The brand Simagic brand has been active on the sim-racing market for several years, even though it is not very well known in France. Many racers around the world swear by it, because its teams are made up of sim-racing enthusiasts and professional drivers, making it a foolproof recipe.

Simagic’s catalog covers virtually every aspect of racing simulation, from GT racing to endurance and Formula racing. That’s for sim-racing steering wheels. As for the rest of its catalog, Simagic offers Direct Drive bases from 9 to 23 nm of torque, with a total of 6 different, high-performance models. Cranksets are also featured, with Load Cell and even hydraulic variants for the most demanding riders.

But Simagic’s offer doesn’t stop there, as the brand also offers accessories, including a haptic feedback motor called P-HPR. The latter is based on linear vibrator technology, and is compatible with the brand’s pedal units to provide haptic feedback for everything to do with the running gear.

In what follows, we take a closer look at this accessory with a full test.

Main and technical motor specifications

• Linear electric motor for precise vibration
• CNC-machined aluminum housing
• Compatible with Simagic’s P1000 and P2000 pedalboards, but can also be used with other brands’ devices, provided you have the appropriate brackets.
• Draws vibration data from sim-racing track telemetry

P-HPR design

The design of the P-HPR is very discreet, with a cylindrical shape entirely in black and the Simagic logo in white. On both sides of the engine, red covers give the device a racing look.

All in all, the P-HPR remains a sober product that fits on the back of your sim-racing crankset, and you’ll rarely see it in a race.

Customized assembly

Depending on the crankset you have, the P-HPR assembly differs in terms of the need for brackets. If you have Simagic’s P1000, you won’t need anything in terms of accessories. Simply remove the plate from your pedal, or pedals, install the vibrator and replace all the removed components. This applies to all installations, whether on a Simagic pedalboard or not.

If you have a P2000, or another brand of device, you’ll need brackets to install the P-HPR. For the P2000, these brackets are available directly from Simagic. Unfortunately, Simagic doesn’t supply brackets for other brands of pedalboards, but you can find them in 3D printing online stores. The assembly operation remains the same, by the way.

Manufacturing and finishing the haptic module

The P-HPR housing is made of CNC-machined aluminum. The build quality is top-notch, in line with Simagic’s offering, even if the product will inevitably be hidden from view once installed.

As for the finish, it’s very good, with parts that fit together perfectly. There are no gaps between the covers and the casing, and no gaps at all. This is a premium device, as is the brand.

Motor settings

To adjust the motors, you’ll need to use Sim Pro Manager or SimHub to assign effects to each vibrator. The tuning operation is much more extensive on SimHub than on Simagic’s software, but in both cases you’ll have what you need to configure each motor.

You’ll have to choose between several vibrator activation effects (ABS, wheel lock, traction control, ESP, etc.), on each motor (up to a maximum of 3), with vibration frequency and intensity.

SimHub lets you fine-tune the P-HPR with individual telemetry data. For example, you can activate the vibrator for the brake pedal only when the front or rear wheels lock.

Sensations during play

Manufacturers of sim-racing peripherals are slowly starting to integrate haptic feedback into their pedalboards, as is the case with Fanatec ‘s ClubSport V3 Inverted. Simagic has taken a different approach, offering this as an add-on, and it has to be said that it makes sense, as it allows a rider to add this to their pedalboard without having to go for the very high-end of peripherals.

The feedback from the P-HPR is very realistic, thanks to the linear motor. Instead of having a weight that makes the whole thing vibrate when the motor rotates, the P-HPR’s axis is subjected to a magnetic field that creates the vibration. This has the advantage of being precise, linear and above all responsive, without generating parasitic vibrations caused by the inertia of the rotating weight.

On your pedals, it’s pure bliss, just like in real life. Each time the ABS is activated, you’ll feel the brake pedal vibrate, giving your foot a jolt in relation to the locking frequency of the wheels. As for the gas pedal, it’s the traction control that makes the right pedal vibrate, prompting you to lift your right foot to avoid going off-center and, above all, to get the power to the ground.

The P-HPR, and all other pedalboard haptic feedback equipment, is a game changer for on-track sensations, pushing your sim-racing setup to the next level of realism.

Haptic motor compatibility

As standard, the P-HPR is compatible with Simagic pedalboards. On the P1000, installation is straightforward, and on the P2000 you’ll need brackets sold by the brand. As for the platform, it follows Simagic’s pedalboards, so PC only.

However, this product can be used on other brands of peripherals, provided you have the right brackets. As far as sim-racing titles are concerned, a good number integrate haptic feedback from the pedals into the game’s telemetry, but unfortunately not all of them.

Value for money

The P-HPR is sold on its own for €75, and in the €120 range as a kit with motor, bracket, power and control boxes. I think the value for money is pretty good, especially if you consider the considerable addition in immersion.

My verdict on the Simagic P-HPR

What’s more, go ahead and buy the P-HPR! If you want the next level of feedback on your sim-racing setup, then you need haptic feedback on your pedalboard. And that’s just as well, because Simagic has designed the P-HPR to work with a wide range of peripherals, not just Simagic’s own.

You only need one try to fall in love with a product like this, I can guarantee it.