► Semi-permanent sim racing cockpit tested
► Designed to withstand direct drive force feedback
► Assembly process and adjustability evaluated
Having a sim racing seat, like the Playseat Trophy, can greatly improve your digital experience. Sure, you can use a regular kitchen or office chair with a desk clamp, but if you want a fully immersive experience then a racing cockpit is the way to go. Without one, you’ll struggle to get into a comfortable driving position – especially if you want a laid-back formula-style racing posture.
You may think that having a realistic sim racing wheel is more important, and that is true to some extent – you can’t turn a wheel if you don’t have one, but the greatest improvement to your digital grand prix races would come in the form of a seat. Having a comfortable seat is vital when you spend longer times behind the wheel, or if you tend to participate in online endurance events.
The Trophy comes from Playseat: A Dutch manufacturer that been producing sim racing seats and cockpits since 2005. They offer a wide variety of seats that are designed to be adjusted to fit just about anyone, regardless of age or height. Playseat is an official partner with some of the biggest names in the racing industry: including NASCAR, F1, and even the Red Bull Racing E-Sports team.
The Playseat Trophy is an attractive looking sim racing cockpit that offers comfort and lightness while being strong enough to withstand the sort of forces you can expect in direct drive setups. It’s an mid-level seat that is compatible with a wide range of wheel/wheelbases and can even be used with console and PC. If you’re interested in upgrading your sim rig to include the Playseat Trophy, then read on.
Playseat Trophy
What does the Playseat Trophy come with?
The design of the Playseat Trophy means that it is easy to package into a relatively small box. The entire seat weighs only 16Kg while the package weighs 22.5Kg – initially it’s hard to believe that you have an entire sim racing cockpit that’s strong and rigid. When you open the box, you’ll notice exactly why the Trophy can be packaged so nicely.
The seat itself is made from a hammock-style fabric that is stretched over the seat frame. It may seem like Playseat is cutting corners, but they might be on to something as it means the seat is lighter than traditional sim racing seats, and more comfortable than some.
If you don’t include the seat fabric, then the entire rig comes as 11 lightweight carbon quality steel components which are assembled using a variety of bolts. You get three hex keys (otherwise known as Allen keys) which are pretty much used for the entire process, and it’s a good idea to keep these close as they’re used to adjust the position once you’re all set up. There’s also a set of white gloves for you to wear while assembling the Trophy.
The instructions manual is easy to follow and consists of only 16 pages of instructions, which includes two pages for adjustments once the seat has been assembled. There isn’t any text apart from numbers that denote the quantity of each bolt required, and the Playseat logo at the bottom of each page.
Lastly, the Playseat Trophy comes with a one-year guarantee against manufacturing and material defects, so make sure you keep hold of that receipt.
Is the Playseat Trophy easy to assemble?
In short – yes. As mentioned, there’s only 12 components that need to be attached, so it’s fairly easy to imagine what goes where. Following the instructions is relatively straight-forward as well, since there’s no text, and the images are rather clear. At this point we would recommend you take care in selecting the correct size bolts and placing them the correct way because it is easy to miss the smaller details, but we didn’t need to disassemble any components once they were completed.
Some of the pieces may appear stuck, but they just need a bit of force to slot in nicely. You must remember that the Trophy is a strong piece of kit that needs to withstand sim racing forces, so it’s understandable that it may be a little tough – that’s what the gloves are for. We imagine they are also there to protect your hands as well, as the powder-coated finish which can accumulate scratches.
Once the frame is together it’s time to assemble the seat which pulls over the top. It’s nice and snug with some rather strong Velcro that keeps everything together. For those that would prefer some lumbar support there is an extra strap that comes with the Trophy that can be used to provide some lower back support. This isn’t included in the instruction manual so don’t panic when you think you may have missed a step, but if you need some help understanding how to install it then you may have to consult the internet. Once everything is assembled it’s important to adjust the seat to match your requirements. Thankfully the Trophy can be adjusted in a variety of ways to suit drivers between 120 to 220cm. If you are wanting to make adjustments, and we recommend you do, you’ll need those hex keys again. For the seat angle and overall cockpit length you’ll have to loosen the bolts and readjust. This is also the case for the steering position, but you don’t need the hex keys to adjust the pedals which can be done using the thumbscrews.
The Playseat Trophy: What’s good?
Where do we begin? There’s plenty to shout about so let’s start with the weight: since it only weighs 16Kg (without wheel and pedals etc.) it can easily be moved. Some of us may be looking for a sim rig that can be moved on a moment’s notice, but not quite something that can be folded as we still want the strength to support direct drive wheels/wheelbases. The Trophy is easy to move, and thanks to its rounded design it can slide to wherever you need. I even managed to carry it up a flight of stairs (one step at a time) but we recommend you doing that with a second person.
We can’t go much further into this review without mentioning the stunning design. It’s an attractive piece of kit that will surely appeal to most sim racers, and even casual gamers. The tubular frame features very little in the way of sharp edges or corners with nice flowing curves. This does mean that the rig doesn’t have any legs per se, but it is supported well. The breathable Actifit fabric material that makes up the seat is nice-looking and comfortable, and like the frame, it supports the driver pretty well.
As we’ve already mentioned the assembly process, let’s explore a little further: There’s only 12 pieces (not including the lumbar support or bolts) so it’s rather easy to follow each step. Despite the fact that each piece requires a bit of force, and some pieces require several bolts, the entire assembly process doesn’t take as long as you might think – it took us only 30 minutes to assemble everything before spending some time to adjust the position. While we didn’t use the gloves to assemble the Trophy (we didn’t notice them until the end, oops!) we do think they are useful to protect your hands as well as the sim racing cockpit itself.
Naturally, after you assemble the sim racing cockpit you’ll want to adjust it. Thankfully the Trophy is versatile and can be adjusted at the pedals, seat, and steering position, in addition to the overall length of the sim cockpit itself. Most adjustments are done using the hex keys to undo the bolts and readjust things like the seating position and steering angle. This means that once you’ve made your adjustment and you’re happy with your position you can lock the seat to there to ensure there is no movement during hardcore racing stints.
Regarding adjustment: we’re really impressed with the range of positions that you can achieve with the Trophy. Some other manufacturers offer seats that switch between a GT-style and a Formula-style, and while the Trophy doesn’t explicitly say this, it does offer a variety of adjustments that can help replicate a GT and Formula position. In particular we are impressed by the range of movement available in the pedal-plate: You certainly can position the pedals upright closer to the height of your waist. If you tilt the seat back, you’ll be close to a Formula driving position.
The Playseat is advertised as being compatible with all direct drive steering wheels, and there’s even a Logitech version which recommends you use Logitech G-Series hardware. The steering and pedal plates come with pre-drilled holes in various positions to allow a variety of major wheels, wheelbases and pedals to fit with easy.
Comfort is a huge factor: we’ve already discussed the driving position but how does that translate to a few hours of sim racing? Well, we found no problems as the seat configuration meant that we could sink into the cockpit with easy. The seat naturally moulds around the driver, almost like you’d expect in a real made-to-measure racing seat. We didn’t even need to use the lumbar support, but for testing purposes it was fitted and only enhanced the driving experience. One of the biggest advantages of the Playseat Trophy is its strength. Despite being light, all the components felt solid throughout the racing experience. Even the pedal-plate stayed true without any bending.
The Playseat Trophy: What’s okay?
It may seem like the Trophy is a rather clever product, but there are a couple of things that don’t really leave a lasting impact. While there is a wide range of adjustments possible with the cockpit, you will need the hex keys to carry out any changes. It may take some time to find the perfect seating position because you’ll have to retighten each bolt before checking to see if the position is right for you. If more than one driver is using the seat, then this could become a rather tedious task. Add to this the fact that each tube may require some force to line up with each hold then you might prefer to not adjust the position at all.
The Trophy doesn’t fold, so if you’re wanting to move it then you’ll have to slide it. Be sure to take care when sliding the cockpit as the powder-coated surface could scratch some floors. We would recommend treating the Trophy as a permanent rig rather than a portable setup.
Getting in and out of the Playseat Trophy is like any other cockpit, you must exercise a level of caution. There’s a decent amount of space to slot your legs through, but I did manage to bang my knee on the wheel-plate which wasn’t pleasant. I did not make that mistake again. The Playseat Trophy is compatible with a selection of wheels and wheelbases from popular sim racing brands such as: Fanatec, Simucube, Thrustmaster, and of course, Logitech. We wanted to see if it would work with the Moza R5 wheelbase, which was a success, but only two of the four tapped holes in the R5 lined up with the pre-drilled holes of the wheel-plate. This didn’t seem like much of a problem as the wheel felt secure even at max power (5.5 Nm), but some people have drilled extra holes to accommodate.
The Playseat Trophy: What’s bad?
Something we’ve already alluded to is the lumbar support, which isn’t mentioned in the instruction manual, so if you’re wanting that extra back support then you may need to extra assistance. Regarding the instruction manual, there isn’t any mention of gloves, which we wish we’d have noticed earlier. It is easy for your hands to start becoming calloused during the assembly process.
That power-coated finish looks great but is prone to scratches, so we recommend caution when assembling or moving the cockpit – or even when using it. Playseat produces a Logitech version of the Trophy with a smooth finish which would appear to not suffer from this issue, and although it otherwise seems identical (aside from the Logitech branding), we haven’t tested that one so we can’t say for sure.
You cannot adjust the height of the steering wheel. While you can adjust the angle of the steering wheel, we would have preferred to move the entire steering wheel slightly lower. This would have enhanced our Formula-style racing position with a better view to the screen.
On the subject of the screen – you can’t mount one to the Playseat Trophy. Yes, there are other sim racing cockpits that offer a screen mount, like the Playseat Sensation Pro, but these are usually more costly than the Trophy. A screen mount for the Trophy isn’t even offered separately, which tells us that it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and mount a screen as it would suffer from vibrations and therefore impact your racing experience. The solution here would be to either mount a screen on a wall and place the Trophy in front of it, to use an arm mount on a desk (for smaller screens), or to buy a standalone screen mount. These solutions sound like more spending, boo!
The Playseat Trophy: Verdict
If you’re looking for an attractive sim racing cockpit that can withstand the sort of torque associated with direct drive wheelbases then the Playseat Trophy is worth considering. While we wouldn’t recommend using something like a Simucube 2 Pro on max settings, we reckon it can complement a range of wheelbases. There is a great potential for adjustments to suit most drivers, and unexpected levels of comfort from the hammock-style seat. There are a few minor issues with the Trophy, but if you’re willing to look past them then we’re certain the upgrade will enhance your racing experience. Get the hex keys ready and we’ll see you on the track.
Alternatives to consider
Next Level Racing NLR-S010 F-GT Simulator Cockpit
If you’ve heard of Next Level Racing then you might have heard of their “F-GT” cockpits. These clever racing seats are adjustable so you can switch from a Formula-style racing position to a GT-style position depending on your preference. The NLR-S010 F-GT is direct drive compatible and comes with the buttkicker gamer 2 adaptor so you can feel all the action.
Playseat Challenge Actifit
The Playseat Challenge comes with ActiFit breathable material so you can be comfortable during longer stints behind the wheel. This foldable cockpit offers great value and is adjustable so it should be suitable for both adults and children. We wouldn’t recommend using a direct drive system on the Playseat Challenge, but it is ideal for console sim racing.
Playseat Trophy – Black
The Playseat Trophy doesn’t just come in red, in fact, you can get it in black. The black version looks great as it compliments the powder coated finish of the tubular construction. There’s even a Logitech branded version of the Playseat Trophy which is often on sale, and while it may not make sense to buy that one if you’re not using Logitech equipment, it might offer better value for money.
How the Playseat Trophy was tested
The Playseat was assembled by following the instruction manual and then fitted with the Moza R5 bundle. That includes the R5 wheelbase, ES steering wheel, and the SRP lite pedals. Wires were managed by using some cable ties to attach them to the tubular frame of the Playseat Trophy. We connected the equipment to a PC for this test, where we tried it with a number or racing games, but mostly Assetto Corsa.
Who tested the Playseat Trophy?
The Playseat Trophy was tested by Naveed Hussain. He is a commercial content writer at CAR with an engineering background, so assembling the Trophy wasn’t a problem. He loves getting behind the wheel, whether it be on the road or on the screen. For reference, Naveed is 5’11.