The Best Sim Racing Shifters 2024: Buyers Guide

Choosing the right sim racing shifter is quite personal. There are a selection of different shifter styles available, from sequential to H-pattern and some that do both, so it’s important to make sure you choose the right functionality for the style of sim racing you’ll be doing.

For example, racing solely in the F1 games only requires paddle shifters, whereas driving in iRacing has a mixture of cars that use H-Pattern and sequential shifters as well.

In this ultimate buyer’s guide to the best sim racing shifters, I’ll recommend my favourite H-pattern and sequential shifters that I’ve used on my own sim rig. I’ll share my picks for the best budget shifter and best shifter of each style.

TL;DR: Our top picks for the best sim racing shifter in 2024

Below is an overview of the very best shifters for sim racing in 2024. These include a range of shifters from different sim racing brands and include different style at different price points.

	Shifter	Type	Price
	MOZA Racing HGP H-Pattern Shifter	H-pattern	£139 / $149
	MOZA Racing SGP Shifter	Sequential	£105 / $129
	Logitech G RS Shifter & Handbrake	Sequential	£129 / $149
	Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ V1.5	Combo	€259 / $259
	Thrustmaster TH8A Shifter	Combo	£169 / $199
	Logitech G Shifter	H-pattern	£54 / $49
	Heusinkveld MagShift Gear Shifter	Sequential	€445 / $445
	Thrustmaster TSS Handbrake Sparco Mod	Sequential	£250 / $279
	Meca Evo Sequential Shifter	Sequential	£248 / $248
	Aiologs Sim Shifter Sequential	Sequential	£180 / $180
	Pro-Sim Sequential Shifter	Sequential	£894 / $894
	Pro-Sim H Pattern Simulator Shifter	H-pattern	£1095 / $1095

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Do you need a sim racing shifter?

Adding a gear shifter to your sim racing cockpit will expand the functionality of your racing setup and will allow added immersion when racing cars with manual or sequential gearboxes.

For example, if you race a lot of road cars, rally cars or some GT cars such as the Ginetta G55 GT4 in Assetto Corsa Competizione, you may want to closely replicate the style of shifting that would be used in the real world.

A H-pattern shifter will allow you to replicate manual shifts, and utilise heel-and-toe downshifting if you have a clutch pedal. This both increases immersion and can improve your control over the car, especially when utilising a heel-and-toe technique.

Of course, if you mainly race games where a manual gear shifter isn’t required such as the F1 games, or most GT3 cars, then there is no need to purchase a separate gear shifter. But doing so will expand the types of cars you can drive if you ever veered away from shifting with paddle shifters.

I currently have a sequential shifter and H-pattern shifter attached to my Sim-Lab P1X Pro sim rig, and these come in useful when racing iRacing due to the wide variety of cars available. However, when I race in ACC, I don’t use either of these shifters, instead reverting back to using the paddle shifters on my steering wheel.

If you don’t have an additional manual or sequential gear shifter peripheral, you can still manually change gears in all sim racing games using paddle shifters on your steering wheel.

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Different types of sim racing gear shifters: Sequential vs H-pattern

When it comes to sim racing shifters, there are a few different styles that change the way you shift gear in your car. Each different gear shifter style has its individual specific intended use.

It’s best to opt for the type of shifter for the type of sim racing discipline you generally race. Of course, nothing is stopping you from having multiple shifting methods to diversify your overall sim racing experience.

The different types of sim racing shifter are listed below;

Shifter type	Description	Example
Sequential shifters	A shifter lever on a forward and back rocker	Logitech G RS Shifter
H-pattern shifters	A manual gear shifter using a H-pattern and clutch	MOZA HGP Shifter
Paddle shifters	Paddles on the rear of your steering wheel, often combined with dual clutch paddles	Fanatec Podium Module

I typically like to ensure I have a steering wheel with paddle shifters which I’ll use while sim racing in a Formula 1 or GT3 car. Then I utilise a H-pattern shifter and a clutch pedal for when I race a road car in titles such as iRacing or Forza Motorsport.

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Sequential shifters explained

Sequential shifting is the term given to a shifter that only allows forward and backward motion. This motion either shifts up a gear, or downshifts. Unlike a traditional H-pattern shifter, you don’t manually select which gear you are choosing. Instead, you simply move up or down the gear range.

It is a favourite of rally drivers as it saves time having to position the gear lever into a specific gear physically. Instead, the forward/backward motion allows rally drivers to stay focused on the track and upcoming corners.

With a sequential gearbox, a clutch isn’t required. You can shift through the gears both up and down without having to depress a clutch pedal manually. Although some sequential cars still include a clutch pedal, which is often used from a standing start.

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H-pattern shifters explained

H-pattern shifters are used in cars with a manual transmission, and the name comes from the appearance of the shifter gate when viewed from the top.

Most commonly, with an H-pattern sim racing shifter, you will have 5, 6, or 7 forward gears and a reverse gear. When the gear shifter is in the middle of the gate, neutral will be engaged, preventing the car from moving under acceleration.

This means that you have to depress the clutch pedal manually (you’ll need a 3-pedal sim racing pedal set with a clutch pedal) and physically move the gear shifter around the gate to select a specific gear.

The benefits of a H-pattern shifter are that you can block gear change which means skipping a gear such as shifting straight from 2nd gear to 4th without engaging 3rd gear. In some specific sim racing scenarios, this can help you accelerate faster, or maintain a higher speed on the approach to a corner.

In some situations, when sim racing with a H-pattern shifter you can also have greater control over your car when downshifting by utilising heel and toe downshifting. This is the name given to using your right foot on both the brake and throttle pedal simultaneously.

What is heel-and-toe downshifting?

Heel-and-toe downshifting is the technique of utilising the right foot to both brake, whilst also using your heel to blip the throttle pedal in between gear changes. This is one of the trickiest techniques to learn while sim racing but can increase your control and speed.

To heel-and-toe while sim racing, you should apply pressure to the brake pedal with your right foot. Then, as you depress the clutch pedal just before changing gear, typically the revs will start to drop. To avoid the revs dropping, whilst your right foot is still applying brake pressure, you would rotate your right foot so your right heel moves over to the throttle pedal. Then you can apply some throttle pressure as you change gear, this is called blipping the throttle.

By correctly implementing heel-and-toe shifting you can match the engine’s revs to the wheel speed as you change down a gear. This will give you the smoothest gear change and prevent any rear wheel locking.

This is an important technique to learn when using a manual H-pattern sim racing shifter. In some sim racing titles, you can select automatic rev-matching or automatic clutch; however, this can reduce some control and immersion.

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Paddle shifters explained

The final form of sim racing shifters are paddle shifters, which are commonly found attached to your sim racing steering wheel.

Paddle shifters will often be the first form of sim racing shifter that most sim racers will use. They are included as standard with most sim racing wheels and plenty of individual sim racing wheels.

Paddle shifters don’t require a clutch pedal to be used, instead acting in a very similar way to a sequential gearbox. You pull the right paddle to shift up and pull the left paddle to downshift. You can use paddle shifters to control pretty much any car when sim racing, even those that utilise a different form of shifting in the real world.

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Best sim racing shifter recommendations

In the section below, I’ll examine the very best sim racing shifters you can buy in 2024. I’ll examine gear shifters from several different brands and across a range of budgets.

Click on any of the shifter names below to quickly scroll down to read more information, along with what type of sim racing setup I would recommend them for.

Below are my top 3 recommendations for the best sim racing shifters, highlighting the best budget shifter, the best H-pattern shifter and the best sequential shifter.

Best Budget Shifter	Best H-pattern Shifter	Best Sequential Shifter
Logitech G Driving Force Shifter	Fanatec ClubSport SQ V1.5 Shifter	MOZA SGP Shifter
£54 / $49	€259 / $259	£105 / $129
Buy the Logitech Shifter	Buy the ClubSport SQ V1.5	Buy the MOZA SGP Shifter

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Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ V1.5

The first shifter I want to talk about is the Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ V1.5 as it is one of the best shifters for sim racing, despite being around for a good number of years. I’ve used This sim racing shifter for many years as it is quite simply a powerhouse in what it can do.

This shifter ticks many boxes, while most others in this list specialise in one single form of shifting. You can use the ClubSport shifter as both a sim racing sequential shifter and an H-pattern shifter, switching between the two via a physical switch on the outer casing.

There are seven forward gears, and going through them in the H-pattern mode feels responsive and clean. Each gear engages smoothly without too much of a clunk, and the lever has a nice, relatively short throw.

When in sequential mode, the shifting has the same positive engagement feeling as it utilises the same physical connection when shifting as it does in H-pattern mode. With the sequential mode, it simply locks the gear lever in third and fourth gear allowing you just to push and pull the gear knob.

This Fanatec shifter is also fully compatible with Xbox and PlayStation consoles. It connects either directly to your gaming PC or, if using it with a console, it has to connect via an RJ cable to your wheel base, with all modern Fanatec wheel bases supported.

Overall, this is quite possibly my favourite sim racing shifter. It is just so versatile and incredibly well-made. I’ve used it for around five years, and it has never failed me.

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MOZA Racing HGP H-Pattern Shifter

For those looking to buy just a H-pattern shifter, the MOZA HGP is a great option. This is a high-quality shifter that utilises a completely metal construction. There is no plastic on the shifter at all allowing it to feel great to interact with. You can also swap out the shifter handle if you like.

I’ve been using this shifter as my main H-pattern shifter for a while and each gear has a solid clunk to let you know its engaged. The shifts each feel satisfying without being overly stiff or clunky.

MOZA Racing has also included an incredible automatic throttle blip system into this shifter via their software Pit House. This allows you to automatically blip the throttle when downshifting, mimicking a heel-and-toe technique. This really helps those who can’t heel-and-toe to not lose any time or destabilise their car while downshifting. This feature alone is worth considering the MOZA HGP shifter.

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MOZA Racing SGP Sequential Shifter

If you are within the MOZA ecosystem and require a sequential shifter, the SGP is a fantastic option. It is a relatively affordable shifter that, much like the HGP H-pattern shifter, feels incredibly premium. MOZA has a brilliant trend of constructing all of their sim racing hardware from the highest quality materials and the SGP Shifter is no different.

In addition to the shifter itself, the SGP shifter also includes two additional push buttons that can be mapped in any sim racing title to control any aspect of your car. I really like this trend, and I have them mapped to my starter and ignition in Assetto Corsa Competizione and iRacing.

There is a lot of customisation with this relatively simple sequential shifter. You can adjust the height of the shifter arm and change out the handle to any aftermarket handle. There is also a trigger on the front face of the shifter that lets you map two additional inputs, even using this shifter as a handbrake as well.

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Logitech G RS Shifter & Handbrake

Logitech has recently announced a new batch of sim racing products for the first time since the Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals a few years ago. One of the new products is the RS Shifter & Handbrake, and it is an excellent addition.

This shifter is a sequential-only shifter with an added handbrake mode included. You can switch between the two modes via a switch on the sim racing shifter’s base, making it very quick to change modes.

Like many Logitech products, the base includes an incorporated screw mounting system which makes it incredibly easy to add to your sim racing setup.

Logitech has followed their own trend of making their sim racing hardware Xbox and PS5 compatible, ensuring that this shifter can work on both consoles as well as on PC when combined with the Logitech Pro Racing Wheel. You can also use this shifter with the older Logitech G923 racing wheel by using the Logitech Racing Adapter which is fantastic news for sim racers hoping to add a sequential shifter to their G923.

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Thrustmaster TH8A Shifter

The Thrustmaster TH8A shifter is often looked at as one of the best and most versatile sim racing shifters around. Much like the Fanatec ClubSport V1.5, the TH8A features 7 forward gears and 1 reverse gear, albeit in a slightly different configuration with reverse found in the bottom right corner on the TH8A.

It is also similar in that it features both a sequential and H-pattern mode, allowing you to quickly change between the two forms of gear shifting. The final similarity is that this Thrustmaster shifter is also compatible with both Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as PC.

And that is where the similarities with the Fanatec end. This shifter has been constructed with much more plastic, and much less premium-feeling metal than the Fanatec shifter. And this results in a little bit of extra play in the whole shifter when pulling hard shifts.

The resistance of each shift is also much less than the resistance from the Fanatec ClubSport V1.5, resulting in a washier and less satisfying shift feeling. The final blow to the TH8A is the process of switching between H-pattern and sequential gearbox modes.

With the Fanatec, this change is done instantaneously via a switch. With the Thrustmaster shifter, you have to disassemble the top part of the shifter and install a sequential-only top plate. This takes time and is a bit fiddly.

Also, the shifts in sequential mode are much shorter than when in H-pattern mode, and there is little to no resistance when pulling or pushing the gear stick. This leaves it feeling a little bit more like a toy, and less like a solid piece of racing equipment.

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Logitech G Driving Force Shifter

The Logitech G Driving Force Shifter is easily one of the most affordable you can buy in 2024. It can be found for under €/$50, and performs well given the price tag.

This shifter can only be used as a H-pattern gear shifter and cannot be used in sequential mode. It also only has six forward gears compared to seven found on both the Fanatec and Thrustmaster shifters.

There is a relatively short throw between gears, although there is very little resistance. In fact, the gear lever can be moved around using just one finger, it’s that light.

There are performance mods that you can buy which involve a 3D printed resistor which slots underneath the leather cover. These significantly improve the shifting feel by adding much higher levels of resistance.

But this shifter is designed as a purely entry-level sim racing gear shifter, and given the price and the wide compatibility with Xbox and PlayStation consoles, you can’t go too wrong.

It is by far the cheapest, and potentially the lowest-performing shifter that I’m looking at today, but it is worth picking up if you have a Logitech G923 or G29.

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Heusinkveld MagShift Gear Shifter

The Heusinkveld MagShift shifter is a relatively new sequential shifter that is a big improvement over the old one. It utilises a patented magnetic shifting system that allows for completely adjustable force settings on both the up and downshifts.

Much like the MOZA SGP shifter, this shifter’s base has a range of additional buttons that can be customized in racing titles such as iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

This Heusinkveld shifter follows the trend of high-performing sim racing gear set by the Dutch company’s excellent sim racing pedals. It has been designed to replicate a short-throw gear lever as accurately as possible.

While this sim racing sequential gear shifter is only PC compatible, it does come with a nice amount of adjustments. It comes with a range of shifter handle mounting heights, allowing you to adjust the length of the throw.

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Thrustmaster TSS Handbrake Sparco Mod

The Thrustmaster TSS Handbrake Sparco Mod is a completely different beast to the TH8A, and is a huge step up in terms of quality and experience.

Despite its name including the word handbrake, and not including the word shifter, this product can actually be used as a sim racing shifter. In fact, it can alternate between being a sequential shifter and a handbrake. Although it can only be one or the other, making you choose between using it as a shifter or a handbrake.

The design of the TSS is much more industrial than the TH8A and features a lot more metal in its construction. This sim racing peripheral actually looks like it could be mounted in a real-world race car. It is incredibly large when compared with the TH8A and would look right at home in any rally car.

When it is set to shifter mode, it performs pretty well as a sim racing sequential shifter. The resistance is still light given the size and weight of this shifter. But it does have a much more positive click than the TH8A.

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Meca Evo Sequential Shifter

The Meca Evo Sequential Shifter would look right at home in any real world race car and it is one of the newest sequential shifters to be released.

Many real-world cars that utilise a sequential shifter opt for a long-handled design, which is possibly the reason that Meca chose to design this sequential shifter with a long handle. This means that in terms of replicating the feel of using a real-world shifter, this sim racing shifter feels very immersive.

One of the really cool features of the Meca shifter is that you can completely adjust the stiffness of each throw. You can vary the stiffness between 2kg and 7kg of force. This is a feature that is often overlooked by other sim racing shifters.

One area where this Meca sequential shifter isn’t quite as good as the others on this list is when it comes to mounting. The pre-drilled holes at the bottom of the shifter don’t really line up with any on an 80/20 aluminium profile rig, and there aren’t any additional mounting brackets included like there are with other shifters.

If Meca could start packaging a mounting bracket, or alter their hole alignment, this would be one of the very best sequential shifters you can buy.

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Aiologs Sim Shifter Sequential

The Aiologs shifter is the sequential shifter that wins within this price range. It has an amazing feel to each shift with a really good amount of resistance, which is much higher than in the Fanatec and Thrustmaster models.

The resistance remains high until you reach the shift point, at which point the resistance varies and dips to a much lighter level, emulating a real-world sequential shifter.

The overall build quality of this sequential shifter is fantastic, with a fully metal construction. It looks like one of the most premium sim racing shifters, despite not costing as much as others.

The Aiologs sequential shifter is also supplied with both a pre-drilled mounting plate and a really sturdy clamp which will make installing and adjusting the shifter position a breeze.

Both the mounting plate and the clamp are constructed entirely from metal making them more than strong enough to withstand some aggressive shifting.

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Pro-Sim Sequential Shifter

These last two sim racing shifters are in an absolute league of their own, in both performance and price. This Pro-Sim Sequential Shifter costs over three times more than most others on this list.

The reason why this sim racing shifter is so pricey is due to the technology. The company that is behind this shifter are Quaife, who are famed for producing gearboxes and differentials for real world cars.

This shifter unit uses the exact same mechanism as the one found on the production Quaife gearbox, so if you are looking for ultimate realism, you can’t get much closer than this.

There is a lot of adjustability in action here, as you’d expect from the price. You can change the strength required for each gear change, as well as physically changing the length of the lever shaft.

There is a real hydraulic system in action with this Pro-Sim shifter, which allows each shift to unload just like it would in a real-world car.

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Pro-Sim H Pattern Simulator Shifter

If a sequential shifter isn’t your thing, but you still have enough cash to burn that you want to opt for the most realistic H-pattern shifter around, then this Pro-Sim H-pattern shifter is for you.

Much like the sequential shifter above, this H-pattern utilises Quaife mechanics much like the mechansims found in real-world gearboxes. This design utilises an 8-speed gearbox design, with 6 forward gears and 2 reverse gears.

The overall design of this shifter is taken directly from a production Quaife H-pattern gearbox, meaning this is as close as you can get to replicating a real-world shifter.

Almost every part of this sim racing shifter is adjustable, from the centering force, the shift force and the pivot point. You can also change the height of the lever by 70mm to find the perfect position for your sim rig.

You have to be reminded that this is a sim racing shifter, as by looking at it you can easily be mistaken that this wouldn’t actually work on a sim rig.

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How to choose the right sim racing shifter

Choosing the best sim racing shifter for your needs ultimately comes down to which form of motorsport you like to sim race, as well as how often you change between different racing disciplines.

I spend a lot of my time playing iRacing which means I need both a H-pattern and sequential shifter. However, while playing the F1 games and Assetto Corsa Competizione, I don’t use either of these shifters, instead only using the paddle shifters on my steering wheel.

Below is my recommendation on the style of sim racing shifter to choose depending on the cars you drive.

	Recommended shifter
Race only F1 cars	Paddle shifters
Race only GT cars	Paddle shifters
Race only road cars	H-pattern shifter
Race only rally cars	Sequential shifter
Swap between different disciplines	H-pattern & paddle shifter

If you are entirely an F1 sim racer, you should opt for paddle shifters as a H-pattern or a sim racing sequential shifter wouldn’t be realistic when driving an F1 car. However, if you race multiple disciplines, finding a shifter that can perform well across the board is the ultimate goal.

There are sim racing shifters in this guide that can be both a H-pattern and sequential shifter. These allow you to race in both modes without having to switch products. The Thrustmaster TSS Sparco Handbrake can also swap between being a physical handbrake and a sim racing sequential shifter.

Every shifter in this guide would make for a good sim racing shifter, and hopefully, the information in this guide has helped you narrow down which sim racing shifter is right for you.

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How I tested these shifters

With sim racing shifters coming in different styles, it can be hard to get a like-for-like comparison. Driving a car with a sequential transmission can feel very different to one with a H-pattern gearbox. The best game that includes both styles of car is iRacing, which is the sim I used to test all shifters.

I like to use relatively fast road cars while testing shifters, as many track cars either use automatic transmissions or heavily modified transmissions. The problem is that very few road cars use a sequential transmission. To test the sequential shifters that I recommended above, I used the Rally cars within iRacing.

While testing any sim racing shifter, I was on the lookout for a few qualities. Each shift needs to feel intentional but not too stiff or too weak, which some budget shifters can fall victim to. The shifter also needs to feel good to touch, with premium shifters such as the MOZA SGP and Heusinkveld MagShift Shifter, in particular, feeling great thanks to the high-quality materials used during construction.

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Overview

Hopefully, this sim racing buyers guide will help you choose which gear shifter is the best shifter for sim racing, and the best for your requirements. In this guide, I recommended my favourite products, including the best sequential shifters to H-pattern and some that can do both.

Our recommendation for the all-around best sim racing shifter has to go to the Fanatec ClubSport SQ V1.5 Shifter. It leads the pack with its positive shifting feeling, and it can be easily switched between sequential and H-pattern modes.

If you are after the best sim racing sequential shifter, then the Heusinkveld Sequential Gear Shifter is among the best. It has a very positive feel to each shift, is competitively priced and features a large range of adjustability.

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Frequently Asked Questions