WTF?! Most simulation fans are satisfied with deep game mechanics and standard control interfaces such as controllers, keyboards, flight sticks, and steering wheels. Some may also opt for a VR headset. Others, however, seek levels of immersion achievable only through extensive modding – an approach that demands significant amounts of money, time, and space.
A streamer recently explained how they built a chair that responds to movement feedback from simulation games. The project began as a childhood dream and evolved into a hobby of acquiring and repurposing used machinery.
Called the SimStarr, the rig tilts in response to joystick inputs and jolts in reaction to in-game impacts. Although it supports all racing and flight games that output telemetry, its creator primarily uses it while playing Elite Dangerous under the handle CMDR Wacko. In numerous YouTube and TikTok clips, the SimStarr swings wildly as he pilots ships through space and bounces as he drives rovers across planetary surfaces.
@projectsimstarr Where The Base Came From⚙️🔧It's Refurbished, Not Redesigned I've talked about this before, and probably will again, but this is a rebuilt and refurbished unit that does what it was meant to do on the bottom, and is totally made up on the top. It's a simulation mullet. You can catch the livestream every Mon - Wed 7pm - 11pm EST on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectSimStarr #elitedangerous #motionsimulator
♬ original sound - Project Simstarr
The streamer recently told PC Gamer that the rig is the culmination of his lifelong enthusiasm for roller coasters, which began when he rode Back to the Future: The Ride in 1991. He first attempted to recreate the ride using pizza boxes and then spent over three decades building up to the SimStarr. While he previously sought immersion through VR headsets, he eventually came to favor physical motors and a large, curved screen.
In a TikTok video, CMDR Wacko explained that the SimStarr's base originally supported a VR roller coaster manufactured in China. After these rides lost popularity amid the pandemic, the parts were sold for scrap, though many were later resold on online marketplaces such as eBay and Facebook.
Although the motorized platform appears expensive, CMDR Wacko has seen them priced anywhere from free to around $3,000, and they support numerous configurations. Simulation chairs follow similarly broad price ranges, from roughly $100 to $10,000. Additional minor components can cost as little as a few dollars, but the custom nature of CMDR Wacko's setup makes it difficult to estimate a final price.
While Elite Dangerous is the streamer's primary passion, one brief clip shows him blasting TIE Fighters in Star Wars: Squadrons. He also plans to try the rig with MechWarrior 5, Crazy Taxi, and the simulator ride that first sparked his enthusiasm: Back to the Future.