SimraceBeast — independent sim racing media, built by someone who actually drives.
I'm Max, and I've been sim racing for over 8 years. I built this site because I got tired of "best of" lists written by people who clearly never touched the hardware. Everything here is based on real seat time, real equipment, and real opinions — including the uncomfortable ones.
My sim racing journey
It started in 2016 with a Logitech G29 bolted to a dining table. After six months of chasing laptimes in Assetto Corsa, I upgraded to a Thrustmaster T300 — and realised force feedback actually mattered. Then came the Fanatec rabbit hole. Then a proper cockpit. Then direct drive.
Today I run a Moza R12 with Heusinkveld Sprint pedals in a Next Level Racing F-GT Elite cockpit. I've spent somewhere north of 3,000 hours across iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and rFactor 2. I've tested everything from $150 entry-level pedals to $2,500 direct drive wheel bases.
Equipment I've personally tested
| Category | Products Tested |
|---|---|
| Wheel Bases | Moza R5, R9, R12 · Fanatec CSL DD · Simagic Alpha Mini · Simucube 2 Sport |
| Steering Wheels | Moza KS · Fanatec McLaren GT3 · Simagic GT4 |
| Pedals | Heusinkveld Sprint · Moza CRP · Fanatec CSL Elite v2 · Load cell mod Logitech |
| Cockpits | Next Level Racing F-GT · Trak Racer TR8 Pro |
| Sim Titles | iRacing · ACC · rFactor 2 · Automobilista 2 · Gran Turismo 7 |
Why I built SimraceBeast
The sim racing hardware market is full of noise. YouTube reviews often don't tell you what broke after three months. "Best of" articles online are mostly recycled spec sheets with affiliate links. Reddit threads are helpful but scattered.
SimraceBeast is my attempt to create what I wished existed when I started: structured, honest, experience-backed reviews — with methodology you can actually read, and conclusions I'm willing to defend.
One person, one set of standards, one rig. No fluff.
How this site stays independent
SimraceBeast is funded through advertising and affiliate links. This means some manufacturers whose products I review may also be advertisers on the site.
Here's my policy, in plain language: No advertiser can influence a rating, a ranking, or a recommendation. I've given negative assessments to products from paying advertisers. I'll do it again.
Every ranking page on this site links to my Methodology → so you can see exactly how I arrive at conclusions. If you think I got something wrong, email me — I'll engage with the argument.
How I test
I don't write about products I haven't used. Every review on SimraceBeast reflects a minimum of 4 weeks of real seat time across multiple sim titles. I test force feedback feel, build quality, software ecosystem, and long-term reliability — not just first impressions.