You might not give much thought to the pedals on your driving rig. Unlike steering wheels, there simply aren’t that many standalone pedal sets out there in the market, and most people assume those provided with wheels from Logitech or Thrustmaster are adequate for the job…right?
That’s what I used to think, too, until I tried the “SimPedals” – a new product from Main Performance PC, a high-end computer manufacturer based in Memphis, Tennessee. Michael Main, the owner of MPPC, first told me about his company’s pedals a few months ago, and sent me a set to try out on a new Obutto R3volution Gaming Cockpit.
The packaging is more than adequate to protect the pedals in transit, and all of the necessary tools are provided with some basic printed instructions.
There’s no plastic here – the pedals are constructed from CNC-machined aluminum, laser-cut high-grade steel, Delrin spacers and spring guides, and Vishay potentiometers. My pedals were also equipped with the “Hydraulic Brake Upgrade Kit”, which includes Wilwood master and slave brake cylinders and sway bar end-link bushings from Energy Suspension to replicate the mechanics of the brakes in a real car.
Yes, that’s right – the SimPedals use actual, aftermarket automotive components from highly respected manufacturers. It’s not something you usually see in a sim-racing accessory, and it makes quite an impression.
Installing the pedals onto the Obutto R3volution was simple and straightforward. Because the pedals only work with a top-hinged design, they won’t be immediately compatible with most driving rigs, but MPPC offers a floor mount bracket to make retrofitting easier. They are supported by two steel rods, which most DIY builders should be able to integrate with custom cockpit designs. These rods have been somewhat controversial in other reviews and online discussions about the pedals due to a bit of flex they exhibit when maximum force is applied to the brake. I found it to be a non-issue with normal use and it had no impact on feel or performance.
The overall build quality and finishing is exceptional, and the laser-cut steel and glistening aluminum demand your attention – the pedals would look as appropriate in a racing team’s garage as they would an Apple Store.
The real benefit of the functional design, of course, comes in the form of adjustability: every aspect of the pedals can be tweaked to your personal preference or driving style. You can move the pedals horizontally, change their travel or range of motion, or even change the resistance by adjusting a few bolts. I like heel-toe downshifting, so I prefer the brake close to the throttle, with the throttle several centimeters behind the brake. I had the adjustments completed in just a few minutes.
This utility extends to the electronics, with the SimPedals boasting compatibility with all relevant platforms, including the PC, XBox 360, XBox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. For consoles, the pedals connect via Fanatec, Thrustmaster, or Logitech wheels via special cables; for PC use, they are connected directly via USB for calibration and firmware upgrades.
So, what’s it like to actually use these things? As mentioned above, I was somewhat skeptical as to just how much of an impact something like pedals could enhance or impact the sim racing experience, but any doubts were replaced with a smile on my first out lap.
I’m not going to mask my enthusiasm here: the feeling is incredible, like nothing I have used before. The top-hinged design, size, and resistance is so much better and more realistic that it changes the way you perceive the reality of the game when compared to pedals from Logitech, Thrustmaster, or Fanatec. I actually found myself driving more conservatively, as if the pedals had short-circuited my brain by triggering the same muscle memory I use when driving a real car.
The spacing, range of motion, and resistance requires you to move your body and your legs more. It is a more visceral, physical experience, much like driving an actual sports car in real life. You can’t just flex your ankle or twist your foot, as you would with mass-market products – you have to move your legs and apply real pressure if you want to get the most performance. Digging in to the clutch pedal makes gear changes so satisfying, and the extra travel in the accelerator gives you more precise control when adding power or modulating the throttle through a corner.
The Wilwood-enforced hydraulic brake pedal, of course, fights back the most. The sway bar bushings and a high-grade polyurethane damper replicate brake pads and provide the resistance, which increases exponentially as more pressure is applied. It is smooth and very firm – you will need to apply a good amount of force to reach maximum braking potential.
For my personal preference, it’s a bit too stiff; I’d like more travel in the pedal to make it easier to modulate under threshold braking. It’s easy enough to change by swapping out the dampers on the slave Wilwood cylinder, and when I asked MPPC about this, they said to keep an eye out for a modification kit in the next few months which provides more adjustability in this area. However, depending on the type of car you want to simulate, the stiff damper provided out-of-the-box might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Of course, as with most high-end sim-racing gear, the SimPedals are definitely not cheap. Coming in at $899.99 for the base model, they are already near the top of the market, and that doesn’t include the Hydraulic Brake “White Glove Upgrade Service”, which is an additional $349.99. The Obutto R3volution mounting brackets are $159.99, and the Thrustmaster cable is $24.99, which brings the as-tested price of my review unit to $1,434.96.
That positions MPPC with ultra-high-end sim racing equipment manufacturers such as FREX GP and ECCI. However, it is important to note the pedals come with a lifetime warranty and responsive support – I was on the phone with MPPC in just a few minutes when I had questions. The company is well established as a custom PC manufacturer, and appears to have the necessary business infrastructure in place to support the product well into the future.
Should you raid your retirement savings or go into debt to buy the SimPedals? No, but if you are serious about the hobby and are looking to build the ultimate sim-racing driving rig, these are mandatory. The feel of the pedals – and how closely they replicate the sensations of driving an actual car – will make it easier to transition your virtual driving skills and muscle memory to the track. They will help you get the most out of your practice time in the simulator, and should make real-world drivers more comfortable as they transition to sim racing.
For me, the SimPedals are a literal “game changer”; my time behind the virtual wheel feels less like “playing a game” and more like driving. I feel differently sliding into my cockpit now, and revisiting old cars, tracks, and games makes them feel like an entirely new experience.
Visit the MPPC SimPedals website for more details and information, though note that shipping is only available within the US for now.