During the month of May 2024, an announcement was made about a sim-racing giant: the takeover of Fanatec by Corsair, another gaming hardware giant. The announcement came out of nowhere, and nobody expected it. In fact, anyone with an interest in corporate finances and activities knows that Endor AG (the company that owns Fanatec) is in a sorry financial state. The company is in the red to the tune of some 70 million euros. What’s more, this situation has been going on for some time now, and investors and bankers are not happy about it.

Restructuring was launched some time ago, but it didn’t seem to be a foregone conclusion. And then, with a bang, Corsair stepped in and offered to buy the company, and its debts at the same time. This should breathe new life into Fanatec, which has been short of cash for some time, as a good part of its catalog is out of stock, and no products means no sales, and therefore no money in the accounts.

What does this have to do with sim-racing?

Now that’s a good question! And the answer is quite simple: Corsair has shown that it wants to get into sim-racing. Starting from scratch is not an option for the American giant, so the best option is to partner with an established and recognized sim-racing brand, or to buy said brand. Corsair has opted for the second approach, and it just so happens that a certain Fanatec is in financial difficulty. It’s a win-win situation for both companies. Before finalizing the takeover, Corsair began work on a cockpit, the Sim Rig, which was presented at Computex 2024, and we’ll see what it’s all about.

The Sim Rig has a tubular steel structure, with an emphasis on customization. It features a base to accommodate the most powerful Direct Drive bases on the market, with various height and depth adjustments made possible by rails.

On the bottom, we also have a pedal base, which is sturdy and won’t flex with the Load Cell. What’s more, the same rail system is used to adjust the position of the pedalboards. Corsair knows a thing or two about gaming, and it shows on its first sim-racing cockpit.

The driver is seated in a very attractive all-black bucket seat. In fact, the entire chassis is black, but we’ve seen 3D renderings of a white and black version. The bucket offers excellent support according to the photos, and remains to be confirmed once in hand for testing. At the bottom of the seat, there are slides for adjusting the rider’s driving position.

Speaking of driving position, the Sim Rig is a hybrid GT and F1 chassis, which will delight racers the world over. With just a few flicks of the wrist, you can switch from GT to F1, right on the ground.

At the front of the chassis, there’s space for a large tower, probably a Corsair 4000D or similar, so you can have all your setup in one place. What’s more, cable management has been integrated directly into the structure, with several openings for cables and other cords. This must come from Corsair’s case division, and frankly, I love it.

Let’s finish with the display. The prototype shown at Computex 2024 featured an ultra-wide curved screen mounted directly on the chassis using a special bracket. This solution is frankly very clean, much better than those used by other cockpit manufacturers. In fact, I’d say that other brands should do the same on their products, because having tubes (round or rectangular) that tower up to the front of the cockpit is, frankly, not pretty. Corsair’s solution hugs the curves of the structure, and is virtually invisible from the front. It’s as if the screen were floating in front of you.

Obviously, you can mount a 3-screen setup on the Sim Rig, but you’ll have side supports to distribute the weight and ensure rigidity. Corsair is also offering other accessories and supports for its chassis, and these will soon be unveiled to the general public. All we can do now is wait for a release date, which is scheduled for 2024 all the same.