Everyone likes a simracing event, especially when it involves a first-hand look at the upcoming hardware releases. This year’s ADAC SimRacing Expo featured some revolutionary tech.
Photo Credit: Simucube
This weekend saw thousands of simracing enthusiasts make their annual pilgrimage to Germany. The reason? The ADAC SimRacing Expo took place in Nuremberg hosting the biggest names in the industry with their newest and best bits of simracing hardware.
As we all know, external devices are very important in simracing. More so even than most other sectors of the gaming industry. This is why it’s especially crucial for racers to get their hands on any new hardware such as wheels, pedals, button boxes, shifters and cockpits.
This year’s SimRacing Expo saw plenty of brands display their newest hardware, many of which were never before seen concepts. In fact, this simracing harware may well revolutionise the industry.
Simucube: the Future of Simracing Pedals?
Prior to the SimRacing Expo, Simucube teased a new piece of hardware that seemed set to revolutionise the pedal industry. By the time the world got to see it, our jaws were already firmly lodged in the floor.
The technology in question is something Simucube calls the ‘Active Pedal’. As the name suggests, this is a simracing pedalset which does away with the traditional springs and rubbers. Instead, the Active Pedal uses a motor to give the driver an additional point of feedback. Yes, this is, in simple terms, a Force Feedback pedal. It can simulate the juddering of ABS, vibrations of an engine or the bite point of a clutch.
The pedal comes with a piece of software enabling adjustability that the user supposedly feels in real-time. This goes from the intensity and frequency of engine vibration right up to the smoothness and force of the pedal’s range.
For example, if I’m driving an classic car, I can setup my clutch with a tricky bite point and make the brake very stiff. Accounts from the Expo pointed out the brake feel on a car with high levels of downforce being very intuitive.
Currently, the pedal set also comes with an astonishingly high pricetag. For a single pedal, you can expect to fork out over €2,400. Meanwhile, a bundle of three will set you back over €6,000. At the moment, this is highly specialist gear. But it makes you wonder how long until it becomes as widespread as Direct Drive wheels are today.
Carbon Fibre and Real-World Designs
From pedals that best simulate a real car to exotic materials only ever used in full metal motorsport. French brand Venym attended the Expo, where it displayed its all-new carbon fibre pedals, the Black Widow.
These elegant, all-black pedals with their unnecessarily scary name emerge from the brand’s colaboration with Mygale, a single-seater manufacturer based in Magny Cours. In fact, the pedals are of a design directly inspired by those found in Formula 3 and Formula 4 cars. As such, they are lightweight, sturdy and officially certified by the FIA. That final point may not be particularly necessary in simracing. But, perhaps there is value in bringing up in front of your friends.
At a more affordable price point than Simucube’s latest offering, the Venym Black Widow pedals come as a set of two or three. The cheaper option comes in at €899 while the top-of-the-range model sits a little under €1,250.
Alpine Teams up with Trak Racer for a Revolutionary Cockpit
Despite the SimRacing Expo being a German event, French esport companies were wholeheartedly present. After many years of partnership through competition, Alpine esports and Trak Racer have finally launched their new product.
The Alpine Racing TRX cockpit has turned a few heads throughout its development. And it’s sure to do so now the final version is unveiled. The brief was a cockpit that easily goes from a low-slung Formula car position to the upright stance of a GT seat. This is a process that typically either involves getting a new rig, or emptying the toolbox and wasting an afternoon.
With a few hand-loosened bolts, the TRX’s seat changes its inclination to whatever the simracer needs. Towards the front of the chassis, both the screen and pedal height can change quickly. The pedal position is also tuneable thanks to sliders similar to those found on a car seat.
The TRX was the focus of a pre-order campaign which has missed its deadline due to changes to the seat quality according to Trak Racer. Now, though, it’s actually out. As such, backers of the program will get to revel in its ease of use. For those that didn’t jump at the opportunity to pre-order earlier in the year, the cockpit will go on sale for around €1,500.
What do you think is the next leap in SimRacing tech? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
