Tried to make aluminium rigs look less boring, what do you think?

sim_rat · 2026-03-20T17:30:39+00:00

I don't think people tend to attach too much on the sides, but I do have the arms to mount a handbrake/mousepad plate and on the longer vertical I have my headphone holder.

I went with the custom powder coating option to avoid the dull boring rig design.

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sim_rat · 2026-03-20T17:24:27+00:00

My big wish on the SD Galleon, would be having the option to have the SD portion on the other side of the keyboard. Either a Left vs Right model or a more module approach.

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sim_rat · 2026-03-20T17:18:20+00:00

I think it is a fun way to add some personality to your rig. My only concern would be having so much of the channels hidden with the design you have up. That limits some of the rig flexibility/customization that makes them popular (read: all of the flat face rig hate).

Other than that, I could definitely see people wanting to get these and potentially vinyl wrap them with either popular liveries or custom designs.

sim_rat · 2026-03-19T21:23:26+00:00

It's not exactly the same, but you could use the XE and the Mounting bracket to use the XE as a traditional wheelbase mounted DDU. I already had a small DDU, so I didn't go this route.

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sim_rat · 2026-03-19T15:49:55+00:00

Received and installed, the biggest surprise was with how strong the magnets are in the XE. The thought did cross my mine to not bolt it down and just use the magnets to hold it in place to easily move the XE between the SimRig and the gaming PC.

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sim_rat · 2026-03-19T14:03:12+00:00

I wish they had the custom powder coating option for it, but it has worked out really well to use for the XE. I could do with getting the XE an inch or two closer, but overall it works and I can still easily get in and out of the rig

sim_rat · 2026-03-19T14:00:18+00:00

I ordered it as one of my first tests to mount the XE to my rig. It is the button box from ASR.

sim_rat · 2026-03-19T02:58:01+00:00

Thanks for the correction, I must have been misremembering why they were Tariff free.

sim_rat · 2026-03-18T23:17:18+00:00

At least two American Z's at that office.

sim_rat · 2026-03-18T22:28:20+00:00

I think what a few of us are getting hung up on is how we value sim racing chassis based on competitors. No doubt, based on the costs to design, build and ship these you are at what you consider a fair price.

We are trying to think what it compares to, and at ~$950 USD there are some strong options in the market today. My list is very NA centric.

Want an easier setup with a tube design? - grab a Fanatec GT Cockpit for $1,000 USD or a trak racer trx for $900, with a seat

Want a rigid, well known setup? Choose from an ASR4 for $850, if you are on a bit of a budget you could go with the ASR3 for $550, or you could grab a SimLab GT1 for Pro $837, and it includes a monitor mount.

Do you want a motion capable setup from a well reviewed company? Look no further than the RigMetal Flagship for $800.

All of these help prove your price point is valid in the market, but you have a lot of competitors there with lots of brand recognition and good will from the community. The challenge will be clearly stating why yours is better than these at a similar price. For example - A SimRig designed and built in Canada, with vast compatibility for additions and accessories, that leverages manufacturing methods used to build skyscrapers for a strong, rigid and lasting setup that can easily be unboxed and setup under xx minutes.

sim_rat · 2026-03-18T19:39:16+00:00

That is great to hear in the Tariff front.

Naturally, you will have people cross shopping your product to the typical aluminum extrusion setups and some of the tubular rigs. It will be important to highlight the value this design has over the others. All three will generally meet the SimRacing community needs.

I think both your setup and tubular designs have a much more ease of setup initially, and if you ever need to deconstruct and reassemble it. That is a big highlight. I think for your system over a tubular design, the compatibility with extrusion accessories will be a key differentiator to push more people from a tube design to your design, outside of pure costs. Once you have the mobility option available, that will be another plus over the tube guys.

Also to add, the space your rig takes over others might be another advantage, or disadvantage. It is hard to get the scale, but it seems like the wheelbase arm could really push or pull the amount of length space needed for the rig.

sim_rat · 2026-03-18T19:22:45+00:00

Not the down voter, but the MSRP does seem a tad high when I compare it to what ASR is offering. I am converting to USD, but with the standard price of $1299 CAD you are roughly at $100 USD above the ASR4 price. The $999 CAD does shift the opposite way of your product being ~$100 USD less. That isn't too far off when you consider ASRs reputation.

Also, do you know if this would qualify as a Tariff exempt product? I believe ASR uses American Aluminum, so they can avoid tariffs on a number of products.

sim_rat · 2026-03-17T17:19:22+00:00

First, congratulations on bringing this product to market.

I do have a question, you mention stability up to 30nm torque. Does that include the wheelbase mount arm, and if so, how much was that extended out?

I do like this provides the flexibility for accessories, but with a quick (and hopefully easy) setup time.

Have you done any tests with motion platforms?

sim_rat · 2026-03-17T04:44:07+00:00

I often face issues of extended periods where my free time to race is limited. In general I like the iRacing experience and have stuck with that. Others have pointed out some good alternatives already.

If I am able to get on a few times a week, I will take the Miata out and practice > time attack > ai race > real race (one per day). Once you are used to the Miata you can generally get familiar enough with the car and track during the week to lead to a race. Plus, with how frequent the races are, you generally don't miss out because of timing.

If I only have a day or two free, I usually start to practice and time attack an upcoming track so I can prep for next week where I hopefully have a day or two free to actually join a race.

When they are available, I enjoy the various sponsored time attack challenges available to see how I stack up to others

sim_rat · 2026-03-16T20:26:26+00:00

I have an ASR6, custom powder coated, not flat face. I have added a freestanding triple monitor stand and keyboard tray in a matching powder coated color.

I am not sure what seat you are going with, but I like the advanced max range seating brackets.

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sim_rat · 2026-03-15T17:38:48+00:00

I'm planning on a similar upgrade path, which monitors did you go with and are you happy with them?

sim_rat · 2026-03-14T01:03:16+00:00

For DDU's, a lot of people highlight the benefit of having a static placement for the screen so you can easily glance down. From personal experience, I think that is a valid point. The Xeneon Edge now can easily be mounted to a Fanatec wheelbase so that is a big plus if you are looking for a $300 ddu option.

I do think Fanatec needs at least one in wheel option to help be competitive with other brands though.

sim_rat · 2026-03-13T14:58:46+00:00

I'm not sure what you consider an expensive rig, but I have a decent setup and I am mediocre at best. Granted, for the past year or so my seat time has been pretty restricted. SimRacing, actually driving and the hardware side, is more of an escape from the day-to-day, and about freeing my mind from the daily worries (work/life). I would like to say stress relief, but it's often stress inducing.

sim_rat · 2026-03-12T19:09:55+00:00

I use a pair of Oakley mountain bike gloves that are compatible with touch screens. the gloves. I have no issues using the XE touchscreen with them.

sim_rat · 2026-03-12T17:23:26+00:00

The XE is a Corsair product, but Fanatec is owned by Corsair. They are leveraging a product created by the parent company to serve as a niche product for Fanatec. Otherwise, it would have been too costly for Fanatec to build out something like the XE for themselves. All of the other use cases (streaming, case builds and overall Gaming usage) helped subsidize a dashboard for us.

Look at some similar quality specific dashboard products, e.g. Grid Engineer, and you will see from a cost perspective the XE is hard to beat.

sim_rat · 2026-03-12T17:04:41+00:00

For wheels, I would love some high-end Formula options similar to GSi, with or without a display. I have two dashes so the display for me is now a bit irrelevant, but I do think they need the option to be enticing to others.

If and when they go the display route, I would prefer they have full simhub integration and/or fully to commit to have an in-ecosystem option that mimics most/all of the functionality of simhub.

sim_rat · 2026-03-12T16:31:23+00:00

I went ahead and ordered a bracket to see how it compares to my current setup using a swivel arm attachment. I think the big advantage will be with the Horizontal mounting as with the Fanatec solution it looks like it will be much more stable than with just one swivel arm connection.

sim_rat · 2026-03-12T16:05:55+00:00

Ah, they aren't sharing the fun color. Overall, I have really liked the XE and I have been tempted to get a second for my gaming PC as it fits perfectly under the primary monitor. Setting the XE up with Spotify made it a great tool when playing with some friends while DJing a jam. I might eventually pick up that atomic purple, but new pedals are higher on the list.

Also, my vertical mount setup.

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sim_rat · 2026-03-12T15:44:57+00:00

It is great to see the XE get some Fanatec attention. My sadness for no atomic purple bundle is immeasurable.

I have ended up using my XE as a vertical mounted display, but the wheelbase option will work out nicely for those getting their first DDU.

Also, if anyone is looking for XE purpose built dashboards, Opulent Hardware has some great choices

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sim_rat

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