RC cars are already a lot of fun, but Kobotix has upped the ante with the Real Racer FPV car. Combined with an app that enables recording video, taking photos, and even streaming, it’s a fun way to experience RC racing around a house or office. Priced at $150, is the Kobotix Real Racer a must-have RC toy? Be sure to hit the video below to find out.
Kobotix Real Racer: What’s included?
Besides a smartphone, everything else you need for FPV driving is included in the package. The Real Racer comes with the car, a removable battery, a pistol grip controller, and an FPV headset.
The FPV driving mode can be enabled from the Real Racer app on an Android or iOS smartphone. Through the app, the phone will connect to a Wi-Fi signal from the car to send the low-latency video signal.
Additionally, the app gives some control over how the car behaves. There is a gyro mode that will help assist steering to prevent spin-outs, but I found myself preferring the normal driving mode after spending more time driving the Real Racer.
Kobotix Real Racer: Controller overview
Taking a look at the controller, it has the common design of a pistol grip with the accelerator controlled with the index finger and a wheel on the side that controls the steering angle.
On the top and sides of the controller are even more dials and buttons for controlling top speed, steering trim if it feels like it is pulling to one side, max steering angle, and even taking pictures or recording videos. These are great additions to have at your fingertips on the controller for on-the-fly adjustments.
Kobotix Real Racer: Driving impressions
At full throttle, the Real Racer is fast. Topping out around 9.3 mph, it’ll zoom around a room very quickly. When first driving the car, I had the top speed dialed down to get a feel for how it handles.
Despite the speed, the car is also four-wheel drive which keeps it from spinning out too often but that is still possible. I would prefer a little more distance or resistance in the accelerator for fine-tuned throttle control, but I did get used to it the more I used the controller.
After a few days and quite a few laps around my living room, I was able to dial up the speed and feel more confident at higher speeds.
I was also impressed with the steering angle – the car can make some pretty tight turns. The steering wheel on the controller offers a nice bit of resistance and fine movements really are the key to keeping the car under control when moving at high speeds. Once again, spending more time with the Real Racer makes that easier to control.
Or, if it turns too tight, the controller allows the turning angle to be reduced. This does help in high-speed corners but at the cost of low-speed maneuvers.
Kobotix Real Racer: Video
FPV Mode
Firing up the app and popping my phone in the FPV headset changes the driving experience completely. It’s different but can be a lot of fun. Once again, it will take a bit of time to get comfortable using the car at high speeds in FPV mode.
Additionally, if you suffer from motion sickness, you may want to take it easy when using the Kobotix Real Racer in FPV mode. Unlike a VR headset that moves the video with the movements of your head, FPV video feeds stay locked in one direction no matter how you move your head, which can be a nausea-inducing experience for some.
Battery life and durability
Kobotix rates the battery life at up to 25 minutes per pack and in my testing, it was a little shy of that. But, that’s plenty of time and usually, I was ready for a break by that time.
Additionally, so far, the durability seems to be able to take a beating. I’ve had my fair share of high-speed wall hits and the bodywork is still holding up. If the body does get damaged, or you just want to switch up the color, there are replacement shells available on the Kobotix website.
9to5Toys Take
I enjoy racing – we’ve been building up more content related to sim racing, and this has been more fun than I expected it to be. Sure, priced at $150, there are plenty of more affordable RC cars available from Amazon, but taking into consideration the fun-to-drive car, a controller with handy on-the-fly adjustments, and the FPV headset, it seems more reasonable. And with a mix of normal and FPV driving, there is more variety in how to use the car.
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