Honest Review of Playseat® Evolution Alcantara Pro

After having the Playseat® Evolution Alcantara Pro for nearly two years, I share my thoughts on what it's like to race with.
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My Gear:
Fanatec CSL Elite Steering Wheel P1: fanatec.com/eu-en/steering-wh...
Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel Base: fanatec.com/eu-en/racing-whee...
Fanatec CSL Elite Pedals: fanatec.com/eu-en/pedals/csl-...
Playseat Evolution Alcantara Pro: www.playseatstore.com/evoluti...
#RacingSimulator #Playseat

[@fishvishnu]

Nice review. All the key info in less than 4 minutes. Just what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@markdomenie5453]

That wobbling/instability of the steering wheel is something that would drive me crazy. Thanks for the review!

[@taurtzz]

Its because stand crews are too low. Mine is very stable cause its properly adjusted.

[@andersrasmussen3942]

Thank you for such an honest and to-the-point review. If you keep it up in that style that will hopefully bring many more viewers to this channel! 🙌😊

[@Biskawow]

WOW I wish all reviews are like this, straight to the point and obviously not bought by the company selling it. thanks.

[@Vapod]

This actually validated my points. Thanks for review!

[@patkrebs34]

I actually agree with this video. When I first set mine up I didn’t really have much noise at all, even having attached a buttkicker mini concert (didn’t go with gamer model bc that attaches to the rig and would cause louder vibration of the rig and less feeling though the seat) to a thin piece of Pergo wood flooring and wedging it between the seat and the frame (actually works quite nicely). Over time noise has crept in, but I’ve been able to combat a little bit by putting some thin foam around the springs of the seat. The steering column does rock as shown in this video (used more Pergo flooring) but it also pivots slightly due to the one tightening screw which can angle the wheel off center. I’m thinking about drilling a hole on the pedal side of the column but haven’t decided on it just yet. 100% agree with a lumbar pillow, and I’ve also added a neck pillow. The pedal base can flex a little bit, but it isn’t much and could be fixed by installing two vertical posts. If you’re looking for a cheaper rig and are a bit DIY savvy and are more into open wheel (not needing a clutch pedal) I think it works really well.

[@jt_on_youtube]

Man for the price of this thing, you should not have to be drilling on it and adding 2 pillows just to sit in it for 30 mins. Sounds like junk imo

[@yannickliekens9303]

I have the same one, have it for over a year and noticed the wobble get harder and harder. I used 4 extra screws at each point you can fasten the rig from factory and noticed it much less. The noise you can solve with wd40 every now and then, you need to get under the seat and go all the way to the point the metal seat springs are holding on to the seat. That being said, great revieuw :)

[@1-18-KARmania]

I have been using mine with a Logitech G25 for more than 10 years and it's fine. It does squeak when I get in or out of it, yes. And it does start and feel uncomfortable after an hour or so, but so would a real hard- sprung hypercar, I guess, not made for comfort either. Mine does not wobble at all, as it is on a wooden floor with only a thin carpet underneath.

[@nickbayer7847]

Super useful, thanks mate 👍👍

[@jonneperola3511]

I'm not a giant (6'3) but it seems impossible to get a decent driving position without modding the rig. This is due to the fact that lifting the wheel also brings it closer. Also when using this with higher end equipment, you start to feel other downsides as well. There's a lot of movement on the wheelbase as well as the pedal plate. To combat these issues I had to make a lot of tweaks to the rig... I actually ended up taking the seat, building a base for it and connecting it with a second hand Next Level Racing Wheel Stand DD.

[@ThijsF28]

I have the playseat evolution with the logitech G920 and its amazing

[@rubenhage3273]

It’s not matey

[@HSVGTSR-hc4id]

@@rubenhage3273 I know only had mine for 4 months and the tighter snapped and it moves

[@SpikeyTheDown]

Hey i have a question, How is it trying to brake, cause of the wheel mount in the middle?

[@Kieran_OPC]

For the first time ever I'm going to have space to do a proper semi decent rig so this is going to suit what I want better than the standard evo seat looks to be! I'll be on hard floor too in my games room

[@Pislik870]

My wheelbase doesn't wobble at all. I recommend using the wheel on a traditional living-room carpet, so it doesn't wobble and you don't spend extra on the additional playseat carpet.

[@bryndaldwyre3099]

I have the lesser Playseat Evo Alcantara non pro model. The seat doesn't have the rails to slide along so it means having to adjust it manually with the floor rail. It's my first foray into a sim racing cockpit as I want to see if it's worth sticking with what I have or getting something better down the track. I can always sell this on if I do decide to get something better but as I'm just starting out, it's fine for now. I will admit though after hours sitting in the seat, it's really comfy.

[@narby7264]

I stopped the wobbling for me by sticking a couple of brick ties underneath the feet in the middle of the rig. leveled it out nicely enough.

[@SirShoX0r]

Useful, thanks!

[@MassiveAssFat]

“Most of us will be playing on carpet” huh what? Lol

[@SpasticSpud]

I had the Alcantara from 2017. The pedal plate flexed like mad on it, so much so that I made a box to fit under it to reduce the amount of flex - which was mostly successful but heavy braking could force the middle rail to flex a bit. But that was far more manageable than the pedal deck flexing like it did. Also, that wheel stand rocking can be fixed thus:- Get two 40mm diameter sticky feet from your local hardware store - 5mm thick is plenty, and stick them on the outer edges of the feet. Then, get a washer or see what fits and slide than into the front of the wheel stand (opposite side of the clamp) because the front/back rocking is also part of the problem. At least 90% of the instability is gone with those two simple mods. The centre stand is one of the cockpit's most annoying flaws as it block the brake pedal for the majority of users. I did find a way around it - a 50mm spacer the same shape as the wheel plate, which then pushed the diagonal adjustment down and thus allowed you to move the centre stand forward enough to get access to the pedal. But why should we have to go to such lengths to make that possible? Also those feet they provide under the wheel deck are useless. I also found the alcantara fabric was terrible for static, so much so that it would reset my wheel and I had to run a wire from the seat to the stand itself to stop the static discharge! I got mine for £160 which was cheap, but at it's current price it's poor value in my opinion. For less you have the Next Level Racing F-GT lite which is foldable and doesn't flex anything like as much and for a little more you can get the GT Omega Art, which does have it's own issues but is a better cockpit nonetheless with no annoying centre stand to contend with. The Playseat Evolution was OK 5 years ago but is now an outdated cockpit, I would not recommend it to anyone.

[@hateterrorists]

I gave up buying commercially. I built my current rig for around 50 USD out of structural pine 35x 90 mm. So solid that i could run 100 % force feedback like it was nothing, you can jump up and down and pull and tear and none of it will move. Only downside is that it is very very heavy. But as a benefit you can build it perfectly to match your dimensions. To save money I took apart an old office chair and used that instead of a racing seat and it works great.

[@CrusardModding]

I've been using the Gran Turismo Playseat for over 2 years. It looks very similar to yours but I can not move the seat. I can only move the wheel, the wheel stand and the pedals. I'm 5'11" (1.8 m) tall and my head sticks over the seat. I have also experienced sqeaking and back problems from sitting in it. It gets really dusty in no time, so I recommend putting a blanket over it. My steering column was stable, no issues with that. I've had a lot of fun with it, but I will soon upgrade to a better rig. I'm watching out for a Speedmaster rig because their seats remind me a lot of the RECARO seats from my Opel Corsa GSi.

[@bartpaelinck8321]

There's a seat glider option for the playseat.

[@ArthurHau]

Drill two holes to the horizontal piece of metal in the front. Then screw it to a piece of wood. That will definitely prevent it from rocking.

[@Mark_DanielS]

I solved wheel stand wobbling issue with putting some workbooks underneath. And also I don't liked how much the pedal plate flexes when all the way down with using thrustmaster pedals at GT configuration. I solved that issue with putting books under the pedal plate

[@mattamys]

Good to know!

[@henrique9259]

Great review 👍

[@mattamys]

Thanks! 👍

[@charliemaybe]

I have a 3 pedal setup and it works just fine for me. although I don't race competitively. I have been having a problem where the aluminum bar right below the seat keeps sliding out and making huge scratch marks from the one clamp spot right below the seat. I don't have the pro I have the evolution I think and I worry it will make a hole in the aluminum. I have had this rig for over 1 1/2 years

[@sebastianslapek]

Atleast you are honest, thanks :)

[@anthonytan8751]

Thanks for the review. How is the seat width? Comfortable? I am almost same size built as you.

[@ijhammo]

Thanks for the great and concise review - how do you find the Evolution Pro withe the Fanatec wheel? I am upgrading my Logitech G29 to the new Fanatec DD GT Pro and wondering if the Evolution is going to struggle with the torque. It moves a fair bit with just the G29!

[@Moviefudgetrumpet]

Ive just got a plsyseat evo actifit and not really had any probs as yet and im using loadcell thrustmaster peddles and thrustmaster T300 RS GT wheel. Only thing ive done is the two udjusting bolts on centre floor bar i swopped for 13mm bolts because you can get them tighter with spanner than you can with the plastic hand tighten ones. And peddle board nearly on floor and not propped up due to peddles a upright neway. And havent got the solid spring on the brake peddle. Fingers crossed so far

[@manspeej]

There are a 2 problems with the playseat evo, when you make the pedals the perfect distance away from you the steering wheel is too close to you and when the wheel is the perfect distance away the pedals are too far, 2nd problem is that it's a bit wobbly

[@Dyskord1]

glad this wasnt just me. I'm locked in a 6 month long battle with this goddamn thing trying to get the wheel and pedals both in the right places at the same time. still havent figured out how to mount my csl elite setup to it in a way that is comfortable without serious compromises

[@christopherbudden1652]

Great vid

[@bartpaelinck8321]

You should have mounted the playseat on a wooden board (18mm) mounted with 4 wheels. Super easy to move and no grinding on the floor and stable.

[@mattamys]

The Playseat is designed to sit flush on the ground and because of this, there isn’t places to mount it to a wooden board, but a nice idea!

[@clubmangt8126]

@@mattamys Sure there is, drill holes through the metal tube frame then buy some bolts and washers to mount it up. lol

[@lasarith2]

1:30 try a bit of furniture foam in between them and the seat (🤷🏼‍♂️) if it’ll work unless you try it .

[@SmartAssBaboon]

Thank you very much! I could just not believe that this construction is stable. I use fanatec with high FF and could not stand the instability. Any recommendations for a seat wich does not flex at all?

[@skeeplays4409]

want to know that as well

[@locki-tocki]

Thank man

[@IIMado]

Sjees that's alot of play when rocking the wheel, how do you play with that. I almost bought this glad I saw this review

[@MotocrossRacingOnline]

I don't really have the back pain issue, do lots of 1-2 hour stints endurance racing and doesn't bother me honestly. Overal this has been a good entry level sim rig to me for a couple of years now, one thing that i will say is that the pedal / mounting of pedal and the "stem" of the wheelbase is a bit of a lesser quality alltogether. If you have triple pedal setup you will somehow allways have 1 thats a bit annoyingly hard to reach cause of the wheelbase bar being between your legs. I see the youtuber here only uses 2 pedals spaced widely apart from eachother and thats honestly the only real way to go here. Secondly if you use a load cell the pedal plate really flexes allot which doesn't feel quite good really, i've been thinking about making custom support bars from wood or something to help this issue. Anyway to anybody reading this, this is worth the money and will last you sometime, if you wanna go for high level loadcell pedals with heavy DD style wheelbase i'd say to go for a better more sturdy rig, lately i've been considering swapping.

[@douchewigz]

In your opinion - What is best rig this year please

[@FantsyPants]

Thank you very much, just saved me $600.

[@fjaydn]

I've had it for 18 months before I got rid of it. The steering column blocking the brake pedal and the flex in the pedal mount are absolutely horrible. It really annoyed me from day one, although I definitely had a lot of fun with it. Well if it was half the price I could see a point of getting this for beginners. But paying not even 100€ more for my new SimLab GT1 Evo (without seat to be fair), which is a rock solid aluminium profile construction, I can't really recommend the Playseat to anybody.

[@JAGLIFTZ]

Seats are another 100$ at least the play seats for beginners not wanna be sim racing champs lol

[@GuardsmanHenrik]

Hi, I have a question. You seem to have a fanatec csl elite. How is the flex of the board where you mount the pedals? A bit of flex is no issue for me, but not too much

[@mattamys]

Not too much flex, but a little if you have increased the brake pedals rubber washers - but nothing massive!

[@GuardsmanHenrik]

@@mattamys Thank you!

[@andyaim4764]

I bought this seat yesterday... the pedal holes for the G29 didn’t line up properly, just slightly out but impossible to get the bolts in. In short I had to drill out some metal to get the damn thing to fit......

[@mattamys]

Yeah that's something I've seen online however I do believe they fit the top 3 bolts out of the possible 6 - which I know isn't ideal but Playseat I guess made the base to fit other brands better. Glad you found a solution though, just make sure to file down those drilled edges so you don't accidentally scratch yourself in future!

[@stanheijligers2999]

My steering collom is misplaced to the right side. Does anyone else has this problem?

[@mrwalmartmario9111]

what are the measurements of the seat?

[@tokyxrs4567]

I have the PLayseat Evolution and the logitech g920 and everytime I use the brake the pedal platform if flexing/bending down for around 20cm, does anyone have an solution?

[@tokyxrs4567]

2 cm *

[@ikergimeno8009]

Same thing happens to me, what I do is I place a dumbbell but I suppose you can place some books or wood something like that so it won’t flex

[@jarrodclyne707]

Take the rubber stopper out of the brake pedal on the G920.

[@jonneperola3511]

Cheap and easy solution: take a wooden block and drill it in place (underneath the plate) through the mounting holes on the plate.

[@kgd6567]

Can you fit a shifter?

[@morgolan360]

Heyy im thinking of buying one , should i go with the next level racing f-gt lite instead or ? I have option to get the car projects edition with i love since the rig looks amazing )

[@mattamys]

Go with Next Level Racing!

[@morgolan360]

@@mattamys thanks man !!

[@mostwanted2000]

Wow.. it's really wabbling. I have the playseat challenge and is really stiff compared to this. But I observed a degrade of steering accuracy of about 10%, becuase only the wheel has a bit of small wabble together with the chair structure. But I won't trade that seat with this.

[@matthewlewis7865]

will this work with a moza r5

[@Bosianio]

Did you notice that after 20 minutes of playing you are start getting small electric shocks on the gearshift and pedals , I bought that for my son and I am really disappointed, we have gt29 Logitech. I did research and this is a common problem , it’s down to structure of that seat . Metal frame and fibre seat , please let me know if you heard about that . Thanks

[@mattamys]

I actually haven’t heard of this before but that’s very interesting to hear! Is the Playseat sitting on the mat supplied too?

[@Bosianio]

Matt Amys Hi, Yes it is sitting on playseat mat and as a result of electric tickle my tv turned off and on repeatedly, which I found a bit odd.

[@rubenhage3273]

What’s a gt29 Logitech?

[@Bosianio]

Gt29 Logitech steering wheels Duh

[@rubenhage3273]

Skooby 2 actually it’s a g29 duh

[@giogamer4825]

I am wondering, can you adjust the back position, like in a normal car?

[@mattamys]

You can’t, only the slider for the whole chair itself!

[@giogamer4825]

@@mattamys ok, that's a shame. But thank you for your reply 👍

[@radyon955]

Did it come with extra screws if yes what kind?(ex m6 or m8 screw)

[@mattamys]

If you’re meaning the bolts to attached your wheel base onto the rig then it doesn’t unfortunately, but that’s pretty standard with most rigs

[@radyon955]

Matt Amys ya that is what i mean thanks

[@ewaeidsgaard8325]

I think its great for logitech and thrustmaster wheelbases but not dd wheelbases because it could eventualy bend

[@rapidvtec]

Which rig are you looking at to replace this one?

[@mattamys]

I would love to upgrade to Sim Lab

[@mentalmans_6561]

I don't have a lot of money, but i consider saving up for it. It would take me a couple months. Would it be worth it or is it just that bad?

[@mattamys]

It’s not that bad, but remember I’ve had it a while!

[@charliemaybe]

@@mattamys Ive had mine for years and it is still going strong after many days of straight use and hard beating from crappy brake pedal from the g920 hard pedal stopper. So you need to stomp the pedal for anything to happen.

[@Drowniik]

You have 2 pads to put under the "T" base of the wheel so you don't have that "stability" issue..

[@GustavoSantos-gz7uj]

So... I can't have 3 pedals with this rig ??

[@mgproryh]

seems like their challenge actually is a better product than the alcantara, I guess sometimes budget is better lol

[@puresim316nosimracingnolif3]

If you bolt the frame down there is no flex it's simple as that

[@shaneryan9076]

One big problem im currently solving is the pedal plate. I use a load cell and the force i need to put into it flexes the pedal plate like crazy and really feels like its gonna snap loose eventually

[@mattamys]

How much force you putting into it?! I haven’t had any flex with mine

[@tokyxrs4567]

I'm experiencing flex too on mine, I have the logitech g920 with the rubber stop In the brake pedal, I need to press down quite hard (feels like braking in a race car or old hydraulic system) and it bends Dorn around 2-3 centimeters every time

[@radyon955]

Did you fix the problem if so how

[@welshsteve7]

@@tokyxrs4567 i get same issue with my adx gaming chair/ rig and the g920 pedals

[@chads8267]

for the cost of it, just spend a few more bucks and go with next level products

[@hideomituns2184]

I think i should have skipped the playseat completely. I got a playseat challenge and funnily, it has less flex than this wheel wise ( still has some) bit has more instability with the pedals ( i think I will tape it). At the time I wasnt sure how much into sim racing I was going to do but once you start you dont stop. I should have skipped the budget rig and went straight for the most stable rig with zero flex straight away. Learnt my lesson albeit too late.

[@Infomonger]

I just got this and wish I would have watched this review first. The steering column is just too in the way. I had some rubber sticky button type things I bought from Jeff Bezos for cheap a while back that worked great for the wobbly issue you mentioned.

[@vandecayear10]

Do you use 3 pedals or 2? I was looking at getting this rig but no way in hell am I gonna get it if you can't use all three pedals with the pole getting in the way between your legs.

[@Infomonger]

@@vandecayear10 I use the pedals but even with 2 the post is between your legs so it can really be in the way. I've gotten used to it now but still annoying and I'm looking to get something more permanent now.

[@vandecayear10]

@@Infomonger yeah, glad I watched this review. The beam seems like it'd be a deal breaker for most people. Not really a clever design when, with just a little more thought and engineering, you could go up and over both legs like most rigs do. Would be so much more stable, too. Out of curiosity, what rigs are you looking at upgrading to?

[@Infomonger]

@@vandecayear10 I think I may try the Obutto or a Track Racer. The Obutto seems like a good choice because it's good for any sort of gaming not just racing. No idea if it is any good though.

[@BlackMartt]

I have 140 kg...will the seat be ok?

[@rubenhage3273]

You have a 140kg what?

[@Ralleballe71]

Ruben Hage 140 kg of fat

[@hrvojekis8880]

No..max 120 kg ..lose weight like me..I was 100 now 90..and the prize was playseat ;)

[@kilmor3151]

Is that doddleoddle?

[@mattamys]

Yes

[@T1Earn]

Came to see if its worth the buy.. You showed me the stability and i instantly am not interested anymore. Thanks for saving me $

[@abm9815]

does it work on ps4

[@mattamys]

It’s a chair

[@andkirby7]

Thanks, buddy. You saved me from buying this.

[@Rain-kh2sk]

anyone else hear the whistling or am I just weird

[@jirkadolezal8127]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Zyphon400]

“Most of us will be playing on carpet” Most of Europe (I'd say 90%) don't use carpet. In Portugal that has been out of fashion for 20 years or more. Most of the world don't use carpet. Most sim racers are outside the UK and USA xD

[@donjoe2661]

Shame. The squeaking noise of the seat and the uncomfortness makes me wanna look elsewhere.

[@charliemaybe]

I have little uncomfertness in the seat but I have the evolution and I have no back problem issues for long play bits. I do have a problem with overheating and seating because my seat is not alcantara but it is a fake leather so it does not breath too well. It does squeek though immensly when moving in the seat

[@bertram-raven]

If you have three pedals, it's terrible - the middle pedal is right behind the riser bar. Considering it was designed in collaboration with Logitech and that Logitech wheels come with three pedals, this makes no sense at all.

[@hrvojekis8880]

I bought this playseat (regular the cheapest-around 180 euros) And your FIRST problem has happend in the 2nd day ( 4th hour) of playing and its ANOYING...sory for my bad english but yeah...its not quality I exptected

[@iang8380]

This rig is total crap for me it falls apart when I brake.

[@split4181]

0:31 gayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[@Pislik870]

Yep

[@tunsiehelden]

Thank you. Will skip this one…

[@MountainSalsa]

Yep that looks way too wobbly. Not interested.

[@jt_on_youtube]

Looks like this thing kinda sucks.... So glad I watched this, I will be playing on hardwood floor and if I am going to pay $400 US for this thing, I sure as shit am not sitting on a pillow and listening to squeaking all the damn time. HARD PASS

[@fifesimracerguy455]

Looks like I now won't be buying one

[@LordTangWu]

Worst seat ever unless your arms are half the size of a normal person. Terrible adjustability... AVOID!

[@mattamys]

Did you not see the video? The adjustability is really good, as I showed in the video you can move the whole steering column as close or as far away as you like