Not too long ago, I had my VNM Lite Pedals provided with haptic feedback by mounting the Simagic P-HPR Haptic Pedals Reactor on it. And that is perhaps the best upgrade I've made recently. These small, but powerful, haptic reactors transform your sim racing pedals into lifelike and unmistakable feedback.
In this article, I explain how to do that and why an absolute must do. Because with the Simagic P-HPR Haptic Reactors on your pedals, you will undoubtedly have a competitive advantage on the track. Are you ready? Let's go!
What is Haptic Feedback?
Haptic feedback refers to physical vibrations or pressure signals you feel through hardware, such as pedals or controllers. Think, for example, of the vibrations in your phone when you receive a message. In the world of sim racing, this means getting feedback about the interaction between your virtual car and the track via your pedals. For example, you feel:
- Locking the brakes (ABS feedback).
- Traction loss when accelerating.
- Differences in grip between dry and wet conditions.
With this information, you get super valuable insights that improve your racing experience immeasurably and make it more realistic. And what's more, it is a much cheaper and more accessible solution than, for example, Simucube's relatively expensive Active Pedals.
Simagic Haptic Reactors
The Simagic P-HPR were originally intended to provide haptic feedback to the Simagic P1000/P2000 pedals, but you can of course also use these pedal reactors to mount on sim racing pedals from other brands. The P-HPR simulates realistic forces and offers lifelike and unmistakable feedback. It is possible to adjust each parameter via software settings to accurately mimic the driving feel of different vehicles.These haptic reactors provide vibration feedback when, for example, the ABS or a wheel lock is activated. This helps you as a driver to better sense when you are hitting the brakes too hard, which often leads to understeering and driving off the track.
Benefits Haptic Feedback & Impact On Driving Behaviour
To be perfectly honest; the Simagic P-HPR are brilliant and fantastic in every way. The use of these haptic reactors has immediate positive impact on your handling and therefore your performance on the track. The haptic feedback allows your driver to feel how much pressure is on the brake and helps with the improving your braking technique. You especially notice this difference when transitioning from braking in a straight line to turning into a corner. This is crucial to prevent understeer or rear-end breakout.
Because the motors generate different types of vibrations, from heavy shocks to fine vibrations. This depends on the frequency you can set in the Simagic software. The Simagic P-HPR therefore provide valuable feedback, such as ABS, traction control or the bite-point of the clutch. It sounds too simple to be true, but these vibrations are so incredibly valuable for your sim racing experience!
In my opinion, haptic feedback is one of the coolest developments in sim racing and has many advantages. Why that is and what benefits it brings I list below for you:
Advantage #1: More realism
Sim racing is all about replicating real driving experiences. With standard pedals, you often miss the physical sensations of driving, such as feeling a lock in your brakes or the effect of ABS. Haptic feedback fills this gap. When your foot literally feels what the car is doing, the experience becomes not only more realistic, but also more immersive. For example, if you brake hard in a corner, haptic pedals will instantly make you feel if you are reaching the limit. These kinds of signals make the difference between a successful race or a crash.
Advantage #2: Enhanced control
One of the biggest advantages of haptic feedback is that it improves your control of the car. Because you constantly receive physical feedback, you can react faster and more precisely. This leads to:
- Better brake metering: You feel when you are braking too hard and your wheels lock, allowing you to make subtle adjustments.
- Smooth acceleration: Prevent wheel spin by providing feedback on grip loss.
- Precise balancing: During turns, you know exactly how much pressure you can apply without losing control.
The instant feedback gives you confidence to always ride on the limit, without constantly looking for visual or audio cues.
Advantage #3: Faster adjustments
Haptic pedals make it easier to learn and improve your performance. When you make a mistake, you feel it directly through your pedals. This makes it easier to adjust your driving style and avoid repeating the same mistake. For example, if you brake too aggressively, you immediately feel a pulse in the pedal. This teaches you to build up pressure more gradually, which is crucial in racing situations.
Advantage #4: More immersion
Sim racers invest heavily in hardware such as steering wheels, seats and screens to make the experience more realistic. Haptic feedback adds a physical dimension that literally makes you feel like you are driving on a track. It doesn't matter if you are in iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Automobilista 2 or any other popular sim seat-the feedback ensures you are fully absorbed in the race.
Advantage #5: faster learning curve
For beginners sim racing can be overwhelming. Without haptic feedback, it is difficult to understand why you are losing grip or your lap times are disappointing. The clear physical cues of haptic pedals help beginners learn faster. You get a "coach" at your feet who lets you feel what you are doing right or wrong.
What Do You Need?
Now that we've discussed the benefits of haptic feedback, it's time to look at exactly what you need to make this project happen! And fortunately, all of that is not too bad and can be made quicker than you might think.
To add haptic feedback to your pedals, you need the following:
- 1x Simagic P1000 & P2000 Power Supply
- 1x Simagic P2000 Haptic Control Box & Brackets
- 2 or 3x Simagic Haptic Pedals Reactor
You can mount these haptic reactors from Simagic on almost any sim racing pedals. Look up carefully beforehand if and how this is possible. Are you a bit handy? Then it is quite easy to find a solution to fit these reactors on your sim racing pedals.
What Does It Cost?
The whole set with all the supplies costs around €250, which of course depends on how many haptic reactors you need. My advice is to get at least two, so that you have one on your brake pedal and the other on your accelerator. Personally, I don't use a clutch pedal so this one is unnecessary for me. In summary, this accessory will cost you:
- Simagic P1000 & P2000 Power Supply: € 19
- Simagic P2000 Haptic Control Box & Brackets: € 69
- Simagic Haptic Pedals Reactor: € 149 (2 pieces)
Configuration & Software
Configuring the Simagic P-HPR is super easy. You can configure the haptic motors either via SimHub or via Simagic's official software. I personally use the Simagic software SimPro Manager 2. I will therefore elaborate on these below.
The first step is to install the Simagic software. Once you have installed this software, open it on your PC. You can then use the software to add and easily configure the reactors. The software is intuitive and clear, allowing you to easily and quickly adjust the intensity and frequency of the vibrations.
Note: iRacing unfortunately does not (yet) support telemetry data for traction control. So unfortunately, the shaker on the throttle is pretty useless in this configuration. Fortunately, it does work in other popular sim games. I no doubt expect this to be added as functionality in due course.
Stunning driving experience
Now that I have been using the Simagic haptic pedal reactors for several months, I cannot help but conclude that the experience is stunning. It gives so much more dynamics and experience to sim racing. You especially notice this when the ABS is active. The feeling of ABS going through the shaker to your brake pedal makes a huge difference in how it controls and improves my braking performance. Through these slight vibrations, for example, you can feel exactly when the ABS is activated. Because of this finesse in feel, you can therefore avoid, for example, braking too hard and causing your wheels to lock. A competitive advantage!
The haptic feedback offers a progressive feel, with vibration decreasing as brake pressure decreases. This provides better control of the brake pedal and helps you better understand and control braking force. Again, an absolute advantage of using these haptic reactors.
Conclusion Simagic P-HPR
The Simagic Haptic Pedal Reactors are without a doubt one of the most valuable additions you can add to your sim racing setup. I consider it a must-have for any sim racer striving for more experience and a better driving experience. The Simagic P-HPR offers an unprecedented level of realism and feedback that takes your experience to unprecedented heights. Moreover, it brings a huge advantage to record even faster lap times. And the great thing is; it's not even that expensive at all.
It also offers more realism, better control and a faster learning curve. Whether you want to improve your performance or simply seek the ultimate racing experience, haptic pedals are an investment every sim racer should consider 😉 Do you have or plan to add these haptic reactors to your setup? Let us know!
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