The sim racing hardware market is full of choices, and some are more odd than others. The Qubic Belt Tensioner falls firmly into the latter category.
If you have recently watched the Senna Netflix show, you know that one of the most legendary racing drivers in history always had his seat belts fastened extra tight before the race. Original quote from Ron Dennis:
"All racing drivers want to feel part of the car, to such an extent that they don't want to move; they try to lock themselves in. In Brazil (in 1991) Ayrton cut his circulation to his upper body by tightening the seat belts so much, and that is why he subsequently was in a lot of pain on the podium."
This aspect of G-forces in the seatbelt has not been possible in sim racing so far. However, Qubic System now has a product that could change this, even without a motion system! We find out if this is a new, useful and reliable sensor for sim racing, in addition to force feedback wheels and haptic pedals.
I am always amazed by the ingenuity and innovation of the sim racing community and industry - always on the hunt for more immersion! Last year, we looked at the Sensit haptic feedback seat cushions, which can reduce a sim racer's constant visual focus through their vibration signals. Qubic System's QS-BT1 is in the same vein, and we'll start with an overview of what it is, what it does, what it costs, and what you need to install it.
Qubic QS-BT1 Price & Contents
This rectangular box weighs 13 kg, has a two-channel direct-drive motor that can generate up to 41 kg or 90 lbs of force, or 21.5k g or 45 lbs per side. If this seems abstract to you, let me tell you that this is quite powerful, or more than powerful enough! The QS-BT1 is currently priced at EUR 1,390 excluding tax - there is a wide network of dealers, so you can check the website to see who sells it in your area.To get the system up and running, your rig needs to meet a few requirements: To attach it at all, you need an aluminium profile-based cockpit, such as our Sim-Lab P1X Pro, or one of the compatible motion rigs, such as Qubic's own QS-V20 or the Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3.
Your seat is also essential as it will of course need the shoulder slots for the harness. And they need to be in the right position for your body size and shape to ensure the ideal pulling force without pain. A horizontal line between the slots and your shoulder is optimal, if the slots are a little lower it's just about right. Our Sparco seat in the office is more suitable for smaller people, but my own seat at home, the Circuit II, would have been better for me personally.
The seat belts themselves are not included, which is a bit of a shame considering the price. Qubic recommends five- or six-point harnesses, ideally with FIA certification. We used 4-point harnesses from Sparco for €120 and that worked well, but there is always the risk that they slip or move upwards.
Qubic Belt Tensioner - Configurable Effects
Everything is explained well and in detail in the instructions, and we'll get to the setup in a moment. If the simulator's telemetry allows it, the following effects can be applied:- Braking
- Lateral Acceleration
- Centrifugal Cornering Force
- Wheel Slip & Wheel Lock
- Engine Vibrations
- Rev Limiter
- Gear Change
- Side Slip
- Traction Loss
- Oversteer
- Vertical G-Force
- Pre-impact Protection
This is also the main reason why the Belt Tensioner really surprised me, as at first glance I only expected it to tighten under braking. But it is much finer and more detailed than that, and we'll get to that in a moment. First, I'll tell you how the build and the installation went.
First I sorted everything and checked that it was complete. There are some T-slot nuts and screws included, but the latter were too long to fit on the rig, so I had to use leftovers from our Sim-Lab bags. A trip to the hardware store was necessary to get suitable holders for the side screw points for our harnesses.
Fitting the QS-BT1 main unit to the aluminium profiles using the supplied mounting adapters is not quite as straight-forward, as the unit is a little heavier and the spacing on the left and right needs to be exact. Luckily, the packaging of the Fanatec Clubsport Handbrake V2 gave me the correct height to place it, so I was able to screw it on myself. However, a helping hand is definitely recommended.
(Relatively) Straight-forward Rig Installation
Make sure that you follow the instructions carefully when attaching the buckles that connect the straps of the unit to your belts. Depending on the nature of your shoulder slots, it may be useful to use the low friction inserts supplied to protect your belts and seat. However, I left them out later.All in all, this was very straight-forward and took about 20 minutes once the screw points were identified. Finally, there are the cable connections, which are also simple - USB to the PC, a motion lock jumper as we're not using a motion system, and then the power supply. There is an option to connect a Qubic emergency stop switch, but unfortunately this is not included with the standalone product, either.
Technically, the system cannot crush your chest, but there is still a bit of uncertainty because telemetry can do strange things, especially with simulations that are constantly being developed and can sometimes have FFB bugs or other glitches. The fact that the unit has a light signal on the outside like a Cylon from my favourite show Battlestar Galactica is very cool, but it makes me feel more at the mercy of the system.
Qubic QS-BT1 Software
Next, we download the Qubic Manager from the website and switch on the unit. The software won't win any design awards, but it has good explanations for the individual settings and shows you transparently whether the configuration and telemetry of your games is active, including tips & tricks if special settings are required. In AMS2 for example, the shared memory option, which must be set ingame, has to be enabled. Gain, sharpness and deadzones can be set for each individual effect in the SFX area.Then, it was time for the first test lap and I was blown away, there is no other way to put it. I was immediately reminded of a GT3 taxi ride I had in an M6 GT3 a few years ago, the pressure on my shoulders from cornering and the immense braking maneuvers. And the beauty of it is that it's not about show or pure power or effect, but that this dual-channel engine works very finely and without any noticeable delay.
In addition to the muscle memory for brake pedal pressure, the QS-BT1 also transmits the applied deceleration and acceleration to your upper body, providing the missing G-forces that you can only experience in a real car. Whether it's realistic to have the belts pulling when you change gear, or the left belt pulling more when you take a right-hand corner, remains to be seen - but it's immersive! And it is definitely an extra sensor system telling us what the car is doing.
A Really Special Driving Experience
A 50% gain setting in braking power was enough for me. The unit itself also transmits some vibrations to the rig and seat, which is a nice side effect. Since I have used this in combination with our Simucube Active Pedals, it's a really special driving experience that gives you a great sensation even without a motion platform. In terms of ABS, tyre slip and TC haptics, an active pedal is naturally a bit more precise and closer to the foot than the Belt Tensioner, so if you have both, they complement each other perfectly. The QS-BT1's background noise is very low, with the main noise coming from the fans.So, in conclusion, would I buy the QS-BT1 at this price, or in what order would I invest in my rig? You have probably heard that I really liked the Belt Tensioner. However, over 1,400 Euros is still a lot of money. I already have a lot of fun sim racing with a good DD wheel and active pedal. If I had to choose between upgrading to a Simucube Active Pedal Pro for the brakes or the QS-BT1, it would probably be the pedal, as I switch between many car classes and games, I just really enjoy the quick adjustability of the pedal.
The seatbelts are also a bit of a hassle, as you have to buckle and unbuckle them every time, but you get used to it. You could combine this with a buttkicker - it depends on how serious and close you want your experience to be to real driving. If you are still looking for that extra bit of excitement, the Belt Tensioner could be the next step for you.
Qubic QS-BT1 In Flight Sims
Meanwhile, if you are also into flight sims, you will be happy to hear that the QS-BT1 also works with those - Qubic specifically mentions "high G maneuvers" that the system can enhance with the effects it provides. For flight sims, the following effects can be applied:- Positive G-forces
- Negative G-forces
- Lateral Accelerations
- Deceleration/Speed Brake
- Centrifugal Force during roll/bank
- Cannon fire/missile launch
- Flare/chaff dispose
If you have any questions about the belt tensioner, feel free to ask in the comments below!
What are your thoughts on systems like the QS-BT1? Let us know in the comments and join the discussion in our hardware forum!
