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    Next Level Racing went next level with the Traction Plus Platform for hardcore sim racing

    Next Level Racing is one of the biggest brands in sim racing. That is largely thanks to continued investment in research and development of new products. It was only a week ago when I was writing about their last product, but now we have another and it’s awesome.

    A massive challenge in sim racing is how to make the driver feel like they’re moving when they’re actually sitting still. It’s incredibly difficult, but if you can pull it off, you trick the brain even further into thinking what you see, hear and feel is the real thing.

    Check out the @nextlvlracing Traction Plus Motion Platform around Bathurst!

    “Our goal is to be the world leader in racing simulation technology. We understood that in order to achieve the ultimate realism that we strive to offer our customers, we needed completely unique technology and engineering.”

    Hess Ghah, CEO of Next Level Racing,

    To achieve that ultimate level of realism, the company worked with leading motion and software engineers for over 4 years on the Traction Plus. You can tell from the solid matt black exterior that this means business. It’d be the perfect complement to a matt-black sim like the GT Track.

    The two ends of the Traction Plus Platform support the mounting points to the racing sim. These can move laterally at the same time (simulating cornering geforces) or independently so the front is ahead of the rear or vice versa. This provides the opportunity to actually feel the car sliding through a drift, perfect in titles like Asseto Corsa.

    It’s perhaps the center section that is the most impressive, with laser-cut heat vents and built-in fans, it hides the brains that translate the software layer into the hardware movements in a fraction of a second.

    When you’re in the sim, your seat can move in basically every direction, allowing you to feel sway, surge, roll, pitch, understeer and front traction loss, oversteer and rear traction loss, power sliders and drifting, partial heave and vehicle/road effects in ways that were previously unheard of.

    “For a consumer-level motion platform, it’s absolutely outstanding. I’ve used many platforms (…) but to finally have one that has a sled as part of it, it brings a whole different dimension to the way it feels.”

    Lee Mather, Game Director of Codemasters F1 2019, after trying out Traction Plus at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

    Users will even be able to sense and feel the subtle differences between front, rear and four-wheel drive vehicles thanks to the precise feedback Traction Plus offers.

    If you’re still not convinced, then make sure you check out the video below that shows you the product in action, combined with the NLR Motion Platform 3, for the ultimate racing experience.

    This range of motion is typically reserved for custom-build racing sims that cost tens of thousands of dollars. What Next Level Racing has developed here is the closest thing to racing a real car at a fraction of the price.

    The Next Level Racing Traction Plus platform is available from August through global retailers. It’ll set you back a healthy A$8,999. If you want the Motion Platform V3, that’s another A$3,999 and then the racing sim (GT Track is A$999), wheel and pedals as well as a PC and sim titles on top.

    That’s likely out of reach for a casual gamer, but those half-way serious about a racing career will get one for home and the office.

    If you’re sold, then head over to Next Level Racing’s website for more info and to order yours.

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

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