Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition Review
A new look for this pricey but premium sim racing chair
Verdict
The Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition is a sign you’re taking your sim racing seriously. This is a high-quality, high-performance racing seat capable of handling the rigours of even the most powerful direct-drive steering wheels.
Pros
- Rock solid construction
- Comfortable frameless seat
- Multiple adjustment points
Cons
- Very pricey
- Adjustments can be fiddly
Key Features
- Universal compatibilityBoth the wheeldeck and pedal tray are loaded with pre-drilled holes for a wide variety of racing wheels.
- Multiple adjustment pointsFrom wheel angle to total length, there’s a number of ways to dial in the perfect fit.
- Unique frameless seatMore of a hammock than a chair, the single fabric sleeve offers support and comfort.
Introduction
The Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition is a fresh coat of paint for a racing seat that represents a gear shift between high-end casual and pro standard gear.
The latest brand collaboration from one of the most recognisable names in sim racing cockpits, this £529/$599 option arrives alongside the Logitech G Pro racing wheel and is designed to handle the rigours of high torque direct drive wheels.
That price point brings certain pressures, like a driver signing a high-value contract there are equally high expectations when it comes to performance, so the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition will need to deliver on track (or in this case, in the living room).
Assembly
- Simple flatpack build
- Unique frameless seat
- Sturdy high-carbon steel construction
Despite being a full-size racing seat, the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition arrives in remarkably compact packaging. Once it’s all unboxed and laid out, there are surprisingly few parts too, just eleven pieces make up the high-carbon steel cockpit frame.
This economy of parts made piecing together the Playseat Trophy a simple task. Even as a solo builder, I managed to go from box to race ready in about half an hour. There were a couple of times I found myself staring quizzically at the included printed instructions, but nothing out of the ordinary for a flatpack build.
The Trophy is designed to withstand the high torque of direct-drive racing wheels and Playseat hasn’t held back in support of this. Each connection is secured with multiple Allen bolts on each side, all of which are included, along with some spares and their matching keys. Some places had as many as six bolts to lock down the same connection, it feels over the top and like a premium touch all at the same time.
Slipping on the Playseat Trophy’s unique seat is the final step that pulls everything together in a quite literal sense. Rather than a rigid seat, it’s a snug sleeve that pulls over an outer frame to shape up into what becomes essentially a hammock. It goes on with a minimum of fuss and naturally settles in where it wants to be but be warned, the instructions here don’t quite match reality so use your own instincts rather than following the pictures.
Design and Features
- Logitech G branding touches
- Comfortable hammock-like seat
- Quality materials and finishing
Playseat introduced the standard trim Trophy racing seat at the beginning of 2022 and a year down the line the Logitech G Edition makes only minor visual changes. The powder-coated finish of the frame turns glossy grey instead of the matte black original, there’s new flashes of G blue and some bonus Logi logos along the frame.
Compared to a lot of other sim racing cockpits, the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition is a sleek and smooth affair. Everything is curved and rounded off, each tube flowing into each other rather than the boxier, industrial vibe you often find. It’ll look at home in full sim setups but these more natural curves meant it didn’t feel out of place in my living room either. It’s dominating in a casual setting though, 1m wide and around 1.5m long is a bigger footprint than it sounds and takes up a lot of floor space, so factor that in if you don’t have a dedicated gaming room.
Even with a steel and aluminium frame, the Playseat Trophy weighs just 17kg without a wheel attached, which defies its beefy appearance. I found it was easy to slide around, particularly on a rug, but with no obvious pickup point it was cumbersome to try and lift. Everything is rigid and fixed too so there’s no opportunity to fold any part of the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition down to lessen the footprint and tuck the Playseat away in a corner. I can understand why, and that same rigidity is a positive for performance, but for more casual console users it’s more awkward as a result.
There’s plenty of choice when it comes to adjustment points on the G Edition Trophy but it’s not the easiest system. Again, Playseat has gone all out on strength and rigidity so you’ll need to keep the Allen key handy. Both the angle of the seat and wheel deck can be tweaked, with the wheel deck also able to be installed 180 degrees to extend the reach. There’s no fine adjustment up or down or in and out though so there’s no chance to really dial in the fit.
The distance from the seat to the pedal tray can be extended steplessly by around six inches, but it takes fiddling with eight screws and four vanity panels to get there. It’s a lot of faff, particularly as you’ll need to tighten everything up before sitting in it again, so there was a fair amount of guesswork involved. It’d be nice to see finger screws or a quick-release system here to make life easier, particularly for shared situations.
The pedal tray has a number of adjustment options with thumbscrews on each side making changes far simpler. Two basic mounting positions can be refined with five angles and a free sliding hole. This was the most easily adapted part of the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition and I ended up quickly cycling through almost all the available options to find the one that felt just right.
Performance
- Rock solid under pressure
- Comfortable for extended sessions
- Back straps provide good support
After 15 minutes of dialling in, I jumped into the cockpit and fired up F1 23. It’s worth noting I’m testing the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition with the Logitech G920 racing wheel, which isn’t direct drive so won’t come close to what this racing seat can handle. Unsurprisingly the G Edition is designed with the Logitech G Pro racing wheel in mind so will handle up to the max 11nm of torque it produces, by comparison, the G920 maxes out at 2.2nm. The predrilled holes in both the pedal plate and wheel deck perfectly lined up so installation was a breeze.
Through my first few laps around Silverstone, two factors become immediately clear, comfort and stability. Both can be chalked up to the Playseat Trophy’s unique frameless seat which, without the determinate restrictions of a moulded seat, shaped around me and let my body sit how it wanted. I felt well supported and as if the Trophy G Edition had welcomed me into the rig as a whole.
The two adjustable support straps on the back of the seat added a noticeable boost in comfort, particularly the lumbar strap which felt like it was working with me as I pushed into the pedals. This can be adjusted up and down the angle pole of the seat back or removed together, though I’d recommend keeping it to some degree even if you loosen it off a bit. It’s a shallow sit overall and the sides of the seat don’t wrap around particularly far so the Playseat Trophy should accommodate a range of body sizes and shapes. I also found it felt surprisingly open, I had no feeling of restriction or being boxed in and was able to jump in and out without losing much dignity or banging my knees.
Running a full-length race around Spa I didn’t feel the need to squirm around to find a comfortable spot and after a few laps didn’t notice the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition at all. I’ve used entry-level wheel frames in the past and they always find a way to break the immersion by shifting under you at the wrong time, that wasn’t the case here though. The ActiFit material is soft and pleasant to the touch with the mesh centre panel stopping me from overheating even during the most intense side-by-side battles. I did find the material was prone to picking up scuffs though, not permanent damage but little marks that begin to look scruffy without a proper wipe down.
Again with the caveat the Logitech G920 is hardly a powerful beast of a wheel, the Playseat Trophy took everything in its stride without so much as a click or creek from the frame the entire time I used it. The half-meter wide base never rocked or slid on my rug and I always felt the wheel was locked in, even while tearing round the twisty streets of Monaco. The same is true of the pedals and the pedal tray, these never budged under maximum strain with enough room on either side to avoid an uncomfortable tap on the ankle bone. It meant I was able to be drawn in and focus on my racing, rather than constant reminders I was sitting in my living room.
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Should you buy it?
You’re looking to take it up a notch
Superb comfort with performance capability to match make this a great step up for those looking to take sim racing more seriously.
Budget and space are a factor
For casual racers, the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition is likely overkill. It’s excellent but it’s pricey and big for living room settings.
Final Thoughts
The Logitech G Edition of the Playseat Trophy may just bring a fresh coat of paint, but that’s all it needed to do as the underlying frame is excellent to begin with. This is a quality racing seat, strong enough to withstand Logitech’s own G Pro wheel and with the compatibility to handle direct drive wheels from other brands like the Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Pro too.
The unique frameless seat performs well under pressure and delivered a comfortable drive to the chequered flag with enough adjustment points to fit racers of all sizes. This is all reflected in the price though, £529/$599 is a sizeable investment on top of a wheel itself but for gamers constantly putting in the laps it’s a great addition to a sim racing setup.
How we test
We use every gaming chair we review for at least a week. We also build the chair ourselves to test out the assembly process and make use of every available feature. We take multiple factors into consideration for the final verdict, including comfort, build quality, features and price.
Tested across a number of short and long races
We assemble the chair ourselves to see how easy it is to build.
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FAQs
The Playseat Trophy is capable of handling all direct-drive wheels.
The Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition is compatible with wheels from all brands.
The Logitech G Edition features additional Logitech G logos, a grey colour scheme and additional blue touches.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
