I felt like I was driving a real racing car when testing this sim racing rig — this is next-level simulation tech

Tom's Guide

23-05-2025

Sim racing has gone from being a side quest at Computex 2025 to one of the biggest parts of the whole show. And after having my mind blown by a certain value sim racing rig from Asetek (that I can't tell you the name of…yet), I went searching for the ultimate setup.
You know the kind — money is no object and I want the best of the best for my pro sim racing career. Oh boy did I find it in the Nitro Concepts E-Racer, which comes armed with pitch perfect haptics and even a wind machine to make you feel like you're actually tearing around Monza.
Of course, to get the full setup I used, you need the $999 Immersion Metahaptics, the R300 seat, the Moza wheel I used and the Wind boxes — all of which will easily take you into the $3,500 price region. But it's good to know all of this is part of a modular ecosystem, so you can start at this lower price for just the frame and build from there.
And if you live in the UK, there's a bundle sale happening right now!
So I headed out on track and the impact on my senses was immediate. On my setup at home (Logitech G Pro and PlaySeat Formula Instinct), I thought I felt immersion through the posture and the detailed direct drive feedback through the wheel.
But the Immersion Metahaptics fitted to the seat gave took things to a whole new level — from the big thuds of accidentally hitting sausage curbs to the finer textures of identifying when the back end of the car is starting to kick out.
And the most impressive thing about it is just how it really makes you feel at one with the car. These haptics didn't feel gimmicky, they actually gave me a constant stream of knowledge on how the car was handling, and where I could go faster.
Whether it's the small hints of understeer you can quickly correct while trail braking or timing the gear shifts as I powered out of Curva Alboreto at the Temple of Speed, the detailed vibrations told me everything.
Just when you thought the immersion levels were at max, Nitro Concepts turn them up again with the Wind Box — delivering a breeze that simulates the real airflow of the speed you're going.
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Not only did I appreciate the cooling in these high temperatures at Taipei (I'm British, so definitely not built for 90-degree heat), but that gradually increasing gust of wind as I peeled down the start/finish straight at 180 MPH is sensational.
Did I get any knowledge from it? Not so much. This is definitely more of a nice added bonus, but it's a helluva bonus with the sense of speed you get from it!
Oh, and additional shoutout to the LED bars on the E-Racer frame itself. Paired with the lighting control box, you can translate your telemetry into ambient lighting — be it the lights shooting up with your RPM, the color of flag being waved across the track for a nice reminder, or even flashing purple if you hit a best sector time.
I've tried motion sim racing rigs — those that are able to move the seat as you drive. They're cool and all, but with the slight latency in movements and the lack of real track knowledge you gain from all the moving about, it just feels like a simulator ride at a theme park.
What Nitro Concepts has done here with the E-Racer is simply phenomenal. Not only do you get all of that immersive goodness from the haptics all around you and the wind blowing through your hair, but they actively make you a better race driver too.
The price may be steep, but if you're an enthusiast with pro tendencies, there's nothing better in my opinion.