Alienware F1 Rig

One of the unique attractions at this year’s show was at the Alienware booth. A special hand made simulator rig that featured a triple 3D monitor set up with surround sound and seat feedback.

The hardware featured a racing bucket seat with a flappy paddle gearbox on the steering wheel and three pedals for clutch, gas and brake. You would use these to control a tech demo displayed as a formula 1 car on a imaginative race track. All of this was running on a high end Alienware desktop PC.

The rig was responsive and immersion felt strong with the three dimensional wide angle view in addition to the surround sound. What lacked was the force feedback from the chair. This felt quite low on the track although got stronger if you ended up on the gravel which was not the ideal solution.

An interesting experience although not one for the average consumer. The representative quoted the rig costing in excess of £20,000!!!