Geforcefactory Edge6D review

[BigC208]

Been sitting on the fence for years contemplating getting a 6DOF motion platform. Last year the Dollar Euro exchange rate became favorable for the Dollar and I decided to test the platform. The company is in the Netherlands. I go there every year visiting family so a year ago I made an appointment to take a test flight. Spend about 3 hours there talking to Wijnand Derks, one of the owners of the company, and testing the setup they have in their showroom. He used to fly gliders so we have a similar aviation background.

 

I tested X-Plane 11 and Il2-GB on three 30 inch monitors. After testing X-Plane 11 I was sold already. It has good multimonitor support so no stretched views. Il2 not so much, shitty stretched views at the edges. Didn’t bother me too much because I normally fly in VR in Il2 or use track IR. It would be nice if they could add multi monitor support like X-Plane, MSFS and DCS. 

This stuff is expensive. The platform itself was

€7999 when I tested it. When I ordered the price had gone up to €8999. They let me have it for the old price. By the time I added the seat, multi monitor stand, side consoles and brackets for joysticks etc I was looking at €9500. Shipping was another nasty surprise. Because of COVID freight prices had shot up. Came to €2500 for shipping to North Carolina. The €7999 I sold my wife on had become €12000. Luckily she was still ok after the price crept up. 
 

Took a month before I had it at home after ordering. The platform was a pain to get in the house. I was out flying that week for work and they had left the 300lbs package sitting on a pallet in front of my house in the driveway. Wife covered it with a tarp until I got home two days later. I have a few steps up to get to the front door and it was a hassle. The box barely fit but we got it in.

 

Setting it up went quick. All the needed tools were included and nuts and bolts for the peripherals were neatly packaged so no worries mixing things up. The platform itself is plug and play.

 

Is it worth it? Big question. It ads a lot of realism to X-Plane and MSFS2020. I have a G1000 setup attached to it and practice IFR procedures. There are some limitations of course. When in a bank the platform banks. You start to lean left. In a coordinated turn you don’t do that in real life. Lifting off the runway and landing feels very realistic though. Shooting an ILS approach in bad weather with turbulence can get scary real. Doing partial panel work and trying to fly by the seat of your pants, instead of trusting the remaining instruments is a good way to crash. Very good IFR training tool. Trust the gauges, not your butt. Worth it for these two simulators.
 

Whereas I sold my wife on the practice value as an  IFR procedure trainer, that excuse didn’t fly with Il2 and DCS. ? They’re both a blast though. Using VR in IL2, with motion compensation, takes the game to a different dimension. Had to tone the motion down to 25%, from the standard 35%, in Il2 after I stalled a P51 and spun the thing almost into ground. Got thrown about a tad too much. You get a much better feel for when you get to the edge of the envelope. No jerky stick movements when lining up a kill either or the platforms movement throws you off. The most tactile fun are WWI aircraft. Make a solid rudder input and the platform yaws like crazy. Great feel when using rudder to line up kills. Pitch up or down fast and the platform does the same. Faster WWII aircraft don’t move the platform as much. Just give you  movement cues. Combined with the VR it really feels you’re upside down in the middle of a roll. Platform only moves for the onset and then quietly centers again.
 

DCS is also a blast, with or without VR. Launching off the carrier and getting a kick in the butt is a whole new experience. Same with trapping. The jets move about a lot less around the yaw axis because of the speed so not much to feel when doing high speed runs. When you get close to best maneuvering speed it’s more fun. Another nice effect is going into after burner in level flight. The platform pitches up to simulate you getting pushed in the seat. When you close the throttle the platform pitches down so you feel less g’s. It does the same in turns so the platform attitude won’t always imitate what’s going on in the sim. 
 

Despite the cost, I’m enjoying it to the point where I miss it when I’m not using it. I can’t compare it any other 6dof platform or setup so value wise I can’t judge. I also looked at Motion Systems, a Polish company. They have a system around €21000 that ticked a lot of boxes but was too heavy at 305kg and needed 220v. 

 

I’m running three, 30 inch, 4K monitors. I7-13900k and an rtx 4090 for the three monitors. For the two smaller G1000 monitors I use a gtx980ti. VKB Gunfighter, Warthog Throttle, MFG crosswind rudder and a Honeywell Bravo throttle.

 

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by BigC208

[Venom]

Had a good laugh when you reminded me of the pallet sitting in the parkway and waiting for the trip thru my garden into the living room. When I tried to lift it 🙈 it broke my back. Lying on the bed I phoned a local transportation company. By the time they came by 2 or 3 days later, my back was cured enough that I could unpack the EDGE6D and set it up. Which is easy enough, as you say. This is now almost 5 years ago, so I may add a few thoughts from my personal experience:

•  The EDGE6D is a solid piece. In almost daily use for at least 30min I never had the slightest issue. I never put monitors on it, I fly exclusively VR from day one. But I attached quite some other gear to it, TPR, VKB Mk.II with extended stick, custom built Spitfire throttle and gear boxes, a Buttkicker and lately a wind generator (I love to fly open cockpit vintage aircraft). All fits well.
• Of course, like you, I started using the native profiles. As a motion newbee I was so glad I had them! But the truth is: if you stick to them you may give away half of your possibilities (and in the end of your joy ─ and also of the money you spent!).
  You say you mostly drive your platform on the default 35%. With this setting you restrict the platform's envelope completely! If you allow me the term: you castrate it! Using your own profiles you unleash the EDGE6D's full capabilites. You allow full harsh movements using the full axis range, but also very smooth floating movements. Anything you want, exactly when you need it.
  I must confess my attempts of setting up my own aircraft profile with SimTools by Xsimulator failed. I never got a sufficient understanding of its mechanism and workflow. Luckily that changed when I discovered another interface, FlyPT Mover. But since your report dates back 1,5 years and I don't know where you at currently, I won't indulge further into the matter at this point.
• Like most motion platforms the EDGE6D is NOT built for high frequency movements. Therefore I had ordered the Buttkicker attachment set right along with the EDGE6D, which allowed me easy attachment of a Buttkicker unit right under the sparco seat. Moreover, with its rubber pads it uncouples the Buttkicker's high frequencies from the platform. BTW, the excellent SimHaptic software now supports not only MSFS and Xplane, but also DCS and IL-2!

One last note: I know of an EDGE6D owner with plans of setting up a dedicated Discord server. Anyone interested may PM me.

 

[BigC208]

Hello Venom,

 

Only saw your post recently. Still using the motion rig. Haven’t done too much customization. Been very bussy at work and only have a few hours in the weekends to use it. I’ll have a look at FLy PT Mover, and simhaptic, next time I have a few days off.

 

I’ve been interested in adding a buttkicker myself but haven’t gotten around to it.

Did you get the mini, and what amp?

 

I also added a Rhino forcefeedback base to the sim.