Driving Sim Development Drivers Wanted

[Emission]

My company (Marble Labs) is looking for passionate sim racers and development drivers to help refine XP1, our all-new high-performance driving simulator that targets driving enthusiasts with authentic steering feel, vehicle response, and driver feedback.

We’re gathering real-world feedback on every part of the experience—from the download process and user interface to how the car feels on track.

You give us your thoughts on the platform, and we give you a free full copy of the software.

Here’s how to join the test team:

1. Visit XP1Drive.com
2. Click the Test Drive button.*
3. Follow the instructions in the email to download and install XP1 (currently compatible with most Logitech and Fanatec hardware, with more being added continuously).
4. Send me an email at hello@marble-labs.com to let me know you want to be a beta tester.
5. Run at least four laps at a reasonable pace (to ensure system compatibility).

* Download only availabel in US markets as of now. Wheels Supported at Launch Logitech • Pro Racing Wheel DD • RS50 DD • G923 • G920 • G29 Fanatec • Podium DD, DD1, DD2 • Clubsport DD, DD+ • CSL DD

Once you’ve completed your laps, we’ll send you a code to unlock a FREE version of XP1.

We’re especially looking for drivers who can push our GT3-class prototype to its limits—slide it through corners, hit the curbs, drift it, send it.

VIDEO OF LE MANS WINNER JUSTIN BELL DRIVING XP1:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUWCMJ2ioKr/?igsh=cWtoNjA1cXhtOW9r

Let me know if you have any questions.

~ Mike

[flipper35]

Dang, I only have a G27.

[berettafan]

The Fanatec stuff is worth it if you do a lot of sim driving. If it weren't tax season I'd be in on this for sure. just don't have the time to give it a fair run right now.

[Emission]

Originally Posted by flipper35

Dang, I only have a G27.

Hmm.... that's an older unit. You should download it and see if it works (there's no cost or obligation).

~ Mike

[Scott Douglas]

I copied your text above and sent it to my son who just upgraded his work station at home for this kind of stuff.
Don't know if he responded to you or not as I haven't heard from him. He's busy with work and kids and life in general I guess.

[Emission]

Originally Posted by berettafan

The Fanatec stuff is worth it if you do a lot of sim driving. If it weren't tax season I'd be in on this for sure. just don't have the time to give it a fair run right now.

Thanks!

~ Mike

[Emission]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

I copied your text above and sent it to my son who just upgraded his work station at home for this kind of stuff.
Don't know if he responded to you or not as I haven't heard from him. He's busy with work and kids and life in general I guess.

Perfect. He can reach me at hello@marble-labs.com

~ Mike

P.S. —*Thanks for forwarding it!

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by Emission

Perfect. He can reach me at hello@marble-labs.com

~ Mike

P.S. —*Thanks for forwarding it!

No problem.
He's still working on getting a wheel I think.

He bought some gaming desktop at Costco that has some pretty nice specs.

[Emission]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

No problem.
He's still working on getting a wheel I think.

He bought some gaming desktop at Costco that has some pretty nice specs.

Triple-screen is sweet! Yes, he needs a wheel/pedal (I suggest starting with the Logitech G29/920 setup as it is reasonably priced and compatible with everything — and it works great with our software).

~ Mike

[unclebilly]

My 15 year old son has a G920. He says that the shifter doesn’t work but the paddles do.

He says the track isn’t quite Laguna and the car feels like it’s on rails. Even when the tires are spinning it feels planted. It would be good if you could start in 1st with your foot on the clutch.

What is the car supposed to be?

He has an SCCA full comp license and races spec miata.

Pm me if you want to talk to him directly.

[unclebilly]

Can I share this with our spec miata group?

[Emission]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

My 15 year old son has a G920. He says that the shifter doesn’t work but the paddles do.

He says the track isn’t quite Laguna and the car feels like it’s on rails. Even when the tires are spinning it feels planted. It would be good if you could start in 1st with your foot on the clutch.

What is the car supposed to be?

He has an SCCA full comp license and races spec miata.

Pm me if you want to talk to him directly.

Awesome. The circuit is "inspired" by Silverstone (tell him to look at that track map). The vehicle is a bespoke GT3-class, mid-engine, 525-hp V8, RWD, Sequential gearbox, on Pirelli slicks. We made it in CAD from scratch.

I will PM you tomorrow.

~ Mike

[Emission]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Can I share this with our spec miata group?

100%



~ Mike

[Emission]

And I should mention that XP1 is on an all-new simulation platform —*we don't use traditional "force feedback" technology.

Instead, we build the simulation on our patented platform, then build the vehicle in CAD (the tub, every suspension component, fuel tank, etc.) and adjust the suspension (caster, camber, etc.) just as you would a real car. We had to build our own GT3-class legal racer as we didn't want to license a "fake" vehicle from an automaker.

On that note, everything that happens in XP1 happens in the real world. You start in the pits in a cold car with cold tires and fluids. The out lap is used to bring the tire/brakes up to temp (you decide whether you want to scrub the fronts, or put more heat in the rears). Lap 2-4 are typically the fastest, unless you deliberately preserve the car. And we model tire temperatures, rotor temperatures, fuel slosh, etc.

Have your son watch this video of a full lap (yes, you can use the curbs to rotate the vehicle, but don't break one of the control arms in the process!):

https://youtu.be/CLgOdhzfLco?si=bWMWjZMGvXxnoceG

And we are seeking developement drivers to help us add more features — the product is "thin" right now.

~ Mike

[unclebilly]

He did notice that after he put it off track, he had terrible understeer. He had to restart to get the handling back.

[masraum]

I wish I could take advantage. This sounds very cool! I haven't played a cool racing game in years.

[john70t]

One car, one track, in a bloated world of driving sims.
Still that looked pretty impressive from a visual perspective. What's happening on the screen makes sense.

A few unwarranted observations (please forgive the directness):
-Would it be better to license the specific feedback Node/WhateverTheTerminology to existing brand name driving sims? I'm surprised this hasn't gotten their attention yet. You have something that works better specifically. But vehicle and track modelling would be an expensive uphill battle to recreate what already exists in so many forms. Most 'video game' consumers are using console thumb controls and aren't capable of noticing a difference between a 14lb and a 18lb road bike.

-How about licensing to the wheel mftr themselves for their own integrated software? Companies can be completely closed-minded to even considering disruptive technology when their own sales are going strong. It sometimes takes competing sales and online presence to get them to notice. Yours is a noteworthy start. Partnering with known names for R&D furthers this.

-You don't have to build a new tv to play your movie. My dad created a viable employee feedback training platform,back in the early days of computing, but was bogged down on making a portable hardware machine to run it. While everyone was buying their own home machines. And getting company HR to notice him. And establishing some sort to IP to defend his system from easily being copied. Defending the I/O calculations might be difficult in terms of infringement.

-There isn't comparative testimony from the testers on good/bad experience. That is probably proprietary but noticeably missing.

-Viewers watch the video of fast driving(in a mostly straight line) and probably think the clouds are too basic, or lack of trees and other cars, or some other basic criticism. A video doesn't transfer the actual steering responses and sensation. Some sort of wild thrash with extreme driving might better demonstrate your software capability, or it might give away the huddle signals. IDK. Just a layman observer here.

-Which steering wheels are compatible would be a major question by all.

[Emission]

Originally Posted by john70t

One car, one track, in a bloated world of driving sims.
Still that looked pretty impressive from a visual perspective. What's happening on the screen makes sense.

A few unwarranted observations (please forgive the directness):
-Would it be better to license the specific feedback Node/WhateverTheTerminology to existing brand name driving sims? I'm surprised this hasn't gotten their attention yet. You have something that works better specifically. But vehicle and track modelling would be an expensive uphill battle to recreate what already exists in so many forms. Most 'video game' consumers are using console thumb controls and aren't capable of noticing a difference between a 14lb and a 18lb road bike.

-How about licensing to the wheel mftr themselves for their own integrated software? Companies can be completely closed-minded to even considering disruptive technology when their own sales are going strong. It sometimes takes competing sales and online presence to get them to notice. Yours is a noteworthy start. Partnering with known names for R&D furthers this.

-You don't have to build a new tv to play your movie. My dad created a viable employee feedback training platform,back in the early days of computing, but was bogged down on making a portable hardware machine to run it. While everyone was buying their own home machines. And getting company HR to notice him. And establishing some sort to IP to defend his system from easily being copied. Defending the I/O calculations might be difficult in terms of infringement.

-There isn't comparative testimony from the testers on good/bad experience. That is probably proprietary but noticeably missing.

-Viewers watch the video of fast driving(in a mostly straight line) and probably think the clouds are too basic, or lack of trees and other cars, or some other basic criticism. A video doesn't transfer the actual steering responses and sensation. Some sort of wild thrash with extreme driving might better demonstrate your software capability, or it might give away the huddle signals. IDK. Just a layman observer here.

-Which steering wheels are compatible would be a major question by all.

Thanks for the reply.

"...in a bloated world of driving sims."

Every driving sim on the marked uses "force feedback," which is a technology developed in the 1990s for arcade games. We have an entire new simulation platform, which we patented, that was built for DARPA and ADAS (in other words, our software is military grade for industry use and accurate enough that automakers can teach autonomous vehicles how to drive with humans on board). It's not a game.

Hardware manufacturers (e.g., Logitech) typically use firmware that further distorts the "force feeback" the industry uses. (Imagine walking into a Porsche dealer with your own power steering unit before a test drive, and insisting they install it, because you don't like the way the automaker tuned the vehicle.) The hardware should not define the driving experience — we want a pure signal to our software.

There's a ton more to it, but long story short we can't use licensed vehicles as automakers won't allow their vehicles to accurately replicate damage (does Porsche want the world to know that hitting a curb at 43 mph in a 991 does more damage than hitting the identical curb in a E46?). So, we had to build our own environment, and our own vehicle from scratch.

The cockpit presentation is intentionally restrained, with no artificial hands, floating steering wheels, or head-up overlays. Visual motion reflects how a helmeted driver experiences speed and cornering forces, reinforcing the connection between steering input and vehicle behavior.

We brought on Justin Bell (and a handful of other professional drivers) to "tune" the vehicle. It drives like a real car. There are infinite lines around the circuit, you can bang over curbs, understeer, oversteer... break things.

Anyway, we aren't trying to dethrone iRacing or any of the other titles. XP1 is a new and very unque approach to driving simulation, and we think it makes a great tool for those who want to practice their skills. We do need to add more features, which is why we are asking for input from enthusiasts.

~ Mike

P.S. —*As of today, we are compatible with Logitech • Pro Racing Wheel DD • RS50 DD • G923 • G920 • G29 Fanatec • Podium DD, DD1, DD2 • Clubsport DD, DD+ • CSL DD. We are working on more...

[Emission]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

He did notice that after he put it off track, he had terrible understeer. He had to restart to get the handling back.

We model real-world damage.

Over the thousands of test drives, I've seen countless bent lower control arms, wheels bent, blown gearboxes, stuck throttle cables, and more. I've seen two people accidentally flip the car on its roof, too!

Unfortunately, as we only have one view... I tell people to let go of the steering wheel on the straight and see if it pulls to one side.

Worst case, return to the pits for a new cold car.

~ Mike

[unclebilly]

I think he did flip it at one point.

Anyway / thank you for the opportunity to be part of this. I also sent it to one of the other SM racers.