D-BOX 4400i Motion Simulator Review

Adding motion to the Sim Racing Experience is something that can be accomplished in many different ways. And at many different price points. I have been using a seat mover
design with a traction loss component for a few years now. And, it served me well during that time. But like most guys, I’m always looking at other ways to experience motion in
my Sim driving. Ever since I had an opportunity to try a D-BOX solution a couple of years ago, I always wanted to have one of my own to drive. And now, I have finally managed to make
that happen. It was not an easy thing for me to do. Hard to justify spending the kind of money it took to secure this system. Which brings me to the most obvious and glaring Con for the this D-BOX 4400i GEN II system. It’s a very expensive motion solution. At a retail cost of 17,000 it can be quite a shock to the finances of a sim racer. There are other less expensive ways to get some D-BOX goodness mounted to your rig. Like the 4250i system at 13,000 instead of the 4400i that I have. Or you could source a used or refurbished D-BOX setup. I have seen guys using the SRP-230 theater seat movers on sim racing rigs.Even then, most would not ever consider spending that much money on their sim racing hobby. And the reason we don’t see more of these systems in peoples homes. On the other hand, there are seat mover solutions out there that cost significantly more than D-BOX does. Although, those units usually are marketed as a turn key solution. Still, it seems no matter what motion system you prefer, there are ways to spend a lot of money on them. Well, enough about the cost of the D-BOX 4400i, let’s get to the good stuff. The most obvious difference for me between my previous seat mover solution and this D-BOX setup, is now I actually feel as though I am driving a properly sprung suspended chassis. The best way for me to describe it would be a sensation of sitting above the road surface instead of on it.To me it has a more analog or natural feel of how a car reacts to bumps and dips in the road surface and lateral forces applied when cornering. I believe this is because of the heave component that the D-BOX system can deliver. And the same feeling goes for the braking action of this setup. Just feels like a more intuitive and natural action with the entire chassis pitching forward instead of just yourseat. The sensation of having more control of your braking. Although my braking consistency has remained same. The most common feeling queue between a seat mover and the D-BOX is the roll component. But still with the whole chassis moving with the roll, I have to give the nod to D-BOX. When looking at the D-BOX motion solution, the only thing I feared would missed was the traction loss component of my Stage 4 cockpit. Now I don’t think anything will replace the feeling of a chassis pivoting sideways when a slide occurs, but I am pleasantly surprised how I really don’t miss it. D-BOX has done a very good job of programming this system to replicate the queues of your cars rear end braking loose. Just not as exaggerated as my stage 4. It’s really more of a testament of  how well the D-BOX system as a whole delivers the motion experience. Everything just seems to come together for a noticeably more immersive driving experience. At least in my opinion. And there are those who will disagree with this assessment. And will bring out the white boards, to run calculations on how one system delivers motion queues better than another. But, all that goes rightout the window when you throw an analog human being into the equation. Hard to nail down a constant when all of us feel things differently from each other. Which brings me to the conclusion that there is no one motion system that is the best for everyone. The only way to find out what is your preferred motion system is to get in it and drive it. As for me, I am quite happy
with my new D-BOX system. It puts smile on my face when when I am pushing hard on track. Although, I am not happy about the cost of acquiring this new happiness. But that pain will fade
as I spend more hours motoring away in my D-BOX chassis. If you have the means to buy a D-BOX system without getting a second mortgage, then I don’t think you will regret it.