RacGTing Sim Racing Simulator Cockpit Challenger 301
design
There’s a lot to be said for first impressions and compared to the Playseat Challenge X, the RacGTing’s is initially a little underwhelming. The packaging is nothing more than a plain cardboard box, it lacks a premium vibe and immediately served as a suggestion that the Challenger 301 is a more budget option. Opening the box though offers a surprise, while it’s a little generic feeling with plain white foam and cable ties, impressively the Challenger 301 arrives almost fully built. It’s a small gripe I know, but if the outer carton had featured a branded wrap it would have set the tone a little better.
The fact it’s nearly completely put together and simply folded down in the box is proof of just how compact the RacGTing Challenger 301 is. Both when fully setup and folded down and doesn’t command a huge amount of space, making it a great option for racers without a dedicated race zone. Even with the MOZA R3 racing wheel and pedals attached I was able to collapse the Challenger 301 down to a manageable size to tuck out of the way in a corner.
A simple X-frame forms the basis for the RacGTing Challenger 301 with a suede-style fabric sleeve slipping securely over the top. It’s a thicker and less flexible material than the Playseat Challenge’s mesh but I found it just as comfortable and it still welcomed me in and shaped itself around my body. What was noticeable however is just how much memory the fabric has, the heavy creasing it arrived with out of the box was still there after a few hours of racing and the folding design added its own lines too. It’s purely a visual thing but it does make the seat itself look a little scruffy.
More impactful to the experience for me were the couple of cutouts towards the headrest. These are framed with thick, rigid plastic that I could annoyingly feel across my shoulders at different points. It wasn’t a constant irritation or super uncomfortable, but it was enough to break my immersion and proved a distraction at times. I’m not really sure what purpose they serve apart from looks either, they aren’t doing much up there in terms of ventilation so I can only assume they’re a stylistic choice that could have been better executed.
There’s quite a few places to adjust the RacGTing Challenger 301 and for the most part they’re simple and effective. Unlike the Playseat which uses a quick release clamp for the main position adjustment, the Challenger 301 features a pair of rear bracing bars. I personally prefer the Playseat system as I found it quicker and easier but I still had no issues with finding a comfortable, supportive position in the RacGTing. It’s another example of the RacGTing Challenger 301 being a more cost effective option, they’ve found solutions that work without going all out and pushing the price up as a result.
performance
How well the RacGTing Challenger 301 performs is going to be a matter of expectations before you first hit the track. A system like this is never going to be able to compete with a rigid rig like the Playseat Trophy to the point it’s not fair to compare them. That said, if you know what to expect from a smaller, more lightweight and far more portable option, the RacGTing Challenger 301 performs impressively well.
I paired the Challenger 301 with a MOZA R3 racing wheel and pedals, a wheel perfectly suited for this kind of rig with its small size and lower torque level. Bolting it on was simple, both the wheel deck and pedal tray had a range of pre-drilled mounting holes that lined up perfectly with the industry standard pattern on the bottom of the R3 and SR-P Lite pedals. RacGTing includes a shifter mount in the box which can be bolted on to either side or removed entirely, I didn’t have an external shifter to test with but putting some strain through this platform felt sturdy and secure.
The main crossbar that holds your racing wheel swings open to allow a more graceful way of jumping into the Challenger 301, just make sure you’ve extended the support bar on the base first or you’ll find your rig toppling over. Don’t ask me how I know that. This has a locking mechanism on one side to hold it in place when you’re seated but on my unit the tolerances were out of sync so I was never able to fully close it. Despite this, the bar stayed down anyway and it may just be a small defect on my particular Challenger 301.
Switching between the wider sweeping curves of racing in Forza Motorsport and the sharper adjustments of F1 24 I was generally pleased with what I got from the RacGTing Challenger 301. Throughout both I felt well supported, stayed comfortable and the cockpit overall was stable on my carpet. There is a noticeable amount of movement through the wheel however, unsurprising in this kind of rig, but something to consider depending on the heft of your setup. My MOZA R3 only weighs about 2kg and even this caused enough bounce and wobble to border on being a distraction in some situations, I imagine a beefier wheel like the Logitech G Pro might start to get out of hand.
The same is true of your pedal choice, much like the more expensive Playseat Challenge X it’s just a pair of thumb screws that hold the extendable pedal mount in place at your chosen length. While this does make dialling things in super simple, it always makes the tray prone to moving under heavy braking. My SR-P Lite pedals don’t feature a load cell so the Challenger 301 was up to the task but I did find I’d have to tighten the screws every couple of races just to make sure.
summed up
While it may sound like I’m finding a few faults here, the truth of the matter is all of these flaws are to be expected from a more portable cockpit and aren’t unique to the RacGTing Challenger 301. I made many of the same points in my review of the considerably more expensive Playseat Challenge X and RacGTing are largely managing to match that rig in performance.
As an accessibly priced, portable and collapsible racing seat the RacGTing Challenger 301 is a great choice. It may lack some of the premium flourishes of more expensive options but at a base level it delivers great performance. For racers looking to upgrade from a simple wheelstand or even newcomers to sim racing full stop, it’s well worth keeping some money in your pocket and going with the RacGTing.
