Playseat Formula Instinct – F1 Edition Racing Seat
design & assembly
While Lando Norris has a team of mechanics and engineers to build his McLaren F1 car, you’ll need to assemble your own Formula Instinct racing seat. This wasn’t too difficult a task though, I find Playseat always does a good job of minimising the total amount of parts needed to build a racing seat and that’s the case here too. In fact it’s surprising how few individual pieces make up the Formula Instinct F1 Edition and thanks to the clear instruction booklet I was able to construct this racing seat solo in about an hour. It would have probably been nearer to 40 minutes if not for a particularly stubborn connection that drew more expletives out of me than a Yuki Tsunoda radio message. We got there though with all of the required bolts and tools included in the box, there’s even a pair of white fabric gloves if you’re feeling particularly fancy.
I’ve tested a number of Playseat’s offerings now, and generally it seems to go in one of two distinct directions with racing seats – soft and flexible or hard and fixed. The Playseat Formula Instinct F1 Edition is firmly the latter, there’s metal everywhere in this rigid setup with an angular, almost industrial vibe. It’s the complete opposite of the similarly priced Playseat Trophy which feels flowy and almost organic in shape with a soft, hammock-like seat. Interestingly though despite being larger according to the spec sheets, I found the Formula Instinct felt smaller and less commanding in my gaming room. I don’t have an explanation for this either, the seat end of both cockpits run with a relatively similar size and shape but there was a definite visual difference, even if it was simply an optical illusion.
It’s still a sizeable racing seat though and shouldn’t be underestimated, this isn’t a compact option like the Playseat Challenge X or RacGTing Challenger 301 – this is a full size rig that realistically needs a dedicated space. It’s also not particularly carpet friendly, something to consider when you’re choosing where to put it. The Playseat Formula Instinct relies on four small rubber feet as the only points of contact with the ground and these were quick to leave alarming marks in my medium-pile carpet, even before I’d sat in it for the first time. I could see these causing permanent damage in the long run so I ended up grabbing some furniture sliders to place underneath to spread the load. These were only a few pounds so not a major problem in the grand scheme, but it’d be nice to see Playseat include a more carpet-friendly foot option in the box as standard.
As you’d expect from a brand with Playseat’s reputation, build quality on the Formula Instinct is excellent. The entirely metal frame feels robust and solid with a pleasant powder-coated finish on the main body and smooth white highlights to break things up. It looks more utility than the more stylish Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition and it’s probably less likely to get the loved-one seal of approval for a living room, but it’s not an eyesore with a few bright red F1 brand flourishes too.
My only disappointment when it comes to build quality are the ‘Modufoam’ cushions that attach with velcro to the Playseat Formula Instinct’s bucket seat. Despite the funky branding, they feel like generic, basic foam and out of place compared to the rest of the seat. They aren’t uncomfortable, just entirely unremarkable and I was expecting far better. Despite its impressive Iron Man-esque panelling the back panel in particular felt thin, though the bottom cushion is much better, primarily thanks to a couple of cm more thickness and more pronounced shaping.
performance
Perhaps the most impressive part of the Playseat Formula Instinct compared to other sim racing seats I’ve tried is how customisable it is. Just about every part of this cockpit offers you a way to dial it in to your liking, from the angle of the pedal tray to the height of the headrest cushion it’s up to you how you want it. A quick count suggested no less than eight different points of adjustment, some of them allowing for detailed fine tuning while others offer a range of fixed positions. I was surprised how much of a difference each change would make and spent the best part of an hour trying different setups.
Each adjustment of the Playseat Formula Instinct was easy enough to make, though some are definitely simpler than others. The main wheel bar for example features the jazzily named ‘X-Adapt quick release adjustment system’ while others rely on the more old-fashioned hex key. I have no major complaints about any of the choices here, though a little spot to store the required Allen keys would have been a nice touch and saved future searches I’m sure I’ll have to make. I’d also have liked a little extra consideration for cable management, a channel running down down the arm or something would have kept things far tidier.
Moving the position of the seat itself back and forth proved the most awkward adjustment and unfortunately this is the one you’re probably most often going to make, particularly in shared situations. The knobs are a great improvement over the awkward multi-bolt setup of the Playseat Trophy, but actually sliding the seat itself was stiff and awkward. It may loosen over time or need a little squirt of WD-40, and solo players are likely to set this once and not touch it again, but a more assisted or at least less resistive movement solution would have been very welcome.
Once it was fully customised to my liking however all of my minor concerns and criticisms disappeared because out on track the Playseat Formula Instinct F1 Edition is top class. I’ve spent a lot of time (badly) racing F1 cars in the Playseat Trophy and it was surprising how different the experience in the Formula Instinct was. Playseat’s marketing boasts an ‘authentic F1 racing position’ and while I’ve never set foot in an F1 car, it’s a noticeably different driving position to the Trophy, Challenge X or RacGTing 301. It’s also the easiest of the group to get in and out of, there’s plenty of clear air to climb into and I never once banged my knees or lost my dignity trying to clamber out of it.
While I often race with the MOZA R12, I decided to throw the Playseat Formula Instinct into the deep end with the beefiest wheel I had available, the Logitech G Pro. Not only does this wheel pull 11Nm of torque through the direct drive motor, it’s overwhelmingly large and weighs 8.5kg – if the Formula Instinct can handle this, it’ll handle pretty much any wheel, and it handled it with ease.
The wheelbase mounting plate is littered with holes in all the usual layouts so I had no problem lining up and tightly securing both the MOZA R12 or Logi G Pro. Even with quite a strong overbite making the G Pro front heavy, the Formula Instinct’s platform never moved. No matter how quickly I changed direction around tight corners or how high I turned up the force feedback intensity the wheel remained rock solid, and more importantly, so did I in the Instinct’s wide bucket seat. It’s a very different experience here than with Playseat’s other mid-range chairs and while I actually quite enjoy the way the Playseat Trophy’s hammock approach gives and moves with you, there’s a more professional vibe that comes from this more locked in seat.
The Playseat Formula Instinct’s pedal tray is by far the least elegant component but it’s a good example of function over form because it performs well under pressure. Once again I had no problem lining up the large Logitech G Pro Pedal base, though it’s certainly far fiddlier than attaching the wheelbase proved to be. Locked in and out on track the pedal tray was capable of withstanding serious strain, the exposed bracing arms certainly look less slick than the Trophy’s more all-in-one system but they do their job well and slamming the G Pro’s 100kg load cell brake on the Formula Instinct never budged. This approach does allow for a greater range of positions than other Playseat racing chairs and compliments the F1-inspired seating position well with a tray that can reach some pretty extreme angles.
summed up
It should come as no surprise that Playseat have once again delivered an excellent sim racing seat, the Formula Instinct F1 Edition ticks pretty much every box for a mid-tier cockpit. Great build quality and a rock solid frame combine with a comfortable, F1-inspired seating position for a lovely driving experience.
Sure, the cushions could be thicker and some accessory management would be nice to see, but it’s hard to fault the Playseat Formula Instinct on anything more than minor details. This racing seat is a close match for the Playseat Trophy, one isn’t necessarily better than the other. They’re similarly priced and offer equally solid construction – the choice is one of aesthetics and seat style. If you’re going full send on F1 the Formula Instinct is a great choice.
