How To Sim Race with a Gaming Chair

Sim rigs and cockpits are great and all. But they’re large and can cost a lot. This is why for a long time I sim raced using an office chair and desk, and it’s easily the most accessible way to start sim racing.

It’s been a few years since I raced this way, so I wanted to create a video exploring sim racing at a desk.

Now I know I just mentioned this is the most accessible way into sim racing as rigs can be expensive. However, Herman Miller sent me over an Embody office chair to use as my daily work chair. So I thought, why not use it for some sim racing as well? Read our full Herman Miller Embody review.

I’m pairing this chair with a MOZA R3 bundle to create a really easy plug and play option for sim racing at a desk. In this guide, I’m going to look at the Embody chair in detail to see how it holds up in general, while also having some fun sim racing in it.

Watch our video breakdown of our sim racing office chair setup

Setting up our sim racing set up

So let’s first of all set everything up so we can start racing. The MOZA R3 wheel is perfect for this as it simply bolts onto any desk or table using the clamp that comes included in the bundle. Then, the pedals connect via a single wire and can be pushed up against the wall for stability.

I’m using a combination of the ES wheel that comes with the R3 bundle, and the KS wheel, which is a low-cost formula-style wheel, and one of my favourites from MOZA.

Next, we have the gaming chair, and this could be pretty much any chair that you use, as long as it can lock its tilt angle. I’m using the Embody gaming chair from Herman Miller, and while this is a gaming collaboration between Herman Miller and Logitech, it doesn’t look like the aggressive racing-style chairs that you’ll find from most gaming chair brands.

Instead, the Herman Miller Embody bucks this trend and looks distinctly different from any other gaming chair on the market.

That is because at its heart, this is an ergonomic chair designed for hours sitting at a desk. The futuristic appearance, especially the rear pixel matrix, is what makes this thing stand out in a crowded market.

The final piece of my setup is a set of caster locks from Amazon to stop my chair from rolling all over the place.

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Price of the setup

With the Embody, you do have its crazy high price tag, at around £1715 or just over $2000. Although at this very moment it is on sale at £1290 as a part of the Black Friday sale.

Now, I’m not going to look at value for money too much on a four-figure office chair. However, given its 12-year warranty, that breaks down to around £140 per year. If you’re constantly replacing your cheap Ikea chair, this calculation could make the crazy upfront cost a little more palatable, and I’d lead with this if you’re trying to sell the idea to your better half. You’re welcome!

In stark contrast to the Embody chair, the R3 bundle costs £299 if you’re buying the PC version, or £339 if you want the Xbox compatible version.

For that price, you’re getting an entire bundle. A small direct drive wheel base, steering wheel and pedal set.

Product	Price
Herman Miller Embody Gaming Chair	£1715
MOZA Racing R3 Bundle	£299.99
Caster Locks	£9.99

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Comfort and adjustability

Despite its price tag that would rival the most premium cockpits, the Herman Miller is actually pretty well designed for sim racing.

The backrest

The sleek design with a tapered back frees up your arms and doesn’t restrict your movement in any way. The flexible and free-form nature of the backrest also allows you to move about, even while the chair is locked in place. This may sound like a bad thing, but it isn’t. The chair offers all the support you need; however, when rotating your back from side to side, the chair supports you while flexing. The Embody is always there and adapts to you.

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This allows the chair to always be supporting your back, no matter how you are sitting. This is due to the pixelation in the backrest design.

In terms of adjustments, you have your usual height and tilt adjustments, as well as what Herman Miller calls BackFit, which sets the default recline angle and lower back support. When sim racing, you’ll want to lock the tilt so you don’t go falling backwards when stomping on the brake pedal.

The seat

Moving down to the seat itself, and Herman Miller have extended the pixelation down below. This lets you feel suspended rather than sitting on a firm surface. The base is also rather wide, which lets you cross your legs while relaxing between race sessions.

And there is adjustability in the thigh support, which is crucial when sim racing. This is a bit clunky for such an expensive chair, but it’s a nice to have feature that you probably won’t be adjusting too much.

The Armrests

The armrests themselves at first glance, appear to be missing some crucial features that are present on most gaming chairs, and that is 4D movement. Instead, you can simply raise or lower and adjust the width.

The arms curve around your body, and this allows for an unrestricted seating position. You can also push them completely out of the way, which has a nice satisfying clunk to it. My default work position is having the arms in line with my desk, while I can quickly push them out of the way to sim race.

The casters

Down below, the casters feel incredibly smooth to roll about on. But while sim racing, locking them in place with this set of rubber caster locks works a treat. My chair doesn’t move in the slightest while braking, giving me full confidence to sim race in this thing.

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One key issue: The missing head rest

One big omission with the Embody is the lack of a headrest. While sim racing, and even while working at my desk, this isn’t crucial. However, when I’m trying to kick back and play a different game with a controller or my Rog ally X, this is much more of an issue.

I like to lean back while relaxing and playing games, and I can still do that with the Embody, but I have to admit it isn’t quite as comfortable as if there was a headrest installed. There are third-party headrest options out there if you want the Embody but do need head support. But be warned, some of them can be just as expensive as buying an Ikea gaming chair!

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The MOZA R3, the perfect desk sim racing wheel

When it comes to the other big part of my desk sim racing setup, the MOZA R3 is fantastic. It is absolutely ideal for this style of sim racing. Its incredibly small form factor means you don’t need a tonne of desk space to install it, and I quite often just loosen the clamp and move it off to the side when I’m not using it.

Being a direct drive wheel, it also packs much better force feedback than say a Logitech G923 or cheap Thrustmaster wheel. The details in the track surface are clear, and with 3.9Nm of peak torque, its ideal for a desk clamp situation. Anything stronger and a desk clamp may not hold up.

Under the desk, the SR-P Lite pedals that are included do benefit from the additional performance kit, or you could even upgrade to the full fat SR-P pedals for a bit more resistance and control under braking.

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Final thoughts

Ultimately though, this little R3, and the impressive Embody gaming chair highlight just how much fun a desk sim racing setup can be. If you don’t have room for a full cockpit, then I don’t feel that this approach compromises on too much.

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• Written by Rich Article updated on November 12, 2025 Tags: Buyers Guide, Tips & Tricks, Sim Racing Product Guides

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