Moza HGP Shifter

Our rating : 9.2/10

Moza Racing is determined to take on the big names in sim-racing, including Fanatec and Simagic . The Chinese manufacturer has a rather convincing catalog of racing products, with a wide range of bases for different market segments, steering wheels for virtually all motor racing disciplines, and sim-racing accessories such as dashboards, cranksets and shifters.

As far as I’m concerned, Moza is a viable option for those looking for good, affordable products for sim-racing. But, of course, not everything in this world is perfect, and Moza’s products have certain shortcomings, as is the case with virtually every other brand in the world.

Moza’s catalog includes a shifter, HGP. This product aims to compete directly with Fanatec’s, and in this article we’ll look at it in more detail.

Main features and shifter technology

• All-metal construction
• 7-speed H Pattern and reverse
• Intelligent auto-blip function with Moza pedalboards
• 15-bit magnetic sensor
• USB connection to PC
• Weight 1.3 kg

Design

In terms of design, the HGP is very handsome as far as I’m concerned, drawing a great deal of inspiration from the Fanatec shifter, but with a more restrained look. Black paint dominates the entire case, and this one is just gorgeous. However, some riders have reported that the paint is a bit brittle, so watch out.

The lever is also in black, with a knob in the same color. What’s more, you can swap this knob if you like, which is a big plus. Overall, the HGP is a beautiful sim-racing device, neither extravagant nor overly conservative.

Customized assembly

As far as the HGP’s assembly is concerned, I can see its first flaw, and there are more to come (see below). The Moza shifter can only be attached to your chassis from the bottom, thanks to slots at the front and rear of the HGP. There’s also a furniture clip if you don’t have a cockpit, but it’s more or less the same thing.

Honestly, for the price and especially for the product placement, I would have appreciated the possibility of mounting this shifter on the side of the chassis, or from the rear. In fact, the competition has been offering this for quite some time, and it’s a real missed opportunity for Moza Racing.

But then, fitting the HGP is rather easy, as it will be compatible with a large number of chassis available on the market. What’s more, once the screws are in place – and the fastening operation is very easy to do, by the way – this device won’t move from its position at all.

Manufacturing and finishing

The HGP’s watchword is aluminum. Moza has used this material throughout its shifter, from the housing to the lever and knob. It’s really beautiful, premium and of excellent build quality, except perhaps for the paintwork, according to some reports. At least, I didn’t notice it.

As for the finish, all the parts making up this shifter are superb, flawless or otherwise. It has to be said that the Moza brand knows what it’s doing, even if it has only been in the game for a few years. Its HGP is a beautiful shifter, superbly finished, almost on a par with the manufacturer’s other products.

Getting to grips with the shifter

The HGP is an H Pattern manual shifter with 7 gears, plus reverse. The grip is superb, especially with the possibility of swapping the lever knob with a few available on the Moza website. Apart from that, there’s not much to customize this product.

The lever is standard in its length, and the gears shift very well for me. You can feel the mechanical linkage when shifting gears, and it’s really nice if you ask me. Of course, the competition does the same, but Moza is less than 5 years old in the game.

The grille is a good size, but completely open, giving us a bird’s-eye view of the shifter’s internal mechanism. I like it, I mean, I love it! Otherwise, in terms of size, the HGP is neither large nor small: it’s standard for its category, weighing in at around 1.3 kg.

However, the only downside is that the lack of shifter mounting options will discourage many riders, especially those with low frames.

Sensations during play

Let’s take a look at this Moza Racing shifter. First and foremost, you’ll need to calibrate this shifter before using it. The operation is simple and involves using the Pit House software to turn the lever all the way to the left and all the way to the right. If you don’t do this, you’ll end up with gearshift failures (e.g. shifting into 3rd gear instead of 1st).

In broad terms, the HGP is an excellent shifter that can easily stand up to the competition, especially Fanatec. The HGP has 7 gears and a reverse gear. The first 6 gears shift superbly well, with a distinctive metallic sound. You really hear the “clunk” of each gear shift, and you also need strength to get through them, and I love it.

This greatly increases the racer’s immersion, making him believe he’s actually driving a race car. Everything is just about perfect when it comes to using the HGP, especially when it comes to shifting gears. To return to these, reverse and 7ème shift by simply pressing the lever, as is the case on some cars (Volkswagen, for example). This not only eliminates accidental shifting into reverse instead of first gear, but also allows the shifter to be used in video games with cars that only have 6 gears.

Another positive point, albeit a mixed one as far as I’m concerned, is the HGP’s auto-blip function, which increases engine speed when you downshift. Many sports integrate this, such as the Hyundai i20NThis function saves you from heel-toeing, especially if you’re new to sim-racing and haven’t mastered it yet. However, the auto-blip only works on Moza cranksets.

However, this brings us to the two problems of HGP design. Firstly, you’ll need a little more strength than usual to get past the R and the 7.ème report. In itself, it’s not binding, but you need to know that. And secondly, there’s no sequential mode on the HGP; this shifter is only manual in H Pattern, and that’s a real shame and a missed opportunity on the part of Moza Racing.

Compatibility

As with virtually all Moza peripherals, the HGP is PC-compatible only, either with a base unit from the same manufacturer (RJ12 connection), or with another via the USB socket.

As far as sim-racing titles are concerned, you have practically all those available on PC, and that’s pretty standard, I must say.

Value for money

The Moza HGP is available at €159, and at that price it’s a real bargain, especially against the competition which easily costs €100 more (I’m talking about the Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ V1.5).

The value for money of the HGP is very good, even if this device has a few shortcomings, notably the H Pattern-only mode and a lack of editing options that may make some hesitate.

My verdict

Is the HGP a sim-racing device for you? Well, it depends. If you’re looking for a quality, high-performance option with cool features and only in manual mode, then yes, the HGP is definitely worth considering and I recommend it, especially if you already have a full Moza Racing setup.

However, if you’re an experienced virtual racing fan, you won’t find much to like with the HGP. The absence of a sequential mode and the limited options for its installation represent an insurmountable obstacle for most seasoned riders, even if the HGP’s price is really attractive.