Simlab XP1

Our rating: 9.6/10

The company Simlab is a little young in the sim-racing market. It was created in 2015 for a simple reason: its founder couldn’t find a sim-racing cockpit that was both good quality and affordable. The options at the time, and this is still the case for some brands, were expensive for the quality ones, and the others were aimed at an amateur audience playing Forza Horizon and not Assetto Corsa.

Simlab’s range includes mainly cockpits, but also sim-racing peripherals such as pedals, handbrakes, dashboards and other racing accessories for customizing your setup.

Speaking of pedals, the XP1 is the Dutch brand’s response to the industry leaders. While most competitors—at least in this segment—offer load cell pedals with 100 kg of force, the XP1 doubles that figure, and in some cases, it can even be compared to hydraulic systems. In the following, we’ll take a closer look at how the XP1 stacks up against the competition.

Main features and technical specifications of the crankset

• Full aluminum structure
• Available in 2 versions: 2 or 3 pedals
• PC and RaceDirector compatible
• Adjustable pedals on all points
• 200 kg Load Cell
• 16-bit pedal resolution
• Control box for easy management of wiring and PC connection
• Supplied with various elastomers and springs for both brake and gas pedal.
• Gas pedal and clutch pedal with magnetic sensor

Design

The XP1’s design is simply stunning, exuding a premium feel from the very first glance. It’s not only beautiful but also minimalist, making it a perfect fit for any setup.

The pedals are black and are part of a gray structure. On the front, there’s a small dial for adjusting the pedals. At the back is the resistance system, which also features blue components, along with gold accents for the LC model. In my opinion, this is quite simply one of the most beautiful pedal sets currently available on the market.

Customized assembly

The first disappointment is the XP1’s setup. Inside the box, you’ll only find the 2 or 3 pedals, depending on your selection at the time of purchase. No plate, stand, or even footrest is included as standard with the XP1. You’ll have to pay extra to get those, and I think it’s a bit cheap of Simlab to have gone this route, especially since the XP1 isn’t exactly budget-friendly, and the adjustable stand costs less than 90 €.

Each pedal is separate, so you’ll definitely need a modern frame that can accommodate them. Installation is relatively simple: there are two rails on each side of the pedals that are designed to hold the screws and allow for mounting on a frame. All the hardware is included in the XP1 box, and you even get nuts shaped like “ T “for aluminum profile cockpits.

Manufacturing and finishing

The XP1 features an all-aluminum frame, with metal components as well. The build quality is simply top-notch, on par with Simlab’s other products. You can tell as soon as you pick up one of the pedals when you first unbox it.

As far as the finish is concerned, it’s obvious: premium and premium again. All pedal parts are machined to perfection, with no blemishes, burrs or anything else. It’s just perfect, from the pedal plate, to the adjustment knobs, to the assembly of the product’s components. However, concessions had to be made, and it showed on the XP1’s control box. It’s the kind of really cheap plastic that you’ll be afraid of squeezing a little too hard between your hands, or dropping. Fortunately, this part is designed to be installed at the rear of the cockpit and never show its face again.

Bottom bracket settings

So, here are the adjustments available on the XP1. For some of them, you’ll need tools. But for most, they aren’t necessary. On this pedal set, you can adjust the height and angle of the pedals, the angle of the pedal plates, the end-of-stroke stop, spring stiffness, elastomer stiffness, spring preload using the adjustment knob, and the overall stiffness of the pedals.

That covers the physical settings. Of course, Simlab offers software settings via RaceDirector, once the XP1 is connected to a PC. To put it simply: this pedal set is highly adjustable, whether it’s the gas, brake, or clutch pedal.

Sensations during play

Once the XP1 is installed in your cockpit, it’s time to do some laps with it. I have to say, first impressions are excellent, with a very responsive throttle pedal under your right foot. The pedal is adjustable to suit different sim-racing competitions. What’s more, the spring is swappable, so you can adjust the resistance.

As for the brake pedal, that’s a whole different story. You have the same adjustment options as with the accelerator pedal, plus the ability to swap out the elastomer and spring to change the feel under your right foot.

The load cell is a two-stage design, as found on most products in this segment. The spring (first stage) handles about 70 to 80% of the braking power—with a swappable spring, of course—and the elastomer takes care of the remaining percentage to give you a rock-solid feel. In terms of feel, the XP1 is pure joy in sim racing, especially thanks to its brake pedal and 200 kg load cell. It’ll only take a few laps to get a good feel for modulating your braking with the XP1—even though this device doesn’t have haptic feedback for ABS, which is a bit of a shame, I must admit.

I didn’t notice any dead zone at all on the initial brake stroke, and anyway, RaceDirector allows you to adjust all aspects of this crankset.

Compatibility

As with all Simlab devices, the XP1 is compatible only with PCs. The small box included with the pedalboard allows for a USB connection to any computer running Windows.

And for sim-racing titles, you’ll have native compatibility with the industry’s tenors, namely AC, ACC, iRacing, AM2, RF2, etc. What’s more, RaceDirector lets you configure this device to work with just about anything related to sim racing.

Value for money

You have 4 options to choose from for the XP1: the 2-pedal variant for €499, the 3-pedal for €649, the 3-pedal Black Edition It’s also €649, and the clutch pedal alone is €199. There are also optional accessories, presumably to ensure good value for the price.

Compared to the competition, the XP1’s price is very aggressive, giving it excellent value for money. Of course, if you take it in a 3-pedal configuration with the baseplate, the bill will come to €740, but that’s still a very good price for a top-quality product, and a high-performance one at that. Don’t forget that a Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 Inverted costs €600.

My verdict

I’ve really enjoyed using this XP1 from Simlab. It’s beautiful, useful, powerful, adjustable and, above all, attractively priced compared to the competition. If you already have a good Load Cell pedalboard on your PC, the XP1 won’t change your mind and make you fall in love with Simlab’s offering. It’s still a premium sim-racing device like all the others, but it doesn’t revolutionize its segment either. And if you’re a console racer, it’s not even worth considering, as it’s not compatible with Xbox and Playstation platforms. Fanatec remains the undisputed master of this segment.

However, if you’re considering a Load Cell pedal set for a PC setup, the XP1 is definitely worth it. You’ll get excellent pedal adjustments, a 200 kg load cell, build quality on par with luxury German cars, and a reasonable price. Honestly, for new purchases, the XP1 checks all the boxes for a good load cell pedal set.