My upgrade path went like this First wheel Logitech Driving Force GT. Upgraded to G29. Bought a Playseat Challenge. Bought Rift S. Upgraded to V3 pedals. Added different reinforcement upgrades to Playseat Challenge for V3 pedals and wheel plate. Bought CSL DD and McLaren Wheel. If only I had the room for a full cockpit. Right now I'm on a hybrid desk/sim racing setup. Using both Odyssey G9 (owned the G9 a little before I got into sim racing) and Oculus Quest 2 (upgraded from Rift S) Carl, you alone have inspired, and influenced a lot of my sim racing upgrades/purchases. Especially with all the Playseat mod videos you put out, most recently I've done the handbrake mount. Great suggestions, thanks for all your help. Keep it up man!
You’ve always been my go to channel for sim racing stuff. Always just played on a pad, but been plenty interested in the sim racing gear. I’m finally getting a Logitech G29 delivered tomorrow. Can’t wait to finally dip my toe in it and see where it goes from there. The video is helpful to give me an idea of the right path to take in the future.
I am from Saudi Arabia and i am obsessed with your videos. I bought fgt playing seat after watching your video about it few weeks ago. And it was awesome experience. Thank you, you made my life better
I had VR equipment before buying G29 a few months ago. I clamped the wheel to my desk and started Dirt 2.0. After just 2 runs I started my real car and drove to the closest hardware store and got wood for the cockpit. The wobbliness of the desk and the monitors on it + pedals drifting away was so immersion breaking that even I coudn't stand it as a very beginner 😅 If you have the basic woodcrafting tools and skills you can create really solid and adjustable cockpit with around 100 euros.
I started with just a wheel stand and the next day I took scrap wood and bolted to the wheel stand to the wood and bought a Honda Accord Coupe seat from Craigslist. I still use the same cockpit a year later. First thing I upgraded was attaching a 32 inch curved ultra wide. Then replaced my Logitech pedals with Thrustmaster TLC-M. Just ordered a GT3 wheel for my G920 from Etsy for $100. Next will be a Simagic Alpha Mini. But you can make a decent rig with wood or wood+wheel stand.
I got my Titan in November and I love it. Running a T300/TLCM/TH8A Rig on it and it's great. Penned in a little bit on my upgrade path because I'm a PS5 guy (I work in IT and don't really like computers as a hobby anymore). Hoping that the rumored Thrustmaster DD is a reasonable option!
Great over view of priorities of setting up a solid system. I watched David or Dave Cam suggestions and his was brakes first but he placed the cockpit second, although he did suggest buying a second hand entry level package just to see if the sim racing bug bites first. I noticed both of you suggest just get the aluminum profile one and not waste the money or time to sell a cheap rig. Either way, I have to go with a wheel stand first due to the living room doubling as the entertainment room. Also, I have young kids that will want to play some driving game too. So I need the adjustability from 3,5 feet to 6 feet. I'd figure on using folding chairs, nothing that swivels or rolls, but somehow hack those to fit race seats and child booster seat as a race seat for the 2 younger ones. I do plan on using a stong wheel stand like the NLR 2.0 or maybe the Vevor, which appears to be the same. I'd figure the better wheel stand would stiffen the relationship between the steering wheel and pedals to keep them constant and adjust the height for the driver and then all they have to do is pull up their seats.
To me the most important is the cockpit, for example I have a play seat evolution with a g920 and a obulto with a dd2, I trust my play seat for the g920 but I’d be scared to use the dd2 on it because it’s probably not strong enough. To sum it up you have to make sure your cockpit is strong enough for your wheel.
In my experience the most important thing is the comfort. If it is not comfortable you'll avoid it. It will sit there untouched for weeks. Even if you decide to play you'll jump out sooner that you want. Second is sturdiness. If it is not sturdy then it is force feedback leaking. What's the point to have force feedback if you don't feel it in the way it's meant to be played. :)
Karl, I wanted to let you know that I've got your GT Omega discount code in-hand as I get ready to check out with a Titan. Like you, I've had my dalliances with sim racing for almost 20 years, but have never been able to get past the frustrations you mentioned in your video. I have jumped in and bounced off of sim racing so many times! Too often, I was just not having fun with a twisting chair, shaking desk, or sliding pedals. That all changes now, and I really appreciate the work you've done on your channel showing all of the options available. I hope the Titan and the DD bundle do well for F1 2021, and if things go well, I might even re-activate my iRacing account! Hopefully, one day I'll come back for advice on an 80/20 rig. Thanks so much.
My G29 keeps coming off my desk, chair slides back when braking, desk sliding side to side when I have to make corrections, and all the other common desk mounted problems. I just got the NLR GT Track and I’m very excited to start using it(waiting on a seat). This video is reassuring me about my purchase, thanks!
From watching your recommendations, I bought GT Omega Art and it was one of the biggest upgrade I can actually feel. I have the T300 and just bought V3 pedals. I do a lot of rally driving so I also purchased the cheap handbrake with your recommendation on upgrading the spring. Now I'm wondering if I should upgrade my wheel to CSL DD or buy a sequential shifter first. Your channel helped me out a lot on product selection so thank you Karl!
T300 is a decent wheel/base but the CSL DD is a step up in every way. SQ Shifter is nice if thats how you shift though, really gets you into the game! :)
My SIM racing hardware journey so far: PS4 --> PC Wobbly TV Dinner table --> Playseat --> SimRigs Exodus Logitech G29 wheel --> still in use Logitech pedal set --> Fanatec Clubsport V3 45" TV --> HP Reverb G2 I 'upgraded' to the Playseat first. Then to a PC. Then to the Fanatec pedal set. Then to the Reverb G2. Then to the aluminium profile rig. Knowing what I now know, I would've started on a PC with an aluminium profile cockpit, then into the Reverb G2, then the Fanatec pedal set. Next move will most probably be a CSL DD.
Only recently decided to get into sim racing and every time i type a product to research or looking for tests and opinions of products, i always seem to find you taking the time to break it down and do detailed videos. Bravo dude! Much appreciated. Due to space restrictions went with playseat challenge and an indigo lime upgrade for steering tray flex, grabbed a thrustmaster tgt 2 purely because it was £50 a month on amazon and can’t afford to shell out for a csl dd, plus i wanted to buy the th8a shifter and garmin ram mount, also some mods for the t3pa throttle/brake pedals so ended up spending quite a bit still… luckily i already have a samsung g9 monitor and a good pc/ps5 so although it’s a bit of a mashup of gear it will hopefully provide a decent starting experience. Thank you for your videos they helped me so much over the last few days. Your setup looks pimp man love it, also the Tron t-shirt is awesome haha…Take care man and happy racing!
I've got a logitech G29, a coffee table, a old chair and a oldish samsung 55" curved 4k tv. It works for me, but I've been wanting a new screen lately without really looking for one. I recently found out the LG C1 exists, and is currently on sale for quite a good price, and since I need a "do it all" screen for gaming and just watching movies and tv, that will be my next purchase.
Glad to hear I made a good choice. I had a G920 and TH8A on a cheap wooden stand I made. Ended up going aluminum profile rig first and don’t regret it. Now that I’ve updated my shifter and pedals, they’ll be easy to drop in.
Imo if I only had to choose 3 1 - Mid/High end, wheel and pedals 2 - VR head set 3 - Tactile Transducer I’m just a hobbyist that enjoys immersion. The higher end wheels are like night and day. VR or a screen is like night and day. And tactile transducers or none is like night and day. Like I said this is from someone who’s not doing hours racing in a day if I was into that I’d probably go triple screens instead of VR.
I remember never noticing the rumble from my Fanatec V3i pedals when they were on my GT Ultimate v2. But with the new FGT Elite aluminium profile, I can even feel them from the wheel base!!
I mostly agree with you 100% but you seem to have skipped the fact that most beginners in sim racing are starting out with consoles including myself. I have a G29 and pedals mounted on a Simetik cockpit and PS4 pro with 55" 4K TV. So my next upgrade would have to be a relatively powerful PC to be able to handle other future upgrades and a monitor with a higher refresh rate to go with it. This is a never ending money pit, I'll be 62 this year and retired, I am not sure this was the right hobby to take LOL.
Console is fine too, you only need a PC for the extra stuff like motion, tactiles (actually there is some support for modern consoles) and multiple displays. It is a never ending hobby, will see you out mate! lol
Hey Karl! Asked you about a cockpit choice in a previous video, eventually ended up going with a Trak racer tr80 Aluminium, mainly because of the stiff fiberglass seat. Arrives in a couple days! Only problem is I gotta wait till March for my dd pro+boost kit+load cell to arrive! Love the channel keep it comin.
Scored an rseat s1 on craigslist and upgraded from the playseat challenge. Even using my g29 wow what a massive difference it made. Lap times and consistency instantly improved pretty dramatically. I have a DD pro on the way with a loadcell pedal but I doubt it will be as big of a change as that was. Single handedly the best thing you can do is get a good rig.
I feel like people upgrade for the wrong reasons. They want to be faster. I've found every upgrade i've made hasn't made me noticeably faster, but it makes the experience more fun, and that's what people should upgrade for. When I went from a shitty 180 degree spring wheel to a g29, i didn't gain a noticeable amount of time, but having force feedback and a wheel that could turn more than 90 degrees in each direction made racing so much more enjoyable. And then when I upgraded from a g29 to a CSL DD and Formula v2.5x rim, I didn't notice a big time difference. But the force feedback felt way better, and i had a really nice and customizable wheel which made it more immerse and thus more fun. Sure I've gotten faster since using the G29, but I've also put in a ton of practice, and that's what makes me faster, not the wheel. Now i don't have a load cell brake pedal (yet), but I'd imagine that's more about performance than fun. If you're looking to upgrade, do what you think is going to make the experience more fun, or upgrade out of necessity. For example, when I got the G29, it wouldn't clamp to my desk very well, so I got a playseat challenge.
Yeah my next upgrade is a new wheel. My p1 is developing the typical crack around the release. Just grabbed up some clubsport v3 pedals and when building the new rig discovered the crack. So mclaren wheel it is!sadly that’s gotta wait a couple months until I get back to full time work in better weather, as my winter racing budget was spent on those pedals.
Great vid, I’ve since upgraded my cockpit, with a tv stand attachment, what do you think I should go for size if I’m going single monitor? What’s “reasonable” ? Lol…. I sorta want this to be my final rig unless I REALLY go off the deep end lol
I'd agree, assuming you have a decent entry level wheel from Logitech or Thrustmaster I'd go cockpit first, then wheel. Moving my G920 from a desk to a cockpit (Playseat Evo) was quite a step in spite of that cockpits many flaws. Then I modded the Evo, taking most of the flex out of it which gave more again. Then moving the G920 from the Evo to the GT Track was another level again. Now I've moved from the G920 to the CSL DD and I know on the Evo that would have not given me very much - mostly because of the lack of adjustability on the wheel stand (no tilt being the most notable) but also because the extra torque would have shown up the flex still lurking in the cockpit. Once you get to a GT Track or aluminium cockpit - or even the RSR 21 plywood cockpit which I think looks awesome and by all accounts is a really solid cockpit - most of us will not need to go further, I doubt for example I will get a butt kicker or motion platform as I don't really play enough to warrant it. As for the monitor, I'm about to go from a 27" 16:9 to a 49" 32:9. That arrives this week :-D I did use a 43" 4k TV for a while and it did give an extra level of immersion, whether that was run as 4k or 1080p didn't matter. All I would say is that TV was a basic £350 TV and the colour and motion weren't the best so I would invest time into looking at getting something with a good colour gamut - something that even basic gaming monitors will have over budget TVs. The new HDMI 2.1/120Hz spec "made for gaming" TVs will be as good as any monitor for sim racing.
@@thomgizziz Please point out the "terrible decisions" I made. As you're implying you've never made a "terrible decision" in your life? Maybe you'd like to share your journey in sim racing. How did you start? What did you buy subsequently? Where are you now? Not exactly a friendly reply
You can be fast with any wheel. I believe Jordan Sherratt (and Van Ommen) both use G920 with TLCM pedals. Jordan is a freak of nature and Ommen is p6 in ACR Pro league. Amir Hosseini another alien who used to use G27 until short while ago. Sure they don't give the fidelity and strength of other wheels but they are good enough to be fast. For me I think, when starting out with G920/3 level wheel would be, 1 - cockpit, 2 - load cell pedals then 3 - triple screen or DD if you're happy with the FOV. Though I wouldn't recommend the G923 to anyone. Stick with the 29/920 and adjust the max brake point in game if you can't reach 100%. Trueforce is pointless and can make it too noisy, the '2 strength' spring is just a spring and I don't notice the difference, and the rotaional dial is flakey at best and can't be relied on to work.
And me with 8Nm dd pro and load cell on a wheel stand pro... Have you ever tried a diy wooden cockpit with a car seat.? It can definitely be built for less than 100$
I think the next upgrade I might look at is a direct driver wheel. I've currently got the T300 and am waiting to hear what thurstmaster's DD wheel will be like. I have a couple of TM wheels and the TLCM pedals so feel like I'm quite invested into the TM ecosystem. I'm using the playseat challenge as my cockpit. Unfortunately I can't go for a fixed one at the moment due to the fact that I don't have room for it. Will you be making a video on the new Thrustmaster DD when it comes out? I always find your reviews to be the best for sim racing stuff.
I dont think the Thrustmaster will be released before the end of the year. Also I would recommend getting some proper pedals over a new wheelbase, if you aren't driving on a console. Something like the Simforge MARK-1 or DC Simracing are rather affordable and close to the Heusinkveld Sprint - and much better than the TLCM. The T300 really isn't a bad wheel by any means. Albeit personally to me it had a bit too little power. But other than that I had no issues with it overall while I upgraded my pedals twice in the time I had the T300.
Great content again. When I started out I had an office chair that had castor wheels which moved backwards every time I tried to brake, I had to chock the wheels lol, I used the MS Force Feedback Wheel which for the time was awesome with CH flight pedals. So I would agree , cockpit first followed by a good wheel and pedals, I have found the Thrustmaster range to be ideal for starting out.
I differ a bit and think that if you have a cockpit I’d do pedals first (provided your wheel isn’t complete garbage bungee) then wheel base (in very close succession if possible ha). But ya rig is key first step. Can’t easily run high end pedals without a rig. But don’t under estimate upgrading your pedals. Brake pedal especially.
I started dim racing around 2004 with live for speed using a keyboard only. Then I bought a cheap bungie wheel that I used for a few months until I bought a Logitech G25 which I used for seven years. I had it on my desk for six of those years. Then I bought a gtomega wheelstand (it's now called the goto mega classic). I had two FANATEC Porsche GT3 wheels which both failed within months and weeks of owning them. I now have a T300 with CSR elite pedals but the brake pedal needs repair because it's now further back than the accelerator pedal and clutch pedal. I have what's called sliders for my chair to stop the chair moving when using my wheelstand. But I just ordered a Next A-level GT lite to replace the wheelstand and I'll buy the mod you had on the channel a few months ago for the wheel deck. I'm replacing my wheelstand because after about five years of use it's gotten much more wobbly than it was no matter how much I tighten bolts. It was a bit wobbly at first but now it is way worse and makes lots of squeezing noises. I don't have the room for a full blown cockpit which is why I'm after ordering the foldable cockpit. I did have a big ass fully enclosed cockpit in my sitting room for a few months. It was like a big box wmade if wood with a door to get in and out with a window in the door made of perspex. That thing was solid. It was taking up way too much room so I dismantled it again. Karl is correct the more solid the tig is the more of the tiny ffb effects you will feel. Also I don't use my wheel very often anymore. I used to use my wheel every day but with about two years o only use my wheel every few weeks. I'm using it most days with two and a half weeks to play GT7 but there's no way to restart campaign mode on GT7 do when I'm cleared that I probably won't use my wheel for a few weeks again Anyway now I must look for that video with the mod.
I recently upgraded my shifter. I had been using the Logitech shifter for 3 years. It's okay for the price, but severely lacking. I got the Fanatec clubsport shifter. Sure there are better options, but I like that I can go from H-Pattern for NASCAR stock cars in iRacing to Sequntial shifter for the MX-5's and new Next Gen stock cars with the flip of a switch and no tools needed unlike say the Thrustmaster TH8A to convert from H to Sequential. Next to go will be the rest of the G920 set up. I'm looking to get the Asetek pedals possibly and then a Fanatec CSL DD with several wheel rims for the cars I like to race the most, mostly stock cars, road cars, GT3 & 4 and Formula 1. Not so big into Rally like I used to be (honestly I suck with rally cars) or drift cars.
Another handy and cracking video Karl 👍. I concur with your suggestion of a decent cockpit. I’ve recently gone from a cheap wobbly eBay special to a homemade wooden cockpit and the ffb on my Thrustmaster TMX is so much more detailed than before. After building the wooden cockpit I realised why everything seemed so vague in the ffb beforehand on the eBay special.
You can be fast by practising, which means by memorizing the gear and the rpm for every corner of the track in a fixed environment. After a while, this memory gets automated, and you can reach lap world records with a joystick and a keyboard. Which doesn't mean you are able to race in project cars 2 with changing environment. As soon as you have forgotten the track, lost the automation/memory you will have to start almost from scratch. Having a haptic transducer (bassshaker) under the pedal that gives you the information of blocking and sliding wheels (along amplifying the screeching sound of tires) is a (very cheap 100€) must to feel the racing, which is what simracing is all about. About the size of the monitors, it's a question of refresh rate. Small monitors have high refresh rates up to 144hz. Large TV's are limited to 60hz, which is not enough for short tracks with many turns, like Karting. The vertical jerky scrolling is sickening. Larger than 43" distorts the interior of the car, mirrors become way to large. 43" is a sweetspot, a height of 50cm corresponds to a front window of a car, including the dashboard. I found a Sony KD-43X85J with 120hz for about 500€. I would have bought 3 of them, if I had known how bad 60hz can be in Karting. But anyway, the first priority is a PC with about a GTX3070 graphics card , that can reach 120hz on triple screens with a 5760x1080p resolution, or the similar resolution on the Oculus quest 2 at 90hz VR is certainly a priority, much more immersive than triple screens, but changing regularly between VR and triple screens can be a mess. My priority for simracing beginners : PC RTX3070 (1.500€) Solid rig with seat (500€) (alu or wood rocksolidrigs? lol) DD Wheel base about 13Nm with a Rim (500€ Accuforce) Stiff brake pedal (500€) Cheapest Monitor whatever the size only to select options. Oculus Quest 2 (350€) more stunning than any 1.500€ triple screen. Project Cars 2 (huge amount of cars, tracks and competitions, excellent graphics, high refreshrates, and good force feed back) Haptics under seat and pedal : 1 nobsound amp /2 rockwood bass shakers (100€) Initial budget about 3.500€ Still expensive ? People pay as much for a TV only to watch netflix, and the seat movers V3 from NLR costs as much without much better immersion than the 100€ bass shaker. Those who prefer triple screens, buy yourself a black weed barrier fabric to wrap behind below and above the screens, 15€ to give you a real feeling of sitting in a car cockpit.
I'm running 7 bass on my playseat challenge,all with separate effects, absolutely worth it. I could pretty much melt my organs if wanted! Waiting impatiently for the SIM 3D wind SIM kit that I'm pretty sure you reviewed at some point. I have everything connected including the amps, power supplies, usb hubs. I can still fold it up and use it within 5 minutes. Currently weighing in at about 60 kg! 💪
Damn, that sounds pretty cool. I also have the playseat challenge. It's so amazing all the different mods you can do on it. I'll have to check out this base stuff!
@@Rahullll 'bass shakers' I was surpposed to say, I've done it all on a pretty low budget, built as much myself as I could, the only reason I didn't build a wind kit, was the parts were going to cost me almost as much and just paying for one that I know will work. I use SIM Racing Studio to manage all my bass shakers, SIM hub is free, but takes alot longer setting up every individual game. What setup do you you have so far?
@@00Clive00 I currently have the playseat challenge with a t300 and tlcm pedals. I also got the open wheel add on the other week as the top part of my wheel was blocking the dash. Ive mainly been playing ACC and F1 recently. I haven't done any mods yet for my playseat but have seen there a loads which can be done. Just trying to see which would be the most useful or enhance the experience the most.
@@Rahullll I'd highly recommend to get at least 1 large bass shaker and strap it to the back of the chair attached to the playseat frame. I got a 200watt Reckhorn 200i for £50 , a bit overkill, but it's the only decent quality one available at the moment, you'll also want at least a 100w amp to run it. Plenty of videos on RUclips to help you set it up. With one big shaker I'd have engine revs, impact, gear change and suspension effects, any more effects and it gets to muddled.
Agreed. When I started sim racing I had my setup hooked up to 65 4K TV. But due to the hdmi 2.0 limitations I played on 4k 60hz. Only after some months I tried switching to 1440p120hz and I was blown away how smoother everything got. My lap times improved significantly.
Slight disagree on the pedals, since we humans are much better at remembering the force used on a pedal compared to the exact position you pushed the pedal, a loadcell really helps with consistency. I don't feel the jump from a logitech wheel force feedback to a DD wheel FF is as noticeable on lap times specifically, while it does help with consistency imo it's less so than pedals (really helps for immersion though). The difference in opinion might be that (I think) you're primarily into rally sims while I almost exclusively do road cars/formula cars where braking precision might be a bit more important. I'd personally go cockpit>pedals>wheel
I agree with reference to Rally vs circuit, that's defineilty the case mate! :) My main thought is that some of the fastest sim racers in the world use Logitech pedals and wheels, if more expensive pedals really helped this shouldn't be the case... I think you can learn faster with a LC based pedal setup and it feels much nicer but ultimately it's just practise, leaning the circuit, knowing when and how much to brake (muscle memory), which you will get for any type of pedal eventually... plus we're all different so may learn/benefit from different things :)
This was super helpful! I feel like I have a proper path I can take to upgrade my setup. I have a Logitech G29 and I don’t have a lot of issues with the wheel (its not the best but it works for now) or pedals. I found that my two main issues were the base setup (cockpit instead of my desk) and the fact that I mis shift a lot with the Logitech shifter. I found a nice aluminum cockpit on amazon and I might just go all out on the shifter and upgrade to the Fanatec. Great video keep up the good work!
My reasoning for upgrading the shifter before the wheel is because once I started using my oculus quest 2 I felt like I needed less feedback to be good because I felt more immersed but the shifting has always been shit on the Logitech shifter. I would honestly only recommend it if its the only thing you can buy but I would honestly wait and save up for the thrustmaster as your first shifter.
Simracing is hard to upgrade within imo. I started with a G29 and felt i wanted to upgrade but whats the point of getting Fanatec V3 pedals and putting on the floor, or a direct drive without a cockpit. So i figured its better to buy highend stuff in a package. So I went with all of it one go and im loving my simlab, sprints, simucube 2 sport.
I totally agree Karl. I upgraded from G920 on kitchen table to a playseat challenge and the wheel felt less responsive, even tho the driving position was much better. I have a CSL DD now and am worried the flex of my playseat is having a more significant impact. I've ordered some parts on ebay to stiffen the rig so fingers crossed! However, I'm wondering if you have thoughts on a mid-level upgrade? The CSL 8NM Boost kit or the Load Cell brake kit??
Thats a tough one.. 8NM is very noticeable, specially on a cockpit with flex it would help, but the LC kit for the CSL pedals is night and day difference in the way the brake pedal feels.. but that is just how it feels under foot it doesn't improve the feel of the cars feedback like a stronger wheel does.
@@KarlGosling I think I'll go with the load cell then. The standard CSL brake pedal is a bit of a pain, very hard to calibrate...dare I say impossible 😁
Hi Karl, so I'm currently upgrading from a logitech G29 (ps5) with a playseat challenge obviously at the time it was within my budget to now having enough to upgrade to a fanatec gt dd pro wheel, I've watched your other videos with a direct drive wheel attached to the playseat so obviously in time I will upgrade the cockpit. Definitely need one with seat and shifter mount that's for sure what would your recommendation be once I have the funds. As for display I have 65" oled lol which is massive, knowing that the ps5 tends to struggle with monitors until they update to support 1440p.
Interesting take on upgrades. I would disagree on Pedals/Wheel though. A Loadcell Brake is a huge upgrade and makes it way easier to be consistent. So I would go Cockpit -> Pedals -> Wheel -> Screens. If looking into getting VR, get that as soon as possible
@@KarlGosling if you have no FFB at all, yes, upgrading wheel should come first. I think you can get pretty consistent with a Gear driven wheel though and it is harder to get consistent with a potentiometer brake. But all in all, bothj upgrade paths are viable
Agreed. I have a g27 with HE pedals and love it. I also have wind sim, bass shakers, and motion. The Logitech wheel is the least of my worries, it feels fine and now worries.
Hi Karl. Great content as always, I'm completely new to sim racing I started at Christmas with Playseat Challenge with G29. I've just upgraded to Trak Racer TR8 with TM T-GT II and was wondering if upgrading to the Gran Turismo DD Pro Premium Bundle would be a worth while investment.
Ok! So I have the cockpit (GT Omega Prime). I got the monitor ( LG 55 in C1). However, I am looking to upgrade my wheelbase to a direct drive. My question is do you think that is worth moving from a Fanatec V2 .5 base to the Club Sport DD or should I save a little longer for the DD 1 or 2? By the way, love the content. Keep them coming.
Karl I bought the thrustmaster T-GT-II (had a bit more NM on wheel )as just the base i'm running with the TLCM load cell pedals along with Next level racing F-gt cockpit 50" 4k sony bravia Cannot get hold of the Fanatec at moment question is would i see a massive difference on the wheels its hard when ive never had a try of a Fanatec wheel setup similar to my setup
Built myself a decently solid over engineered wooden cockpit and then a chair from a wrecker car, with G29, that alone was a big step from Desk and chair. Next step was screen, from 24" to 32" (due to size limitation) with slight curve to cover more of my vision for immersion. So similar to your recommendations. From there look at a better Wheel and a PC as currently race on console.
Hey Karl, thanks for the video I'm looking at upgrading from a g920 on a desk next month when i get my xmas bonus funds in, This video was really helpful for me due to this so much appreciated, I just wanted to touch on NextLevelRacing, I was aiming to get a prime cockpit from GTOmega, but i notice just how often it is out of stock. NextLevel racing offer a hybrid 2 in one wheelstand/cockpit thats made for DD wheels called the wheelstand dd/ gttrack that looks compelling as i have a very good office chair already and am worried on space in my room to fit a full size cockpit. do you think this stand is rigid enough? I'll be upgrading to the fanatec Gran Turismo DD with the 8nm boost pack and geting some v3 clubsport pedals. and shifter.
Prime will be in stock in about two weeks if you want one. But if you're space limited then a wheel stand of foldable cockpit like the PSC or NLR GT Lite might be the way to go. All will be fine with the Fanatec baby DD.
Yeah regarding pedals. I was not faster or more consistent on my sprints coming from G29. I ran my G29 for 6 years, I knew exactly how to brake with them so real pedals look cooler and feel a tad better but off all upgrades pedals was the most meh. I actually don't feel like sprints feel like a real car, I think you need hydraulic brakes to get that pumping pressure from brakes.
Yeah thats my experience and what I see looking at very fast sim racers around the world, nice to have of course but not needed. I agree, I'm yet to use a set of pedals that feel like a real brake pedal or clutch (throttle is fine on almost any pedal set).
@@KarlGosling Yeah the throttle and clutch are quite great but that brake feel is hard to replicate from what ive tried. Now I havent tried any hydraulic brakes so that would be very interesting to see if they are close to the real deal.
I like having a 27 monitor personally due to the higher resolution (1440p) and much higher refresh rate(240hz). Dont have the budget for separate large tv's as the monitors are also used for work so there's the practical element. I am hoping to separate my racing equipment somewhat by getting a VR headset.
Ironically small screens and high res are wasted together, refresh rate is nice though if you can use it! :) But yeah if that's what you need for practicality then of course that's what you need :) VR is great mate, totally different world! :)
keep up the good work great honest truth :-) speaking to everyone great thanks :-) should i go curved screen or flat fine i currently using a 32 smart tv
Would you consider something like a Next level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0 or a Playseat Challenge a sturdy cockpit? I am pretty space and budget limited and after much research have cut it down to these two. Which of them do you think would be better? I can get them both for a very similar price where I live (like $10-$20 more for the playseat challenge).
I am currently looking to an upgrade from my g29 on a desc Someone got any recommandations for -Sim Rig -Wheel Base -Steering Wheel -Shifter -Handbrake -Gloves -Shoes -Buttonbox Thanks for your help Budget is 3000 Euros for now I would like to go for a comeplete "pack" that can get the work done and I dont need to upgrade any further for some time Space is good for a normal 80/20 rig It could stay where it is budget is my all time high So less would be okay too ofc
Hello Karl, excellent content. I would like some advice, I have around $2500 to spend on a display. I am between triple monitors and the varjo aero VR. Could you recommend me which way to go? I have no clue. EDIT: My favorite game is ACC I am gonna go with a p1x, simucube 2 pro, Heusinkveld ultimate plus, i have yet to decide on the seat. That would be it for now.
VR vs Triples is a totally personal choice mate... but what I will say is that there isn't a GPU on the market that can run the Aero well for sim racing, even a lower res option like a Q2 is very difficult to run well.
I started with an ART Cockpit and a Logitech g923 with logitech shifter and fanatec handbrake connect with a DriveHub. I have a pre order in for the CSL DD, and was about to upgrade to the Fanatec CS V3 pedals. Do you think I would benefit from upgrading from my ART more than I would my pedals? The ART already feels pretty solid IMO.
The ART does have a fair bit of wobbly and flex (have you braced it how I did in another video?) so upgrading to a more solid cockpit will help. Pedals add nothing other than looks and a nicer feel, some will point out they make braking more repeatable and accurate (which they do) but TBH you can get used to anything and be fast. Thats not to say a loadcell brake isn't better, it defineilty is! Both on a technical level and how it feels... But this is sim racing, practise and you can be fast with anything! :)
HI Karl Love your videos I'm only getting into sim racing on the Ps5 so have preordered the Fanatec GT DD Pro Premium Kit. Looking for a decent cockpit, currently looking at either the GT Omega Titan or Trak Racer TR8. Which one would you recommend.
@@KarlGosling Thanks Karl I agree about the price difference, the GT Omega Prime is probably around the same price as the Trak Racer TR8. But the TR8 does look great.
2 года назад+1
@@darrenmoore8907 for only a few bucks more you could get the tr80 and have a Solid 8020 rig, which is what I'm considering atm. But I agree, the tr8 looks amazing!
@@KarlGosling Hi Karl the GT Omega Titan is available again for preorder. Tried using the link in your comments to avail of discount but this takes me to the USA website and code not applied. Can I enter the code manually.
Great great thanks for this upgrade review! This makes me rethinking my project. I’ve a T300 w/ Sparco Wheel and a CSL Elite LC pedal set. All of that supported by a GT Omega wheel stand pro. I’ve just purchased the rear seat frame for the stand and was thinking to maybe get a CSL DD (5n.m) in the next 6-8 months… Totally wrong 😅
Can I just say that if you go for the CSL DD, possibly get the boost pack as well if you can. The sweet spot really is around 7 to 8 nm and at times, you're gonna get peak forces that the boost pack will be handy for.
@@sneakygloworm thanks for this advice! I was looking for the standard version but after some reviews, yes I’ll definitely get the boost kit! Without that details will be good but it seems that it will not be so different from my T300 on FFB sense and so on.
@@blackshadow9722 No worries. There really is a sweet spot especially running long stints. I'm running a DD1 (which I had before the CSL DD was released) and initially I thought it was great to run 10 nm with a peak of around 14 or 15 nm but it's so painful on the wrists and arms and will probably eventually cause damage. If i'd have waited, I'd have purchased the CSL DD and boost kit coz that really is in that lovely sweetspot of firm FFB and loads of detail but also being driveable for really long periods. The DD1 has the headroom for peak forces but high torque settings can cause pretty painful injury if the wheel suddenly spins during a crash or a shunt. I reckon you can't go wrong with your setup plan.
Hi Karl, thanks for the informative video. Recently purchased a Gt omega art cockpit, but yet to take the plunge into buying a monitor. Would prefer single due to space constraints, was looking at 34" ultrawides, would you say these are not as good as say a 40" tv? Was planning to mount it just behind my wheel, getting it as close as possible. Only really just starting out, g920, used to play with it strapped to my desk and a 22" monitor, ACC great fun, but was hoping to improve the experience with a cockpit. Tried using my cockpit with my Quest 2, and while its fantastic when it works, unfortunately my pc specs are not as a point where i deem it "competitive", so looking into single monitor solutions. Thank you 👍
IMO Ultrawide is pointless, buy a normal 16:9 TV/Monitor thats the same width and gain all the vertical field of view that comes with it, I don't know why people like small thin letterbox displays... you see less and pay more (for a good one)?! lol
@Karl Gosling i think its the way I've been looking at it, on my 22" monitor its obviously not that wide so i cannot physically see that much of inside the car, where as i was thinking with an ultrawide I'd be able to see nice and wide field of view (mirrors, ect). Thank you sir 😀
Hey Karl, love the informative content you provide. I can see 2 versions of the Playseat Challenge on Amazon one branded Actifit. Are they both the exact same just with a different seating material or is there more to it? Thanks
1- Chassis 2-Pedals 3-Display 4-Base & Steering 5- Peripherals it's known in SimRacing from the beginning. If your not an iRacer you don't need more than a sturdy chassis a logitech and triple 27" 1080p or 1440p depending on your graphics card. While if you are an iRacer you need a shitload of stuff.
Hi Karl, I've been watching tons of videos lately and I must commend you on your reviews as they're awesome. I am new to Sim Racing and wanted to check with you that my first purchases are the correct ones. I will be playing on PS4 (will buy PS5 soon). I decided to order the Fanatec GT DD Pro 5nm (for now) and a Next Level Racing F-GT Lite foldable cockpit (since I don't yet have a dedicated space for sim racing). Will be playing on a 70'' TV so I would say that size wise am ok!! Your comments are appreciated...thanks and Keep it up!!
Hey Karl I love you videos. I’m new into sim racing and have a question. I’m looking to get the Gran tusrismo dd pro 5 nm and was wondering if I can pair it with the next level racing gt lite or the playseat challenge.. Also when do you plan on reviewing the playseat trophy? Thinking I might wait for that if I can’t find something for the dd pro. Thanks in advance!
I'm using the GT DD Pro (5nm) on a Wheel Stand Pro and it's great! So you should be fine on a PS Challenge. I think Karl actually did a video some time ago with the CSL DD and PS Challenge.
@@kingmilwaukee890 Initially, I was disappointed with the GT wheel itself, it felt so cheap, which was surprising as I had come from a G29. But the actual DD base is superb, and it's all worth it because of that and the CSL pedals. Currently waiting for the boost kit, so I'm hoping it won't be too powerful for the Wheel Stand Pro - and turn it into some kind of jack hammer! :)
Has a beginner who bought a T300RS GT and plays dirt rally 2.0 on a small desk in front of a 70'' TV with playstation, do you think that the playseat will be a good option for me? (I take space in consideration because I play in the living room) or it will wobble?
I assume you mean a single TV as I'm running triple 55" TV's and I'm sure you wouldn't choose triple 32's over that! lol But yes thats a tricky one, you gain some HFOV (if you can fit the 32's close enough to you) but are very letterboxed... I think if you're not missing too much once the scaling and FOV is set correctly I'd agree with you :)
@@KarlGosling yeahI was thinking of 1x 55. I still would go with 3x 32 1440p over 3x55 4k just becuse of the framerates. I have been playing counter strike for so long so I am so used with 100-200+ framerates 😒 Great video man, I think the new sim racers really needed a video like this👍
Wondering if you could help...? Recently started sim racing on ps5 (GT7) and streaming to RUclips OMT_onemoretenth. I have a TM T248 and using my table. Need to upgrade but limited money. Do I get a full cockpit or wheel base? I want to take this hobby quite serious but not sure what direction to go in. I think i also want to upgrade to a DD wheel but it's all a mine field. Not sure where to start. Also the end goal would be to get involved in some training and see if I have the talent to compete with the fastest guys around. Any help would be appreciated. Leigh
damn just got a GT Omega art as your reviews were quite good xD but it s nice compared to the desk mount i used before. Havent stiffened it yet (but just using a T150 and T3PA pro). Are you guys thinking a TX/T300 base is good? (enough). Display is VR fixed for me. Dont like triples / one massive screen
I wonder that the pedals are not the ones to upgrade first in your opinion. Most simracers i saw on yt say that the pedals are the ones to upgrade first. Everyone sees it different :)
I explain why they are not in the video mate, but basically they do not make you faster (for most people) and they add nothing in the way of feedback about what the car is doing in sim.
@@BenderRodriguezBender but you don't press the pedal with either. LC will make you more consistent in braking so while they might not improve your personal lap record they should help make you a better racer.
Good tips, but I disagree with the display. Size matters, but buying a TV with tons of input lag is just a bad idea while e-sport guys like Jardier is running a 34" widescreen and be successful because it runs 144 Hz and shows what's going on now, not a blink of an eye later. My tip would be to run TrackIR or other headtrackers, which basically doubles the FOV similar to VR. I switched my former 4k 55", 60 Hz TV against a Samsung 49", 144 Hz and the difference was mind blowing. No compromise on performance over size. The Samsung died a year later and because I got my money back, I bought the RG49 with higher resolution, but only 120 Hz. No input lag at all, but took me weeks to get used to the lower Hz rate. It looked a bit slideshow'ish around the edges and I'm less sensible to lower fps than refresh rates.
I didn't say buy one with loads of input lag?! Plenty of TV's with game mode and low latency, that's just common sense (or maybe it isn't?! Lol). For most 60hz is fine (including me), only the top one percentile will really benefit from higher, I don't know your skill level but I'm assuming your up there! 😃 Also maybe the pixel response time was lower on your 120hz and that's what gave you the slide show feeling?
@@KarlGosling Use your 60 Hz TV once more after those 120 Hz and you know what I was talking about. 60 Hz means at 215 km/h you get theoretically one update every meter of travel, but only with g-sync it's a proper frame per meter. Than there is the input lag of at least 25 ms with TVs. That's 1.5 Meter at 215 km/h, which is about the average speed in F1. Modern displays have about 5 ms input lag and double the refresh means two frames per meter. Huge difference I think.
Yeah I 100% agree the logic and maths is spot on mate! It's funny I have gone back and forth a few times and whilst it feels a bit more 'snappy' it makes no difference to my driving... I'm probably just not that good?! lol Or for Rally it's not as important maybe?! I notice the mouse cursor feeling faster more than anything! lol
I made a huge mistake: I bought the CSL Elite Pedals without load cell and cant upgrade because the LC brake is nowhere to buy anymore. I wasted my money :(
Thats a very subjective question... for me VR and triples are both excellent ways to sim, ultrawide is pointless as you gain no peripheral vision at all and are just looking at a letterbox! You're far better off just buying a much larger 16:9 screen if you are staying single display.
@@KarlGosling Ok thanks for your opinion Karl. I used to play on VR but had too many lingering issues with it. On triples now, which can be quite a lot of work in their own way, but it's really good. Glad you don't think too highly of ultrawides because I was considering it for a while.
Definitely not! Without a wheel, pedals or cockpit you'd be sat on the sofa racing with a controller! lol VR is great though, just not the first thing you need.
@@KarlGosling But I was basing it on your own criteria, which was what to buy first *after* already owning a wheel and pedals, like the Logitech G series, as you mentioned. So I mean if you already have a G29 for example, for me the next upgrade is VR if you want a massive upgrade in sim immersion. You even said yourself at the beginning of the video when mentioning the possiblilties to upgrade....You mentioned new wheel/base, cockpit, monitors and then you also said "should I go VR?", so I'm not sure I understand your comment.
Only if you buy one with high response times... Most have a "Game Mode" with low latency input. My TV's albeit new have almost the fastest response times available, beating out 95% of gaming monitors.
It's such fun to do, highly recommend a moded AC and grab some of the epic tracks like PCH/Feldbergring/Fonteny from race department, pick an open top, set the weather to sunny and just cruise with a beer!
Definitely! When you have a 20k set up, you cant see the difference each part makes.Sim racers first thing they want is to be FAST. Immersion comes after.
![Are you making these MISTAKES when braking [Sim Racing]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fonXd097vks/mqdefault.jpg)
My upgrade path went like this
First wheel Logitech Driving Force GT.
Upgraded to G29.
Bought a Playseat Challenge.
Bought Rift S.
Upgraded to V3 pedals.
Added different reinforcement upgrades to Playseat Challenge for V3 pedals and wheel plate.
Bought CSL DD and McLaren Wheel.
If only I had the room for a full cockpit. Right now I'm on a hybrid desk/sim racing setup. Using both Odyssey G9 (owned the G9 a little before I got into sim racing) and Oculus Quest 2 (upgraded from Rift S)
Carl, you alone have inspired, and influenced a lot of my sim racing upgrades/purchases. Especially with all the Playseat mod videos you put out, most recently I've done the handbrake mount.
Great suggestions, thanks for all your help. Keep it up man!
I'm glad you find it useful mate, cheers! :)
You’ve always been my go to channel for sim racing stuff. Always just played on a pad, but been plenty interested in the sim racing gear. I’m finally getting a Logitech G29 delivered tomorrow. Can’t wait to finally dip my toe in it and see where it goes from there.
The video is helpful to give me an idea of the right path to take in the future.
Ah enjoy it mate, big step up! :D
How’s it going now mate - have you spent thousands or have you left it due to the expense 😅
I am from Saudi Arabia and i am obsessed with your videos. I bought fgt playing seat after watching your video about it few weeks ago. And it was awesome experience. Thank you, you made my life better
عساك ما فقدت الشغف بذا المجال 😅
I had VR equipment before buying G29 a few months ago. I clamped the wheel to my desk and started Dirt 2.0. After just 2 runs I started my real car and drove to the closest hardware store and got wood for the cockpit. The wobbliness of the desk and the monitors on it + pedals drifting away was so immersion breaking that even I coudn't stand it as a very beginner 😅 If you have the basic woodcrafting tools and skills you can create really solid and adjustable cockpit with around 100 euros.
I started with just a wheel stand and the next day I took scrap wood and bolted to the wheel stand to the wood and bought a Honda Accord Coupe seat from Craigslist. I still use the same cockpit a year later. First thing I upgraded was attaching a 32 inch curved ultra wide. Then replaced my Logitech pedals with Thrustmaster TLC-M. Just ordered a GT3 wheel for my G920 from Etsy for $100. Next will be a Simagic Alpha Mini. But you can make a decent rig with wood or wood+wheel stand.
Your first point about cockpits just excites me more and more for my GT Omega Titan hopefully coming this weekend
That's awesome dude. Looking forward to first cockpit too.
I got my Titan in November and I love it. Running a T300/TLCM/TH8A Rig on it and it's great. Penned in a little bit on my upgrade path because I'm a PS5 guy (I work in IT and don't really like computers as a hobby anymore). Hoping that the rumored Thrustmaster DD is a reasonable option!
Great over view of priorities of setting up a solid system. I watched David or Dave Cam suggestions and his was brakes first but he placed the cockpit second, although he did suggest buying a second hand entry level package just to see if the sim racing bug bites first. I noticed both of you suggest just get the aluminum profile one and not waste the money or time to sell a cheap rig. Either way, I have to go with a wheel stand first due to the living room doubling as the entertainment room. Also, I have young kids that will want to play some driving game too. So I need the adjustability from 3,5 feet to 6 feet. I'd figure on using folding chairs, nothing that swivels or rolls, but somehow hack those to fit race seats and child booster seat as a race seat for the 2 younger ones. I do plan on using a stong wheel stand like the NLR 2.0 or maybe the Vevor, which appears to be the same. I'd figure the better wheel stand would stiffen the relationship between the steering wheel and pedals to keep them constant and adjust the height for the driver and then all they have to do is pull up their seats.
To me the most important is the cockpit, for example I have a play seat evolution with a g920 and a obulto with a dd2, I trust my play seat for the g920 but I’d be scared to use the dd2 on it because it’s probably not strong enough. To sum it up you have to make sure your cockpit is strong enough for your wheel.
In my experience the most important thing is the comfort. If it is not comfortable you'll avoid it. It will sit there untouched for weeks. Even if you decide to play you'll jump out sooner that you want.
Second is sturdiness. If it is not sturdy then it is force feedback leaking. What's the point to have force feedback if you don't feel it in the way it's meant to be played. :)
Comfort is a good shout mate yes!
Big love from down under. Keep doing your thing dude. Crushing it. Absolutely crushing it.
Appreciate it!!
Karl,
I wanted to let you know that I've got your GT Omega discount code in-hand as I get ready to check out with a Titan. Like you, I've had my dalliances with sim racing for almost 20 years, but have never been able to get past the frustrations you mentioned in your video. I have jumped in and bounced off of sim racing so many times! Too often, I was just not having fun with a twisting chair, shaking desk, or sliding pedals. That all changes now, and I really appreciate the work you've done on your channel showing all of the options available. I hope the Titan and the DD bundle do well for F1 2021, and if things go well, I might even re-activate my iRacing account! Hopefully, one day I'll come back for advice on an 80/20 rig. Thanks so much.
Mate that will be a great setup for F1 or whatever else you want to through at it, enjoy! :D
My G29 keeps coming off my desk, chair slides back when braking, desk sliding side to side when I have to make corrections, and all the other common desk mounted problems. I just got the NLR GT Track and I’m very excited to start using it(waiting on a seat). This video is reassuring me about my purchase, thanks!
Your experience will be much better mate, enjoy! :)
Ive had it for a few months and i wouldnt recommended it to anyone not able to get it for 300 dollars max
From watching your recommendations, I bought GT Omega Art and it was one of the biggest upgrade I can actually feel. I have the T300 and just bought V3 pedals. I do a lot of rally driving so I also purchased the cheap handbrake with your recommendation on upgrading the spring. Now I'm wondering if I should upgrade my wheel to CSL DD or buy a sequential shifter first. Your channel helped me out a lot on product selection so thank you Karl!
Often people are turning down the ffb on the t300, in my opinion that's all you need wheel wise.
@@voltage80x I just decided to cry and buy both... lol
T300 is a decent wheel/base but the CSL DD is a step up in every way.
SQ Shifter is nice if thats how you shift though, really gets you into the game! :)
My SIM racing hardware journey so far:
PS4 --> PC
Wobbly TV Dinner table --> Playseat --> SimRigs Exodus
Logitech G29 wheel --> still in use
Logitech pedal set --> Fanatec Clubsport V3
45" TV --> HP Reverb G2
I 'upgraded' to the Playseat first. Then to a PC. Then to the Fanatec pedal set. Then to the Reverb G2. Then to the aluminium profile rig.
Knowing what I now know, I would've started on a PC with an aluminium profile cockpit, then into the Reverb G2, then the Fanatec pedal set. Next move will most probably be a CSL DD.
Only recently decided to get into sim racing and every time i type a product to research or looking for tests and opinions of products, i always seem to find you taking the time to break it down and do detailed videos. Bravo dude! Much appreciated.
Due to space restrictions went with playseat challenge and an indigo lime upgrade for steering tray flex, grabbed a thrustmaster tgt 2 purely because it was £50 a month on amazon and can’t afford to shell out for a csl dd, plus i wanted to buy the th8a shifter and garmin ram mount, also some mods for the t3pa throttle/brake pedals so ended up spending quite a bit still…
luckily i already have a samsung g9 monitor and a good pc/ps5 so although it’s a bit of a mashup of gear it will hopefully provide a decent starting experience. Thank you for your videos they helped me so much over the last few days.
Your setup looks pimp man love it, also the Tron t-shirt is awesome haha…Take care man and happy racing!
Enjoy your new setup mate, plenty good enough for some great fun!
Ah cheers dude, love a retro T shirt! :)
I've got a logitech G29, a coffee table, a old chair and a oldish samsung 55" curved 4k tv. It works for me, but I've been wanting a new screen lately without really looking for one. I recently found out the LG C1 exists, and is currently on sale for quite a good price, and since I need a "do it all" screen for gaming and just watching movies and tv, that will be my next purchase.
C1 Is great, thats what I run! :)
I am the $50 rubber band wheel guy … ordered my first force feedback wheel and loadcell pedals.
Ah enjoy mate, big upgrades! :D
Glad to hear I made a good choice. I had a G920 and TH8A on a cheap wooden stand I made. Ended up going aluminum profile rig first and don’t regret it. Now that I’ve updated my shifter and pedals, they’ll be easy to drop in.
Perfect mate.
Imo if I only had to choose 3
1 - Mid/High end, wheel and pedals
2 - VR head set
3 - Tactile Transducer
I’m just a hobbyist that enjoys immersion. The higher end wheels are like night and day. VR or a screen is like night and day. And tactile transducers or none is like night and day.
Like I said this is from someone who’s not doing hours racing in a day if I was into that I’d probably go triple screens instead of VR.
I remember never noticing the rumble from my Fanatec V3i pedals when they were on my GT Ultimate v2. But with the new FGT Elite aluminium profile, I can even feel them from the wheel base!!
I could barely feel mine, ended up upgrading the motors and using them with Sim Hub instead! :)
I started with a G920 for Forza 4... Then yeeted to a Simucube 2, P1X, and Simgrade R7.
Best mistake ever.
I mostly agree with you 100% but you seem to have skipped the fact that most beginners in sim racing are starting out with consoles including myself. I have a G29 and pedals mounted on a Simetik cockpit and PS4 pro with 55" 4K TV. So my next upgrade would have to be a relatively powerful PC to be able to handle other future upgrades and a monitor with a higher refresh rate to go with it. This is a never ending money pit, I'll be 62 this year and retired, I am not sure this was the right hobby to take LOL.
Console is fine too, you only need a PC for the extra stuff like motion, tactiles (actually there is some support for modern consoles) and multiple displays.
It is a never ending hobby, will see you out mate! lol
Hey Karl! Asked you about a cockpit choice in a previous video, eventually ended up going with a Trak racer tr80 Aluminium, mainly because of the stiff fiberglass seat. Arrives in a couple days! Only problem is I gotta wait till March for my dd pro+boost kit+load cell to arrive! Love the channel keep it comin.
Scored an rseat s1 on craigslist and upgraded from the playseat challenge. Even using my g29 wow what a massive difference it made. Lap times and consistency instantly improved pretty dramatically. I have a DD pro on the way with a loadcell pedal but I doubt it will be as big of a change as that was. Single handedly the best thing you can do is get a good rig.
Totally agree mate! :)
I feel like people upgrade for the wrong reasons. They want to be faster. I've found every upgrade i've made hasn't made me noticeably faster, but it makes the experience more fun, and that's what people should upgrade for. When I went from a shitty 180 degree spring wheel to a g29, i didn't gain a noticeable amount of time, but having force feedback and a wheel that could turn more than 90 degrees in each direction made racing so much more enjoyable. And then when I upgraded from a g29 to a CSL DD and Formula v2.5x rim, I didn't notice a big time difference. But the force feedback felt way better, and i had a really nice and customizable wheel which made it more immerse and thus more fun. Sure I've gotten faster since using the G29, but I've also put in a ton of practice, and that's what makes me faster, not the wheel. Now i don't have a load cell brake pedal (yet), but I'd imagine that's more about performance than fun.
If you're looking to upgrade, do what you think is going to make the experience more fun, or upgrade out of necessity. For example, when I got the G29, it wouldn't clamp to my desk very well, so I got a playseat challenge.
Exactly mate, it's all down to practise no matter what you use, there's fast drivers using xbox controllers! lol
Yeah my next upgrade is a new wheel. My p1 is developing the typical crack around the release. Just grabbed up some clubsport v3 pedals and when building the new rig discovered the crack. So mclaren wheel it is!sadly that’s gotta wait a couple months until I get back to full time work in better weather, as my winter racing budget was spent on those pedals.
Great vid, I’ve since upgraded my cockpit, with a tv stand attachment, what do you think I should go for size if I’m going single monitor? What’s “reasonable” ? Lol…. I sorta want this to be my final rig unless I REALLY go off the deep end lol
Bigger the better than mate, I run 65" for example, the bigger it is the bigger your FOV and the more you can see.
I'd agree, assuming you have a decent entry level wheel from Logitech or Thrustmaster I'd go cockpit first, then wheel. Moving my G920 from a desk to a cockpit (Playseat Evo) was quite a step in spite of that cockpits many flaws. Then I modded the Evo, taking most of the flex out of it which gave more again. Then moving the G920 from the Evo to the GT Track was another level again. Now I've moved from the G920 to the CSL DD and I know on the Evo that would have not given me very much - mostly because of the lack of adjustability on the wheel stand (no tilt being the most notable) but also because the extra torque would have shown up the flex still lurking in the cockpit.
Once you get to a GT Track or aluminium cockpit - or even the RSR 21 plywood cockpit which I think looks awesome and by all accounts is a really solid cockpit - most of us will not need to go further, I doubt for example I will get a butt kicker or motion platform as I don't really play enough to warrant it.
As for the monitor, I'm about to go from a 27" 16:9 to a 49" 32:9. That arrives this week :-D I did use a 43" 4k TV for a while and it did give an extra level of immersion, whether that was run as 4k or 1080p didn't matter. All I would say is that TV was a basic £350 TV and the colour and motion weren't the best so I would invest time into looking at getting something with a good colour gamut - something that even basic gaming monitors will have over budget TVs. The new HDMI 2.1/120Hz spec "made for gaming" TVs will be as good as any monitor for sim racing.
Flex doesnt mean that you wouldnt notice the difference... this just seems like you are attempting to cope because you made terrible decisions.
@@thomgizziz Please point out the "terrible decisions" I made. As you're implying you've never made a "terrible decision" in your life? Maybe you'd like to share your journey in sim racing. How did you start? What did you buy subsequently? Where are you now?
Not exactly a friendly reply
You can be fast with any wheel. I believe Jordan Sherratt (and Van Ommen) both use G920 with TLCM pedals. Jordan is a freak of nature and Ommen is p6 in ACR Pro league. Amir Hosseini another alien who used to use G27 until short while ago. Sure they don't give the fidelity and strength of other wheels but they are good enough to be fast. For me I think, when starting out with G920/3 level wheel would be, 1 - cockpit, 2 - load cell pedals then 3 - triple screen or DD if you're happy with the FOV.
Though I wouldn't recommend the G923 to anyone. Stick with the 29/920 and adjust the max brake point in game if you can't reach 100%. Trueforce is pointless and can make it too noisy, the '2 strength' spring is just a spring and I don't notice the difference, and the rotaional dial is flakey at best and can't be relied on to work.
And me with 8Nm dd pro and load cell on a wheel stand pro...
Have you ever tried a diy wooden cockpit with a car seat.? It can definitely be built for less than 100$
I have't mate, but I have seen a few that look good!
I think the next upgrade I might look at is a direct driver wheel. I've currently got the T300 and am waiting to hear what thurstmaster's DD wheel will be like. I have a couple of TM wheels and the TLCM pedals so feel like I'm quite invested into the TM ecosystem.
I'm using the playseat challenge as my cockpit. Unfortunately I can't go for a fixed one at the moment due to the fact that I don't have room for it.
Will you be making a video on the new Thrustmaster DD when it comes out? I always find your reviews to be the best for sim racing stuff.
Yes mate I'll buy one in for review.
I dont think the Thrustmaster will be released before the end of the year. Also I would recommend getting some proper pedals over a new wheelbase, if you aren't driving on a console. Something like the Simforge MARK-1 or DC Simracing are rather affordable and close to the Heusinkveld Sprint - and much better than the TLCM. The T300 really isn't a bad wheel by any means. Albeit personally to me it had a bit too little power. But other than that I had no issues with it overall while I upgraded my pedals twice in the time I had the T300.
Great content again. When I started out I had an office chair that had castor wheels which moved backwards every time I tried to brake, I had to chock the wheels lol, I used the MS Force Feedback Wheel which for the time was awesome with CH flight pedals. So I would agree , cockpit first followed by a good wheel and pedals, I have found the Thrustmaster range to be ideal for starting out.
I was the same, desk mounted and office chair on wheels! lol
I'm in that phase now. Looking to pick up the Prime once it's in stock after your recommendation. Then on to load cell pedals I think.
Yep, been there too lol
same lol. I had to put the back wheels in shoes to stop me rolling back
@@janglyjim genius 😁
I differ a bit and think that if you have a cockpit I’d do pedals first (provided your wheel isn’t complete garbage bungee) then wheel base (in very close succession if possible ha). But ya rig is key first step. Can’t easily run high end pedals without a rig. But don’t under estimate upgrading your pedals. Brake pedal especially.
I started dim racing around 2004 with live for speed using a keyboard only. Then I bought a cheap bungie wheel that I used for a few months until I bought a Logitech G25 which I used for seven years.
I had it on my desk for six of those years. Then I bought a gtomega wheelstand (it's now called the goto mega classic).
I had two FANATEC Porsche GT3 wheels which both failed within months and weeks of owning them.
I now have a T300 with CSR elite pedals but the brake pedal needs repair because it's now further back than the accelerator pedal and clutch pedal.
I have what's called sliders for my chair to stop the chair moving when using my wheelstand. But I just ordered a Next A-level GT lite to replace the wheelstand and I'll buy the mod you had on the channel a few months ago for the wheel deck.
I'm replacing my wheelstand because after about five years of use it's gotten much more wobbly than it was no matter how much I tighten bolts. It was a bit wobbly at first but now it is way worse and makes lots of squeezing noises.
I don't have the room for a full blown cockpit which is why I'm after ordering the foldable cockpit. I did have a big ass fully enclosed cockpit in my sitting room for a few months. It was like a big box wmade if wood with a door to get in and out with a window in the door made of perspex. That thing was solid. It was taking up way too much room so I dismantled it again.
Karl is correct the more solid the tig is the more of the tiny ffb effects you will feel.
Also I don't use my wheel very often anymore. I used to use my wheel every day but with about two years o only use my wheel every few weeks. I'm using it most days with two and a half weeks to play GT7 but there's no way to restart campaign mode on GT7 do when I'm cleared that I probably won't use my wheel for a few weeks again
Anyway now I must look for that video with the mod.
I recently upgraded my shifter. I had been using the Logitech shifter for 3 years. It's okay for the price, but severely lacking. I got the Fanatec clubsport shifter. Sure there are better options, but I like that I can go from H-Pattern for NASCAR stock cars in iRacing to Sequntial shifter for the MX-5's and new Next Gen stock cars with the flip of a switch and no tools needed unlike say the Thrustmaster TH8A to convert from H to Sequential. Next to go will be the rest of the G920 set up. I'm looking to get the Asetek pedals possibly and then a Fanatec CSL DD with several wheel rims for the cars I like to race the most, mostly stock cars, road cars, GT3 & 4 and Formula 1. Not so big into Rally like I used to be (honestly I suck with rally cars) or drift cars.
Another handy and cracking video Karl 👍. I concur with your suggestion of a decent cockpit. I’ve recently gone from a cheap wobbly eBay special to a homemade wooden cockpit and the ffb on my Thrustmaster TMX is so much more detailed than before. After building the wooden cockpit I realised why everything seemed so vague in the ffb beforehand on the eBay special.
Makes all the difference mate.
You can be fast by practising, which means by memorizing the gear and the rpm for every corner of the track in a fixed environment.
After a while, this memory gets automated, and you can reach lap world records with a joystick and a keyboard.
Which doesn't mean you are able to race in project cars 2 with changing environment.
As soon as you have forgotten the track, lost the automation/memory you will have to start almost from scratch.
Having a haptic transducer (bassshaker) under the pedal that gives you the information of blocking and sliding wheels (along amplifying the screeching sound of tires) is a (very cheap 100€) must to feel the racing, which is what simracing is all about.
About the size of the monitors, it's a question of refresh rate. Small monitors have high refresh rates up to 144hz.
Large TV's are limited to 60hz, which is not enough for short tracks with many turns, like Karting.
The vertical jerky scrolling is sickening.
Larger than 43" distorts the interior of the car, mirrors become way to large.
43" is a sweetspot, a height of 50cm corresponds to a front window of a car, including the dashboard.
I found a Sony KD-43X85J with 120hz for about 500€.
I would have bought 3 of them, if I had known how bad 60hz can be in Karting.
But anyway, the first priority is a PC with about a GTX3070 graphics card ,
that can reach 120hz on triple screens with a 5760x1080p resolution,
or the similar resolution on the Oculus quest 2 at 90hz
VR is certainly a priority, much more immersive than triple screens, but changing regularly between VR and triple screens can be a mess.
My priority for simracing beginners :
PC RTX3070 (1.500€)
Solid rig with seat (500€) (alu or wood rocksolidrigs? lol)
DD Wheel base about 13Nm with a Rim (500€ Accuforce)
Stiff brake pedal (500€)
Cheapest Monitor whatever the size only to select options.
Oculus Quest 2 (350€) more stunning than any 1.500€ triple screen.
Project Cars 2 (huge amount of cars, tracks and competitions, excellent graphics, high refreshrates, and good force feed back)
Haptics under seat and pedal : 1 nobsound amp /2 rockwood bass shakers (100€)
Initial budget about 3.500€
Still expensive ?
People pay as much for a TV only to watch netflix,
and the seat movers V3 from NLR costs as much without much better immersion than the 100€ bass shaker.
Those who prefer triple screens, buy yourself a black weed barrier fabric to wrap behind below and above the screens,
15€ to give you a real feeling of sitting in a car cockpit.
I'm running 7 bass on my playseat challenge,all with separate effects, absolutely worth it. I could pretty much melt my organs if wanted!
Waiting impatiently for the SIM 3D wind SIM kit that I'm pretty sure you reviewed at some point.
I have everything connected including the amps, power supplies, usb hubs.
I can still fold it up and use it within 5 minutes.
Currently weighing in at about 60 kg! 💪
Damn, that sounds pretty cool. I also have the playseat challenge. It's so amazing all the different mods you can do on it. I'll have to check out this base stuff!
@@Rahullll 'bass shakers' I was surpposed to say, I've done it all on a pretty low budget, built as much myself as I could, the only reason I didn't build a wind kit, was the parts were going to cost me almost as much and just paying for one that I know will work.
I use SIM Racing Studio to manage all my bass shakers, SIM hub is free, but takes alot longer setting up every individual game. What setup do you you have so far?
@@00Clive00 I currently have the playseat challenge with a t300 and tlcm pedals. I also got the open wheel add on the other week as the top part of my wheel was blocking the dash. Ive mainly been playing ACC and F1 recently.
I haven't done any mods yet for my playseat but have seen there a loads which can be done. Just trying to see which would be the most useful or enhance the experience the most.
@@Rahullll I'd highly recommend to get at least 1 large bass shaker and strap it to the back of the chair attached to the playseat frame. I got a 200watt Reckhorn 200i for £50 , a bit overkill, but it's the only decent quality one available at the moment, you'll also want at least a 100w amp to run it.
Plenty of videos on RUclips to help you set it up. With one big shaker I'd have engine revs, impact, gear change and suspension effects, any more effects and it gets to muddled.
@@00Clive00 I'll have to look into doing this. In terms of attaching it to the back of the playseat, what method did you go with for that?
Input lag is consideration when selecting TV. Lag can destroy enjoyment really fast.
Yup definitely mate!
Agreed. When I started sim racing I had my setup hooked up to 65 4K TV. But due to the hdmi 2.0 limitations I played on 4k 60hz. Only after some months I tried switching to 1440p120hz and I was blown away how smoother everything got. My lap times improved significantly.
When you buy a TV as your monitor, Checkout Rtings they test TVs and make sure the input lag is
Agreed mate!
Slight disagree on the pedals, since we humans are much better at remembering the force used on a pedal compared to the exact position you pushed the pedal, a loadcell really helps with consistency.
I don't feel the jump from a logitech wheel force feedback to a DD wheel FF is as noticeable on lap times specifically, while it does help with consistency imo it's less so than pedals (really helps for immersion though). The difference in opinion might be that (I think) you're primarily into rally sims while I almost exclusively do road cars/formula cars where braking precision might be a bit more important.
I'd personally go cockpit>pedals>wheel
I agree with reference to Rally vs circuit, that's defineilty the case mate! :)
My main thought is that some of the fastest sim racers in the world use Logitech pedals and wheels, if more expensive pedals really helped this shouldn't be the case... I think you can learn faster with a LC based pedal setup and it feels much nicer but ultimately it's just practise, leaning the circuit, knowing when and how much to brake (muscle memory), which you will get for any type of pedal eventually... plus we're all different so may learn/benefit from different things :)
@@KarlGosling True, and there's always the option to upgrade everything in one fell swoop and just eat beans and water for a couple of weeks.
This was super helpful! I feel like I have a proper path I can take to upgrade my setup. I have a Logitech G29 and I don’t have a lot of issues with the wheel (its not the best but it works for now) or pedals. I found that my two main issues were the base setup (cockpit instead of my desk) and the fact that I mis shift a lot with the Logitech shifter. I found a nice aluminum cockpit on amazon and I might just go all out on the shifter and upgrade to the Fanatec. Great video keep up the good work!
My reasoning for upgrading the shifter before the wheel is because once I started using my oculus quest 2 I felt like I needed less feedback to be good because I felt more immersed but the shifting has always been shit on the Logitech shifter. I would honestly only recommend it if its the only thing you can buy but I would honestly wait and save up for the thrustmaster as your first shifter.
Sounds good to me mate! :)
The GT Omega Titan is also a really solid well priced rig.
Simracing is hard to upgrade within imo.
I started with a G29 and felt i wanted to upgrade but whats the point of getting Fanatec V3 pedals and putting on the floor, or a direct drive without a cockpit.
So i figured its better to buy highend stuff in a package. So I went with all of it one go and im loving my simlab, sprints, simucube 2 sport.
Yeah if you can do it that way then why not! :)
I totally agree Karl. I upgraded from G920 on kitchen table to a playseat challenge and the wheel felt less responsive, even tho the driving position was much better. I have a CSL DD now and am worried the flex of my playseat is having a more significant impact. I've ordered some parts on ebay to stiffen the rig so fingers crossed!
However, I'm wondering if you have thoughts on a mid-level upgrade? The CSL 8NM Boost kit or the Load Cell brake kit??
Thats a tough one.. 8NM is very noticeable, specially on a cockpit with flex it would help, but the LC kit for the CSL pedals is night and day difference in the way the brake pedal feels.. but that is just how it feels under foot it doesn't improve the feel of the cars feedback like a stronger wheel does.
@@KarlGosling I think I'll go with the load cell then. The standard CSL brake pedal is a bit of a pain, very hard to calibrate...dare I say impossible 😁
Hi Karl, so I'm currently upgrading from a logitech G29 (ps5) with a playseat challenge obviously at the time it was within my budget to now having enough to upgrade to a fanatec gt dd pro wheel, I've watched your other videos with a direct drive wheel attached to the playseat so obviously in time I will upgrade the cockpit. Definitely need one with seat and shifter mount that's for sure what would your recommendation be once I have the funds. As for display I have 65" oled lol which is massive, knowing that the ps5 tends to struggle with monitors until they update to support 1440p.
My advice is buy the best you can afford and justify mate.
Interesting take on upgrades. I would disagree on Pedals/Wheel though. A Loadcell Brake is a huge upgrade and makes it way easier to be consistent. So I would go Cockpit -> Pedals -> Wheel -> Screens. If looking into getting VR, get that as soon as possible
Thing is if you can't feel oversteer/understeer or any grip levels at all what use a nice load cell brake?
@@KarlGosling if you have no FFB at all, yes, upgrading wheel should come first. I think you can get pretty consistent with a Gear driven wheel though and it is harder to get consistent with a potentiometer brake. But all in all, bothj upgrade paths are viable
Agreed. I have a g27 with HE pedals and love it. I also have wind sim, bass shakers, and motion. The Logitech wheel is the least of my worries, it feels fine and now worries.
Every time I go to upgrade my set up I rewatch this 😂. Well I’m back.. gone from desk to GT-lite seat… can that handle the Fanatec 8nm DD??
Hi Karl. Great content as always, I'm completely new to sim racing I started at Christmas with Playseat Challenge with G29. I've just upgraded to Trak Racer TR8 with TM T-GT II and was wondering if upgrading to the Gran Turismo DD Pro Premium Bundle would be a worth while investment.
Yeah its a great wheel base, not much more power than what you have but a much smoother, faster and nicer experience.
is the NLR F-GT a good deal for a cockpit?
Ok! So I have the cockpit (GT Omega Prime). I got the monitor ( LG 55 in C1). However, I am looking to upgrade my wheelbase to a direct drive. My question is do you think that is worth moving from a Fanatec V2 .5 base to the Club Sport DD or should I save a little longer for the DD 1 or 2? By the way, love the content. Keep them coming.
The upgrade from V2.5 to CSL DD would be small, it's smoother and more responsive but not much more powerful.... although it will feel very different.
Karl I bought the thrustmaster T-GT-II (had a bit more NM on wheel )as just the base i'm running with the TLCM load cell pedals along with Next level racing F-gt cockpit 50" 4k sony bravia
Cannot get hold of the Fanatec at moment question is would i see a massive difference on the wheels its hard when ive never had a try of a Fanatec wheel setup similar to my setup
It would definitely feel very different, smoother, more responsive and a bit more torque (with boost kit) too.
Built myself a decently solid over engineered wooden cockpit and then a chair from a wrecker car, with G29, that alone was a big step from Desk and chair. Next step was screen, from 24" to 32" (due to size limitation) with slight curve to cover more of my vision for immersion. So similar to your recommendations. From there look at a better Wheel and a PC as currently race on console.
Spot on mate! :)
Legend mate. Keep up the great work!
Hey Karl, thanks for the video I'm looking at upgrading from a g920 on a desk next month when i get my xmas bonus funds in, This video was really helpful for me due to this so much appreciated, I just wanted to touch on NextLevelRacing, I was aiming to get a prime cockpit from GTOmega, but i notice just how often it is out of stock. NextLevel racing offer a hybrid 2 in one wheelstand/cockpit thats made for DD wheels called the wheelstand dd/ gttrack that looks compelling as i have a very good office chair already and am worried on space in my room to fit a full size cockpit. do you think this stand is rigid enough? I'll be upgrading to the fanatec Gran Turismo DD with the 8nm boost pack and geting some v3 clubsport pedals. and shifter.
Prime will be in stock in about two weeks if you want one.
But if you're space limited then a wheel stand of foldable cockpit like the PSC or NLR GT Lite might be the way to go.
All will be fine with the Fanatec baby DD.
I decided to upgrade everything, should be fun and good for my channel as well. The current setup not bad but new investment is worth it!
If you can afford to and want to then why not! :)
@@KarlGosling will say that I recommend your bezel free kit review video. I bought mine and they are 100% worth it even though it’s hard to find
Yeah regarding pedals. I was not faster or more consistent on my sprints coming from G29. I ran my G29 for 6 years, I knew exactly how to brake with them so real pedals look cooler and feel a tad better but off all upgrades pedals was the most meh. I actually don't feel like sprints feel like a real car, I think you need hydraulic brakes to get that pumping pressure from brakes.
Yeah thats my experience and what I see looking at very fast sim racers around the world, nice to have of course but not needed.
I agree, I'm yet to use a set of pedals that feel like a real brake pedal or clutch (throttle is fine on almost any pedal set).
@@KarlGosling Yeah the throttle and clutch are quite great but that brake feel is hard to replicate from what ive tried. Now I havent tried any hydraulic brakes so that would be very interesting to see if they are close to the real deal.
I like having a 27 monitor personally due to the higher resolution (1440p) and much higher refresh rate(240hz). Dont have the budget for separate large tv's as the monitors are also used for work so there's the practical element. I am hoping to separate my racing equipment somewhat by getting a VR headset.
Ironically small screens and high res are wasted together, refresh rate is nice though if you can use it! :)
But yeah if that's what you need for practicality then of course that's what you need :)
VR is great mate, totally different world! :)
keep up the good work great honest truth :-) speaking to everyone great thanks :-) should i go curved screen or flat fine i currently using a 32 smart tv
Curved is ok but not too curved or you're warping a flat image so won't look quite right.
I'd go second hand fanatec or thurstmaster over logitech. Similar price these days
Love your videos 🔥 learning so much looking forward to buy a cockpit for my g29 ✌️
Would you consider something like a Next level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0 or a Playseat Challenge a sturdy cockpit? I am pretty space and budget limited and after much research have cut it down to these two. Which of them do you think would be better? I can get them both for a very similar price where I live (like $10-$20 more for the playseat challenge).
I am currently looking to an upgrade from my g29 on a desc
Someone got any recommandations for
-Sim Rig
-Wheel Base
-Steering Wheel
-Shifter
-Handbrake
-Gloves
-Shoes
-Buttonbox
Thanks for your help
Budget is 3000 Euros for now
I would like to go for a comeplete "pack" that can get the work done and I dont need to upgrade any further for some time
Space is good for a normal 80/20 rig
It could stay where it is
budget is my all time high
So less would be okay too ofc
Hello Karl, excellent content. I would like some advice, I have around $2500 to spend on a display. I am between triple monitors and the varjo aero VR. Could you recommend me which way to go? I have no clue. EDIT: My favorite game is ACC
I am gonna go with a p1x, simucube 2 pro, Heusinkveld ultimate plus, i have yet to decide on the seat. That would be it for now.
VR vs Triples is a totally personal choice mate... but what I will say is that there isn't a GPU on the market that can run the Aero well for sim racing, even a lower res option like a Q2 is very difficult to run well.
Great video. Like always. Regards from Poland.
Thank you! Cheers!
I started with an ART Cockpit and a Logitech g923 with logitech shifter and fanatec handbrake connect with a DriveHub. I have a pre order in for the CSL DD, and was about to upgrade to the Fanatec CS V3 pedals. Do you think I would benefit from upgrading from my ART more than I would my pedals? The ART already feels pretty solid IMO.
The ART does have a fair bit of wobbly and flex (have you braced it how I did in another video?) so upgrading to a more solid cockpit will help.
Pedals add nothing other than looks and a nicer feel, some will point out they make braking more repeatable and accurate (which they do) but TBH you can get used to anything and be fast.
Thats not to say a loadcell brake isn't better, it defineilty is! Both on a technical level and how it feels... But this is sim racing, practise and you can be fast with anything! :)
HI Karl Love your videos I'm only getting into sim racing on the Ps5 so have preordered the Fanatec GT DD Pro Premium Kit. Looking for a decent cockpit, currently looking at either the GT Omega Titan or Trak Racer TR8. Which one would you recommend.
Not much in it mate, the TR8 looks nicer IMO but it's a fair bit more money, both would be equally solid.
@@KarlGosling Thanks Karl I agree about the price difference, the GT Omega Prime is probably around the same price as the Trak Racer TR8. But the TR8 does look great.
@@darrenmoore8907 for only a few bucks more you could get the tr80 and have a Solid 8020 rig, which is what I'm considering atm. But I agree, the tr8 looks amazing!
@@KarlGosling Hi Karl the GT Omega Titan is available again for preorder. Tried using the link in your comments to avail of discount but this takes me to the USA website and code not applied. Can I enter the code manually.
Great great thanks for this upgrade review! This makes me rethinking my project. I’ve a T300 w/ Sparco Wheel and a CSL Elite LC pedal set. All of that supported by a GT Omega wheel stand pro. I’ve just purchased the rear seat frame for the stand and was thinking to maybe get a CSL DD (5n.m) in the next 6-8 months… Totally wrong 😅
Can I just say that if you go for the CSL DD, possibly get the boost pack as well if you can. The sweet spot really is around 7 to 8 nm and at times, you're gonna get peak forces that the boost pack will be handy for.
@@sneakygloworm thanks for this advice! I was looking for the standard version but after some reviews, yes I’ll definitely get the boost kit! Without that details will be good but it seems that it will not be so different from my T300 on FFB sense and so on.
@@blackshadow9722 No worries. There really is a sweet spot especially running long stints. I'm running a DD1 (which I had before the CSL DD was released) and initially I thought it was great to run 10 nm with a peak of around 14 or 15 nm but it's so painful on the wrists and arms and will probably eventually cause damage. If i'd have waited, I'd have purchased the CSL DD and boost kit coz that really is in that lovely sweetspot of firm FFB and loads of detail but also being driveable for really long periods. The DD1 has the headroom for peak forces but high torque settings can cause pretty painful injury if the wheel suddenly spins during a crash or a shunt.
I reckon you can't go wrong with your setup plan.
If you have the space, a cockpit is a game changer, no matter what wheel and pedals you have.
Spot on mate!
I agree, I run a 65in 4k TV only 60hz been using a rift cv1 lately but can't decide weather to go triples or a quest 2 lol?
Hi Karl, thanks for the informative video. Recently purchased a Gt omega art cockpit, but yet to take the plunge into buying a monitor. Would prefer single due to space constraints, was looking at 34" ultrawides, would you say these are not as good as say a 40" tv? Was planning to mount it just behind my wheel, getting it as close as possible. Only really just starting out, g920, used to play with it strapped to my desk and a 22" monitor, ACC great fun, but was hoping to improve the experience with a cockpit. Tried using my cockpit with my Quest 2, and while its fantastic when it works, unfortunately my pc specs are not as a point where i deem it "competitive", so looking into single monitor solutions. Thank you 👍
IMO Ultrawide is pointless, buy a normal 16:9 TV/Monitor thats the same width and gain all the vertical field of view that comes with it, I don't know why people like small thin letterbox displays... you see less and pay more (for a good one)?! lol
@Karl Gosling i think its the way I've been looking at it, on my 22" monitor its obviously not that wide so i cannot physically see that much of inside the car, where as i was thinking with an ultrawide I'd be able to see nice and wide field of view (mirrors, ect). Thank you sir 😀
Just buy vr idd say, I haven’t tried it but it’s not really all that expensive if you think of it.
Really useful information, Thanks Karl :)
No worries David!
Hey Karl, love the informative content you provide. I can see 2 versions of the Playseat Challenge on Amazon one branded Actifit. Are they both the exact same just with a different seating material or is there more to it? Thanks
Honestly mate I have no idea?!
@@KarlGosling 🤣 can't see many details about it really. Must just be the seat material. Thanks anyways.
1- Chassis 2-Pedals 3-Display 4-Base & Steering 5- Peripherals it's known in SimRacing from the beginning. If your not an iRacer you don't need more than a sturdy chassis a logitech and triple 27" 1080p or 1440p depending on your graphics card. While if you are an iRacer you need a shitload of stuff.
Whatever works for you mate.
Hi Karl, I've been watching tons of videos lately and I must commend you on your reviews as they're awesome. I am new to Sim Racing and wanted to check with you that my first purchases are the correct ones. I will be playing on PS4 (will buy PS5 soon). I decided to order the Fanatec GT DD Pro 5nm (for now) and a Next Level Racing F-GT Lite foldable cockpit (since I don't yet have a dedicated space for sim racing). Will be playing on a 70'' TV so I would say that size wise am ok!! Your comments are appreciated...thanks and Keep it up!!
Sounds like a great place to get started mate yes! Enjoy! :D
Im saving up for the simicube active pedals but i figure by the time i can get them all my other sim gear will be antiques😂😂😂
lol Agreed mate!
I’m that sucker with the McLaren gt3 wheel and a 32 inch laptop screen😂
Mate you have to do what you have to do! lol
@@KarlGosling Yes sir! Slowly introducing more upgrades so my wife accepts me taking over the hobby room😉
Hey Karl I love you videos. I’m new into sim racing and have a question. I’m looking to get the Gran tusrismo dd pro 5 nm and was wondering if I can pair it with the next level racing gt lite or the playseat challenge.. Also when do you plan on reviewing the playseat trophy? Thinking I might wait for that if I can’t find something for the dd pro. Thanks in advance!
I'm using the GT DD Pro (5nm) on a Wheel Stand Pro and it's great! So you should be fine on a PS Challenge. I think Karl actually did a video some time ago with the CSL DD and PS Challenge.
Yeah as Dan said I've a couple of video of it on the PSC mate.
As for the Trophy I'd have to buy one in so I'll see how much it is.
@@KarlGosling thanks
@@danfry909 appreciate the feedback bro. And I’m jealous you have the dd pro lol how do you like it?
@@kingmilwaukee890 Initially, I was disappointed with the GT wheel itself, it felt so cheap, which was surprising as I had come from a G29. But the actual DD base is superb, and it's all worth it because of that and the CSL pedals. Currently waiting for the boost kit, so I'm hoping it won't be too powerful for the Wheel Stand Pro - and turn it into some kind of jack hammer! :)
Has a beginner who bought a T300RS GT and plays dirt rally 2.0 on a small desk in front of a 70'' TV with playstation, do you think that the playseat will be a good option for me? (I take space in consideration because I play in the living room) or it will wobble?
It will wobble a bit but if you need a foldable setup then yes it will do nicely! :)
@@KarlGosling Thanks for quick reply. A hug from Portugal :)
I would take a tripple 32inch setup over any tv setup anyday
I assume you mean a single TV as I'm running triple 55" TV's and I'm sure you wouldn't choose triple 32's over that! lol
But yes thats a tricky one, you gain some HFOV (if you can fit the 32's close enough to you) but are very letterboxed... I think if you're not missing too much once the scaling and FOV is set correctly I'd agree with you :)
@@KarlGosling yeahI was thinking of 1x 55. I still would go with 3x 32 1440p over 3x55 4k just becuse of the framerates. I have been playing counter strike for so long so I am so used with 100-200+ framerates 😒 Great video man, I think the new sim racers really needed a video like this👍
Wondering if you could help...?
Recently started sim racing on ps5 (GT7) and streaming to RUclips OMT_onemoretenth.
I have a TM T248 and using my table. Need to upgrade but limited money. Do I get a full cockpit or wheel base? I want to take this hobby quite serious but not sure what direction to go in. I think i also want to upgrade to a DD wheel but it's all a mine field. Not sure where to start.
Also the end goal would be to get involved in some training and see if I have the talent to compete with the fastest guys around.
Any help would be appreciated.
Leigh
A full cockpit for you sounds the best route mate, save up and buy something solid if you can... do it once, do it properly! :)
@@KarlGosling cheers bud
damn just got a GT Omega art as your reviews were quite good xD but it s nice compared to the desk mount i used before. Havent stiffened it yet (but just using a T150 and T3PA pro). Are you guys thinking a TX/T300 base is good? (enough). Display is VR fixed for me. Dont like triples / one massive screen
TX/T300 is a decent enough wheel mate yes.
I wonder that the pedals are not the ones to upgrade first in your opinion. Most simracers i saw on yt say that the pedals are the ones to upgrade first. Everyone sees it different :)
I explain why they are not in the video mate, but basically they do not make you faster (for most people) and they add nothing in the way of feedback about what the car is doing in sim.
@@KarlGosling Sadly you are right. In the end you are only feeling with the wheel and your eyes.
@@BenderRodriguezBender but you don't press the pedal with either. LC will make you more consistent in braking so while they might not improve your personal lap record they should help make you a better racer.
Good tips, but I disagree with the display. Size matters, but buying a TV with tons of input lag is just a bad idea while e-sport guys like Jardier is running a 34" widescreen and be successful because it runs 144 Hz and shows what's going on now, not a blink of an eye later. My tip would be to run TrackIR or other headtrackers, which basically doubles the FOV similar to VR. I switched my former 4k 55", 60 Hz TV against a Samsung 49", 144 Hz and the difference was mind blowing. No compromise on performance over size. The Samsung died a year later and because I got my money back, I bought the RG49 with higher resolution, but only 120 Hz. No input lag at all, but took me weeks to get used to the lower Hz rate. It looked a bit slideshow'ish around the edges and I'm less sensible to lower fps than refresh rates.
I didn't say buy one with loads of input lag?! Plenty of TV's with game mode and low latency, that's just common sense (or maybe it isn't?! Lol).
For most 60hz is fine (including me), only the top one percentile will really benefit from higher, I don't know your skill level but I'm assuming your up there! 😃
Also maybe the pixel response time was lower on your 120hz and that's what gave you the slide show feeling?
@@KarlGosling Use your 60 Hz TV once more after those 120 Hz and you know what I was talking about. 60 Hz means at 215 km/h you get theoretically one update every meter of travel, but only with g-sync it's a proper frame per meter. Than there is the input lag of at least 25 ms with TVs. That's 1.5 Meter at 215 km/h, which is about the average speed in F1. Modern displays have about 5 ms input lag and double the refresh means two frames per meter. Huge difference I think.
Yeah I 100% agree the logic and maths is spot on mate!
It's funny I have gone back and forth a few times and whilst it feels a bit more 'snappy' it makes no difference to my driving... I'm probably just not that good?! lol Or for Rally it's not as important maybe?! I notice the mouse cursor feeling faster more than anything! lol
I made a huge mistake: I bought the CSL Elite Pedals without load cell and cant upgrade because the LC brake is nowhere to buy anymore. I wasted my money :(
@Fionn MacCuill sadly not
It would be great if you could do a video comparing triples vs VR vs ultrawide
Thats a very subjective question... for me VR and triples are both excellent ways to sim, ultrawide is pointless as you gain no peripheral vision at all and are just looking at a letterbox! You're far better off just buying a much larger 16:9 screen if you are staying single display.
@@KarlGosling Ok thanks for your opinion Karl. I used to play on VR but had too many lingering issues with it. On triples now, which can be quite a lot of work in their own way, but it's really good. Glad you don't think too highly of ultrawides because I was considering it for a while.
I'd like to think I contributed to this video in some kind of way! :D
My reference to the £40 Argos wheel and pedals was definitely inspired by your recent purchase yes! lol
I'd say VR is the first upgrade to get. Sims and VR are a perfect match.
Definitely not! Without a wheel, pedals or cockpit you'd be sat on the sofa racing with a controller! lol
VR is great though, just not the first thing you need.
@@KarlGosling But I was basing it on your own criteria, which was what to buy first *after* already owning a wheel and pedals, like the Logitech G series, as you mentioned. So I mean if you already have a G29 for example, for me the next upgrade is VR if you want a massive upgrade in sim immersion. You even said yourself at the beginning of the video when mentioning the possiblilties to upgrade....You mentioned new wheel/base, cockpit, monitors and then you also said "should I go VR?", so I'm not sure I understand your comment.
Does frame rate of the tv or monitor affect the game experience
60fps minimum really, I know some consoles run at 30fps but thats far from ideal, also input lag is very important and should be checked.
@@KarlGosling I have an old tv connected to my laptop but the image is a little bit grainy and there is a slight delay
Dont TVs have high response time? And big monitors with low response time are pricey...
Only if you buy one with high response times... Most have a "Game Mode" with low latency input.
My TV's albeit new have almost the fastest response times available, beating out 95% of gaming monitors.
@@KarlGosling ohh thats cool ill look into it
No1 pedals 👍
whats the optimal 16:9 monior size if its sitting just behind the DD?
Bigger the better mate, you'll see more of the environment.
@@KarlGosling okay, maybe i then should go bigger than 4k 43"
Do you drink and drive on driving sims?
Sure do! :)
It's such fun to do, highly recommend a moded AC and grab some of the epic tracks like PCH/Feldbergring/Fonteny from race department, pick an open top, set the weather to sunny and just cruise with a beer!
Pedals!
Definitely not lol
Definitely! When you have a 20k set up, you cant see the difference each part makes.Sim racers first thing they want is to be FAST. Immersion comes after.
None of this matters if you dont have the PC to drive it all!
I'm mean thats kind of a given! lol
A console is fine too, nothing PC specific here.
Is that your "You just spilled my pint" face?
Might be.
My top 3:
Pedals
Mounting
Screens
Well maybe wheel first before screens.
👏👏👏👍👍👍
VR > any other set up.
Thats not even relevant to the video mate?! You can't sit in a VR headset nor can you use it to steer your car, accelerate, brake or change gear! lol
@@KarlGosling Sorry i thought it was implied. Let me rephrase. VR (with wheel setup and a chair) > any other setup