Why are there gaming chairs, and why do they look like race car seats?

I drive a sports car that can corner at ~1G and the seats have bolsters on the side to keep your body in place when cornering hard- but they also make the seat uncomfortable on a long drive, it is a substantial tradeoff. It would seem impossible for a seat on wheels to have any lateral forces at all?

They all suck, even the ones that don't look like race car seats.

At the very least, the gas piston will fail to hold the position afater a couple of years at most. I don't even care about my chair being easibly adjustable in the first place.

Then the "leather" is the cheapest material imaginable and will start to peel off even before the piston gives in.

The handrests are either not adjustable or completely flimsy.

The best office chair I’ve had was a ~50 year old surplus laboratory stool with no arm rests and a simple massive steel screw to adjust height. That thing will last 300 years and the simple shape and lack of support structure means I can keep my core engaged and upright for better posture and no back pain with long days of coding.

I believe it’s mostly aesthetic as gamers don’t want to sit in a regular office chair. Even Herman Miller makes gamer chairs now.

Its the appeal of RICEing

Really? I sat in one that belonged to a friend and it convinced me to get one as my desk chair. I enjoy it; I find it comfortable.

What do you not like about it?

It’s too hard to sit longer than 1h, its shape is just 10 light years away from what your body feels like a natural or comfortable sitting position. Its lumbar support and back shape in general is terrible in every possible way.

It feels like people who make it never actually use it.