Over the years, Playseat has offered us many quality cockpits at excellent prices, and the Gran Turismo is one of a line of products worthy of bearing the brand name.

Fans of sim-racing will be familiar with the Dutch manufacturer Playseat, and will also know that it is the leader in the cockpit field, as is Fanatec for sim-racing peripherals. The brand’s know-how has evolved over time, since the 1990s, thanks in particular to its founder, Dr. Fernando Smit, who had a real passion for racing and simulations.

Today, the Dutch manufacturer has its factories in China, but all the design is done in the Netherlands, and that’s why Playseat always offers us quality and, above all, well-made products.

In what follows, we take a look at one of the brand’s best cockpits, the Gran Turismo. Manufactured in partnership with the development studio behind the iconic Playstation racing game, I’m going to present it to you, talk about its design, its strengths and weaknesses, and give you my opinion on it.

Main and technical cockpit features

• Officially licensed Gran Turismo cockpit
• Excellent build quality
• Comfortable seat
• Cockpit designed in collaboration with racing drivers
• Compatible with a wide range of sim-racing peripherals
• Dimensions: 130 x 50 x 98 cm
• Weight: 20.55 kg
• Shift lever support

Playseat Gran Turismo design

Even if not all cockpits are designed with design in mind, putting function before all else, the Playseat Gran Turismo is a fine-looking cockpit. This chassis bears a striking resemblance to the racing seats found in GT3s and others, such as Sparco.

Playseat worked with racing drivers to design the Gran Turismo, and it shows in the bucket seat, headrests, side reinforcements and so on. The whole chassis is black, as is the seat, and you’ve got white logos all over the place to remind people that this is a Gran Turismo licensed Playseat. As far as I’m concerned, I really like it, and it goes perfectly with all the setups.

The structure is tubular and sits flush with the ground. What’s more, the seat bolts onto it, with support arms for the chainstay/steering wheel and pedals. There’s also a bracket for a side-mounted shifter, which is sold separately. On the one hand, this keeps the entry price relatively low, and on the other, it allows sim-racing pros to have it afterwards for their setup.

Manufacturing and finishing

Playseat oblige, the Gran Turismo is a very well-designed cockpit, with an outstanding finish. For the structure, or cockpit chassis if you like, the Dutch manufacturer has used black steel for all parts. It’s beautiful and, above all, solid.

As for the seat, automotive-grade Alcantara is used to cover the entire backrest. It’s not only pleasing to the eye, but also to the touch. You feel like you’re in a bucket seat from Sparco or another automotive supplier.

All surfaces are beautifully finished, smooth and burr-free, whether welded or fabricated. As far as I’m concerned, it lives up to the Playseat name and the brand’s high quality standards.

As far as comfort is concerned, I can tell you that this cockpit is one of the brand’s most comfortable. It’s designed for pilots looking for hours of non-stop sim-racing without fatigue, discomfort or anything else.

Using the cockpit

The Playseat Gran Turismo is a cockpit designed to accommodate almost any sim-racing peripheral available on the market, including those from brands such as Fanatec, Thurstmaster or Logitech. What’s more, it’s designed for drivers who want to race in the mid-range of sim-racing products. This means that the Playseat Gran Turismo is specially designed for Direct Drive bases, with fairly powerful force feedback.

This cockpit is positioned as a mid-range model, which opens the door to wide use in sim-racing for various disciplines. For example, the Playseat Gran Turismo is perfect for Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, Assetto Corsa, F1 itself, and many other licenses. The only limitations that can block the use of this cockpit are the user’s weight (max 122 kg) and height (max 2.2 m).

As far as comfort is concerned, it is there, with a seat that is both comfortable and adjustable, unlike the Playseat Evolution. The backrest adjusts to accommodate all sizes of rider (up to maxi), allowing you to do hours of non-stop sim-racing, as I was able to try out.

Note that not all is white with the Playseat Gran Turismo, and handling it remains a little difficult given the beast’s weight (over 20 kg). If you want a tip, assemble it in a corner and leave it there to avoid backache.

Sensation in play

So, in this respect, the Playseat Gran Turismo is a veritable well of sensations, even if the sim-racing peripherals are mainly responsible for the in-game sensations. But this cockpit shines in one very important respect: immersion.

With its relatively low seating position and all-round adjustment (backrest, peripheral supports), you’ll think you’re actually in the cockpit of a Porsche 911 GT3 or McLaren. You can also play F1-style simulators, but I wouldn’t recommend this with the Playseat Gran Turismo, as immersion will be reduced, mainly due to the driving position.

Playseat has also thought of everything by adding a mounting point for a gearshift bracket, which is sold separately. This little peripheral adds another layer of immersion, although I wasn’t too keen on using it. In fact, the base/steering wheel support is right between your legs, which can be awkward for braking with the right foot if you want to steer with 3 pedals. In my opinion, it’s better to have a crankset with 2 pedals and use the gearshift in sequential mode.

Playseat Gran Turismo compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, Playseat always treats us with the utmost care, and Gran Turismo is no exception. This cockpit is compatible with all peripherals from manufacturers such as Fanatec, Logitech, Moza and Thrustmaster. Whether you have a base like the G29 or the G920the T150 or T300the CSL DD of 5nm or 8nm, it doesn’t matter, because they’ll all be usable thanks to mounting points on the chassis. The same goes for the cranksets, which also have their own mounting points (CSL Pedals for example, which you can discover here).

Playseat has also been generous with a shifter mount that fits right next to your right leg. However, it is sold separately for budgetary reasons.

As for platform compatibility, Playseat Gran Turismo will work perfectly on all available platforms: PC, Playstation and Xbox.

Value for money

For around €400, the Playseat Gran Turismo remains by far one of the best cockpits currently available on the mid-range market. Admittedly, it has a few shortcomings here and there, such as the weight, for example, or the fact that it has a separate gearshift bracket, but this in no way detracts from the product’s value for money.

For its price range, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another cockpit offering the same build quality, sturdiness and, above all, compatibility with sim-racing peripherals.

My verdict on Playseat’s Gran Turismo cockpit

As far as I’m concerned, the Playseat Gran Turismo is a must-have for those who want to do sim-racing on a regular basis and for a very low price. This cockpit is clearly aimed at a mid-range audience (seasoned or semi-pro sim racers). If you’re new to the discipline, I’d recommend its smaller brothers, the Challenge ( discover it here) or the the Evolution ( find out more here), given their price and positioning in the sim-racing cockpit segment.