. Unfortunately I had to tone the graphic settings down to sub-potato levels (something about 2019 Unreal Engine 4 visuals and my aging laptop doesn't compute) so I could get a stable 25fps out of it at 75% resolution scaling. That blurry mess wasn't fun, so the game has been uninstalled for now, until I get an upgrade in the future. I did buy it on early access for half the price of the final game, so it's no great loss to me.

Sim racing has me hooked again, and I've been starting to look longingly at new seats and Fanatec hardware. That new formula rim is to die for...

But the price of a better rig and a new wheel is roughly the price of a decently specced PC and I need one of those first.

https://www.fanatec.com/image/data/C...20X/V2X_M1.png

Did anyone play Grid Autosport? Have any impressions?

Damn, just checked out Fanatec's website. Haven't really seen what they've been up to lately. I do remember rumors of a direct drive wheel base. Seems they will be out soon. Along with that new formula wheel, and the shifter (4x magnetic shifter, and 2x analogue hand clutch) set, that looks like a baller setup.

They’ve got a PS4 compatible base now too. Combine that with an Xbox compatible wheel and it’ll work on any system.

The one I’ll be eyeing up is the F1 licensed PS4 set, and probably buy an Xbox compatible round or GT style rim to add to it.

Plus the load cell brake mod. Sooooo, about $1000 to get going :eek:

To bring the PS4 to my sim rig I would need a new TV. Or play it on a 27" PC monitor. Just to play GT:S. Not sure that's a prospect worth pursuing.

I've been using a drivehub for PS4 with my CSW. Works pretty well, except it has a strange deadzone in the middle that it likes to oscillate in. WOrks with my XBox hub, forumla rim and that cheapo xbox wheel.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kchrpm

Did anyone play Grid Autosport? Have any impressions?

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I play it on PC: arcadeish. With a career structure, but very repetitive.