The Best Sim Racing Pedals – Buyer’s Guide 2024 Edition

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If you’ve been following some of my recent posts, you’ll be up to speed with my view on the best sim racing wheels, wheelbases, and rigs available on the consumer market. We’ve also gone over how to assemble a rig from scratch, which we covered with a broader look at some of the vital information you need to understand before spending a penny.

Today, we’re looking at pedals.

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Of course, a sim rig isn’t complete without a set of racing pedals. In my buyer’s guide, I’m going to give a detailed breakdown of what sim pedal features you need to know about, and what the best product choices out there might be when it comes to budget, performance, feel, and overall quality.

Here’s a list of all the pedals in our guide. It’s difficult to arrange on the basis of which is “best” simply because all budgets are different. So, I’ve chosen pedals I know will be a joy to use whatever your spending limit.

Broadly, the pedals get more pricey the further down the list you go. At the high end, expect to pay 4 figure sums. For me, I’d always choose the Heusinkveld Sprints at the mid-budget level, the SimTrecs ProPedal GT at a higher budget level and the Simucube ActivePedal at the very highest possible budget. If you’re a beginner – the Fanatec CSL V2s are the best of the bunch.

I’ve been testing sim racing gear for over 5 years now, and I’ve had the chance to try out a wide range of pedals during that time. The top pedals on this list are the ones I currently have on my own rig (the Conspit pedals which I think are exceptional) and, I’ve personally tested and owned the majority of the others featured here. I’ve provided links to my reviews for each pedal set, so you can dive deeper into the pros and cons of each one.

Here’s what I’ve included in my guide – read on to learn more about what features make a good pedal, or scroll down to the peals and their review links.

What are the Best Sim Racing Pedals?

• Conspit CPP Lite
• Fanatec CSL V2
• Sim-Lab XP-1
• Heusinkveld Sprint
• Heusinkveld Ultimate+
• SimTrecs ProPedal GT
• Simagic P2000 Pedals
• Meca EVO 1
• Cube Controls SP01
• Simagic P1000 Modular Pedal Set
• Venym Atrax
• AseTek Invicta / Pagani Huayra R Edition
• Simucube ActivePedal

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How spending a bit more budget on your pedals can yield big benefits

Pedals are, as you might expect, a crucial interface between you and your car’s attitude on the track. Trail braking and good throttle control are the name of the game when it comes to faster lap times. That’s certainly the experience I’ve had over the years; and, with every pedal upgrade I’ve had, I’ve found two main issues tend to surface:

• That I have better brake control and can trail into a corner more precisely
• That I can control the car with the throttle more accurately

Generally speaking, you’ll find in “high-end” sim racing pedals that the components (and the mechanical design of the units) tend to handle the kind of brake forces you’d expect in a real racing car. They also, critically, have the electronics onboard to measure the input on the throttle, brake and clutch with load cells. The electronics get quite sensitive the further up the development (and cost!) spectrum you travel, but the benefit of this is that you can notice just how fine your control is over the simulated environment.

PSA: If you’re upgrading for the first time: go for the best pedals first

I always advise a sim racer looking to start upgrading their rig: go for the pedals first. In my humble opinion, a pedal upgrade can be the most significant update you can make on your racing rig. Better control and easier manipulation of the car are all done through the pedals, and in such a competitive environment, it’s OK to want to exploit every potential advantage there is.

What are load cells, and how are they used in pedals?

A load cell is also known as a “force transducer“. Unlike, say, a potentiometer you can put very high loads through a load cell, measuring the force as an electrical signal that is then amplified in the pedal electronics. The benefit aside from dealing with very high forces associated with the brake pedal is the mechanical aspect of the overall pedal design can be simpler. A potentiometer would need some sort of leverage reduction to remove the forces (50kg would physically crush a potentiometer!). The drawback is that the electronics required are arguably more complicated; although of course in an engineering sense, the work required to build a good load cell amplifier with a USB adapter is pretty trivial stuff.

None of this says that “potentiometer-based pedals are bad” because they aren’t. You can do a very nice job of dealing with the pedal signal by using potentiometers, too; in fact, the Vishay potentiometers mentioned in the diagram above are considered to be very high quality indeed.

Adjustability to suit your style (or real-world race car!)

Something that I really value in a sim pedal set is having adjustability; my Heusinkveld Sprints (below) are separate units, so you can control the spacing from side to side and forward to backwards. This allows me to set up my pedals in a similar way to the pedals in my race car:

If you use the heel-and-toe technique in your driving, this adjustability issue, in particular, can be very important. Most cheaper pedal sets don’t allow for any adjustment of the spacing between the pedals, whereas higher-end pedals can be individually mounted to a pedal plate in whatever configuration you like, so not only can you move them from side to side, but depending on your mounting solution you can even offset them front-to-back and adjust the pedal angle.

Regarding entry-level pedals, I’ve decided to no longer cover the beginner-level Logitech G29 and Thrustmaster TCLM pedals. If you’re a beginner and you just want to test the water, or you’re looking for a good starting point, these potentiometer-based pedals are OK. You can gather what you need to know by checking out our beginner’s guide to sim racing here.

But if you’re ready to start taking sim racing seriously, read on:

Hydraulic pedals

At the very top of the budget range, you tend to find pedals with hydraulic dampers installed. I’ve tested the Heusinkveld Ultimate and Ultimate+ pedals on several occasions, and as we speak, I have a pair of SimTrecs GT Pros fitted to my cockpit.

What I’ll say about hydraulic damping is this: When it’s done well, it feels awesome. Go and sit in your road car outside and compress the brake pedal. That hydraulic compression is something that elastomer/rubber dampers simply can’t emulate. As you release the pedal, you might find the pedal return is smooth and consistent.

That’s a feature of a two-way damper; compression – when you press the pedal down and rebound when you release. A good two-way damper on a brake pedal is unbeatable for control, provided it’s a good quality item. For what it’s worth, Heusinkveld does this very well, although I’ve never personally felt the need to upgrade from my Sprints.

Pedal base mounting and avoiding flex

For a long time, I ran with an RSEAT RS1 which, was great with Fanatec pedals, but the base started to flex under the higher 25-40kg brake forces I was applying to the Sprints brake pedals.

But check out this video and watch for the pedal base moving:

If you think about it, a mount that flexes even a few degrees only introduces an inconsistency in your brake technique by making the pedal response different every time you brake. This is far from ideal when you’re trying to be a competitive sim racer, where ultra-consistent driving is the key to any kind of result.

Eventually, I upgraded to a nice 8020-style rig, which is completely solid. You’re looking for almost no (preferably none!) chassis flex under braking from your sim rig.

One last thing I’ll mention is my love affair with Heusinkveld Smartcontrol:

Having a nice graphical user interface for pedal calibration and response curve management is nice. I’ve written about a technique I use to set up my pedals for improved threshold braking (where you set the maximum pedal force at just under the wheel lock limit or threshold) – having the ability to set this is a must-have for me. Notably, the Heusinkveld Ultimate pedals are not SmartControl compatible (yet).

With all of that out of the way, here are some recommendations for you to take a look at:

Conspit CPP Lite

I’ve added the Conspit CPP.Lite pedals to this page because they complete my setup, and as an advanced user, these are the best pedals I’ve had the chance to work with. I’ve been running these pedals since they first arrived back in October, and I can’t see an alternative for now.

The reason why is this: The Conspits have such astonishingly good brake feel.

The brake pedal uses a closed hydraulic system, filled (of course) with hydraulic fluid. The compression (very) closely mimics the feel of a real car’s brake pedal. This is because the engineering team at Conspit also design brake systems for EV cars.

Simulating brake pedal feel in a car that uses motors to brake is a very similar challenge to building a sim racing pedal. You want the brake system to feel familiar, even if there’s not a conventional brake system present.

Overall, braking is precise and responsive. The hydraulic pressure sensor is very sensitive with a range of 25 MPa and an accuracy of 25% FS. I’ve had the units on my setup for 6 months and there’s no fluid leak.

All three pedals (brake, clutch, and throttle) are equipped with haptic feedback motors. Conspit refers to this system as the M-DVF (Multi-Dynamic Vibration Feedback). This feature provides a tactile sensation through the pedals during acceleration and braking. The haptic feedback indicates ABS lockups, traction loss and slides.

The pedal plates can be tilted between 0 and 10 degrees. Additionally, the clevis shaft pivot point can be changed to adjust pedal stiffness. The aluminium knob on the hydraulic cylinder of the Conspit CPP.Lite brake pedal is a hydraulic preload adjuster. It allows users to adjust the stiffness and resistance of the brake pedal.

All products come with a caveat and the only significant caveat is this: I had to disassemble the pedals from the provided pedal plate and fix them to my 8020 profile rig as individual units. This meant I had to make a solution to mount the controller box, which is separate from the pedals and not integrated, like most of the others in my guide.

For most intermediate to advanced sim racers, this is not a problem at all. But, if you’re a beginner, I’d urge some caution with this advanced pedal set. Here’s the review – take a look!

Heusinkveld Sprint Sim Pedals

On the next rung of the ladder in the sim pedal market, coming in at a mid-range £/$520, the Heusinkveld Sprint Sim Pedals are a perfect choice for the serious hobbyist or eSports professional aspirant.

Whichever version you choose (they are technically identical), these pedals have a strong, compact, and highly adjustable design with custom electronics and, they’re compatible with SmartControl. If you’re looking for pedals that help you to be both quick and consistent in GT or F1 style racing, these are a great choice.

I owned had mine for about two years. At that time, I tried modifying them with hydraulic dampers and really couldn’t see that this mod improved them. I sold them, reluctantly, on eBay and I’ve regretted it ever since!

I think Heusinkveld Sprints are so good they’re very difficult to improve upon, unless, of course, you go for Hydraulic pedals. On that note, if you’re a beginner upgrading to a better pedal set, I think you should go for Sprints. They offer a noticeable improvement in pedal input precision, if you’ve been working with entry level items from Logitech, Thrustmaster, Moza or Fanatec.

One modification I have enjoyed (and stuck with) is a rumble kit mod that uses Simhub’s wheel slip and lock filters to give me more information on the grip levels underneath me. You can read the how-to on that kit installation here.

Fanatec CSL V2

The V1 version of these pedals were my first sim racing pedals, and I loved them.

So, great news that this popular pedal set from Fanatec returns in V2 form with an overhauled load cell brake, brand new Hall sensors on both the throttle and the clutch, and as you would expect, many refinements to the original design.

These pedals are a fantastic way to learn the art of sim racing. We’ve covered budget, and higher-end sim builds before. I would be very pleased to add these V2 CSL pedals to the budget build to save on cost without compromising quality.

The V2 is priced around the 299EUR mark, making them (in cost terms) around half of the price of a pair of Heusinkveld Sprints. But (as my experience tells me) when you put these on eBay, provided you’ve looked after them, you’ll be surprised how little they depreciate.

The key thing for me with these pedals is that they’re rock solid – despite a comparatively low price, their forged metal construction makes these a resilient and tough pedal kit.

You could pair these with a Fanatec CSL DD setup and have a really strong beginner sim racing setup. So much better than the Fanatec Clubsport V3 pedals – try to avoid those!

Sim-Lab XP-1 Load Cell Pedals

I tested Sim-Lab’s latest XP-1 Load Cell-based pedals a while back. They look and feel incredible:

These pedals are a good 10 to 15mm wider than the Heusinkveld Sprints below but are easily mounted on either an Aluminium profile or a Universal pedal plate. They’re supplied with all the fixings you need and are highly adjustable, smooth-feeling pedals to work with.

I think these pedals are ideal for beginner to advanced intermediate drivers, and put simply, by being late to market Sim-Lab have learned from a lot of pedal manufacturers, and customers, to build a very up-to-date pedal kit.

Expect pricing to be set at around €499.99/$539.00/£441.00 – read my review of the XP1 pedal set here.

Heusinkveld Ultimate+ Pedals

At perhaps the higher end of the market, the Heusinkveld Ultimate+ Pedals have historically been the go-to for commercial simulators, enthusiasts and Pro drivers.

These pedals from Heusinkveld Engineering are suitable for high-end professional Motorsport simulators, and their strong, stiff, compact, and durable design allows for an instant and accurate response.

They can be used in the most demanding environments, and they’re capable of simulating the pedal forces experienced in F1 and LMP cars. The two-way hydraulic damper in the brake is, in my opinion, delivering the best sim pedal feel you can get in the market at the moment.

We’ve recently reviewed Heusinkveld’s latest update to their flagship pedal set: the Ultimate+. You can read all about them here. Both offerings from Heusinkveld have been around a long time – a testament in my opinion to the timelessness of the design and an indicator that they simply don’t need to be improved.

However, there are now many pedal manufacturers so take this into account when you’re choosing.

Simtrecs ProPedal GT

This is the pedal set I have installed on my rig. They’re wonderful things: careful CNC machining throughout, Vishay potentiometers and 200kg load cells with custom-made electronics and dampers. Most of the manufacturing takes place in-house at Simtrecs in Budapest, Hungary. Their RC car roots allowed them to make their own dampers and they created a Smartcontrol-Esque calibration software package called SmartDrive.

Aside from the presentation (which is detailed and beautiful throughout), the pedal feel is also really good. The throttle is smooth and it feels very easy to control oversteer and rear traction. The brakes benefit from a nice and highly adjustable elastomer set and a 1-way hydraulic damper. I’ve been running these pedals for almost two years and they’re just as new as the day I opened the box.

Read more about these pedals in my review here.

Simagic P2000 Pedals

Available in a range of long and short pedal options with different strength load cell sensors, this is the only sim pedal set I can think of that gives you the option for a 100KG or 200KG loadcell! My maximum braking pressure is somewhere around 55 kg, so, for me, the 100 kg option would be fine. My pedal plate is mounted about 40mm to the mounting plate for my pedals, too – so I would be inclined to take the “short” pedal option. But get the measuring tape out and measure what you’re comfortable with already.

The pedals themselves are very nicely made from “high-end” CNC machined aluminium, clearly some of which have been anodized black. The pedal set itself is supplied with a range of different strength elastomers, with adjustable dampers on both the brake and clutch and adjustable pre-load (stiffness) on the throttle. This gives you a fully adjustable pedal set that really looks the part.

In terms of mounting, these are intended for 8020-style aluminium profile sim rigs. Simagic has quietly been working away on a brand-new and very high-quality ecosystem, I think they’re a brand to watch in 2024.

Meca EVO 1 Pedal Set

The EVO1 hydraulic pedals from Meca, a manufacturer of first-class sim racing hardware from the Czech Republic, are the latest example of the brand’s exceptional craftsmanship.

With an increased focus on reliability, robustness, and adjustability, the EVO1 pedals aim to improve on all areas of use from their predecessors and deliver more consistency and feedback, improving your racing results.

As the newest iteration in a line of top-notch sim racing pedals, the EVO1s have been redesigned from the ground up with the help of the sim racing community, who supplied Meca with valuable feedback on how the pedals could be improved to feel more realistic.

As a result, the new pedals feature redesigned load cell sensors and new power transmission but retain a rock-solid build quality and an ergonomic stance.

Furthermore, it was noted by sim racers that the brake pedal is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the cockpit. Accordingly, Meca has placed the most emphasis on creating an ultra-realistic brake pedal and has attached a Willwood brand master cylinder plus a slave cylinder to the pedal, which simulates the brake system pressure in a real car.

SP01 pedals from Cube Controls

The Cube Controls SP01 sim racing pedals are finally upon us, and last year I had the opportunity to run them on my simulator to learn more about them.

To be able to order a set, I recommend you keep a close eye on G-Performance which will have them in stock.

The SP01 pedal is the latest addition to the Cube Controls ecosystem. These pedals are designed to expand your options and enhance your performance.

Featuring a CNC-machined aluminum main body and a 100% carbon fibre throttle plate, the SP01 Pedals deliver superior precision and durability.

The SP01 pedals feature a range of impressive technical specifications that make them stand out from other simulator pedals on the market. For starters, the pedals include precision press-fit ball bearings on all pivot points, ensuring smooth and accurate movement that is essential for optimal performance.

The pedals are also crafted from CNC-machined 6061 and 7075 aluminium, which provides durability and strength while remaining lightweight. The optimized FEM design of the pedals is another standout feature, as it creates a flex-free structure that is essential for precise control and accuracy.

In addition, the custom brackets with adjustable main pedal body angle in 5° increments offer unparalleled customization options, allowing users to fine-tune the pedals to their specific preferences. This level of customization ensures that the SP01 Pedals are suitable for a wide range of users, regardless of their individual needs and preferences.

Overall, the combination of precision ball bearings, high-quality materials, advanced FEM design, and customizable brackets make the SP01 Pedals a top-of-the-line option for anyone looking to take their simulator experience to the next level.

Simagic P1000 Modular Pedal Set

The Simagic P1000 Modular Pedal Set represents a blend of powerful race genes and impeccable engineering. Jointly developed with race engineers including Ted WANG from Team KRC and D.J, the Director of the SIMAGIC Motorsports Department, this pedal set promises not just durability but an extraordinary performance that mirrors real-world racing dynamics.

Key Features:

Haptic Pedal Reactor (P-HPR): Simagic’s optional patented linear motor simulates “real-world” forces, offering distinct feedback directly through the pedal. The frequency and amplitude of vibrations can be tweaked, allowing you to recreate accurate driving feedback from your favourite vehicles. With software support, various telemetry parameters and vibration characteristics can be constantly updated.

P-HYS Hydraulic System: An optional feature, the P-HYS hydraulic brake system provides an accurate replication of the damping and rebound experienced in genuine car brakes. This sensation is something I think is most important in any sim racing setup.

Full Metal Structure: Crafted using CNC technology, its all-aluminium alloy metal structure guarantees impeccable performance, even under high-strength use. Having undergone tests of over 200,000 “stomps” with zero flaws, durability is a given.

SIM RAY Lighting Module: An additional touch for those who appreciate aesthetics, the optional RGB heel stop and bottom strip support telemetry data feedback and customizable lighting colours. It even responds with colour changes based on your actions, like red flashes on the brakes and green on the throttle.

I think the Simagic P1000 Modular Pedal Set starting at around $600, is a modern answer to some of the more popular sim racing mods (such as pedal-mounted haptic feedback) – which makes it a very complete system at a price directly comparable to the Heusinkveld Sprints.

Venym Atrax Black Formula-Style Pedals

The “Venym Atrax Black Formula-Style Pedals” is a premium 3-pedal set priced at a sale price of $1,189.99 USD. These pedals, complete with LEDs and covers, are the result of a close collaboration between Venym and Mygale, a prominent name in real motorsport.

This partnership ensures that sim racers receive products designed by the best engineers from the world of real motorsport. To capture the authentic sensations of driving, the pedals employ full loadcells. Specifically, they utilize two 1kg loadcells for the throttle and clutch, and a robust 200kg loadcell for the brake.

The mechanical feedback is finely tuned, with a spring system for the accelerator, a spring combined with special kinematics for the clutch, and a precision rubber mechanism for the brake pedal.

All of these design elements work in tandem to give sim racers the real-life sensation of driving on a racetrack. As a testament to their commitment to quality and authenticity, the pedals are meticulously designed and assembled by a dedicated team near the iconic Nevers-Magny-Cours circuit in France.

This location is not just significant for its motorsport legacy but also because Venym operates from the Mygale premises, close to this historical racetrack. Further endorsing the credibility and performance of the product, Romain Grosjean and his R8G Esport team have lent their support to Venym. This endorsement emphasizes the brand’s dedication to high-end sim racing products that nail the quality expectations and are optimized for the driver’s budget.

Asetek SimSports™ Pedal Sets: Invicta and SimSports™ Pedal Set Pagani Huayra R Edition

Asetek is a relative newcomer into the sim racing space but is a very well-known data and gaming systems cooling manufacturer. Their turnover is in the region of twice that of Fanatec, so we expect their pace of development to begin leading the sim racing industry in 2023.

These are the Pagani Huayra R Edition pedals with their T.H.O.R.P dual hydraulic system on the brake pedal. With pedals available from their growing stable

If the Huarya R Edition pedal set is a bit too pricey for you, I recommend the Invicta variant, which uses the same T.H.O.R.P hydraulic system and hall effect sensor in the throttle. The only difference is the pedal plates and the Pagani branding.

If you’re really into a stiff pedal feel for Formula and sports prototype racing, these pedals are for you. Not only do they have a realistic feel (from the perspective of a driver), but they’re a single unit and very, very easy to fit.

Simucube ActivePedal

The Simucube ActivePedal sets a new standard in sim racing pedal technology, combining unlimited adjustability, repeatability, and unique telemetry-based force feedback effects.

This ground-breaking, fully software-defined pedal can transform into the brake, throttle, or clutch of your dreams, offering a level of customization and interaction that is unprecedented in the sim racing world.

The ActivePedal introduces a revolutionary active feedback loop that replicates the sensation of driving a real car, from the feeling of brake pads interfacing with the rotor to the vibrations synchronizing with the engine RPM. As put by F1 Engineer, Ossi Oikarinen, this product “changes the whole braking game in sim racing.” The ability to experience these tactile elements creates a game-changing immersive driving experience that goes beyond traditional sim racing setups.

At the core of the ActivePedal’s design is an innovative force feedback system. Not only can you feel the engine vibrations, but you can also react when ABS activates, and adjust the brake pressure up to 150 kg. This pedal offers near-infinite adjustments, including customization of traction control, brake travel distance, and more, resulting in a highly personalized and nuanced driving experience.

The Activepedal is also praised for its smoothness adjustment that mimics an authentic hydraulic feeling. It With adjustable S curves via the calibration software, this pedal offers a wide range of configuration options. The unique advantages of the Simucube ActivePedal don’t stop there: you can set up profiles for both mechanical feel and force feedback, further enhancing your sim racing experience.

Features:

Here’s the thing that excites me the most about the Activepedal: you configure them entirely via the software: Simucube Tuner. No more getting on your hands and knees to make tiny adjustments! Here are some of the stand out features for me:

1. Force curve adjustment: The Tuner software allows users to adjust the force curve, defining the force felt on the pedal throughout its travel range.
2. Software Adjusted Pedal travel: The maximum physical pedal travel range can be defined using the pedal travel slider in Tuner, which adjusts the force curve accordingly.
3. Configurable Maximum force: The maximum force required to reach the top of the force curve can be set using the maximum force slider.
4. Software Adjustable Preload: The minimum force required to move the pedal from its default rest position can be adjusted using the preload slider, allowing users to rest their feet on the pedal without activating game input.
5. Curve presets: There are several predefined force curve presets, such as linear, squared, S-curve, and logarithmic, which adjust the force curve without affecting travel or force settings.
6. End-stop feeling: The pedal’s behavior when reaching the end of its movement range can be customized, with options for soft or hard end-stop feelings.
7. Passive effects: Damping and friction can be adjusted to modify the pedal feel, providing a more realistic experience.

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 100 x 250 x 402 mm
• Weight: 6 kg
• Connectors: Simucube Link, two external passive pedal ports, power in, power out
• Force range: 1-150 kg (default) or 1-120 kg (user-configurable)
• Travel range: 1-62 mm (default) or 1-79 mm (user-configurable)
• Power consumption: 10-100 W in average use, 480 W peak

The ActivePedal is compatible with any racing game that supports standard USB game controllers. However, active effects like RPM and ABS are only supported by games that provide the required telemetry data and are supported by the Tuner software.

Installation of the ActivePedal is straightforward, with all necessary mounting bolts and a Torx Allen key included. For software installation, it’s as easy as connecting the ActivePedal to your system using the included SC Link, USB cable, and Ethernet RJ45 cable.

In summary, the Simucube ActivePedal represents a major leap forward in sim racing pedal technology. Its highly customizable settings, sophisticated force feedback system, and durable design make it a top contender in any guide to the best sim racing brake pedals – it’s an expensive item, but according to the other reviewers, it’s good.

Think about future updates and resale value

In terms of cost, the thing to remember is if you’ve looked after your equipment, then selling on eBay should be very easy and will minimize losses. There are, for example, very few Heusinkveld Sim Pedals Sprint on eBay, despite their huge popularity. So any used sim gear you list will sell quickly, letting you upgrade to your next set of sim racing pedals.

Whatever you choose to do, always remember to enjoy the process of improving your driving and always race clean!