Playseats Evolution + G25 wheel, racing simulator rig

Hardware and technical stuff
1

Since I had an Amazon gift cert I couldn’t get rid of, I decided to upgrade my racing rig.

(This is a PC oriented rig, but you can do something very similar with the Xbox 360 wireless wheel, if you are so inclined.)

Here’s what you are seeing:

  • Playseats Evolution (black) ~ $299
  • Playseats Evolution shifter add-on ~ $40
  • Logitech G25 force feedback racing wheel ~ $199
  • two 50w Aura bass shakers, mounted on the side of the seat platform ~ $ 99
  • Generic 100w subwoofer amp, mounted under the seat ~ $ 90

(I carried the bass shakers and the amp over from my previous build; those were not new purchases)

I am very, very pleased with the results of my upgrade. The evolution is a substantial improvement over the original Playseat-- better quality construction, stiffer, seat is leatherette instead of fabric, etcetera. The G25 is also top notch quality. And having a physical shifter in a proper mount increases immersion that much more, although I find that paddle shifting is more convenient in most games…

Note that the Evolution has mounting holes PRE-CUT for the G25 (pedals/wheel/gearshift), which was a very pleasant surprise. No drilling necessary… just use the included hex bolts to snap it all in. Unfortunately the frame itself didn’t have the holes cut for the gearshift add-on for some reason (??), so I did have to drill those. And I drilled holes to mount the bass shakers on each side, obviously.

My old Playseat + Logitech Momo wheel rig is up for sale, if anyone is local to the bay area. I’m looking at you, Union Carbide…

2

Here’s the parts for the bass shakers:

Aura Pro Bass Shaker

Dayton SA100 100W Subwoofer amplifier

The intent is so that low bass (eg, car engine, rumble strip, etc) can be “felt” in the seat. And boy, does it ever work! Recommended!

If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper ($99 street, w/amp) and easier to set up, the Buttkicker Gamer gets good reviews as well:

http://www.thebuttkicker.com/ButtKicker%20Gamer_home.html

It’s a pole mount but it also works in unconventional attachment areas. I’ve seen pictures of it used on the Playseat.

I’m also thinking about adding a TrackIR, but I dunno how much more complex I want this rig to be.

3

Also, here’s some helpful instructions on how to hook up the bass shakers.

http://home.comcast.net/~davemats/hooking_up_bass_shakers.html

A great resource with lots of pictures. It was the reference I used originally to hook mine up. (but: six 50w bass shakers? Four under the seat, one under the wheel, and one under the pedal platform? Wow.)

4

Good job!!