Last updated: July 21st, 2022
Having got into sim racing during the 2020 UK lockdowns (thanks to Richard) and followed the well-trodden path of upgrades from Logitech through to Fanatec, I decided this hobby was here to stay and planned a full overhaul of my set-up in late 2021.
The Simucube 2 Pro and Heusinkveld Sprints were my nailed-on choices to replace the incumbent Fanatec CSL Elite wheelbase and pedals, but the rig itself was probably the subject of most deliberation.
After a lot of research, I decided on the Pro Simrig PSR1 from Race Anywhere.
My criteria for the rig itself were pretty straightforward:
- 8020 aluminium extrusion – upgrading to the Simucube and Sprints meant I needed as little flex as possible through the components in order to get the maximum benefit in terms of performance.
- Practicality – My simulator is situated in the boiler room of my house, meaning I needed something reasonably compact and that works with the space. (and yes things do get pretty sweaty in there!)
- Comfort – Being an ex-rugby player I am quite broad and had previously found myself becoming pretty uncomfortable on long stints thanks to a slightly under-sized chair.
Outside of these practicalities, I had also read fantastic reviews about Race Anywhere and their levels of customer service. I personally place a lot of value on how companies treat their customers, and this, in combination with the fact it is a company run purely by passionate sim racers who carefully curate what they sell, made the final decision an easy one.
The Prosimrig PSR1
The Prosimrig PSR1 comes as a basic rig including a pedal deck and a wheel mount of your choice, but beyond this everything is completely customisable.
I had a number of conversations with Martin from Race Anywhere who was brilliant at listening to my needs and finding the solutions for me. He even welcomed me to Race Anywhere HQ to test a number of different seat options to make sure my comfort requirements were well and truly dealt with!
In the end, my order basket consisted of the following:
- PSR1 with a front mount for my Simucube Pro 2
- PC stand
- Triple monitor stand
- Fourth monitor stand
- Sparco EVO XL seat
- Adjustable feet
- Side mount with mouse tray
- Keyboard tray
The product itself
Given aluminum extrusion is manufactured to a standard specification, you could argue all 8020 profile sim racing rigs are pretty similar. I can confirm all the components were indeed present, cut to correct lengths, and well-finished, but really the devil has to be in the detail to make a more meaningful comment on a high-end product like this.
I went for the black anodised version of the PSR1 because I prefer the aesthetic. If black isn’t for you, it is also available in silver. I honestly expected a few small scuffs here and there given the powdered matt finish, but was delighted to find nothing of the sort. The packaging was meticulous, with every length of profile wrapped meticulously to prevent contact with anything else. The additional angle joints, forged steel components, bolts, t-nuts, washers, and plastic coverings were all expertly and appropriately packaged too.
This wasn’t something I had thought of when I placed my order but the unboxing really was a joy. There was even a hand-written note which was a lovely touch.
The custom, non-extrusion steel parts such as the front wheel mount and pedal plate brackets are serious pieces of engineering, not only in how robust they are but also in the smaller details such as the adjustability, the design facilitates, and the counter-sunk holes that keep the aesthetic nice and clean.
Assembling the chassis
As someone that enjoys that type of thing, I had a great time putting my new rig together. In all, I would say it was about 7 hours’ work to get everything listed above up and functional from start to finish. Since then I have been working hard on the customary tinkering all sim racers love, but to sum up, it is a pretty big job for one person to complete!
The instructions are all online in PDF form and are pretty easy to follow. I had one question in the assembly which was about my Sprint pedals, not the rig itself, but Martin was super responsive in pointing me in the right direction.
One thing I really appreciated is the attention to detail to add one extra bolt and t-nut to every component part of the PSR1. This was consistently the case so I assume it is intentional! Given the experience everywhere else I feel as though it is, but it was great peace of mind and added to the sense you are in safe hands.
There is a Pro Simrig / Race Anywhere Discord community full of previous conversations, helpful tips, and advice that I wish I had known about prior to assembly, not just after!
There are a few good build videos out there on YouTube so I won’t go into too much more detail, but Chris Haye’s advice about how quickly the PSR1 gathers weight was brilliant foresight for both getting the adjustable feet on, as well as installing LED lighting to the underside of the rig early doors!
The only downside relating to assembly comes with the fact I chose the black finish. Making adjustments once everything is assembled can cause a degree of friction given the nature of the structure, which results in small marks to the finish – a few of which are visible in the pictures. Most notably for me, this occurred when adjusting heavy parts already in place such as the front mount for the wheelbase and the height of the horizontal bar on the triple monitor stands.
I did also manage to scuff the finish a little while adjusting the height of the keyboard tray a few times but that was very much me being clumsy. My view is that this is to be expected on a matt black finish, and I don’t really know how I would avoid it if I were to do it again. It is however something to be aware of in your decision-making.
Sim racing performance
When investing in high-end sim gear you expect it to perform, and the PSR1 does that in spades. There is simply zero flex anywhere in the chassis.
This lack of flex means I feel every detail my Simucube has to offer, and am able to modulate brake pressure consistently and maximise the value of the load cell in the Heusinkveld Sprints. I am catching slides I never used to catch, braking with precision I have never had before and my iRating has shot up as a result!
Outside of the driving experience, I LOVE the PC stand feature. It is such a perfect solution for a compact setup like mine, and the elevation keeps my PC nicely away from settling dust on the floor. For all those cable management nerds out there it is also a perfect position to make sure everything is neat and tidy.
The triple monitor stand does exactly what it says on the tin. The steel brackets that create the angles are really nicely engineered and flawlessly finished. There is zero sag to them, which meant it was a pretty simple job to get my triple monitors aligned perfectly.
The keyboard and mouse trays are definitely the least remarkable of the components I ordered, but the fact the design, finish and functionality of them offer absolutely zero room for either criticism or improvement speaks volumes to the high-end sim racing space Pro Simrig and Race Anywhere are looking to play.
Finally, investing the time to test and select the Sparco Evo XL seat was a masterstroke. It ended up adding to the scope of my build, but looking back it was a fantastic investment. The seat itself is probably one for another review, but the hands-on consultation I got from Martin was invaluable and quite indicative of my overall buying experience with Race Anywhere.
Conclusion
As you can probably tell I am delighted with my Prosimrig PSR1.
It does exactly what I need it to do and has had a demonstrable effect on my ability to extract consistency, lap time and comfort out of my simulator.
In such a comprehensive rig overhaul it is impossible to separate which specific components have contributed most, but as the thing that lays the foundations for everything else to perform, the PSR1 is pretty much perfect.
Outside of the product, I am also very happy to recommend Race Anywhere. My experience throughout suggests they are doing the right things for the right reasons, and the new brands they have brought on board recently (such as Heusinkveld, Simucube and Gomez Sim Industries) are really exciting and testament to the passion they clearly have for sim racing!
