I have spent the last 2 months testing the Thrustmaster T248 steering wheel setup for the PS4, PS5 and PC, and well, it has been amazing. However a large part of that has been down to the XRocker Chicane and XR Racing Rig that I paired it with. While sure, the T248 is an amazing wheel with incredible technology and one of the best racing wheels you can get for under $1200. It is, however, even better when used with a racing wheel rig, and well in my opinion there's not many better than the XRocker Chicane and XR Racing Rig.
Let's start first off with the XR Rig. Firstly, assembly was easy as, and took me a little over half an hour on my own so I can imagine it would be much quicker with 2 people. Everything comes clearly labelled and while the instructions could have been a little clearer by including some simple sentences, all in all it was simple. Once assembled, the XR racing rig is a good size, it's pretty modular and is very simple to adjust depending on your height and size. Attaching a wheel to it was absolutely no fuss as the platform provided has both pre-drilled holes and the ability to attach a wheel via a desk mount or clamp, which is what I did with the T248.
You're able to adjust the angle of the wheel, the height of the wheel, and even the distance between whatever seat you attach and the pedals etc if the seat doesn't have its own adjustment. Luckily the XRocker Chicane that I used does so I didn't have to use this feature.
I do have 2 issues with the XR racing rig however, firstly, the bracket that holds your pedals in place is made of all metal, meaning depending on the pedals you are using, the base can become scratched and damaged over time from what ends up being quite a bit of movement. A simple slip of rubber here would solve the issue and would end up in a much more secure mounting. Secondly, the complete lack of cable management, The T248 that I used, has 3 wires coming out of the back of it, 3 wires that all end up in different locations. One connects to the AC plug, one to the pedals and a third connection to either a PC or Console. All of which look quite unsightly and end up getting tangled and potentially even getting in your way mid race. I would have liked to see some form of tubing or even a Velcro tie to keep these cables in order. I ended up using a zip tie, but something a little more polished would have been preferred.
If you're going to invest in the XR Racing Rig, I suggest you do so alongside the XRocker Chicane. The Chicane is made with the XR Racing Rig in mind, and so, is complementary in every way. It's comfortable, it's striking and most importantly, it's fully adjustable. Just like a car seat, the Chicane is able to be adjusted both in the angle of the backrest and the distance to the pedals via an in-built mechanism much like that of a real car seat. I honestly could not have asked for more than the Chicane, it's pretty much perfect in every way for me personally, however for people like my wife, who is a bit shorter than me, she did complain about the height of it, so I guess some easily adjustable height adjustment would be nice. Like I said, I didn't have an issue with it at all.
For me, the Chicane was perfect, it was padded in all the right places meaning I didn't fatigue during long racing sessions. It was well built and had enough weight to it to feel solid, while not being too heavy to move. I'm 110KG and this thing handled everything I could throw at it, including regularly jumping up and down and leaning on the back etc. Speaking of the weight of it, Let's be realistic, 99% of people don't have the room to just have their racing simulator set up in front of the TV 24/7. I know I don't, between games I had to store my setup off to the side out of the way. This meant pulling it out every time I wanted to play a racing game which I imagined being a bit tedious, however it's not as difficult as I imagined. It's sturdy and solid, but even on carpet it was pretty easy to just pull it out in front of the TV. Having said that, (because this has become a real concern of mine now that I have a 11 month old) It’s heavy enough that nobody is going to accidentally pull it on top of themselves.
All in all, I can't think of a better racing setup than a Thrustmaster T248, an XRocker Chicane and an XR Racing Rig. The seat and rig is truly excellent. It's sturdy, it's comfortable, it has all the adjustment you could ever imagine and considering what it entails, it's relatively compact. It's just a shame it doesn't have any form of cable management. Otherwise, it's almost perfect. I can't imagine owning a steering wheel without it.
