I’m a sim racer with a passion for Motorsport, good racecraft and the tech side of sim racing. I made SIMRACINGCOCKPIT.GG as a place to share my experiences. I hold an International Class C race licence and write for sim racing store G-Performance and Motorsport resource Driver61.com
Featured Image: Sim Lab P1-X Pro Sim Racing Cockpit
When you’re a reviewer, there are some jobs you’re keener to take than others. A wheel review, for example; is a joy. Open the box, fit the wheel, and drive. Done. Then there’s the bigger stuff; pedals or a seat perhaps.
Building a sim racing cockpit is a whole different ballgame. As so many of you know, these things turn up in multiple, large boxes. Not all on the same day sometimes! You stare at the boxes for a few days before you decide to make a start. It is, put simply, an enormous job to put a sim racing cockpit together. If you’re a buyer, you probably don’t build these things for a living, and I suspect it can be a bit of a surprise when everything arrives and you have to actually, build your simulator!
I’m someone who’s spent a decent amount of hours tinkering with and adjusting sim racing rigs (mostly mine obviously). Despite the investment in time to build an entire cockpit; it’s always a learning experience and it’s good to see how these products are developing over the years. Sim-Lab has over the years, positioned itself as high-end manufacturer with accessible, easy to manage products.
OK then, time to get the tools out and check out their new P1-X Pro sim racing cockpit.
Design and Build
The P1-X Pro is considered Sim-Lab’s “evolution” of the classic P1-X model. To be completely fair, it’s a thoroughly different beast – the original looks pre-historic by comparison.
The new P1-X Pro design is what you’d hope to see after years of customer feedback, design work and improvement in price-accessible manufacturing technology.
Naturally, the cockpit is built from an aluminium extrusion profile (by the way, all bolts supplied for the assembly were M8).
As you’d expect, there are a few designs of brackets, from plate brackets for the main wheelbase stand (I want to say nacelles), to something a bit more custom to deal with the wheelmounting and pedal plate. Each item is entirely unique to this particular cockpit design.
Sim-Lab has used custom-designed profiles in the P1-X Pro. While the overall profile is lighter than a more off the shelf item, lightness does not mean weak. Far from it – as soon as the bolts are tight, you have a very rigid frame.
The profiles are customised in two other ways. Many of them feature drilled ends and some feature countersunk drilled bolt holes in the centre-side sections of the profile. Put simply, angle brackets are a thing of the past.
The black powder-coated finish gives the P1-X Pro a matte, modern look that wouldn’t look out of place in a contemporary living room. It’s a definite step up from the bare aluminium look or shiny powder coat you catch on other cockpits. This is a more, textured finish.
Build Quality
In almost all areas the build quality is very good. The powder-coated finish on my unit arrived without a scratch – a welcome sight for anyone who’s ever received a damaged component in the post.
I’ve given Sim-Lab some feedback that the larger heavier boxes should have a high-density PU foam to protect the ends of the profile. Aluminium is soft stuff – one drop on the box end might hurt the contents.
Take a look at the 90 degree corner brackets in the image above. The profiles are drilled, so that the M8 bolts tighten down leaving a square frame to build on.
That’s the stand-out feature of the P1-X Pro’s design methodology; the custom brackets used to mount the pedals, monitor mount and front/side wheel mounts. They’re made of a matt black finished cast aluminium. They’re not just for show either – they contribute significantly to the rig’s overall stability.
The cap washers with the Sim-Lab logo are a nice touch and do perform an important function (they’re proper washers, not decorative items). It’s a small touch, but it adds a bit of class to the whole setup.
I must add – I haven’t attached the sim-lab decals at this stage of the build! The box comes with a handful of sim-lab stickers that you can choose to use if you like.
It’s worth noting that I did encounter one slightly fiddly bit during assembly. One of the threads had some excess powder coating, which made getting the bolt threaded a little precarious. You might come across this issue, and, if so, just apply some patience – half a turn tighter, quarter turn looser, repeat – that’s enough to loosen the powerder coating and allow the thread to progress.
Whenever you’re working with assembly, the golden rule is don’t over torque a bolt (ever – it’s aluminium). With care, I got there without any damage to the bolt. Powder coat ingress into a single thread on the whole build is a minor issue, it’s easy to deal with and it’s something I made Sim-Lab aware of.
Assembly: Easier Than You’d Think
If you’ve ever put together a sim racing cockpit before, you’ll know it can be quite a big commitment. Far less so with the P1-X Pro. Sim-Lab has improved assembly and the assembly instructions. Each bag of fixtures comes labelled, so you know which bolts, washers and spacers will most likely be needed for the pedal tray, and so on.
The use of custom brackets and pre-drilled, countersunk profile sections is a game-changer. Gone are the days of fiddling with countless corner brackets – here, most connections are direct, using a single bolt, washer and occasional spacer instead of the usual two-bolt-and-bracket affair.
It’s a small change that makes a world of difference, particularly when you’re getting everything square and level before finally tightening the hex bolt. This is the type of product development that adds big overhead to manufacturing; so I for one am impressed.
The instruction manual deserves a special mention. Each stage lists the components needed, with bolts drawn to scale. If you’re not sure you have the right bolt, hold it against the diagram and you know immediately.
All of the fixings, t-nuts (slide bolts in the UK), hex bolts, washers, spacers and so on are all of a high quality. No problems with any part of this package.
No tools provided though! You’ll need a 24mm spanner (or adjustable) for the feet, and an 8MM hex key for everything else. I used a rubber mallet to knock in the plastic endplates. Don’t be tempted to use an actual hammer, they will smash!
While no sim racing cockpit assembly is entirely without its challenges, the P1-X Pro comes impressively close. The thoughtful design choices make the build process not just manageable, but actually enjoyable.
I was lucky enough to be joined by a newcomer to sim racing, my Neighbour, Mark – who took to this job (with no prior sim racing experience) and didn’t find any of it particularly taxing.
Adjustability: Fine-Tuning Made Easy
The pedal deck features elongated mounting holes on the main brackets, so, you can easily adjust the pedals’ position with just an 8mm Allen key. I found the initial position a bit far for my liking, but I reckon another 12 inches closer will be spot on once I’ve fitted the pedals.
The pedal plate (which is a real strength of the overall design) will move a good 12cm forward, and perhaps 10-12cm upwards too. Theoretically, then you could create an F1-style rig setup too.
The wheel deck works well for adjustability: height and angle. I took the front mount option for my wheelbase but, of course, side mount and base mounting are options depending on your wheelbase.
Sim-Lab’s seat is nice too. It’s very light by comparison to my Motorbase FIA seat. Lighter is absolutely fine, it just makes the thing easier to move and fit. I have a 33-inch waist (for reference) I found it snug and comfortable – just what you want for those long racing sessions. However, if you’re on the larger side, you might want to look at alternative seating options. A 34in waist I’d say is the maximum for this particular seat.
The rubber feet, while a little bulky, offer easy height adjustment and they’re rock solid. I spent a short moment with a spirit level getting everything almost perfectly aligned, and the 24mm spanner adjustments made this process straightforward enough.
I must admit, these feet add a bit of width. Enough so that I had to remove them to get the cockpit into the office. I prefer castors, and although castors can wobble a tiny bit, it makes dealing with the mass of a sim racing rig so much easier.
Sitting in the Cockpit
Despite the weight-saving measures in the profile design, there’s no perceptible flex in the cockpit during use. It’s rigid, feels really comfortable and I’d be happy in it for an extended endurance session.
I like the use of an aluminium profile in the wheel deck and pedal base. As much as they’re popular, I’m certain a single sheet of (thick) alumium plate is more likely to flex under braking than two solid blocks of aluminium profile mounted to cast aluminium brackets. It feels like the obvious way to design such critical parts of the cockpit. With strength!
Expandability: Room to Grow
I like that the front wheel mount features a nearly horizontal profile section, providing ample space for mounting additional accessories like button boxes, flag LEDs, or display units. There’s a pre-drilled DDU mount in the front wheel mount – a thoughtful touch for those looking to expand their setup.
Because of the wheel deck, wheel mount and profile-based pedal plate, this rig will be compatible with all major manufacturer pedals and wheelbase.
Final Thoughts on the P1-X Pro
The Sim-Lab P1-X Pro is a pleasing bit of cockpit design. It’s simple to build, which makes it suitable for sim racers of any experience. The ease of assembly, coupled with its robust build quality and adjustability in the right places, make it, in my opinion, the standout market option.
While there are a few minor niggles – the powdered thread and the bulky feet come to mind – they’re far outweighed by the positives. Whether you’re a seasoned sim racer looking to upgrade or a newcomer wanting a rig that’ll grow with you, the P1-X Pro is an excellent choice and it’ll last a long time.
Next, I’ll be fitting Moza’s new CRP pedals and their R9 wheelbase, so stay tuned for more insights on what life is like with the P1-X Pro. Before the monitors go on (and I move my entire setup over to Sim-Lab’s cockpit), I’m planning to use this as a VR rig with the Pimax Crystal Light.
I suppose the measure of the quality of a thing like this is how long you stand looking at your creation once it’s assembled. For me, I took a good long time walking around it and admiring it. Nice design, highly functional, delighted to be working with it.
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Topic: Sim Racing Cockpits
3 thoughts on “Sim-Lab P1-X Pro Cockpit Build: First Impressions”
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I agree with your comment. I also have mounted the P1X Pro and I think it’s a worth of it. It’s a great deal, the first time I do something like this.
I had to return my first P1X Pro because the first bolt for the cross member on the base simply would not thread.
My second one was much better, but I still encountered issues with over spray into the threads that made assembly much more difficult than I would have liked.
In my opinion the QC is really not good enough for an $850 product.
It’s otherwise a really nice design, so it is a shame.
Hey Aaron, Sim-Lab are very much aware as I understand it so hopefully that’s a rare experience. Looks nice when it’s built.