Playseat Evolution Alcantara

Our rating : 9.1/10

The Playseat brand has already proven its expertise and ability to design ever more impressive racing simulation seats of incredible quality and realism.

The model we are going to talk about today is the Playseat Evolution Alcantara, one of the brand’s flagship models. But is its reputation really justified? Is it worth investing in this racing seat?

We have tested the Playseat Evolution Alcantara for you and in this article we will tell you everything you need to know about this cockpit, its features, advantages and disadvantages, what type of player we recommend it for, its price and where you can buy it.

Features of the Playseat Evolution Alcantara

The Playseat Evolution Alcantara is a bucket seat made of Alcantara, as the name suggests, and is one of the most popular cockpits, especially for its special features. The set consists of a driver’s chair, a pedal base and a steering wheel holder.

Here is a list of the main features of the Playseat Evolution Alcantara:

• This model of racing seat is used by professional drivers. It was also developed and designed in cooperation with them.
• The Playseat Evolution Alcantara is covered with Alcantara for the most part. This material is used for the construction of luxury cars and is very pleasant to the touch.
• It is compatible with all steering wheels and pedalboards of the most famous brands such as Fanatec, Logitech, Thrustmaster, etc.
• It is also compatible with PC and Mac operating systems and with the following consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch.
• The Playseat Evolution Alcantara chassis is black lacquered, robust and fully adjustable.
• Its patented folding design allows you to store it easily.
• It is really easy to set up and configure.
• The materials are of very good quality as are the finishes. Everything is sewn by hand.
• Dimensions (L x W x H) : 130 x 50 x 98 cm
• Backrest height: 78 cm – Seat height: 24 cm – Seat width: 48 cm – Seat depth: 46.5-50 cm
• Net weight: 19.8 kg

For what type of person?

According to the brand, the Playseat Evolution Alcantara racing seat is suitable for both adults and children, from 8 years old.

Regarding the weight and size to use it, here are the criteria to respect:

• Recommended pilot height: 120 cm minimum – 220 cm maximum.
• Recommended pilot weight: 20 kg minimum – 122 kg maximum.

It is a seat intended for the general public which can be perfectly suitable for confirmed and regular players as well as for occasional or beginner players.

However, we would like to warn you that this model is, in our opinion, not really ideal for tall people or people who want to use wheels with a powerful force feedback.

Its advantages

In our opinion, the main attraction of the Playseat Evolution Alcantara is its construction in Alcantara, the luxury vinyl that gives it its name. This makes the seat really comfortable and gives you the feeling of being in a real luxury car. Alcantara also makes the seat breathable, so even if you sweat on it during a run, you won’t get that slippery feeling, unlike leather.

We have to admit that the design of this racing simulation seat is very attractive and its manufacture is of very good quality. The steel frame is very strong and has been designed to obtain a better stability. The Playseat Evolution Alcantara offers a good value for money that should allow you to enjoy this racing seat for many years. Because it is important to mention that one of the big assets of this model is its very interesting price.

The compatibility of this seat with all major brands of steering wheels and pedals, such as Thrustmaster, Logitech, Fanatec, etc., is also a real advantage. However, you will need to be careful about the power of your steering wheel to maintain the best playing conditions.

The Playseat Evolution Alcantara has been manufactured in collaboration with professional racing drivers. As the cockpit is similar to those used by professionals, it offers you several configurations.

Its structure is simple to assemble and use. You’ll have to make very few adjustments to find a position in which you’re comfortable driving. With a few turns of a screw and less than 5 minutes, you can move the moving parts of the seat.

This model has the advantage of being quite compact when folded. Like a car, you can lower the seat back, which will also save space and make it much easier to store your cockpit.

Its disadvantages

The central tube of the steering wheel support is awkward for the legs and this makes the stability of the PlaySeat Evolution Alcantara rather relative. If you are using entry-level and mid-range steering wheels (e.g. Logitech’s G29 and G920 or Thrustmaster’s T150 and T300 RSGT/TX ), this should not be too much of a problem. However, this is a real concern for those who use more powerful wheels, as they may be really hampered in their movements and have stability problems during the race.

Since it is not possible to adjust the tilt of the steering wheel or the cockpit seat, nor the angle of the backrest towards the rear since it is fixed, finding an ideal position for the game is not the most obvious.

The seat of the Playseat Evolution Alcantara has a tendency to squeak and this is clearly a negative point. Unfortunately, the seat back can squeak if you move around too much in the seat. If you’re six feet tall or taller, you’re likely to face this problem fairly regularly.

Another of the drawbacks of this model of racing simulation seat is that it is still quite heavy. It weighs 19.8 kg, which is quite substantial and makes it relatively difficult to transport. Even when it is folded, it is still difficult to move because there are no handles to grip it. It is better to be at least two to perform this action if you do not want to break your back.

The fact that the Playseat Evolution Alcantara does not have armrests is slightly noticeable and is a pity in our opinion, so the comfort after several hours of playing is rather limited by this lack.

We have observed that, unfortunately, rather unsightly creases can appear on the seat cushion and on the seat back. Inevitably, this is a problem that will only increase with time and the use of the Playseat Evolution Alcantara. You can easily change the foam of the seat, but it is still not ideal and it involves an additional cost.

Where to get it and for how much?

The Playseat Evolution Alcantara racing simulation seat is available on Amazon.com where it is currently on sale.

If it is indeed possible to find racing simulator seats on websites selling second-hand items and at very interesting prices, we nevertheless recommend you to be very careful about what they try to sell you. Scams do exist, so be careful about the condition of the cockpit if you decide not to buy it new.

Conclusion

The Playseat Evolution Alcantara racing simulation seat is, in our opinion, in a satisfactory range. It is a seat that offers good value for money, there is almost nothing to complain about its design, its finishes are really nice, the materials are solid and its life span relatively long.

It’s a perfect fit for racing players who already have a steering wheel and pedals and would like to get into racing simulator seats for the first time and don’t want to end up with something way too imposing.

It is true that we do not necessarily recommend it to people with a large body size, because their comfort will unfortunately be more limited and the squeaking of the seat may, by force, hit them on the system.

But if we ignore these small flaws, the Playseat Evolution Alcantara is still a first choice seat for racing simulation game enthusiasts.