Are you new to sim racing? If so, you may be wondering if you should buy a stick shifter. Stick shifters are a standard piece of sim racing gear, that you’ll often find them with gear stick mounts. But before you jump in, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of stick gear.
Do you really need a sim shifter?
A sim racing shifter isn’t necessary, especially if you mainly race paddle-shifters (like an F1 car) or automatic transmissions. Still, they can add an extra level of realism, especially if you race a lot in rally or classic cars with manual gearboxes.
The world of sim racing has come a long way in recent years. With so many new brands entering the market and offering a wide variety of products, you now have more gear stick shifters to choose from than racers had a few years ago!
You can convert your sim racing rig to a cockpit for an immersive, intuitive, and thrilling experience. They start at $50 when you consider brands like Logitech. But what type of sim racing gear stick shifter is the right fit for you? Is it a H-pattern or a sequential one?
H-pattern sim shifter
Increased level of immersion
In sim racing, most of the focus is on replicating conditions for racing and driving in real life, and because of this, these gear stick shifters really add to the realism that many racers want in their rigs.
An H-pattern gearbox is the most immersive option if you’re driving a manual gearbox car in real life. Of course, if you’re driving an automatic or semi automatic car (like an F1 or GT car), you won’t need a stick shifter.
Slow shift
Perhaps the biggest issue with this type of shifter is the slow and very obvious lag when compared with paddle shifting, or sequential shifting for that matter. This is due to the fact that you have to manually select the gear instead of just hitting up and down.
Sequential shifter
Fast shifting
In many ways, the sequential is the “best of both worlds” when it comes to realism vs. performance. It offers a nice level of realism thanks to the independent gear column that you can mount to your rig. On top of that, the shifting experience is much quicker than with an H-pattern.
Best of both worlds
This gear stick is a popular choice among sim racing enthusiasts due to its lightning-fast gear changing speed. In fact, even those who swear by their own paddle shifting can convert to a sequential rig when testing it out. It’s the ideal combination of realism and streamlined sim setup.
This gear stick is also much more affordable compared to many premium H-pattern models, but you can also find options that combine the two. These are great options for beginners, since you get to try both types of gear within one product.
Heusinkveld Sim Shifter Sequential is the perfect choice for gamers who look for manual gaming experience with relatively fast shifting. You can explore your options at pure-sim.com. You will not be disappointed.
