Pedals

Sim Racing Pedals - Footwork like the Pros

Competing against friends on the console with a real controller - nice, but not simracing. Simracing is much more than that. Much more than a car race on the screen. No less than a real driving experience. Real simracers appreciate exactly the realistic driving experience in their own simracing rig. In addition to the screen, button box, wheelbase and steering wheel, a simracing pedal is also part of the complete equipment for you. We show you what you should look for when choosing your sim racing pedals and what the differences are.

What is important for sim racing pedals?

Maybe you remember the early days of racing simulations. Amusement arcades and bowling alleys offered the "fun of driving" with corresponding machines for car racing games. However, it was not so much fun. The old rigs reacted badly to the player's steering manoeuvres and inputs, were very poorly calibrated and the driving experience also left a lot to be desired. With today's simracing rigs, these problems have long since disappeared. They only share the basic construction with the old rigs. Simracing perfects the intention of the old automatons - a realistic driving experience.

With the beginning of racing games for home computers, sim racing pedals were usually offered as a complete set with steering wheel and wheelbase. As this market grew and developed, manufacturers continued to optimise the individual components. Nowadays, a wide range of sets and individual parts is available in a variety of versions. This means that every simracer can put together his or her own individual simracing rig.

Ultimately, the price reflects the different variants of simracing pedals. Handling and feedback duration of the brake pedal are essential aspects. As in a real car, the brake pedal of more expensive models produces increasing resistance when pressed. The stronger the braking, the greater the brake pressure that needs to be applied.

Inexpensive models with less technology, on the other hand, feel more even when braking. Only at the end of the pedal stroke is a stiffening and thus increasing counterpressure noticeable when braking. These models are more like an incorrectly adjusted braking system from a real car. Of course, this would be unthinkable in a real racing car.

For a driving experience that is as realistic as possible, you should also make sure that the sim racing pedals are not only equipped with springs, but also with hydraulic dampers. Hydraulic Simracing pedals bring the simulated driving experience even closer to that of a real racing car. For this purpose, sim racing pedals should be made of aluminium that is as light as possible.

Differences between sim racing pedals

Nowadays, there are three different types of sim racing pedals:

    Potentiometer-based sim racing pedals
    Sim Racing pedals with Hall effect
    Load cell pedals Simracing

The potentiometer built into the sim pedals is basically a position sensor. A spring or damper is used to measure the position of the pedal. This measurement data is converted by the racing simulation into throttle or brake force in the game.

Sim racing pedals with Hall effect are similar to the potentimetre-based variants. However, the pedal measures the distance between a magnet and the sensor. The distance is converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the game accordingly. Although this still measures the position of the pedal and not the actual brake pressure, it has a decisive advantage. There are fewer moving parts in the Sim Racing pedal, which means it is less susceptible to errors and damage than pedals with potentiometers.

Higher-quality and therefore more expensive Sim Racing pedals have so-called load cells, also known as load cells. These are installed in the pedal arm. Here, the pressure exerted on the pedal is measured. Driving sensations with such pedals are much closer to reality. After all, braking can be more precise and accelerating also feels real. At the same time, these models are less susceptible to dust or dirt and can be individually adjusted.

In the end, sim racing pedals are a matter of preference. Do you also have petrol in your blood? Then we are sure that you will find the right Sim Racing pedal in our Sim racing shop. Race through our selection and a short time later you will be racing at home with the right Sim Racing equipment.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us without obligation. We look forward to hearing from you.