Wheel Stand vs Playseat Challenge vs Next Level Racing F-GT LITE

[TShrimp]

Hi All. This is my first post on RaceDepartment. I am somewhat new to sim racing, and my driving talents back that up . Here is my current setup:

Wheel Stand GT Omega Knockoff (btw...never again)
T300RS GT with T3PA pedals
TH8A Shifter
Buttkicker
Secret Labs Titan chair - I am able to attached the chair to the wheel stand using something I just threw together in the garage.
34" Ultrawide

I have owned a Omega GT wheel stand knockoff for about 2 years now, and was looking to replace it. I do not currently have the room for a full sized cockpit as I must fold things up after every session. My race room and home office are one in the same. The main reason I am looking to replace the wheel stand is it wobbles something fierce while driving/shifting. I was wondering if the Playseat Challenge or Next Level Racing F-GT LITE would be an upgrade to what I currently have? Also, the Titan chair is comfortable for office work and gaming, but I can't seem to find a comfortable combination with the wheel stand and this chair. Any thoughts if buying either would be an upgrade to what I have, or if I should just save my money and continue with my current setup?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Noahbet]

Hey,

checkout the Next Level Racing Wheelstand for DD, there might be (in 2020) a seat upgrade in the future. As it's written in the name, you can use the Wheelstand for Direct drive wheels later on if u are thinking about upgrading.

Wheel Stand DD | Racing Stands | Next Level Racing

The Next Level Racing Wheel Stand DD is the strongest and most rigid, adjustable, highest quality and feature packed wheel stand. Buy now.

www.nextlevelracing.com

 

[TShrimp]

Hey,

checkout the Next Level Racing Wheelstand for DD, there might be (in 2020) a seat upgrade in the future. As it's written in the name, you can use the Wheelstand for Direct drive wheels later on if u are thinking about upgrading.

Wheel Stand DD | Racing Stands | Next Level Racing

The Next Level Racing Wheel Stand DD is the strongest and most rigid, adjustable, highest quality and feature packed wheel stand. Buy now.

www.nextlevelracing.com

I would love a DD wheel, but I am waiting to win the lotto first . I may have to look at stabilizing my current wheel stand with some creative engineering. I am just thinking the F-GT Lite might be a little more stable with a better driving position, and once my kids leave home I can confiscate one of their rooms for a full on rig. But I admit, I would rather have my kids home than an awesome rig in their room.

 

[Akimidato]

Hi,

just two weeks ago, I bought the Playseat Challenge to upgrade from "Desk-Racing".

I will say it is a nifty upgrade and the fixed seating position alone is worth it.
More things to consider:
- steep price (at least in my opinion - practically a folding chair with some tubing put together)
- totally fine in regards to flex, you will probably not notice it, at least I don't. I use a T500RS with T3PA-Pro pedals
- comfortable chair
- it folds up neatly within 1 minute and you can store it away
- seating position is lower than your Titan chair, so monitor placement needs to be considered

All in all, I do not regret that purchase and would totally recommend, if space is an issue. Friend of mine has the same opinion, bought
himself one as well.

Hope that helps

 

[maelstrom]

I would highly recommend the GT Omega Apex wheel stand. I posted a mini review here:

GT Omega Apex wheel stand review

I don't have enough space for a full cockpit so I've been using an old wheel stand with a single support strut in the centre. Although it worked well enough with my old two-pedal setup, I wanted something a little more solid that would allow me to comfortably use the T3PA pedals which came with...

www.racedepartment.com

A review by SRG here:

 

[Peter Stevenson]

I think the challenge is a great stepping stone. It's really versatile yet sturdy. I'm 6ft and find it very comfortable. It's great being able to easily switch between a more up right GT position or stretching it out for open wheelers. I use mine with the CSL elite wheel and LC pedal set. I use 65kg +1 85kg bushings and a relatively low braking force though. Flex isn't particularly noticeable, especially when racing hard, there's definitely some play in parts, however there are seemingly simple mods out there to address those issues. Also because of its popularity there are a number of other mods out there for adding things like shifters etc. And lastly if space is a concern, I don't think there's a more compact solution out there.

I agree it's overpriced at the moment, there's not much availability right now and companies are asking over the odds. When overclockers.co.uk have it in stock that's the best price I've seen at around £150. I had zero buyers remorse. Would I like a DOF Reality H3...absolutely...but I'm not at all unhappy with my current setup either.

I haven't tried the F-GT, it looks like it might be a bit sturdier in use, but more fiddly and less compact. Also it looks like it tips back a lot when braking hard...

Have no experience with wheel stands, so can't comment.

 

[Akimidato]

"...Would I like a DOF Reality H3...absolutely... "

Couldn't agree more. Of course, I would want to have the best of the best for immersion, but purchasing the Playseat
totally killed the buying impulse of other "fancier" stuff for me. Well, temporarily...for now...I think...

After rewatching Barrys video of the mentioned F-GT, you can see at around the 36 minute mark, he has to improvise
to get a more or less fixed position on the setup. That is exactly what I had before, when I was "deskracing". Although
I even purchased braking casters for my chair, the chair still swivels ever so slightly when driving. This might seem
exaggerated, but with the Playseat that goes away and (for me) makes a huge difference in feel. In fact, this is one of
the first things I noticed.

Edit:
Just remembered one more thing. Due to the construction of the seat and given the strength of the force feedback/wheel,
forces will occasionally be transferred through the tubing into the seat (like curbs for example), which is some kind of
a poor man's tactile feedback (or SOP if you will). I can say, it made me grin.

 

[GagarynGaribaldi]

The play seat challenge is great. I'm 6' 5" and am using mine with a DD wheel with no issues. Ive also attached handbrake, shifter, button box and even a small 2nd monitor. Using a DD wheel needs a bit of ingenuity to strengthen the wheel deck. There is flex in the challenge (it's a deck chair!) but fortuitously with the wheel deck bracing the flex is felt more as bounce and tactile feedback through the entire chair than as anything that distracts from the experience. A clip -

 

[TShrimp]

"...Would I like a DOF Reality H3...absolutely... "

Couldn't agree more. Of course, I would want to have the best of the best for immersion, but purchasing the Playseat
totally killed the buying impulse of other "fancier" stuff for me. Well, temporarily...for now...I think...

After rewatching Barrys video of the mentioned F-GT, you can see at around the 36 minute mark, he has to improvise
to get a more or less fixed position on the setup. That is exactly what I had before, when I was "deskracing". Although
I even purchased braking casters for my chair, the chair still swivels ever so slightly when driving. This might seem
exaggerated, but with the Playseat that goes away and (for me) makes a huge difference in feel. In fact, this is one of
the first things I noticed.

Edit:
Just remembered one more thing. Due to the construction of the seat and given the strength of the force feedback/wheel,
forces will occasionally be transferred through the tubing into the seat (like curbs for example), which is some kind of
a poor man's tactile feedback (or SOP if you will). I can say, it made me grin.

That reminds me. It looks like the F-GT Lite has a spot (not a designed spot) where I can mount my Buttkicker. Does the Playseat challenge have a place I can put it?

Also, Barry's stand above is much more sturdy than my Omega GT Classic knockoff. I can take one finger on my current stand and it wiggles all over the place. I may see if I can get a video of it.

 

[bgil66]

I love my playseat challenge, it fits like a glove. Yes it does have some flex when using my TSPC Racer wheel but not a deal breaker. I attached my Fanatec CSL Elite LC using Strong Zip Ties and where the red plastic screws are for the base I drilled out holes and placed screws in there so it wont move under heavy braking

I recommend the Challenge. I'll probably upgrade to a 80/20 when get a house in the future.

 

[Akimidato]

where I can mount my Buttkicker. Does the Playseat challenge have a place I can put it?

This might answer that:

Looks like quite the package, but - aside from the buttkicker/amp - it really folds down to almost 'nothing'

 

[5-Card-Major]

I change my mind every few days it seems, but the Playseat Challenge and the Arozzi look interesting...

Arozzi Velocita Racing Simulator - Black - Micro Center

Get it now! Velocita is the worlds first race driving simulator compatible with any gaming or office chair. This feature allows users for the first time to pick their preference of gaming chair for the racing simulator or to use their existing chair.

www.microcenter.com

With the Arozzi, your computer chair attaches to the chassis by removing 2 of the wheel casters, and then you pop the chair legs onto the the rig....

 

[TShrimp]

I ended up getting a Next Level Racing F-GT (non Lite). It was actually smaller than the Lite when race ready, and I would only fold the thing up ~2-4 times per year. I figured I would just get the F-GT and add casters to the bottom and just wheel it under my desk when racing, and wheel it out when not in use. I am currently using sliders to move it, and those are working well while I wait a month or so for the casters. The thing that surprised me the most about the NLR F-GT is the seat comfort. It looked like it may be one of the weaker aspects, but I was wrong. Very comfortable, and I am please so far.

 

[5-Card-Major]

I've decided even the PlaySeat and the Arozzi take up too much space. I'm back to a desk mount as my best solution for the very small computer room and need for very easy/fast setup/removal.

So, no DD wheel... Probably the Fanatec CS 2.5 WB with desk mount clamp, CS v3 pedals, Porsche Podium rim, hub, shifters...

Oops, hope this is not a semi-thread-hijack...

 

[ao1977]

where the red plastic screws are for the base I drilled out holes and placed screws in there so it wont move under heavy braking

Haha, so I'm not the only one who did this.

Also, one day the two nylon brackets holding the pedal tray to the main chair gave up under braking, but Playseat was so kind as to send me a whole bag of those brackets for free. Now three of them do the job very well.

 

[bgil66]

Haha, so I'm not the only one who did this.

Also, one day the two nylon brackets holding the pedal tray to the main chair gave up under braking, but Playseat was so kind as to send me a whole bag of those brackets for free. Now three of them do the job very well.

Nice! I enjoyed doing the work on it