Question 1

What is a full-motion racing simulator?

Accepted Answer

A full-motion racing simulator like the ACTORACER moves the entire cockpit — seat, wheel, pedals and screens together — using electric actuators instead of only vibrating. Acceleration, braking, kerbs, loss of grip and surface changes reach your body, not just your eyes. ACTORACER builds these actuators in house in Windeck, Germany, and delivers mechanics, electronics and software as one turnkey system. The range runs from the compact NANO to the ULTIMATE for centers, motorsport teams and industry.

Question 2

What is the difference between a racing simulator and a driving simulator?

Accepted Answer

At ACTORACER it is the same full-motion platform; the difference is the controls, the software and the purpose. As a racing simulator it runs a race wheel, race setups and over 150 race tracks; as a driving simulator it runs a steering column with indicators, a gearshift and traffic scenarios for driving schools, authorities and industry. Both variants use the same in-house actuators, the same direct-drive steering and the same hydraulic pedals. That is why an existing ACTORACER can be reconfigured instead of replaced.

Question 3

What does DOF mean in a motion simulator, and how many degrees of freedom does an ACTORACER have?

Accepted Answer

DOF stands for degrees of freedom — the axes a simulator can reproduce: pitch, roll, yaw, heave, surge and sway. Depending on the model, an ACTORACER reproduces several degrees of freedom, and the motion always moves the complete platform, not just the seat. The number alone matters less than how fast and how linearly the actuators translate the vehicle data. ACTORACER drives its actuators straight from the simulation software, with no third-party layer in between.

Question 4

What is the difference between a seat mover, traction loss and a platform mover?

Accepted Answer

A seat mover moves only the seat, traction loss tilts or rotates the chassis to depict loss of grip, and a platform mover — the ACTORACER design — moves the entire cockpit, including wheel, pedals and screens, in sync. With a platform mover the line of sight to the image stays stable, because image and body move together. That is exactly what reduces the eye-versus-balance conflict that often causes discomfort on seat movers. ACTORACER therefore uses platform-mover kinematics throughout instead of seat-only motion.

Question 5

What are actuators and why are they better than vibration modules?

Accepted Answer

Actuators are electromechanical drives that move the cockpit in a controlled, targeted way — ACTORACER develops and builds them in house in Windeck. They reproduce real forces: brake dive, lateral acceleration in a corner, kerbs, ripple strips and surface transitions. Vibration modules or bass shakers only create oscillation without direction or amplitude, so they deliver no usable driving feel. Because the actuators come from ACTORACER's own production, spare parts, service and software updates all run through the manufacturer.

Question 6

Why do some simulators cause motion sickness and the ACTORACER does not?

Accepted Answer

Discomfort comes from a conflict between what the eyes see and what the balance organs feel — the ACTORACER avoids it because image and body perform exactly the same motion on the platform mover. Wheel, pedals and screens are fixed to the moving platform, so the line of sight never shifts relative to the driver. On top of that, the motion is controlled straight from the vehicle data, with no delay from intermediate software. In centers and at events, guests with no sim racing experience therefore drive long sessions.

Question 7

What sets a CE-certified simulator apart from gaming hardware?

Accepted Answer

A CE-certified simulator like the ACTORACER is a machine with a documented risk assessment, an emergency-stop concept, defined motion limits and a declaration of conformity — gaming hardware is consumer equipment without any of that evidence. For commercial operation in centers, driving schools, trade fairs and industry this is the prerequisite, because third parties sit on the machine. ACTORACER supplies simulators built for continuous operation, including training, service and remote maintenance. Users of the platform include Fernando Alonso, Kai Ebel and JP Performance.

Question 8

Which racing sims run on an ACTORACER?

Accepted Answer

An ACTORACER runs the established professional racing sims plus ACTORACER's own software for center operation, race series and driving-school scenarios. The motion system is driven straight from the sim's vehicle data so motion, steering forces and image stay in sync. For centers, ACTORACER supplies a pre-configured setup so staff with no sim racing background can start sessions. Approved titles and version levels of the current delivery: on request.

Question 9

How many cars and race tracks are available?

Accepted Answer

An ACTORACER offers over 300 vehicles and more than 150 race tracks, from karts and touring cars to GT3, prototypes and formula cars. The track list includes the Nürburgring with the Nordschleife, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, Monza, Hockenheimring and other original circuits. Car and track selection run through the same interface, so center staff can switch sessions without any hardware change. Because all centers use identical hardware, lap times are directly comparable between locations.

Question 10

Does the ACTORACER work with a VR headset?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the ACTORACER can be driven with a VR headset; the driving-school models x-TRON Fahrschule and LITE TL Fahrschule use the Pimax Vision 8K. VR is especially useful in driver training, because shoulder checks, mirrors and all-round vision work without a screen edge. For centers and events, ultrawide or triple-screen setups are often more practical because guests get in and out faster. Both display paths run on the same platform, so switching is possible.

Question 11

Can you transfer telemetry from a real race car into the simulator?

Accepted Answer

Yes — telemetry from a real car can be imported into the ACTORACER and driven against on the same track, lap by lap, driver versus driver, setup versus setup. Data recording captures steering angle, throttle, brake pressure, gears and lap times in full and overlays them on the reference data. Motorsport teams use this to prepare race weekends, because braking points and racing lines can be validated before roll-out. Supported data formats and interfaces: on request.

Question 12

What hardware is fitted: wheel, pedals, gearshift, monitors, sound?

Accepted Answer

An ACTORACER runs direct-drive steering, hydraulic pedals and, depending on the build, a sequential shifter, an H-pattern shifter or a steering column with indicators in the driving-school models. The image comes from an ultrawide monitor, triple screens or a VR headset, and the sound from an audio system that keeps engine, tyres and surface audibly separate. Seat, belt, wheel position and pedal distance adjust for different body sizes. Exact component list per model and build level: on request.

Question 13

Can the simulator be configured individually?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every ACTORACER is configured as an individual unit: kinematics, display system, wheel, pedals, shifter, seat, sound and software package are defined before production. Paint, wrapping and branding surfaces are also available, for center brands, driving schools or corporate events. Because ACTORACER is the manufacturer, special solutions for industrial and research use are feasible too. Changes to existing rigs are handled as a factory conversion or a retrofit kit.

Supported Simulations.

Plug & Play instead of manual configuration

Over 300 vehicles, over 150 tracks

Setup parameters, weather and time of day

Telemetry & Data Recording

Virtual Reality with Pimax