Asetek Racing has set October 6, 2026, as the release date for its two new cockpit accessories, the Dual Mode Shifter and the Load Cell Handbrake. The brand’s website features a countdown timer and, most importantly, the prices: €184.03 and €150.42 before tax, which is approximately €221 and €180 including tax in France. But the announcement reveals more than just a date and two prices. With these two devices, the Danish company is not only rounding out its own product lineup but is also targeting drivers who currently use products from competing brands.

Two gaps filled at once

Until now, the Asetek ecosystem has centered on Direct Drive bases, steering wheels, pedal sets, and, more recently, cockpits. Two components were missing to complete a full simulator setup: a gearbox and a handbrake. Now they’re here, at the same time. In practical terms, a much larger portion of a setup can now be built entirely with Asetek components, with all settings centralized in the same software, RaceHub.

The Two-in-One Shifter Gamble

Instead of two separate boxes, Asetek offers a single one that does both. The Dual Mode Shifter, 1.9 kg, combines an H-pattern gate with 7 gears plus reverse and a sequential mode in the same unit. You switch between the two using a button on the base, and a cover plate hides the gates that aren’t needed in sequential mode. Detection is handled by Hall-effect sensors, a magnetic solution known for its minimal wear (rated for 300,000 cycles). The target audience is clear: drivers who switch between disciplines during the same session. Switch from a classic rally car with a manual transmission to a modern single-seater with a sequential transmission, without cluttering your aluminum profile with two devices. Installation is done using four M6 T-nuts, suitable for both left- and right-hand drive.

A handbrake that measures force

The Load Cell Handbrake, 2.5 kg, replaces simple position measurement with a 200-kg load cell, read with 16-bit precision. That choice matters in rally, drift, and rallycross. An on/off handbrake lacks the finesse to place a car into a slide: it only registers whether the lever is pulled, not how hard. By reading the actual force applied to the lever, the device modulates rear-wheel lockup far more progressively than a simple switch. The two-stage resistance system combines an elastomer and a stack of springs, all of which are fully adjustable. A digital mode remains available in the software for more basic uses, and the manufacturer claims one million validated braking cycles.

The Real Strategic Point

The most important piece of information is the connection method. Both accessories plug into USB-C directly on the PC, without requiring an Asetek wheelbase. They are therefore suitable for everyone, including owners of competing hardware, since RaceHub handles calibration and updates on its own under Windows. The timeline follows the same pattern: support for both devices was already added to RaceHub 4.5 back in August. And the release, scheduled for October 6, comes ten days before the SimRacing Expo in Frankfurt, where the brand will be able to put them in the hands of the public. We’ll have to wait for the complete technical specifications, scheduled for October 6, which will detail the contents of the boxes, optional mounts, and shipping times.