As more direct-drive wheelbases become available, and some of them at a more entry-level torque power, the need for an affordable sim-racing cockpit that supports direct-drive wheelbases is growing. Next Level Racing, which provides entry-level wheel stands up to robot-like robust sim racing cockpits saw the need and now has the GTRacer that we are looking at today. Coming in at $399, it’s a setup from the foldable GTLite for those who need a bit more stability for more powerful wheelbases. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
Overview
Since I’ve spent a good amount of time with the Playseat Trophy cockpit as well, I’ll be doing a lot of comparisons between the two. They each have their pros and cons that we’ll highlight throughout this review.
GTRacer: Design
Next Level Racing’s GTRacer cockpit has been designed to be strong enough for entry-level and mid-range direct drive wheelbases. Additionally, it has a reclining seat with a seat slider for quick adjustments for different drivers.
Quick adjustments to the seat is something that the Playseat Trophy lacks. If you think you’ll be swapping in between drivers frequently, having this quick adjustment on the GTRacer is a very nice feature.
It’s also important to mention where this sits in terms of movability when compared to the GTLite and the Playseat Trophy. The GTLite is foldable – it can be packed up and put in a corner or even in a closet.
The Playsteat Trophy is lightweight at just 37 lbs and has a rounded frame on the bottom that makes it easy to pull around a room. Some people even hang it on a wall when not in use.
The GTRacer, on the other hand, weighs 75 lbs. It is much more difficult to move about. Once again, depending on how you intend to use a sim-racing cockpit, that could be a good or a bad thing. If you need something that can be moved out of the way when not in use, the Playseat Trophy or even the GTLite Pro could be a better option. But, once again, if you plan on keeping it in one spot and could make use of a quick-adjusting seat, then the GTRacer might tick all of the right boxes.
Next Level Racing GTRacer: Video
Accessories
Another standout feature of the GTRacer is it comes with a shifter mount, handbrake mount, and an under-seat pole for mounting a Buttkicker. Considering a shifter/handbrake mount on the Trophy is $50 (plus some ridiculous shipping cost), that is potentially some huge savings. I ended up 3D printing my own mount rather than spending $150 for the official shifter mount plus shipping. The GTLite and GTLite Pro also come with shifter mounts.
The included pole for mounting the Buttkicker is also a welcomed addition. Once again, on the Playseat Trophy, there isn’t an official place to mount a Buttkicker. I ended up clamping it to the bottom frame on the right side which works but isn’t as ideal as the pole on the GTRacer.
Setup and adjustments
Assembly is fairly involved with quite a few bolts, nuts, and washers to install. It didn’t take more than an hour, even when doing some filming, but don’t expect to have it ready to race right out of the box.
Next Level Racing has made the wheel deck mounting points and the pedal plate mounting points accept a wide variety of makes and models of sim-racing gear. I was easily able to mount the R16 and SRP-Lite pedals. Mounting schematics for a variety of manufacturers are also included in the manual.
I ran into mounting point issues with Moza gear on the Playseat cockpit. I could only get two bolts into the bottom of the wheelbase and was very limited with pedal placement. I was happy to see that I could easily get everything lined up on the GTRacer.
The wheel deck offers more height adjustability than the Trophy (any height adjustability is more than the trophy) but pitch adjustment isn’t as seamless. Four bolts with nuts hold the wheel deck in place and any adjustment requires loosening or removing these bolts. They can be a bit hard to reach on the inside of the metal cage that makes up the deck, but it is nice to have some adjustability.
In-Use
I’ve been using the GTRacer with the new Moza R16 V2 that we recently reviewed and even though it’s technically above the recommended torque output for the GTRacer, it has worked great with this wheelbase.
I rarely feel any flex in the GTRacer under normal use. Some instances reveal some flex, though. For example, pushing forward on the wheel doesn’t result in any flex, but pulling back on it does. That’s just the nature of the construction. Forward forces will get pressed into the floor that the cockpit is resting on while pulling back has flex because of of the tube design. For me that wasn’t noticeable in-game and I would imagine helps to keep the price point at just $400.
Additionally, the nature of the shifter/handbrake mount results in some flex. It isn’t unusable, but it has noticeably more flex than even my 3D-printed mount on the Playseat Trophy. I can only imagine that the official metal Playseat mount would be even more rigid.
While adjusting the position and angle of the seat is fast and easy with the slider, there isn’t any quick adjustment of the pedal plate like there is on the Playseat Trophy. That might not be as necessary for quick driver swaps but in some instances, it would be nice to be able to adjust that easier.
Comfort
At 6’1 with relatively broad shoulders, I wish that the wings on the sides of the seat back were a bit wider. I feel slightly confined in the seat. I still enjoy it, but the shape of the Playseat Trophy fits my body a bit better.
Compared to the Playseat Trophy, getting in and out of the GTRacer isa breeze The more standard seat design makes it easy to swing my legs out around the cockpit when I’m ready for a break. But, the seat itself is plenty comfortable for multiple hours of gaming.
One small issue is that I believe the seat back is slightly twisted to the right. I noticed it when using the cockpit but standing behind it and inspecting the seat back, it looks slightly off when compared to the bottom bracket of the cockpit. I tried loosening some of the attachment bolts and tweaking the seat but nothing seemed to stick. I also reached out to Next Level Racing to see if there is an adjustment I can make to even it out but I have not yet heard back. I’ll update this review if I learn any new information.
It’s not a deal breaker and I still love using the GTRacer but it might highlight some of the budget nature of this cockpit.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
At just $400, the Next Level Racing GTRacer has a lot to offer. I’m amazed by the accessories that are included for this price point. It does have its own quirks and limitations when compared to the Playseat Trophy, but it is also $200 cheaper and has accessories that would drive the price up even more. If you are looking for a sim racing cockpit that has a quickly adjustable seat and can handle powerful direct-drive wheelbases, the GTRacer is a budget beast.
Buy Next Level Racing GTRacer
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