Simucube Active Pedals

Our rating: 9.2/10

Simucube is a major innovator in sim-racing, which is why the brand is the Go-To for motorsport teams. Almost all professional simulators are equipped with Simucube peripherals and other products.

DD bases from this manufacturer are considered to be the best on the market, and having tried them, I can confirm this. You won’t find anything better, except perhaps another from Simucube. The rest of this brand’s catalog is rather meagre, compared with Simagic or Fanatec. Admittedly, this is clearly not the same segment in which the German and Chinese brands of sim-racing peripherals operate, as they target a generalist audience, whereas Simucube is in a higher customer category. Think of Simagic and Fanatec as the Lamborghini and Ferrari of cars; premium, quality and expensive, but Simucube is Pagani; exclusive, racy, highly prized.

Between DD bases and a few flywheels, Simcube has revolutionized the pedalboard segment with its ActivePedals. It’s a brake pedal with an electric motor that’s entirely software-controlled to provide resistance, and in what follows, we’ll take a look at the value of this product, whose price is just exorbitant.

Main features and technical specifications of the crankset

• Bundle available in several configurations
• Max. braking pressure 170 kg
• Active pedal weighs 6 kg
• Dimensions 100mm x 250mm x 402mm
• Can be used for brake, clutch and gas pedal depending on configuration
• Simulation of ABS feedback, gas pedal feedback, engine speed, car forces, etc.
• Full metal structure
• Pedal adjustment via software
• Compatible with PC and Simucube products

Design

The ActivePedals design is unique, I must say. It’s a big, all-metal box in black, with orange accents. It’s certainly very handsome, but also very big, with a length of over 40 cm.

Aesthetically speaking, the ActivePedals, and I’m talking about the brake pedal here only, don’t resemble other brands’ cranksets, but rather a futuristic Rail Gun-type addition that throws a lot in your face. It’s very handsome, and stands out directly on your rig, especially one with the lower part exposed.

As for the gas pedal, its design is much more conventional, and also more minimalist. The pedal plate bears the Simucube logo, while the rest of the device is entirely black, apart from an orange knob and chrome spring.

Customized assembly

The ActivePedals bundle has a fairly standard bottom-mounting pattern, with 6 points for the brake pedal (the active one), and 4 for the accelerator pedal. You can mount this bundle directly on the chassis, or through the plate offered by Simucube.

If you opt for the latter, you’ll need to assemble the plate first, and then attach the pedals. Simucube made this choice in order to offer a modular, yet sturdy support that can be adapted to any rider.

Manufacturing and finishing

Do I really need to go into this point about Simicube’s products? Not really, which is why I won’t dwell on it here.

Put simply: the ActivePedals is a bundle that costs an arm and a leg, and this is reflected in its exemplary build quality and finish. You won’t find a single flaw on this Simucube-branded device, and that goes for every part. Even the assembly is perfect, with no gaps, gaps, gaps or anything else. It’s a very premium product that exudes an aura of quality just by seeing it on your setup, and I love it.

Bottom bracket adjustment

Apart from the accelerator pedal, where you’ll need tools to adjust its position to suit your driving style, everything on the brake is done via software, as this ActivePedals is motorized.

With Simucube’s software, you can set pedal resistance, pedal travel, travel stop, preload, deadzone (if you want one), damping, ABS, friction, and a whole host of other parameters. It’s very complete, and very easy to use at the same time.

Even the comfort of your foot can be adjusted via software, by bringing the pedal a little closer, for example, or changing its angle, etc. It’s magical, to say the least, especially if you’re coming from a standard pedal. And it’s not at all fragile, or showing any play on the pedal axis; everything is ultra-solid, and doesn’t move.

Sensations during play

Let’s move on to what Simucube’s ActivePedals are worth on a rig. First and foremost, this crankset is rather simple mechanically; you have an electric motor that manages feedback and all brake pedal behavior, and the most important aspect is the software. And to put it simply, the software developed by Simucube is more than excellent for managing its ActivePedals.

The sensations under your foot – or your feet, as you can use ActivePedals for braking, accelerating and clutching – are ultra-realistic and natural, making you feel as if you’re in a real racing car, and in front of a hydraulic crankset when you press down on it. What’s more, this pedal adapts to your driving preferences, not the other way round, because with most pedalboards you’ll have to make concessions, whether in terms of resistance, pedal travel, feel or everything else. It only takes a few minutes for this pedal to adapt to you.

Another interesting sensation provided by ActivePedals is the ABS effect. Few cranksets on the sim-racing market offer this, and these do so with haptic motors. It’s really handy in the middle of a race to know when your wheels lock, as well as being very immersive during racing sessions. Simucube’s solution is to use the electric motor for ABS feedback, and my god how ultra-realistic it is. See when a car’s wheels lock and you feel it on the brake pedal? With ActivePedals, it’s the same, with the electric motor applying vibrations to the whole pedal. It’s pure bliss in practice, but not natively managed by sim-racing titles for the moment. But how does it work? Simucube’s software uses telemetry to detect wheel lock-up and apply the ABS effect according to your settings.

Compatibility

Of course, the ActivePedals is only compatible with the Windows PC platform. This is normal for computer-based riders, and only this platform is capable of drawing out the full potential of this crankset, and above all of configuring it as you see fit.

As far as sim-racing titles are concerned, the list is long and includes all those currently available on the market. Let’s not forget that Simucube is considered the leader in the ultra-premium segment, so…

Value for money

I think I’ve already mentioned that ActivePedals is expensive, and that’s far from the truth. Depending on the configuration of the product, you’ll pay a bill that starts at over €2,250, rising to almost €6,700, without support I might add.

I’d be lying if I told you that the ActivePedals’ value for money isn’t all that bad. It’s true that the sensations provided are on the borderline between virtual and realistic, and that the build quality is worthy of a Bentley, in addition to having more or less infinite adjustments for the crankset. But it’s still too expensive as far as I’m concerned.

My verdict

It’s clear that Simucube’s target audience is motorsport teams, who use it to equip their simulators. In this respect, there’s nothing better, apart from a session with a real racing car, but it’s expensive, whether in terms of fuel, vehicle wear or accident risk, even if the cars are now very safe for their drivers.

Apart from a few virtual pilots who are very keen on realism and, above all, can afford it, few people will buy ActivePedals. Its price could come down, but only if other brands start working on this technology. If this doesn’t happen, and Simucube remains alone in the field, don’t expect ActivePedals to become affordable, and that’s a shame, because it’s ultimately the best brake pedal in the world.