AW Universe 4 Inch Simracing Dashboard – Review

AW Universe 4 Inch Simracing Dashboard – Review

With the 4 inch AW Universe Dashboard, the next Dash in the price range around 200€ is just around the corner and has to prove itself in our review. The Polish manufacturer Another Way has built in a VoCore display and a total of 20 controllable RGB LEDs.

Ordering and shipping

The dashboard can currently be purchased from Another Way’s shop for 199€ + shipping. Alternatively, it can also be purchased in various simracing shops at the same price of 199€.

Scope of delivery

The following components are included in the scope of delivery

• Dashboard
• Brackets
• Two screws for mounting the brackets on the dashboard

The USB-A cable, which is about two metres long, is permanently installed on the back of the display.

Display

Another Way uses a VoCore display, just like the recently tested Racedash Pro from 3D Simgear. This time, the 4-inch model is used.

Brightness and resolution are quite adequate for a display of this size. Only the refresh rate has to accept the typical VoCore compromises, but these are of little consequence when used as a dashboard.

All you need to do is install the official VoCore driver, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

At 4 inches, the display is at the lower limit for a dashboard. A version with 4.3 or 5 inches would be better.

LEDs

The dashboard has a total of 20 controllable RGB LEDs, which are distributed with the following arrangement:

• Left: 4 LEDs
• Middle: 12 LEDs
• Right: 4 LEDs

The LEDs are very bright and were operated at less than 10% of maximum brightness during the review. The slightly noticeable difference between the eight middle LEDs and the outer LEDs on the top of the dashboard is noticeable. Although this is hardly apparent in actual operation, a closer look reveals differences in brightness that are presumably due to positioning that is not 100% symmetrical.

Materials

Another Way relies on a 3D-printed housing that is produced using the SLA process. This ensures a smooth surface without the visible layers typical of an FDM 3D printer. Even if the enclosure cannot compete visually with a dashboard made of aluminium or carbon, the chosen material is quite appealing for the application. In particular, the very compact form factor should be emphasised.

The fixed cable at the back is well made and has a fabric sheath.

Software

Like 3D Simgear, Another Way also relies fully on the popular Simhub simracing application for its software. With it, the dashboard can be controlled comfortably and each of the total of 20 LEDs can be configured freely. Flags are possible as well as a spotter function, ABS and TC effects and of course the classic RPM bar.

Dashboards for almost any vehicle imaginable can be downloaded from various sources (e.g. Racedepartment, Simhub, Discord) and displayed on the four-inch display. It may be necessary to choose a dashboard with a design that can be easily displayed on the rather small screen.

Note: To use Simhub with 60 instead of 10 FPS, a full version is required. This is already available from 6€.

Mounting and connections

The dashboard is mounted with two metal brackets. This requires additional screws, which are not included in the scope of delivery, in order to attach them to the wheelbase or another location. The slotted holes in conjunction with the freely rotatable brackets allow the dashboard to be mounted on almost any wheelbase, but unfortunately the brackets are quiet visable depending on the wheelbase. The solution is practical, but visually much better.

The dashboard then only needs to be connected to a USB-A port that supplies sufficient power. We recommend either connecting it directly to the PC or via a USB hub with its own power supply.

Video

Conclusion

The AW Universe – 4 inch simracing dashboard is particularly impressive due to its compact housing including the 20 integrated RGB LEDs. At the same time, however, the slim form factor is only possible through the use of a VoCore display that is only four inches in size. These have become standard for simracing dashboards, but four inches is definitely at the lower limit.

The choice of an SLA printed case for the dashboard makes sense and still makes the AW Universe Dash look high quality.

Overall, the dashboard makes a good impression for 199€ + shipping. If you can live with the display size or perhaps even prefer it, you certainly won’t make a mistake here.