Best racing sim cockpits in 2024

Though a retail price of $899.99 (£749.99) makes it an expensive option, if you’re serious about racing sims then you can’t do much better than the Next Level Racing GT Track Cockpit. It’s adaptable and highly customizable.

The weight – while unpractical if you can’t have a dedicated space – is ideal for enthusiasts as you know you will be firmly planted in the one spot without much fear of tipping over. If you do need to move it into position when in use, there are lockable castor wheels.

Be it Thrustmaster, Logitech, or Fanatec, whatever your gear of choice is you know it’s going to play nice with the GT Track, making it easy to recommend to all.

While it may be the best overall, if you are all about Formula One then this may not be the chair for you as you can’t quite get the correct seating layout to best replicate the low-behind high-feet position of F1 cars.

If you don’t have a lot of space, want a cheap portable solution, or only dabble in racing sims or all of the above – the Playseat Challenge is the racing sim cockpit for you as it offers all of that at a wallet-friendly price.

The Playseat Challenge offers a decent F1 seating position for the price too, allowing you to get pretty low but your feet won’t quite be high enough if this is the main type of racing you want to do.

However, when you’re in pole position and you’ve got someone in your slipstream getting ready to pass you in the last corner before the finish – your mind probably won’t be occupied thinking about how you are essentially sitting on a very fancy deck chair and that’s because the Playseat Challenge really offers you everything you need.

That is except for a gear shifter mount which is quite the thorn in the Playseats side, but due to how many racing cars come with paddle shifters – this may be a non-issue for you. If you do need one, there are aftermarket solutions or you can opt for our best pick for a portable racing sim cockpit.

GTPlayer is responsible for some of the best gaming chairs on the market and this setup builds a cockpit around one of them. Speakers in the chair are a stable of GTPlayer products and they can help make your racing game experience even more realistic and immersive.

Not only does the Bluetooth sound system sound fantastic, but this is very comfortable to sit on too. It even lets you recline by up to 160 degrees and is made of real premium leather. With a decent amount of lumbar support, it’s as ergonomic as it is comfortable.

This is something of an all-rounder, being well-suited to track, GT, and rally experiences alike. Sadly, in terms of accommodating all body types, it’s not quite as much of an all-rounder, because larger gamers might find it a little bit too narrow. Most people will still be able to use it well enough, but it is going to be notably more comfortable for those with a slender build.

The chair is also available in quite a lot of different colors, allowing you to match it to your personal aesthetic. Enough about the chair though – let’s talk about the frame. Not only is it compatible with all the major brands (including Thrustmaster and Logitech), but it’s a durable construction made to withstand even high-torque racing wheels.

Readers in the UK may be disappointed that it’s quite difficult to find in that region, but for almost everyone else, this is a comfortable, durable, and immersive racing cockpit.

If you are really tight for space and can only play at your desk then Next Level Racing’s Wheel Stand Lite offers a robust solution to allow you to hook up some serious kit without taking up half the living room.

The solid construction with mounting points compatible with all major wheel and pedal manufacturers ensures you’ll have a great experience too – with the added weight of your equipment and feet helping to plant the otherwise light setup to the floor. It doesn’t quite offer a competent F1 driving experience but if you only have a small space to play with, you’d be hard-pressed to have a better minimalist setup.

Unfortunately, the upgrade path doesn’t offer a huge amount of value if you want to progress to a full racing cockpit with an integrated seat. The Next Level Racing Seat Add-On comes with a pretty uncomfortable seat compared to other competitors. It truly shines as a standalone unit for those who are happy to (or have no choice to) pair it with their office chair.

If you don’t have the space to play with but have the budget, Next Level Racing’s G-GT Lite offers the full driving sim experience for all types of racing in a very convenient and portable solution.

Because of its foldable nature, it’s really easy to adjust it between different positions so if you feel like a spot of Formula One in the morning and some rally after lunch – you won’t need to reach for the hex key as there’s a nifty quick release solution (like the wheels of a bicycle).

This amount of flexibility can meet its match with some of the more powerful force-feedback racing wheels out there with some users reporting that these systems can cause enough fatigue over time to crack the plastic components of the wheel mount. This would require a serious piece of kit to do this if you fall into this camp, something more solid will suit you better.

Due to its lightweight nature and multiple folding points, it can be a bit fiddly to put away when all your components are on it as they will all want to swing away in different directions. Once you get the hang of it though it should become a pain-free ritual.

If you are serious about getting into racing sims but don’t quite want to fork out for a full cockpit just yet, the GT Omega APEX offers a compelling package with a good upgrade path should you want to expand your horizons further down the line.

The Apex Rear Seat Frame add-on offers a lot more versatility when it comes to its competitors as you can choose your own seat. In the meantime, the solid construction will keep your wheel and pedals firmly planted without fear of flexing or damaging any of the mounting points and before you attach a chair to it, it can be stowed away when not in use.

The very solid build does mean that it can be fiddly to set up and put away as it can be a bit stiff but this is preferable to something breaking for the sake of convenience. Its versatility means it isn’t well suited for a true Formula One setup as the seating position will never quite match that of a real F1 car.

Overall, its adaptability and granular upgrade potential allow it to grow with you on your racing sim journey meaning you’ll never have to spend more than you’re comfortable with at any given time.

If you live, breathe, and sleep F1 and have the cash to fund your hobby then the Playseat Pro Formula offers the best experience you could hope for with an authentic driving position, premium build, and of course the bragging rights that you will have earned after coughing up the MSRP of $1,499.99 (£1,299).

When paired with a high-end wheel, pedals, and maybe even a VR headset, you will be transported to the likes of Monaco, and driving your regular car may just never feel the same again. We don’t think anyone would think twice if you bought a racing suit and helmet to go along with it either so you could really go all in.

You are sacrificing portability and the option to neatly store it away but if you are spending this kind of money on your hobby then this probably isn’t an issue for you. Unfortunately in the US, only the Pro Formula in the Red Bull livery is available which is slightly more expensive and may not represent your favorite F1 team.

If you want a good F1 racing sim experience whilst retaining the option to get good seating positions for other racing games all without completely breaking the bank, then the Next Level Racing F-GT could be a potential winner for you as it offers all of the above for an MSRP of $549.99 (£499.99). The F-GT is frequently on sale too making its value proposition even better.

The angle of the seat can be adjusted and the pedals are elevated meaning you can get a very good F1 seating position. Adjusting it isn’t quite as simple as its lightweight counterpart the F-GT Lite but it’s far sturdier, allowing for strong force feedback drivers that won’t cause any damage to the cockpit.

You can’t get quite as slung back as the Playseat Pro Formula but it is a third of the cost making it easy to forgive – especially if you want to dabble in something else. Some tall consumers have reported that it isn’t very well suited for them so if you are 6 foot tall and above, then you may want to consider something else as it’s a lot of money and hassle to go through to find out it doesn’t quite work for you.