Bass shakers are tactile transducers that work in concert with your sound card to provide bass that vibrates through your racing cockpit. The following are the best bass shakers for sim racing!
Contents
The Top-Rated Bass Shakers for Sim Racing
| Editor's Pick | Bass Shaker |
|---|---|
| Top Pick | SRS U-Shake6 |
| Runner Up | ButtKicker Gamer Pro |
| Budget Pick | ButtKicker Gamer 2 |
| Also Great | Quake 300-Watt Shaker Kit |
Top Pick: SRS U-Shake6
U-Shake6 (includes SRS License for Bass Shaker) | Sim Racing Studio
Realistic and affordable, the SRS U-Shake6 is the market’s best overall bass shaker for sim racing
SIM Racing Studio has stepped up the game with the U Shake6! With the addition of the Center and Subwoofer working independently, the extra 2 channels make a dramatic difference.
Let’s start with the hardware itself. The U Shake6 is built with 6 transducers/bass shakers that are positioned to let you feel the vibrations of the race car. The control board provides a 6-channel sound card. The amplifier provides 6 x 120w 4ohm each. All 6 shakers are controlled independently on the app. This gives you the correct effect, intensity, and feel at the right time and the right place. There is also a 3.5mm output to add extra amplifiers and shakers. All this delivers a range of shaking effects that perfectly mimic the sensations you’d feel while racing in a high-performance car. Plus, it’s ultra quiet, so as not to disturb your housemates.
What sets the U Shake6 apart from the rest is its versatility. Whether you’re tearing up the racetrack or soaring through the skies in a flight simulator, this system has you covered. Although initially designed for race car simulations, it works seamlessly even in “flight mode,” giving you an unparalleled experience regardless of your virtual adventure.
Runner Up: ButtKicker BK-Gamer Pro
The Buttkicker Gamer Pro is a powerful bass transducer that takes your sim racing experience to a whole new dimension. With its innovative design and precision engineering, this beast of a device delivers spine-tingling vibrations that sync flawlessly with in-game audio, unlike a subwoofer, the ButtKicker transducers move actual mass. You really get to feel it. And the best part is that the entire flat does not have to hear it – so you should get no complaints about noise!
It has a robust construction, which attaches quickly to most sim rigs. The Mounting Clamp can fit ~1-1.77 inch diameter, square or round posts. Its compact size means it can easily attached to your racing setup without taking up valuable space. The easy-to-use control unit automatically remembers your last setting, plus it has a wireless remote control. And don’t worry about compatibility – it works seamlessly with most gaming systems and audio sources, so you can get down to business right away.
The Buttkicker Gamer Pro packs a punch, delivering powerful bass vibrations that bring every twist, turn, and tire screech to life. It’s great if you want to feel more of the road, or if you have a larger and heavier setup. You’ll feel the rumble strips beneath your seat, the exhilarating engine dynamics coursing through your body, and the bone-rattling impact of collisions.
Budget Pick: ButtKicker BK-GR Gamer 2
A more affordable ButtKicker offering
The ButtKicker BK-GR Gamer 2 is a great alternative for burgeoning sim enthusiasts who are looking to scratch the itch without breaking the bank. Whereas this kit’s bigger brother (the runner-up pick) requires installation and a modicum of know-how in order to make good use of it, the ButtKicker BK-GR Gamer 2 is much easier to setup and can be used with virtually any type of chair.
The ButtKicker BK-GR Gamer 2 has a built-in mount that allows it to clamp onto any post up to 1.4″ in diameter – meaning just about any chair is in play. The included amplifier translates sound waves into rumble effects admirably, but there are certainly drawbacks associated with such a simple and adaptive package. In fact, pro users lament the Gamer 2’s lack of oomph in feedback to the degree that they feel it isn’t quite worth the semi-budget asking price.
That said, although this is an older model, kits ease of use, and ability to add to the Top-Pick in the future adds a lot of value for racing sim enthusiasts who don’t have high-end setups. If you want to feel engine rumble without breaking the bank, you can’t do any better than this at this price point!
Also Great: Quake 300-Watt Shaker Kit
Massive power and high versatility combine for an expensive product that will be a good deal for some
The Quake 300-Watt Shaker Kit does precisely what it says on the tin: it injects 300 watts of bass-induced vibration into your seat! This kit is comprised of an amp, a clamp, and all of the bits and bobs needed to support the Shell ShoXX transducer in bringing feel from your PC to your posterior.
The Quake 300-Watt Shaker Kit could be thought of as a more expensive and more powerful variant of our budget pick, but it itself is far from a budget pick; in fact, it costs roughly as much as the top two picks combined! So why would we even mention this particular kit? It all comes down to the fact that each entry on this list meets a different set of needs – and this kit is absolutely ideal for some users with some setups.
The most common use case for this kit would be for someone who wants extremely powerful hardware for epic feel, but doesn’t have a racing cockpit setup and wants to be able to use a gaming/office chair. If that sounds like you, this is an amazing alternative that is hard to beat!
What to Look for in a Bass Shaker
Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a bass shaker for sim racing:
Audio vs Data
Virtually every bass shaker on the market operates by converting low frequency bass signals from your PC sound card into haptic effects you can feel. Some, such as SRS, also use proprietary software that intercepts telemetry data from racing games in order to more accurately translate deceleration and other subtler effects that don’t have associated sound waves into something the shaker can output. To simplify – more telemetry means more realistic effects, and SRS took our top pick due to this consideration!
Installation
Bass shakers come in all shapes and sizes, and are designed to be installed in different places, in different ways – ultimately it’s pretty easy to find yourself with a box full of shakers and amplifiers that you can’t put anywhere! Before you look at any specs, look at the installation requirements. Some can be used by simply clamping them onto the bottom of your chair, while others require specific types of chairs to be mounted, and others still are meant to be installed directly into your floor or other places. Make certain you’re getting a kit that’s fit for your setup!
Price
As with all forms of audio and PC enthusiast hardware, bass shakers come in a crazy range of prices that can be hard to understand without first gaining an understanding of the underlying tech and associated hardware. Rest assured that each entry on this list is more than a simple bass shaker; we’ve taken into account that you need supporting hardware such as amplifiers and cabling, and we’re only recommending kits that are ready to use right out of the box. This not only saves you from needing to spend a ton of time searching for the best combos, but also saves money!
Frequently Asked Questions
In sim racing, a bass shaker is a type of speaker which sends low-frequency vibrations through your cockpit. This makes it possible to feel all aspects of the racing experience, such as the rumble of the engine.
To set up a bass shaker for sim racing, you will need to attach the shaker to your cockpit using the instructions provided. Then, plug the shaker into your computer (usually through the sound card) and install any necessary software.
It is possible to use a ButtKicker on PS4 and Xbox One. In fact, ButtKicker hardware comes with full instructions (including illustrations) to guide you through the setup options. Said instructions are also available for download at their official website.
Last Updated on September 7, 2023