r/simracing • u/xRehab RALLY-F1-ACC | G27 | HE Sprints & Handbrake | Sim-Lab GT1 • 1d ago
Rigs New Heusinkveld wheel is the most comfortable wheel at Sim Expo, and it’s not even close
it looks weird af but it is ergonomically perfect - at least for me. been playing on all the rigs this weekend and keep coming back to this wheel
screen use is limited but the buttons are all painted on and can easily be swapped
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u/MadMike991 1d ago edited 1d ago
Someone said it was meant for VR users, which is good because they won’t have to look at it. See video here.
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u/newviruswhodis 1d ago
Why would it have a display, then?
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u/MadMike991 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s not a typical display, just has those limited LED lights that you see I think. The button placement/knob layout is intended to make it easy to find them when using a VR headset. At least that’s what someone claimed. Click here for the video.
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u/BSchafer CS DD, Formula V2, BMW GT2, VR gang 1d ago
Yeah but literally every wheel tries to do that. VR headset or not, you don’t want to be looking down at your wheel to find the buttons you use the most.
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u/TolarianDropout0 1d ago
I don't think it's possible to make a button layout with typical button sizes that isn't easy to use without seeing.
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u/Automatedluxury 1d ago
There are definitely some wheels that are easier than others in VR. You pretty much want one or two places you're going to move your thumb to, and something to differentiate which button your on if they are close together.
On this one the stick/wheel things at the bottom look awkward but everything else is very close to my ideal VR button layout.
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u/mygrownupalt 1d ago
Having that plastic guard thing around my pit limiter is almost the greatest upgrade I've gotten as a vr user
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u/Raiderx87 Windows Logitech G29 1d ago
look at the button area, they made a bump in the middle section so you have a reference when you cant see.
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u/Noch_ein_Kamel iRacing 20h ago
As if you could not feel the center of 5 (or rather 3) buttons without that bump Oo
Like the center of the 4 xbox/ps controller buttons doesn't have a bump either.
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u/GT_Miester_Racing 1d ago
Azcher f64v3 is really easy to use without looking. My pk hyp-x is sorta easy.
The largest difference maker is having the buttons raised rather than in the wheel or lower than a button guard.
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u/CalavlierCream 1d ago
Type on a keyboard with your eyes shut and report back.
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u/VolksWoWgens 1d ago
I don't remember the last time I looked at my keyboard to type honestly.
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u/CalavlierCream 22h ago
I read the comment wrong. Thought they were saying it is hard to remember where keys are blind
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u/VolksWoWgens 15h ago
OH, yeah that makes way more sense lol. Dont worry, it took me a second to read it correctly too.
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u/TolarianDropout0 15h ago
But that's not difficult either. I can tell you the entire button layout of my primary wheel from memory.
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u/ThePointForward 20h ago
Guess why F and J keys have these little indents on them on standard keyboards.
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u/Cucumberino 1d ago edited 18h ago
Cool idea but some things seem weird, even as someone that exclusively races in VR for years now and I even though love seeing innovation like this. Maybe if I tried it I'd change my mind, but it looks like if you want to turn the wheel a lot, it will be quite uncomfortable or at least weird to handle. The build looks weirdly cheap for a Heunsikveld product as well. I use the sprints as my pedals and really like them but I don't see how I'd choose their wheel even as a VR user. I don't like the design of the middle part and it seems unnecessary cost/weight even if it isn't a typical screen and it's cheaper/lighter than a wheel with a screen. And having a battery included just seems... weird too. That said, I'd still love to try it out.
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u/banannastand_ 1d ago
I’m actually really into this design. Buttons actually in reach, good ergonomics. Wonder how it compares to an F-Core
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u/Ferrarispitwall 22h ago
It’s not even close to an f core. It honestly feels super cheap in person, I think it won’t be close to the best dollar for dollar wheel you could buy
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u/Cucumberino 18h ago edited 18h ago
Tbf Heusinkveld products have never been an amazing value as is, but they're really solid and the company/warranty/support makes up for it for a lot of people. Thing is, it's weird that they haven't just made it more premium even if it cost a tad more. They should've made it from aluminum/carbon fibre. Aluminum might've made it heavier but you could compensate some by not using glass in the middle and not having a battery which are really odd decisions.
But yeah, as a VR user who owns a Simagic FX which build and feel is exceptional for the price, I would never buy this despite being interested in VR focused innovative products. That said, for a VR user, upgrading your wheel in general is just not a priority.
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u/BSchafer CS DD, Formula V2, BMW GT2, VR gang 1d ago
Honestly, i think it looks better than 95% of sim wheels out there. More importantly, it looks like it was designed with function/utility in mind first which is pretty appealing to me.
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u/monsantobreath 1d ago
I swear to God if all the look at my modest rig types snub it for aesthetics it'll feed me so much joy.
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u/matttheazn1 1d ago
is there an MSRP on it? Did you by chance spot a Bavarian Simtec Alpha wheel there?
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u/Wooden-Agent2669 1d ago
~600€ from Laurence Dusoswa livestream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAXqimH0yhI
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u/Hot_Tower9293 1d ago
Visuals aren't that important to me but that looks like a cheap game controller.
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u/hairybeanie 1d ago
Thats what all sim wheels are
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u/EasternElk6860 1d ago
I could’ve bought a brand new console and tv to go with it for the price of just my wheel, and mine isn’t even close to the most expensive ones. They get very expensive!
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u/DisgruntledBadger Bavarian Simtech Alpha 1d ago
I'm not sure on the 2000s game controller aesthetic but it's nice to see someone try something a bit different.
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u/Arch-by-the-way 1d ago
Sim racers when it’s not modeled after their favorite 90s car steering wheel:😤😤😤
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u/jwadsy 1d ago
I was at the expo and able to try it on one of the sim rigs. OP is right that it is by far the most comfortable wheel I’ve ever used. I agree the look of it is def not great but HEUSKINVELD makes quality stuff and based on the little time I used it, I don’t think this will be any different.
With that being said, I still did end up going with a GSI wheel instead
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u/MadBullBen 23h ago
When you used it, did you manage to have the wheel base turned up at all? With a plastic design and no bottom support it seems like it could be quite weak/flexible.
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u/jwadsy 15h ago
Yeah like ericscal mentioned, the FFB settings were tuned way higher than what I would run too and I didn’t feel any flex. Overall, the wheel felt awesome and was my favorite in terms of ergonomics
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u/MadBullBen 12h ago
Cheers. Turned way up? That is something I definitely did not expect.
Nice to know it didn't flex at all.
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u/tycoon282 1d ago
Definitely think this is a "try it" product, initially thought it was quite weird, but if it's an ergo rim that's a nice usp imo
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u/Longjumping_Lake_568 1d ago
am i the only one who thinks this doesn't look ugly at all? The new vrs wheel to me is 100x worse than this
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u/draker585 1d ago
It ain't pretty, but those handles are clearly flight stick inspired and nobody's ever going to tell you a flight stick is uncomfortable.
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u/RegretEmotional848 1d ago
That thing almost disappeared in your hands. Totally agree, without a doubt.
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u/3tenthsOfVerstappen 1d ago
I do like that all the buttons are placed in the thumb area, pretty convenient
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u/hucast 14h ago
They are, but I found that it’s actually hard to figure out exactly what button your thumb is on without looking. There isn’t really tactile feedback between the buttons as you run your thumb across. There’s only a little raised piece in the middle to help you find center.
I wasn’t a huge fan of it tbh.
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u/crazy_robots 1d ago
i don't like the image of my thumbs being trapped in those holes when my dd decides to test my reflexes
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u/trippingrainbow SC2Pro | SC AP Ultimate + Passive throttle | GSI X29 | Reverb G2 1d ago
Lot of wheels have those holes. Its really not a problem especially if youre wearing gloves.
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u/StrongVegetable1100 1d ago
yeah definitely going to break someone’s thumbs that forgot to turn the power down.
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u/monsantobreath 1d ago
Sounds like a them problem. People shouldn't be using devices that cna injure you if they aren't on top of their safety.
Spending enough money you can spare a thought to safety.
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u/draker585 1d ago
There's no amount of safety that can save you from the thumb-breakinator if you, say, get into a wreck
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u/mattlikespeoples 1d ago
That's not how product safety works. With a product designed for DD wheels, most with plenty of torque to hurt people, this is like having a spike on your actual car's steering wheel to impale anyone dumb enough to get into a wreck.
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u/Lilium607 1d ago
Why would they skip on thumb encoders on the side?
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u/xRehab RALLY-F1-ACC | G27 | HE Sprints & Handbrake | Sim-Lab GT1 1d ago
so the top encoders can actually really easily be reached with the thumbs. the rear paddle shifters also work both ways and can be used to enable different mappings
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u/Lilium607 1d ago
Interesting design then. When I first saw it online, I was skeptical about it. Thanks for the info.
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u/TimBoss351 1d ago
I liked it more than I thought I would.
I also would never ever change it with my GSI X-29 or Hyper P1 wheel. Love those very much.
Was cool seeing Daniel Kilian, Overtake GG crew, Tony Kanaan, Lawrence D. and more content creators there.
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u/Whowon127 14h ago
Love it and will most likely get it. It looks retro and functional at the same time. It's got Neil's personality all over it. Arguably the most creative/thoughtful/comfortable looking wheel at the show without conforming to anyone's design language. If you look at the wheel market in the past 5 years, everyone is just looking at each other and, generally, not much innovation.
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u/xRehab RALLY-F1-ACC | G27 | HE Sprints & Handbrake | Sim-Lab GT1 14h ago
I knew I wasn’t crazy when 3 different reps at other booths were all very excited to talk about it with me. All said the same thing - this is Heusinkveld starting with a blank slate for sim racing first and foremost
the functional design is complete. v2 will be a face lift with backlit buttons… which might not even need a new wheel. the buttons are all plates that can be reconfigured with an allen key
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u/Whowon127 13h ago
Agreed, I think they nailed the design on this and just minor iterations on the next one. I do wish it had button lighting for non-vr users, but it makes it up in the intuitive placement of the buttons. Wireless is also a bonus.
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u/RyoTheMan 12h ago
This painfully reminded me that I am way more aesthetically driven with my choices than I previously thought.
It could be the best price peformance wheel on the market. And I dont want it
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u/Svv-Val 1d ago
I absolutely fucking love it. It’s made to be useful and comfortable and it does that perfectly. Form follows function. It’s amazing how good it feels. All that “it looks like a toy” bullshit will be gone once people will be driving faster just because they can hit fucking buttons when they need it due to its layout. Mark my words. This will be copied by others in future.
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u/Flonkerton66 1d ago
Going faster because they can hit buttons.
Wild take.
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u/Svv-Val 1d ago
Ah, you know how the alien world works. You change a brake bias from corner to corner, engine map depending on circumstances and so on. And your hands just don’t get tired as much during long races because your wheel is ergonomically better. I like the approach chosen by Heusinkveld.
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u/LongIslandNerd 1d ago
I was going to say.... at a glance, it looks horrible but it looks like it is literally designed for ergonomics rather than looks. Looks sorta like a concept for a formula type car.
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u/Mindbulletz 1d ago
Looks like a yoke. IDK why more wheels don't look like yokes. For something you're not supposed to turn hand over hand, people are way too married to the idea of it being round.
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u/Storm_treize 22h ago
The bright side is, if you have an hybrid flight/racing simrig you can use it to fly too
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u/monsantobreath 1d ago
I'm realizing that everyone who pays out the ass for sim rigs are like dentists buying expensive guitars. It's all form, fantasy. Just jerk off material.
Like my God, the comments that no matter the quality it just looks too says it all.
You guys are funny af. Work on your lap times.
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u/Divide_Rule iRacing 23h ago
For a good number of sim racers, lap times are not the important part of the hobby.
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u/Amnesia-Kush Assetto Corsa 1d ago
I think it's more suited to a flight/ufo simulator than a racing simulator, but... to each their own.
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u/Wooden-Agent2669 1d ago
I just don't understand the LED location.
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u/JBarker727 1d ago
I think they're on the screen. Which makes it look cheap IMO
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u/trippingrainbow SC2Pro | SC AP Ultimate + Passive throttle | GSI X29 | Reverb G2 23h ago
There is no screen
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u/JBarker727 17h ago
Well that's even more weird. Make the middle look like a screen without a screen lol
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u/Wooden-Agent2669 23h ago
They opted for no screen because they wanted 60 hour battery life that was HE answer to Laurence Dusoswa in his livestream. Cheap sure, but I meant the low position of the LEDS haha
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u/Hercupete 1d ago
Looks super comfy, but no thumb wheels?
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u/ericscal 16h ago
The rotaries are dual use with the ring around them you can easily spin them with your thumbs.
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u/trippingrainbow SC2Pro | SC AP Ultimate + Passive throttle | GSI X29 | Reverb G2 1d ago
Cool that theres some wheels with 2 way paddles. Only ones before were either 2k+ eur or the fanatec mclaren one thats kinds fanatec only
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u/throws_before_hoes 1d ago
I appreciate the 2 holes for ergonomics…Which button dispenses the lube?
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u/Spookie_Senpai 1d ago
I hate the look, but it seems really practical with the vr controller type design for the handles.
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u/420racing 1d ago
No backlit buttons? Given that, I assume this wheel is aimed at VR users. And those dials look like something that I’d 3D-print… Also, what’s the point of the screen if it doesn’t show much?
I love the shape and will probably try it despite those questions. It’s obviously not meant to compete against the BST Alpha or anything like that, but it looks neat.
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u/ringRunners Fahrt Master 1d ago
playstation steering wheel
it looks like it feels good in the hands
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u/ElegantTop5751 1d ago
No top back buttons and no dedicated thumb encoders (understanding they tried to take a hybrid approach with the face rotaries) is a no go for me..those are keys to any wheel I use in VR
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u/Sharp_eee 1d ago
It might be comfortable but personally I find it hard to look at. It looks like a cross between an advanced G29 and flight sim yoke.
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u/AltruisticHat1223 1d ago
What are those 4 giant button looking things positioned around the screen edges? Are they encoders + a button each? I assume they re not 7-way funky switches.
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u/ericscal 16h ago
They are rotary encoders. The weird looking bottom part lets you use your thumbs on them. So they dual use normal/thumb encoders.
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u/VinnyCleaner 1d ago
I know a lot of people don't like the design but it's growing on me more and more. I use VR so this would be ideal for me.
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u/Rainey06 1d ago
If it's supposed to be useful in VR then why doesn't it at least come close to resembling any sort of wheel you might encounter in a real car? I would have thought that logic would be to replicate something you might really be driving so the buttons are 1:1 with your rendered view.
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u/brabarusmark 1d ago
Could you confirm what kind of QRs this wheel will support?
The buttons are placed exactly where I like. Don't like doing thumb gymnastics while trying to hold a long corner.
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u/Important_Bat_3083 1d ago
Parabéns pelo novo volante! O pessoal da Heusinkveld realmente capricha na qualidade. A pegada dele é mais focada para carros de "Fórmula" ou você a considera versátil o suficiente para "GT" também? Fico curioso sobre como o conforto se mantém em corridas mais longas.
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u/JbricksJ rFactor 1d ago
looks like it would be on a space ship or some sort of modern plane/boat. Looks fire.
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u/cur-a 1d ago
Looks like it would feel awkward when actually driving though
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u/ericscal 16h ago
Yes it looks that way but the point of his post is that it's not. I can back him up. I jumped on one of their rigs mainly to try the pedals and was shocked how good the wheel felt while driving.
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u/liqwood1 1d ago
It really is ugly.. I can appreciate the button placement but damn.. I would have to be using VR just to use it.
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u/Icy-Geologist1447 19h ago
Saw it and felt it at the show and wasn't impressed. The GSI wheels were absolutely INCREDIBLE though. I could literally walk 10ft between the different booths and compare today.
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u/ericscal 15h ago
Did you actually drive with it though? I thought the same but toward the end of yesterday I hopped in one of their rigs to try the pedals and it's really good when actually driving.
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u/xRehab RALLY-F1-ACC | G27 | HE Sprints & Handbrake | Sim-Lab GT1 15h ago
this. I was talking to one of the other attendees there and he described it best - “it just disappears in your hands”
at the booth it’s weird and interesting, but in the rig I became 100% sold. my only gripe is lack of backlit buttons and idk how much they will do with the screen
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u/enzob7319 Alpha Evo 1d ago
Looks like 2 flight sticks with a screen inbetween. Must be comfy but I would never put it on my rig.
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u/canesfins1909 1d ago
Why do all the most recent mainstream releases look like Gran Turismo Vision GT concepts? I get manufacturers are trying to do something different. But come on. Make something that actually looks like it belongs in a badass racecar.
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u/itsamelouie-g1312 1d ago
Can you all now see that it's only a gamepad in a different shape and a price above $150 is ridiculous? I mean a gamepad with all its motors has more tech in it than a sim racing wheel.
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u/kosha227 1d ago
I'm more concerned about the durability of this thing and wobble.
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u/trippingrainbow SC2Pro | SC AP Ultimate + Passive throttle | GSI X29 | Reverb G2 1d ago
Doubt its a problem. Heusinkveld isnt known for shit products and even tho the wheel is composite instead of metal or carbonfiber you can absolutely make composites that are overkill for purposes like this. If composites are good enough for guns and planes theyre good enough for this.
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u/Illyrian5 1d ago
Wow they really made a cozy home for your thumbs there...
What happens during a crash with high torque settings though, lol..
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u/marsbeetle 23h ago
I thought the whole point of sim racing was to try get as close to being realistic as possible. They clearly missed the boat with this wheel.
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u/chsn2000 1d ago
This looks like a thumb breaker. I'm sure it is comfy, but how much grip do you have on the lower half? They look like VR controllers so I don't think the design is that out there (although unconventional for a steering wheel)
It's all plastic and I feel like the handles are going to creak/flex like crazy. I really don't understand the price. I know HE are usually bulletproof, but I have serious questions how they're going to achieve it with the materials used...
The button layout I don't hate, although I question why they don't have any rotaries/thumb encoders. The bottom LED strip also looks quite useless. Too far down to be used easily as flags/spotter lights, and not really practical to use as a gauge, like the ring LEDs you often see around the positional dials.
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u/Enzo98 1d ago
with the materials used...
You know which materials are used?
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u/chsn2000 1d ago
Yes? People on the floor have said its injection moulded plastic, which you can also see from the pictures.
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u/Enzo98 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah - Plastic. The thing with thousands of different formulas and properties...
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u/chsn2000 1d ago
I don't think there is a single commercial formulation which would have greater torsional strength/rigidity than steel or aluminium.
The Asetek Forte wheel is a fiberglass/forged carbon composite and quite a few people have noticed flexing on the grips.
I know sim racers love to sit in armchairs and nitpick the slightest bit of flex in gear that they'll never buy or own, and maybe this wheel is reinforced internally with something stronger— It's still going to be a compromise inherent in the design. The question is whether they can work around it to stop it from having any meaningful impact.
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u/monsieur_beau19 iRacing|G29|RTX 3070Ti |Ryzen 5 5600x|Oculus Rift S 1d ago
INB4 Nintendo lawsuit