The Bulletproof Base

Logitech G29 or G923 (£150-250)

Why: Never breaks. Plug and play. Works on everything.

I've run mine 3 years, zero issues. Perfect for limited-time racing.

Thrustmaster T300 (£300-350)

Why: Better feedback than Logitech, still reliable.

Slight maintenance (belts eventually), but generally solid.

The Quick-Setup Cockpit

Playseat Challenge (£200-250)

Why: Folds in 30 seconds. Surprisingly rigid. Perfect for shared spaces.

I unfold mine, race, fold back before wife notices. Mostly.

Next Level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0 (£150-200)

Why: Stable, foldable, cheaper than full cockpit.

Use your existing chair. Works great.

Monitor Simplicity

Single monitor beats triples for low-maintenance.

27" 1440p (£200-300) is perfect. No alignment, no performance hit, no fuss.

I use a basic ASUS TUF Gaming monitor (£250). Plug in, race, done.

Console vs PC for Casual Racing

Console (PS5/Xbox):

• Instant on
• No driver updates
• No troubleshooting
• Limited sim selection

PC:

• More sim choices
• Better graphics potential
• Requires maintenance
• Updates break things

For true weekend warriors? Console is easier.

What to Avoid

High-maintenance gear:

• Custom built button boxes (wiring fails)
• Direct drive wheels needing constant tweaking
• Triple monitors (alignment hell)
• VR headsets (software updates, troubleshooting)

Keep it simple.