Both Asetek and Simucube offer high-performing direct drive wheel bases. I have spent time with both the Simucube 2 Pro and Asetek Invicta, and I share my thoughts on which wheel is better in this head-to-head review.
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There really is no better time to buy sim racing hardware. There are a huge number of brands offering a wide range of sim racing products.
Brands like Logitech and Thrustmaster sell some of the best budget racing wheels we’ve ever seen. MOZA and Fanatec have a wide range of small direct drive wheel bases, while premium brands Simucube and Asetek both have excellent high-powered racing wheels.
This comparison guide will examine the battle between Simucube and Asetek. The Simucube 2 wheel bases may have been first to the party. However, Asetek entered the sim racing space with three incredibly good direct drive wheel bases.
I’m going to talk about my experience with the Simucube 2 Pro and the Asetek Invicta wheel bases. The goal is to help you decide between these excellent wheel bases. In this guide, I’ll look at performance, software, and compatibility with other sim racing steering wheels and products.
Before delving too deep into each wheel base, I want to show you a top-level comparison of the specs of both of these sim racing wheels.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Simucube 2 Pro | Asetek Invicta | |
| Price | $1380 / €1450 | $1299 / €1625 |
| Peak Torque | 25Nm | 27Nm |
| Slew Rate | 8.0 Nm/ms | 9.4 Nm/ms |
| Encoder resolution | 22 bit | 22 bit |
| Dimensions | 130 x 130 x 270mm | 135 x 132 x 328mm |
I will kick off our comparison by looking at the Simucube 2 Pro wheel base. This premium direct drive wheel has been around a good few years longer than the Asetek Invicta, releasing in 2019. This makes the Simucube 2 wheel bases over 5 years old, but despite this, they remain one of the best premium wheels you can buy.
Simucube’s product lineup includes three wheel bases, with the Pro in the middle. The less powerful Sport wheel base produces 17Nm of peak torque, while the more premium Ultimate wheel base is capable of 32Nm of peak torque.
The Pro sits in the sweet spot right in the middle of the three products. With its 25Nm of peak torque, it is a significant upgrade over the Sport wheel base and isn’t too much more expensive either. The Ultimate wheel base costs well over double the price of the Pro, pricing itself firmly out of reach of many sim racers.
The design of all of Simucube’s sim racing products are very industrial, and this is present in their wheel bases more than anywhere else. The Pro wheel base is essentially a fairly large metal box without too much flair.
This echoes Simucube’s mentality of producing the best sim racing products possible rather than focusing on frills and gimmicks. The outer casing is constructed from industrial-grade materials, and the real focus is on the performance.
The Simucube 2 Pro is slightly different from other wheel bases in that it can only be mounted using the four holes on the front of the base. this is the most rigid way of mounting many wheel bases which is likely why Simucube chose this route. If you have a bottom mount wheel deck on your sim rig, you can buy a Simucube mount that lets you mount from underneath.
The performance is the area that Simucube really hopes defines this wheel base. The Finnish sim racing brand used some of the latest technology to ensure the Simucube performs above the competition, and for the most part, they have succeeded.
In recent years, the Simucube 2 Pro has become one of the smoothest and best-performing wheel bases ahead of its high-end competitors. I can echo this sentiment as during my time sim racing with the Pro wheel base, it exceeded my expectations, putting it firmly ahead of other wheel bases including the Fanatec Podium range.
The Simucube wheel offers smooth transitions between different forces, with no hint of graininess. This is due in part to the high quality of the high response motor that is used and the high slew rate, which allows for rapid transitions between different torque levels.
The slew rate is the figure attributed to the response speed that your wheel base can deliver. Higher slew rates will result in quicker changes between feedback, letting you feel changes in track surface and tyre slip much faster. In most cases, a higher slew rate will result in a better sim racing wheel.
For a long time, Simucube didn’t sell any other products other than its wheel bases. This meant you had to rely on third-party steering wheels and accessories when using the Simucube 2 Pro wheel.
This has never been a problem, thanks to Simucube’s excellent compatibility. The quick release hub can be mounted to any steering wheel with a 50.8mm or 70mm PCD which is most wheel rims.
There is even a wireless antenna included with Simucube wheel bases, which lets wireless steering wheels, such as those from Cube Controls, connect directly to the Simucube wheel base.
Recently, Simucube has started releasing its own steering wheels with an installed SQR hub. This lets you connect them straight to a Simucube wheel base without any additional requirements.
Below are the complete tech specs of the Simucube 2 Pro wheel base.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Max Torque | 25Nm |
| Slew Rate | 8.0Nm/ms |
| Angle Sensor | 22 bit absolute |
| Power supply | 450 W |
| Motor | Direct drive optimized ultra low torque ripple |
| Dimensions | 130 x 130 x 270mm |
| Price | $1380 / €1450 |
Much like Simucube, Asetek also offers three individual wheel bases. However, the Invicta is the top-of-the-range option. There are also a La Prima wheel base (12Nm) and a Forte wheel base (18Nm) that are both cheaper than the Invicta. I have used all three wheels and all are incredibly impressive options. The Invicta does offer much more headroom and customizability due to its increased performance.
Asetek is a much new company than Simucube, and it is interesting to know that Asetek actually consulted and utilised some Simucube technology within the design of its own products. This allowed Asetek to utilise an already great foundation to produce three excellent wheels of its own.
There are some similarities between Asetek and Simucube wheel bases, primarily the size and overall shape. Both wheels opt for rather large designs to house the large internal motors, but Asetek have kept the same size across all three products whereas Simucube uses shorter and longer chassis for its own wheel bases.
Asetek has added more flair to its wheel bases by using customisable RGB LED lighting. The entry-level La Prima doesn’t have any LED lighting, whereas the Forte and Invicta wheels use long lightbars.
While they look great, these light strips can actually be functional in the game. You can customise them to flash to help inform you of yellow flags or other on-track events and to tell you when the perfect point to change gear is.
The outer shell is constructed from anodized extruded aluminium for a premium finish and added grooves add some interest to the design while also acting as a heat sink. Overall, I think this is a lovely looking racing wheel.
When switching from a Simucube wheel base to an Asetek one, things feel equally as impressive. I have been racing with an Asetek wheel for over a couple of years since I picked one up when they were first launched in 2021.
On paper, the Asetek Invicta wheel base does outperform the Simucube 2 Pro in a few areas. The headline figure of 27Nm of peak and holding torque is impressive and is 2Nm more than the Simucube 2 Pro. In practice, this isn’t overly noticeable.
I mainly used both the Pro and Invicta wheel bases with the maximum torque lowered down to around 15-20Nm as anything above this becomes uncomfortable to race with. At this range, both wheel bases felt very comparable, although the Invicta wheel base did feel slightly more responsive.
This is due to the slew rate being higher than the Simucube 2 Pro. The Asetek Invicta wheel base boasts a slew rate of 9.4Nm/ms allowing it to respond slightly faster than the Pro wheel.
Both wheels performed incredibly well regarding overall detail and smoothness, and it was very hard for me to choose a favourite. The buying decision depends more on the appearance, price, and ecosystem you wish to buy into.
Much like Simucube, Asetek offers wide compatibility with various third-party brands, including Cube Controls, Ascher Racing, GSI, and more. They also sell additional quick release hubs that can be mounted directly to any steering wheel, and they go one better.
The Asetek quick release adapter allows you to wire steering wheels directly into it. This can help prevent loose hanging cables from steering wheels that require a wired connection. Asetek has cleverly hidden this wiring in the adapter for ease of use.
Below are all of the technical specs of the Asetek Invicta wheel base.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Max Torque | 27Nm |
| Slew Rate | 9.4Nm/ms |
| Encoder resolution | 22 bit / 0.000085 |
| Power supply | 400 W |
| Motor | Direct drive |
| Dimensions | 135 x 132 x 328mm |
| Price | $1299 / €1625 |
Choosing a favourite between these two high-performing racing wheels is like choosing a favourite child. Both wheels are incredibly similar in their quality, performance and compatibility, and both are fantastic options to upgrade to.
The Asetek Invicta slightly wins out in the compatibility comparison due to its clever implementation of the wires within its quick release adapter. This can save the annoyance of a cable hanging under your wheel base.
The price of both wheels depends on your location. In the United States, both are very similarly priced, with the Asetk Invicta being slightly cheaper. However, in Europe, the Simucube 2 Pro is the cheaper of the two wheels by around €200.
Both wheels only offer PC compatibility, and both have their own first-party steering wheels that can be paired with the wheel bases. However, if performance is your main deciding factor, you’ll be more than happy with both wheel bases.
Looking at reviews from customers, Reddit user RightPedalDown summarised their experience with the Asetek and Simucube wheels as;
Invicta Pros
Simucube 2 Pro Pros
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Rich is the founder, F1 car setup creator and content writer for SimRacingSetups. With over a decade of experience as a graphic designer, marketing director, competitive sim racer and avid motorsport fan, Rich founded SimRacingSetup.com to share his passion and knowledge of sim racing and Formula 1 with other sim racers. Regularly writes for sim racing website SimRaceReviews.com
View all articles written by Rich
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