Playseat Evolution Racing Chair (Black)

At 5ft 10” slim build, the Playseat fits me like a glove although I did purchase the seatslider. My Fanatec CSL DD base pushes this cockpit to its limits, with force feedback set to max on a 5 nm base the detail isn’t bad at all, coupled with the seating position/pedal position helps increase immersion more then I was expecting. After nearly 12 hours of Forza Horizon 5 I can say I am very happy with this product, no bolts came lose even with prolonged off road excursions over some very bumpy terrain and detailed force feedback. Anyone buying this for a thrustmaster/logitech belt drive wheel or first cockpit will be more then satisfied with this cockpit,

Craig's review of Playseat Evolution Alcantara

Pros: Adjustable (you don’t need the seat adjuster add on) and the additional cost for the Alcantara seat is worth it. I bought this as I could disconnect the seat from the steering column and store it away in another room - works great!Cons: The locking mechanism between the steering column and the seat isn’t great. Once I pushed the brake pedal during a race and the screw nut didn’t hold and it disconnected- meaning my seat and steering column were apart. I lost that race! It does however work 99% of the time. The connection point between the steering column and the seat gets scratched really easily and could potentially cause issues after extensive use. After 1 month use though, it’s not a problem thus far

Disappointed

This is my second playseat and I don't like this one as much as the Challenge. One issue is that it's not comfortable for me on the lower back. The other problem which was solveable is that the centre shaft holding the wheel in a real pain because you need to have the pedals far enough away from that shaft to prevent your ankles hitting it with your left foot. I probably spent about 4 hours adjusting everything possible to finally get a workable distance for both the wheel and pedals and not hit my ankles. Adjusting it for when someone shorter or taller drives generally means adjusting both the wheel and pedal distance. Even when done up tight that center column has movement in it which is not cool. With the Challenge I was good to go out of the box and easy to ... MoreThis is my second playseat and I don't like this one as much as the Challenge. One issue is that it's not comfortable for me on the lower back. The other problem which was solveable is that the centre shaft holding the wheel in a real pain because you need to have the pedals far enough away from that shaft to prevent your ankles hitting it with your left foot. I probably spent about 4 hours adjusting everything possible to finally get a workable distance for both the wheel and pedals and not hit my ankles. Adjusting it for when someone shorter or taller drives generally means adjusting both the wheel and pedal distance. Even when done up tight that center column has movement in it which is not cool. With the Challenge I was good to go out of the box and easy to adjust and was more comfortable. Not recommended.

Excellent!

And so - I recently bought a Logitech G923 wheel and pedal set and obviously needed something to attach it all to. So I bought this. Very glad I did. It’s pretty sturdy, and I assigned what would normally be the clutch pedal as the brake in Assetto Corsa Competizione. Works brilliantly. The wife wasn’t overly impressed by it, she was a little cranky with me for a couple of days after. But she soon got over it. Well worth the short-term pain in my opinion. Thing is this - we have two spare rooms and my racing man cave is the smallest of the two. It’s not a lot to ask for, is it? Top tip for you gents wanting to order a sim set-up - don’t tell your girlfriend/wife. Order it, set it up and then hunker down for the storm. It’ll last a day or two. But at least you’ve got ... MoreAnd so - I recently bought a Logitech G923 wheel and pedal set and obviously needed something to attach it all to. So I bought this. Very glad I did. It’s pretty sturdy, and I assigned what would normally be the clutch pedal as the brake in Assetto Corsa Competizione. Works brilliantly. The wife wasn’t overly impressed by it, she was a little cranky with me for a couple of days after. But she soon got over it. Well worth the short-term pain in my opinion. Thing is this - we have two spare rooms and my racing man cave is the smallest of the two. It’s not a lot to ask for, is it? Top tip for you gents wanting to order a sim set-up - don’t tell your girlfriend/wife. Order it, set it up and then hunker down for the storm. It’ll last a day or two. But at least you’ve got it. Very decent frame, sturdy and well made.

Great Entry Level Sim Seat

One of the best entry level seats you can get. Many will tell you it's not good enough but then point you to setups that cost at least double. Was easy to set up, comfortable and adjustable. I am 250lb, 6'3" fit build and was able to sit in it pretty firmly. If you are bigger than that it might be too tight. Still held up well. If you are not willing to build your own this is one of the better turn key solutions. I have heavier Fanatec elite pedals which caused the foot pedal to flex, which you will find in reviews. It's not too bad and I am sure you can wedge something under the foot plate to fix this issue. Does not come with a shifter plate, the default one from playseat is expensive so I would look at building your own. The middle pole does get in the way a ... MoreOne of the best entry level seats you can get. Many will tell you it's not good enough but then point you to setups that cost at least double. Was easy to set up, comfortable and adjustable. I am 250lb, 6'3" fit build and was able to sit in it pretty firmly. If you are bigger than that it might be too tight. Still held up well. If you are not willing to build your own this is one of the better turn key solutions. I have heavier Fanatec elite pedals which caused the foot pedal to flex, which you will find in reviews. It's not too bad and I am sure you can wedge something under the foot plate to fix this issue. Does not come with a shifter plate, the default one from playseat is expensive so I would look at building your own. The middle pole does get in the way a little depending on how you drive (either heel-toe or left foot braking will be compromised). If you start getting into the heavier/enthusiast level wheel/pedals/shifter which are heavier and have more forces associated with them, you will find this to be a bit too flimsy. For most, it's convenient and more than enough.

It could be better engineered

I am 1.67m tall and I found the seating really uncomfortable. The seat is too low, the steering wheel support does not allow great freedom in adjustments.Though the product is very robust and well manufactured (for the price). As such with some hacking I managed to fit it to my size (small investment to DIY shop).

Measure your bottom first ?

OK so I'm a 6,2ft male and 17 stone, I'm a 34 waist, I fit perfect in the chair,sad after 10 mins moving stuff about. 100% Great fit..Now there a couple of points..PLZ PLZ TAKE NOTE. I have the ferrari thrustmaster, and pedals.throttle and brake..the wheel fits nice but its very very thin the platform I had to put wooden coasters underneath to get the clamp to get nice and tight..Last crazy thing is you have to brake with your left foot because there's the frame in the way ..plenty of spare Allen bolts to secure the peddles and wheel !!!

Not Recommended. you can get much better for a little more money.

So I am setting up a lot of these, if your looking for a seat on a budget then this is great, but if your looking for something sturdy and reliable, with a good build quality then this is not the product for you. When you look close at the materials and the way they are held together on the seat you can tell it is very cheap and poor quality.this product offers a good adjustable set of options from length to height but the knobs that secure the position scratch the metal virtually instantly leaving silver and gray scratches to the black paint. also the center bit that raises for you to put your wheel on only has one knob to secure it in place which means there is a wobble from left to right on it unless your using the cross legs of this piece as your front weight ... MoreSo I am setting up a lot of these, if your looking for a seat on a budget then this is great, but if your looking for something sturdy and reliable, with a good build quality then this is not the product for you. When you look close at the materials and the way they are held together on the seat you can tell it is very cheap and poor quality.this product offers a good adjustable set of options from length to height but the knobs that secure the position scratch the metal virtually instantly leaving silver and gray scratches to the black paint. also the center bit that raises for you to put your wheel on only has one knob to secure it in place which means there is a wobble from left to right on it unless your using the cross legs of this piece as your front weight instead of the adjustable feet at the very end where your peddles would go.if your gaming on this with a console then be warned that not all console wheels and peddle can be screwed into the plates, we had a G29 for PS4 and i was able to mount with only 2 screws instead of 4 on the peddles, and was not able to screw in the wheel at all, i needed to use the provided vice clamps, its doable but if your going to spend all of this money on a setup for racing you at least want your equipment screwed in so that it is somewhat secure.Like i said, on a budget, it will do the job, but if i were buying again, this would not be a product i would purchase. FYI testing done on x8 of these,

Poor design, not suitable for taller people

Mount for the wheel unit is between the legs. With no horizontal adjustment for thrustmaster pedal plates, this pillar is directly in front of the brake pedal. I left foot brake and am constantly rubbing my leg or ankle on the bottom of the diagonal wheel mount. The industry standard for mounting the wheel is having a frame that the legs go through.Being 6'3, the ability to adjust seat back and forth could help but there is no adjustment on the seat frame. You have to pay an additional $80 for the slider kit (which has not been available for months) For the price of this simple unit, this needs to be included.Yes, it is compact and with some effort can be folded up. So if you live in a micro apartment or tiny house, that's a plus. And if you are shorter than the ... MoreMount for the wheel unit is between the legs. With no horizontal adjustment for thrustmaster pedal plates, this pillar is directly in front of the brake pedal. I left foot brake and am constantly rubbing my leg or ankle on the bottom of the diagonal wheel mount. The industry standard for mounting the wheel is having a frame that the legs go through.Being 6'3, the ability to adjust seat back and forth could help but there is no adjustment on the seat frame. You have to pay an additional $80 for the slider kit (which has not been available for months) For the price of this simple unit, this needs to be included.Yes, it is compact and with some effort can be folded up. So if you live in a micro apartment or tiny house, that's a plus. And if you are shorter than the average man, you'll probably be fine too. Otherwise for the price of the seat and slider kit you may buy a much more sophisticated cockpit with better design and more adjustment.Used for about a month before I became tired of the constant rubbing on my ankle when I played. I purchased another cockpit for a similar price with a much better design and plenty of adjustment. The Playseat now sits folded compactly in the closet waiting for a Kijiji purchaser to take me to town and get it out of my house.

[Rewarded Review] Great Starter Sim Racing Seat

The Evolution is great for those who will not have issues having a bar between their legs which seem to really bother those who are advanced enough that it will bother them. Some try turning the steering wheel mount into the opposite direction which moves the steering wheel away from the driver and also nullifies the screw mounts. There is a little sway with the steering column which can be fixed if you create holes in the arms and then mount the whole seat onto a wooden platform. Too bad the side mounts for a shifter are extremely expensive as they would make a great joystick and throttle mounts for flight simmers. Of course they would then have the issues of swapping out the pedals when they change Sims.