Playseat Trophy Sim Racing Cockpit – Review

Playseat Trophy Sim Racing Cockpit – Review

After in-depth tests of a wide variety of sim racing hardware from all areas and price ranges, the Playseat Trophy Review marks the start of another series of reviews. Sim rigs are the basic framework of every setup and form the connection between the driver and the periphery. The cockpit tested here comes with a seat and is manufactured by the Dutch company Playseat. This company is currently the market leader in simracing and is known above all for its partnerships with well-known brands such as Red Bull and Puma.

Ordering and shipping

The Playseat Trophy is sold through various channels. In addition to the Playseat shop itself, you can also buy the rig from Amazon, Media Markt and others. This results in good availability and usually very fast delivery times. The sample tested here was provided by Playseat for this test and shipped from the Dutch warehouse via DHL. With a weight of just over 15 kilograms, no transport via a freight forwarder is necessary, so shipping is usually free of charge.

Note: The content of this review has not been influenced by Playseat in any way.

The rig is usually available for 599€ and is regularly on sale at shops like Amazon. At the time of testing, the price there was 569€ including free shipping.

Scope of delivery

Playseat delivers the cockpit in a printed cardboard box in which the individual components are individually packed in plastic bags and protected by polystyrene. The following components are included in the package:

• Playseat Trophy Sim Racing Cockpit inklusive Sitz
• Werkzeug und alle benötigten Schrauben zur Montage
• Lordosenstütze
• Anleitung

Technical data

Compatibility

When selecting the pre-drilled holes, Playseat made sure that all common manufacturers (Logitech, Thrustmaster, Fanatec) are supported and that many different pedal sets are compatible out of the box and can be mounted directly thanks to the slotted holes on the pedal bracket. This meant that an R5 bundle from MOZA mounted for the test could also be used without drilling.

In the further course of the review, the new Forte Wheelbase and the matching Invicta pedals from Asetek were used in a comparatively exotic combination for which no pre-drilled holes were available. This was quickly remedied with a drill.

Assembly

The assembly is definitively one of the strengths of the Playseat Trophy. The instructions are written in great detail and every step is illustrated, with the particular instructions highlighted once again. Thanks to the tools provided, you don’t need any other tools, nor is a second person necessary at any point.

First the frame of the cockpit is screwed together and then the seat frame is mounted. The brackets for pedals and wheelbase mounted on it can then also be screwed on. Depending on the base and pedal set, it is advisable to attach them directly and only then screw the brackets to the rest of the cockpit.

The next step is to pull the seat cover over the frame and secure it with a total of 10 Velcro fasteners. In addition, a lumbar support strap is included for extra support.

The only tricky part during the entire assembly process is attaching the bracket for the wheelbase. Here you have to align the holes exactly, which is either harder or easier depending on the weight of the mounted wheelbase.

All in all, the assembly was done in about an hour and the rig was ready for use very quickly.

Add-ons

Playseat offers an optional bracket for mounting a shifter and a handbrake (link to Amazon). It comes with mounting material and can be mounted in two different ways. The flat plate used here has space for a shifter and a handbrake. For this purpose, various holes are pre-drilled by Playseat.

The cockpit

Playseat uses lightweight materials for the construction, which nevertheless have good torsional strength. The resulting extremely low weight of 16 kilos (including the seat) ensures that the rig can be easily moved on its own, even with mounted equipment. This is a real added value, especially when used in the living room or at the desk. Compared to a solid aluminium rig, you have to accept a certain loss of stability. In practice, however, these are so slight that in the test even the 18 Newton-metre strong Forte Wheelbase from Asetek could be operated without problems in conjunction with hydraulic pedals. A video clip illustrates this very clearly:

The seat

Playseat uses a combination of a frame and a seat cover made of a microfibre material called ActiFit. This is supposed to be particularly breathable and thus offer good comfort even during long sessions. In practice, the first longer races were the first successful benchmarks in this respect. How the material behaves in the hot summer, however, remains to be seen.

The seat is very comfortable, especially thanks to the lumbar support, and even in hard braking zones it deforms only marginally and at no time in a disturbing way. Even though the overall seat feel is not quite as good as a real sports seat, Playseat has achieved a good compromise between seat comfort, stability and weight.

Adjustment options

Wheeldeck

Since the wheel deck has symmetrically arranged holes on both sides, it can also be installed rotated by 180°. This allows you to adjust the distance to the wheelbase accordingly. In addition, the inclination of the bracket can be freely adjusted.

However, the height of the wheel deck cannot be adjusted individually.

Pedals

The pedals can be mounted in two basic positions (R / B, see photo). In addition, they can be adjusted in angle and pushed closer to the rider through the oblong hole. Everyone should be able to find a suitable position.

Seat / Rig

The angle of the seat can be adjusted via two rails (photo: Playseat). It should be noted, however, that this simultaneously reduces or increases the distance to the base. This can then be corrected again via the general adjustment of the rig’s position. Here you can adjust the length of the rig to your own needs with two screws on each side.

Conclusion

With the Trophy Sim Racing Cockpit, Playseat has achieved a successful mix of stability, comfort and mobility. A unique feature is the low weight of 16 kilograms, which means that the rig can be moved easily without assistance and, for example, moved to the side. This makes it predestined for setting up at a temporary simracing location without having to sacrifice stability. In practical use, the Trophy Sim Racing Cockpit from Playseat comes surprisingly close to a solid rig made of aluminium profiles in this respect. Even the Forte wheelbase with 18 Newton metres used in the test can be mounted and operated without any problems.

The cockpit was easy to adjust during testing thanks to the various configuration options. However, users with frequently changing riders should be aware that they may have to plan some time for repeated adjustments.

The total package is priced at just over 500€. For this price, depending on the manufacturer, you can already get an entry-level Alurig with e.g. a used seat. However, this is not nearly as portable as the Trophy Sim Racing Cockpit, which weighs only 16 kilograms and is worth recommending, especially for use in the living room.

All in all, the rig from Playseat is a very well-designed product that impresses above all with its plug & play aspect, including easy assembly, without sacrificing stability and compatibility.