GT Omega Racing have just announced their brand-new aluminium profile sim racing cockpit, and ahead of the public release next month we got hold of the new rig to share with you our thoughts.
- GT Omega PRIME releases December 14th.
- The first aluminium cockpit from GT Omega.
- Retail price $665,95 without seat.
A racing cockpit is an incredibly important aspect of any sim racer setup at home. From comfort to the immersive aspect of your driving position, a cockpit that is right for you is just as important as the right FOV, a correct pedal position and accurate force feedback settings. Of course, as in anything in life, options and adjustments are near endless in the sim racing hardware marketplace, which is both a blessing and a curse for racers looking to configure a setup and equipment in the best way possible for themselves.
Frankly you don't actually need a cockpit to enjoy sim racing but if you decide to jump down the rabbit hole of a dedicated racing rig, many sim racers today are increasingly gravitating to aluminium profile solutions. Here is where it gets particularly difficult, as the choices are plentiful, and each has its own unique points of interest...
Step forward GT Omega Racing. A British hardware manufacturer already well known for their extensive sim racing cockpit range, and their new product - the GT Omega PRIME - a very first dip of the toes into the aluminium cockpit marketplace.
KEY FEATURES
- 160x40mm aluminium profiles
- Sleek Black Anodized chassis
- Adjustable seating position
- Fully adjustable steering wheel position
- Pedal position fully adjustable
- Highly adjustable side mounting point for gear shifter
- Perfectly suited for future upgrades
Saying that, as per usual the GT Omega seats that are available for this rig are the usual GTO quality and comfort, designed with a bucket seat styling but very comfortable over longer use, I'm sure many potential owners will find themselves more than satisfied with this stylish looking, adjustable and comfortable solution right out of the box.
Rigidity wise, as one would fully expect from a profile cockpit such as this, the rig is heavy, and absolutely rock solid in both construction of the individual parts, and once setup and ready to use. Maximizing the adjustability offered by the profile and mounting options, you can set this up in a multitude of ways to have the best ergonomic positioning of wheel, pedals, seat and shift mounts by simply bolting them to the part of the rig you want - exactly the same as other aluminium profile cockpits offered within the marketplace.
Where this rig differs from other solutions is with the wheel and pedal deck mounts themselves - something I was very curious to see if they would stand up to comparison with similar competitors.
We 'only' used the Fanatec CSL Elite wheel and pedals in our testing, so not quite the strength output enjoyed by hydraulic pedals and a direct drive wheel, however I was at pains to apply significant pressure on both wheel and pedal boards, to see if we could induce some flex or movement within those particular aspects of the rig. Alas, despite some rather comical jumping and kicking, neither unit budged, so I can be highly confident in saying this rig is absolutely ready for the most powerful and robust of sim racing peripherals to be applied - which is often exactly the sort of equipment those in the marketplace for this type of rig will be looking to use.
It is also worth noting that our video was conducted with a 'pre-production' version of the cockpit, so doesn't come in the anodized black colour that the finished product will be shipped with. Also, we noted the plastic end caps on the profile didn't quite fit as snugly as one would hope, and it doesn't come with corner bracket plastic caps - things we hope will be addressed by GT Omega once public builds begin to ship.
It is also worth noting compatibility. For the initial launch of the rig, the wheel deck will be able to support the following wheels by default:
- Fanatec Clubsport Wheels
- Fanatec Elite wheel series
- Thrustmaster wheels (T500RS, TC-PS, TS-XW, T300RS, T-GT)
- Logitech G25, G27, G29, G920, G923
- AccuForce V1/V2
In summary, the move to the competitive marketplace of aluminium profile rigs is a brave one from GT Omega, but on first inspection, this is an incredibly well-thought-out and put together effort from the company, and the end result is a rig that I'm sure will be very well-received by the sim racing community and enjoy pride of place in anyone's sim racing room.
Check out the cockpit from GT Omega Racing now via the following links: USA | Europe | United Kingdom | Australia
