Showroom

Welcome to the Force2Motion virtual showroom

Turning a hobby into a profession


Only a few people can turn their hobby into a profession. And so in my daily business I mostly deal with very ‘serious’ IT-related topics. But I'm also a bit of a nerd and gamer. And I'm pretty car-crazy. Actually, it's always about engines and/or speed. In combination, this results in something pretty logical: cars, computers, gaming and nerd topics inevitably lead to racing simulators, elaborate gaming computers and crazy home-built racing cockpits and flight simulators. While searching for an affordable motion platform for my racing seat, I came across the Australian manufacturer Next Level Racing and the Motion Platform V3 in 2014. I had to have something like this, I thought to myself, as I was once again in the process of pimping my gaming PC. And then: why not turn my hobby into a career? And why not expand your own IT portfolio with products for real gamers and simulator fans? No sooner said than done. You can see the results here.

Force2Motion is our platform for racing and simulator hardware, initially focussing on German-speaking countries and now supplying the whole of Europe. With many manufacturers and products, we offer a wide range of sim racing and flight simulators.

On the racetrack in a real sports carSpa Francorchamps Trackday

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of doing a few laps at the limit in a 100cc racing kart with 30 hp on Michael Schumacher's home track or in a real sports car on a racetrack - perhaps even the legendary Nordschleife or Spa Francorchamps - knows what centrifugal forces are and how brutal it feels to brake for a hairpin bend (believe me - I know). And it's precisely this experience that's missing when you sit down at your PC at home and go on a time hunt with your favourite racing game. Despite the force-feedback steering wheel and sophisticated gaming hardware, the forces that make car racing so unique are missing. And even the static flight simulator is just a tired imitation of reality - or have you ever had the chance to pilot a real helicopter or a single-engine Cessna or Piper (I've done that too)?

Spa Francorchamps Trackday

In Spa, I duelled for laps with a Lotus Elise during a trackday. It was a really tight box. It was great fun, but given the cost of the real sports cars, we didn't fight to the death and spared the material at the crucial moment. Sometimes the Elise was in front, sometimes I was. The Lotus driver's comment in the pit lane afterwards was ‘Well, on the brakes the Porsches are my nightmare’. Nevertheless, he did well considering the 130 hp difference. Power isn't everything - weight counts too (unfortunately, I know what I'm talking about).

Virtual fights with motion cockpits

Now the fight continues virtually. A crash into the pit wall only costs a restart with the gaming PC. Scratches in the paintwork are part of the painting and there are as many new tyres as you want.

With the Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3 or alternatively the products from Qubic Systems, it is now possible for the first time at affordable prices to realistically simulate the driving physics and the forces acting on the driver. You can feel every bump, every rumble, every strip of curb, the blows to the back during brutal gear changes, the acceleration and every braking manoeuvre. Now, sim racers can bring this feeling into their living rooms. Of course, a simulator will never be able to reproduce reality perfectly, but with a trick, it is still possible to outwit the human brain. And after a few moments of familiarisation, you are right in the middle of the racing action. Not only does the steering wheel become very light when overbraking - your whole body flies forwards too. And straight back again when accelerating out of the hairpin. And then a brutal blow to the back when changing gear - a real adventure: Force2Motion - Adventures for real gamers!

Movement please!

So there has to be movement in the cockpit. And at affordable prices, please - not cheap, but inexpensive (in the sense of ‘worth the price’) and at the same time somehow wife-compatible. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about.

Next Level Racing

We therefore started with the products from Next Level Racing because: There are very few new products in the gaming world that can rightly be described as game changers. The Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3 is one such product, and with the Motion Plus System, it has been joined by a little brother.

Fanatec, RSeat, RaceRoom, PlaySeat

Meanwhile, we have also added articles from Fanatec, RSeat, RaceRoom and others. We have developed several adapter sets for the Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3, some of which are exclusively available. For example, the platform can be used in the Fanatec Cockpit V2, the RSeat cockpits N1, S1 and RS1, some PlaySeat cockpits and finally in the RaceRoom cockpits.

Motion Systems - Qubic Systems

Since September 2021, we have also been an official partner of Motion Systems. Motion Systems is ‘the’ manufacturer of ingenious ‘motion systems’ - as the name suggests. In addition to the V3 developed for Next Level Racing and the Motion Plus system, Motion Systems has much more to offer. You want to move a whole car, a truck or an aeroplane on a simulator? ‘No’ problem. Everything is solvable. But there are also new and modularly expandable systems for smaller budgets: Introducing the Qubic system: The Qubic system. Fast, modular and worth the price.

In the showroom we have such a Qubic system consisting of CH2, QS210 and Belt-Tensioner BT1 in use. It is therefore also possible to test these systems. This will certainly not make the decision in favour of a specific system any easier, as every motion system and every cockpit has its advantages and disadvantages. But it is better to test everything beforehand and discuss it with us than to have bought the wrong system afterwards.

Spoilt for choice

An investment of several thousand euros for a motion cockpit should be carefully considered. We can then immediately address the question of which concept is better: a seat mover or a cockpit mover such as the one from Qubic Systems, in which the entire cockpit is raised or moved. Spoiler alert: there's no right or wrong, just a personal impression of which simulator better reflects reality.

But in fact, we are already in the middle of the apparently perpetual discussion about so-called ‘seat movers’. Is this the right way to simulate the movements and G-forces in a racing car? The Motion Platform V3 is such a seat mover and moves the seat by up to 10° to the left/right or forwards/backwards. This does something very familiar to the subconscious because the fact that the steering wheel and pedals remain ‘stationary’ means that the force acting on the upper body, arms and legs suggests to the brain that centrifugal and acceleration forces are at work - just like in a real racing car. A revised seat mover will be available from Motion Systems from mid-2025: Qubic Systems Seat Mover QS-H13 Challenger

Seat mover vs. full-motion cockpit?

But doesn't the whole cockpit have to move because in real life the distance between the steering wheel and seat doesn't change when braking? The topic divides the sim racing scene. We have a suggestion. With the Qubic simulators, we also offer full-motion cockpits. Here, the cockpit is raised at the corners or moved sideways and forwards with a traction loss extension. With a 5-DOF system, bumps, compressions and skidding over the curbs come across particularly well. All good now? Not quite: I'm missing the effect when braking, when I'm pressed more or less strongly into the belts towards the steering wheel depending on the brake pressure. That's why you definitely need an active Belt Tensioner BT1 from Qubic Systems. I'm particularly proud of this development because I'm not entirely innocent in its development. The sales success proves us right. We have already sold over 80 BT1s (as of February 2025). With the appropriate adapters, the BT1 can even be coupled with the Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3 or the Qubic Systems Seat Mover QS-H13 Challenger, which will be available from mid-2025, and used very effectively with a wide variety of cockpits.

But you can also take everything from one manufacturer and then the Qubic system from Motion Systems is very interesting, as it can be expanded modularly from 2DOF to 3DOF to a 6DOF system.

Consultancy

Now you have to decide. May we be of assistance? We would be happy to advise you personally on the advantages and disadvantages and how to get a cool motion cockpit in your hobby room at home. In our showroom in Würselen near Aachen, many of the systems can be extensively tested in various configurations before purchase.

Testing in the showroom for a fee

We usually keep a considerable amount of valuable equipment in our showroom for testing and trying out. Recently, we have constantly expanded some of the cockpits or completely replaced them with newer developments. This costs and ties up a lot of money, and the test systems are later sold at a considerable discount. To maintain the high quality of advice and the possibility of testing various cockpits, motion systems and add-ons, we charge a small flat rate for the private test in the showroom. The test fee of €100.00 with VAT included will be offset against a later purchase with a value of goods of at least €1,000 with VAT included (please note different conditions for system consulting at racing event centres and commercial solutions). In the end, the test was free of charge, but never for nothing. Because even if you come to the conclusion after a test here on site that none of the solutions really suit you, that's okay. Like us, you will have invested time and money in the visit, but you will have avoided an expensive bad purchase.

You can find the relevant article on booking the consultation fee here (please make an appointment in advance).

Do you have a commercial idea relating to sim racing? Then please note the conditions for a system consultation in this area via this service article.

Take a look around our shop. We have put together lots of product information and videos. And we regularly report on new products, tips and tricks in our blog. You should find what you're looking for here. And if not: Simply make an appointment by phone (Tel: +49 (0)2405 8043008) or e-mail (service@Force2Motion.de) and drop by. Tip: And bring money and a big car because interested parties rarely leave us empty-handed ;-).

And what else? When we're not racing around virtual circuits at full speed, we're taking care of our customers' everyday computer problems...
More at: www.KaeferLive.de

See you soon. Your Thomas Käfer

Transparent pixel