CONCLUSION

   Before I share my thoughts on the F-GT Simulator Cockpit by Next Level Racing I feel I need to apologise to them for the very long time it took for me to publish this review. Unfortunately, between getting the three screens from EIZO, all the cables I needed from Club3D and the Warthog HOTAS and T248 Racing Wheel by Thrustmaster to the lab a few months went by. On top of that in order to make enough space available for the F-GT I had to empty the smaller of the two storage rooms almost entirely and have it painted so I could actually take pictures and videos. Building a powerful enough system to handle the 7680x1440p resolution was also a challenge that took some time to complete (and even the Sapphire Toxic Radeon RX 6950 XT can’t handle it with some games at full graphics). So basically, it took a lot longer than I could ever imagine and so I sincerely hope Next Level Racing doesn’t hold that against me. Anyways with that out of the way what is there to say about the F-GT Simulator Cockpit? Build quality is very good, yes, a couple of the parts arrived slightly bend (probably from the factory) but that didn’t affect installation in any way. Positioning is pretty much excellent, not only can you height adjust most parts but the sliding seat gives you the desired distance. I did find the backrest tilting mechanism to be slightly annoying (you basically have like 3 different positions to choose from and the backrest does go forward and backwards a bit) and the center mount is not quite ideal for flight simulator sticks (too high at default) but I guess we can’t have it all. The tri-monitor stand also works like a charm, yes, it would be great if you could use larger screens (Next Level Racing does have a different monitor mount for larger screens) but it’s not like three 27-inch ones is not a good result. The fact that you need plenty of space to properly (almost) align them is certainly an issue and one that did take a bit of time for me to resolve but the end result is much better compared to for example using your desk (this way the screens are much closer to you thus improving the overall experience – this stand also makes it very easy to mount a soundbar just under the center screen like I did so do also keep that in mind).

  So just how much are you required to spend to get your very own F-GT Simulator Cockpit? Well at the time of this review the F-GT retails for USD499 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 450Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) so it doesn’t really come cheap. Add the cost for the tri-monitor stand (USD149.99/149.99Euros) and the combat flight pack (USD128.99/129Euros) and for this setup you’d have to spend no less than USD777/728Euros for just the cockpit (keep in mind that Next Level Racing also sells these as bundles in Amazon so you can save a bit if you do decide on this setup). This of course may be far from what regular consumers would call affordable but for the target audience Next Level Racing makes their products it’s actually quite the opposite. Price aside the F-GT Simulator Cockpit is a great product aimed at demanding gamers (primarily simulator fans) and even though it may not be quite perfect it’s still more than enough for our Golden Award.

PROS

- Design
- Build Quality (Carbon Steel / Faux Leather)
- Positioning (Height Adjustable / Sliding Seat)
- Comfortable (Padding / Lumbar Pillow)
- Up To Three 27” Screens Or A Single 65”
- Available Mounts (Racing Wheel & Flight Stick)
- 2 Different Seat Positions (GT / Formula)
- 3 Different Pedals Positions
- Stands & Castor Wheels

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Space Requirements (For Some)
- Slight Quality Issues (Isolated?)