Playseat Formula Red with Thrustmaster Formula 1 Bundle, 2021
Object of the month March 2022
This gaming seat for computer racing games is specially designed for simulated speed races like Formula 1. Unlike simpler versions of gaming seats, this model places more emphasis on the design. In the world of consumer goods, this seat and bundle (steering wheel and pedals) are relatively expensive.
Beginning in the 1970s, gaming chairs became commercially widespread in arcades and bowling centers. Private purchasers consisted mainly of avid racing gamers. Car racing games have been an extremely popular genre of computer games for decades. The emergence of home computers, game consoles and smartphones solidified their place in the market and they are now an integral part of the everyday gaming culture of children, young people and adults. The games reflect the importance of the car in our society and as early as childhood begin shaping the positive image of the car in general and fast driving in particular.
The Deutsches Technikmuseum will be displaying this gaming seat through July 3, 2022 in the special exhibition "Madness - Illegal Car Racing and How to Stop It." Its role there is to serve as an example of the ways in which the prevailing values of speed and competition are conveyed in automotive culture. The question of whether computer racing games influence driving behavior was scientifically examined more than ten years ago but no direct correlation was found. Although large numbers of people play car racing games, only a miniscule percentage of them are prone to reckless speeding on the road.