Box One Racing (BOR) is by now not an unknown name within the sim racing community. A while back, we already announced the GT-T2 Button Box may test and reviewen. This was our first introduction to BOR, so I was pleasantly surprised at the value for money. Box One Racing recently sent us their most popular product, the Box One Racing X1 Button Box, sent to reviewen. Of course, we are happy to do so! In this article, you will find my entirely objective opinion About this visually flashy button box! Are you ready for it? Then read on quickly!

Box One Racing X1 Button Box

The Box One Racing X1 Button Box is an advanced button box for simracers to enhance their racing simulator experience. This button box allows you to programme as many as 26 assignable functions, making it faster and easier to control your simulator and racing game. The BOR X1 Button Box weighs just 450 grams and has compact dimensions of 160mm x 106mm x 25mm (45mm with buttons), making it a lightweight and space-saving addition to any racing setup. The BOR X1 Button Box is available for €249.99 and is thus a lot cheaper than the more expensive and more premium alternative of the Pro Switch Panel From Precision Sim Engineering.

What makes the X1 Button Box really stand out is the built-in interactive RGB LED display. This display provides you with important information while racing, such as start animations, motorsport flags and status displays like the parking brake or pit limiter. This puts you fully in control of your race. The advantage of this eye-catching LED-lit button box is that it is not only functional, but also offers an aesthetic addition, making your racing experience even more immersive.

Key features

The X1 Button Box offers a range of useful features. Here are the key features of the BOR X1 Button Box:

• 26 assignable functions: With as many as 26 programmable buttons, you can operate your simulator faster and easier.
• Interactive RGB LED display: The built-in LED display provides you with important information during racing, such as start animations, motorsport flags and status displays such as parking brake or pit limiter.
• More than 100 unique icons: Specially designed icons for popular racing games such as iRacing, Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa and ACC make it even more fun to race.
• Key reprogramming: With the ability to reassign key combinations such as ALT+TAB or ALT+F4, you can fully customise your racing simulation experience to suit your preferences.

What's in the box?

When you unpack the box, in addition to the Box One Racing X1 Button Box, you'll also find handy accessories that make the installation process a breeze. These include (lots of!) sticker sheets to personalise your setup, a sturdy 40×40 aluminium profile bracket for montage and a Vesa 75×75 montage bracket to mount your X1 Button Box on your simulator.

In the Box:

• Box One Racing X1 Button Box
• Sticker sheets
• Quick Start leaflet with QR code
• 40×40 Aluminium Profile Bracket with 6 screws
• Vesa 75×75 Mounting Bracket

Design and build quality

The design and the construction quality of the X1 Button Box is very good. Weighing 450 grams and measuring 160mm x 106mm x 25mm (45mm with buttons), the X1 Button Box offers a robust and durable construction. The housing of the X1 is 3D printed and coated with a carbon-look film that is firmly attached and offers a high-quality look. The print quality is excellent with attention to detail and precision.

The buttons are made of high-quality elastomer combined with tactile buttons, giving you a noticeable click. I personally would have expected and wanted these white buttons to be made of a more softer rubber material. This would give the box a more authentic and realistic look. But in the context of durability, and most likely cost, I can understand this choice. Once used to it, it's not a problem either. By the way, what I like is that the buttons are a bit bigger than those on a StreamDeck, for instance.

Redundant Encoders

Besides the 20 buttons, two more rotary encoders can be found at the bottom of the X1 Button Box. Personally, I think these encoders add little and I would rather see an X1 without these two encoders. I also feel that the buttons chosen do not fit well with the design of the button box. The box has a rather narrow design and the presence of these two large rotary encoders does not feel harmonious. Two shorter buttons (or none) would make the X1 considerably more aesthetically pleasing and attractive.

Montage

The BOR X1 Button Box comes with a 40×40 profile and a vesa 75×75 mounting bracket. Mounting the BOR X1 Button Box can be a challenge, especially if you run into limitations in your current racing setup. With the included 40×40 profile and Vesa 75×75 mounting bracket, installation seems straightforward, but in practice there can be many obstacles. As with the review of the GT-T2 Button Box, I notice that the montage options included have limitations that make the montage more difficult in my sim rig. For example, the 40×40 bracket supplied does not fit my Sim-Lab Button Box Mount of 80×40, directly confronting me with challenges that require a creative solution to mount the X1 Button Box as desired. Mounting it directly to my frame is not convenient in my setup and I also don't like the 20-degree angle.

While the current montage bracket is handy, I do miss an additional montage arm that would give me more flexibility to position the X1 to my liking. The lack of customisability can be frustrating for gamers striving for a perfect setup that suits their individual needs and preferences. Offering an optional additional mounting bracket that offers more freedom and flexibility would be a good solution to this problem.

Adaptability of the BOR X1 Button Box

The big advantage of this X1 Button Box is that you can configure it completely to your liking. This does require some knowledge of SimHub and a bit of patience. To use the full potential of the X1 Button Box, you need the free Simhub software needed. Simhub allows you not only to control RGB lighting, but also to reprogram keys for keyboard commands.

LED Presets

You can find two Download SimHub presets. You'll find two presets: one for truck simulator and the other is a profile you can use for any sim game. Besides the predefined profiles, fortunately you can also create your own and customise the X1 Button Box to your exact specifications!

Bright LED Lighting

What is immediately noticeable when plugging in the X1 Button Box is the enormously bright LED lighting. The brightness and contrast are very good. This makes the button box stand out well. I myself am definitely not a fan of lots of shiny LED lighting and animations. I always want the most realistic and cleanest look in my simulator and prefer such animations on my steering wheel, DDU dashboard or flagspotters. But I can well imagine that if you don't have a lot of peripherals these animations like flags, pit limiter, indicator and more would be a very pleasant addition to your setup. Disabling all - for me, unnecessary - animations is fortunately not too difficult and done within a few clicks. For the future, I would opt for making more LED profiles available. For instance, an Advanced profile containing all options and animations, and a more Basic profile with the cleanest possible look and functionalities.

Extended quantity of stickers

With over 100 unique stickers, you get more than enough opportunity to customise your X1 to your liking. Applying the stickers is easy and the range of stickers with icons is very wide, which I think is a big plus. The stickers are also of good quality and self-adhesive, making them easy to change should you need to. Personally, I do find that the stickers are a bit too translucent, so the black is no longer black and becomes too much of a shade of grey.

The pros and cons

It's time to take stock of the Box One Racing X1 Button Box. While it is an impressive accessory with many advantages, we must also consider the limited montage options and redundant encoders and list them as drawbacks. In my opinion, these do not outweigh the benefits of this competitively priced button box. It is up to you to decide whether the X1 Button Box is a worthwhile addition to your racing setup.

Box One Racing X1 Button Box Review: Our Verdict

With a whopping 26 programmable buttons, the X1 Button Box offers a wide range of control options, making controlling your racing simulator faster and easier than ever before. With this button box, controlling your racing simulator becomes a piece of cake. No more fiddling with a mouse and keyboard - all the important functions are at your fingertips!

Surprising Experience

I must admit that I was initially a bit sceptical about the X1 Button Box. Why? Well, I already have a StreamDeck with similar functionality and customisation options, but frankly, I hardly use it. Besides, I already own several button boxes, so why would I need another one? What can the X1 add that other button boxes don't offer?

After using the X1 for several weeks, I can conclude nothing but that I am pleasantly surprised with the BOR X1 Button Box. Priced at just €249.99, the X1 Button Box is a very well-priced button box where the quality and workmanship are top notch. Yes, I am also critical of the BOR X1 Button Box. For instance, I find the two encoders unnecessary and the montage brackets included do not bring enough freedom and flexibility. I would like an additional montage bracket for this that offers more freedom.

Unique Addition

All in all, the BOR X1 Button Box is a very fine addition to my simulator and despite some minor criticisms, I have become very enthusiastic and find this addition to my setup fantastic. The countless possibilities to set up the X1 completely to your liking are enormous. This gives the X1 a personal and unique experience and something a 'standard' button box cannot do. I like to race in prototype cars, like the LMP2 or Hypercars and the X1 Button Box allows me to simulate such a cockpit. And I think that's super cool!

Upgrade Your Sim Racing Experience!

Ready to take your sim racing experience to the next level? Then don't wait any longer and get your Box One Racing X1 Button Box now! Experience for yourself the power of this compact and advanced button box and immerse yourself in an immersive world of ultimate control and fun. Order today and experience the adrenaline of racing like never before!

Top Choice

Box One Racing X1 Button Box Review

The X1 Button Box from Box One Racing is an excellent choice thanks to its impressive functionality and premium build quality. With a whopping 26 programmable buttons, the X1 offers an unrivalled level of control over your racing simulator. The X1 is beautifully designed with durable construction and an eye-catching LED display, making it not only functional but also an aesthetic addition to any racing setup. If you are looking for a reliable and high-quality product to enhance your sim racing experience, the X1 Button Box is the perfect choice.

Buy now