The premium sim-racing segment includes several brands, including Simucube, Simagic and Fanatec. It has to be said that this market remains competitive for a number of reasons, including the power of the bases, the specialization of sim-racing peripherals (F1, GT, endurance, etc.), product quality and materials, and prices.

Of course, almost every year we see new players trying their hand in the premium segment, as was the case with Moza Racing. True, the Chinese brand offers a base developing 21 nm of torque with immersive force feedback, but the rest of the range isn’t so much focused on the premium segment.

One of the latest high-end entrants is Danish manufacturer Asetek with its range of sim-racing peripherals that aim to compete with the industry’s tenors. PC connoisseurs will certainly recognize this brand, which more or less owns all the patents for watercooling computer components.

With a wealth of experience in the PC cooling custom parts industry, Asetek wanted to add another string to its bow, and understandably so. To survive, you have to diversify into a number of areas, and it’s for this reason, among others of course, that Asetek has developed its La Prima, Forte and Invicta sim-racing ranges, the last of which we’re going to look at.

Main and technical features of the bundle

• Direct Drive base developing 27 nm of torque
• Forte steering wheel with 29 cm diameter and open handles
• Hydraulic crankset with THORP technology for pressures up to 100 bar
• 22-bit encoder based on
• 12 buttons, 6 rotary switches, 2 switches and 3 encoders on the steering wheel faceplate
• QR on the back of the steering wheel identical to that of Simucube
• Crankset available in S version and a “Clutch” kit for an extra clutch pedal

Asetek Invicta design

The design of the Invicta base is almost identical to that of its smaller siblings: the casing is sober, long, with fins for cooling the motor and electronics. On both front and rear, we have a plastic cover that tries hard to blend in with the rest of the housing, but ultimately fails.

For the steering wheel, there’s no Invicta wheel yet, but Asetek is said to be working on it. As a result, we’re using the wheel from the range below us, namely Forte. It’s a wheel with a fairly sober carbon-fiber faceplate, sprinkled with orange accents that suit it rather well, I must say.

Last but not least, the Invicta pedalboard is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. Very similar to the Forte range, sharing the same support, the Invicta has much more beautiful pedals, with perforated plates and orange accents on the input reading systems.

Customized assembly

To mount the base on a chassis, you have 2 options: one from the front, just behind the front cover, and one from the bottom. For the front-mounted option, you’ll need either an Asetek bracket, or a cockpit that supports front mounting. Bottom mounting is fairly standard, with screw holes.

The crankset also attaches from below to virtually all chassis and cockpits available on the market. However, I suggest you have a very strong rig, as this crankset is hydraulic and can easily withstand 100 bar pressure. Asetek also sells a stand-alone clutch pedal that can easily be installed on chassis.

Let’s finish with the wheel assembly. The wheel, like the base for that matter, uses a QR that looks very similar to Simucube’s, and is installed by sliding the Wheel Side onto the Base Side. It’s very intuitive to do, and you also have a kind of paddle/push-button on the back of the wheel to disengage the QR. It’s very practical, by the way, and much better than the Simucube solution, I must say.

Manufacturing and finishing

The Invicta base is made of well-finished aluminum, except, once again, that the covers are made of plastic, and alignment is not top-notch, especially if you opt for a front-mount. Nonetheless, overall, this is a premium, well-finished device.

The pedalboard is specific to this Invicta range and is by far the most premium device of the lot. The aluminum of the pedals and base is superbly well finished, with no burrs or anything else. The pedal plates feature a perforated design, as seen on some Supercars and even Hypercars. It’s beautiful, ultra-premium, but not too comfortable if you’re driving without shoes.

As for the steering wheel, it’s for the Forte range, as Asetek doesn’t yet offer a specific wheel for its top-of-the-range Invicta, but is working on it. The finish is good in absolute terms, although I’d have preferred to see something other than composite (plastic and carbon fiber) on a wheel costing over €600. But then, the build quality is there, as is the finish, except perhaps for certain controls which I found a little too hard to use.

Getting started with the bundle

The F1/GT-style steering wheel is open at the bottom. Its 29 cm diameter gives it an excellent grip, and the whole thing is sprinkled with good ergonomics. Controls (buttons, switches, encoders, etc.) are spread out over the entire faceplate, yet are close enough to your hands. The same applies to the rear paddles, of which there are 2. Admittedly, at this price, I would have liked at least 4 to enhance F1 immersion, but Asetek decided that 2 would be the maximum number…

As for the crankset, you have all the standard pedal adjustments: spacing, pedal plates, travel, etc. However, the pedal position is frankly uncomfortable over long distances. However, the position of the pedals is downright uncomfortable over the long haul. They’re almost vertical, and this only favors setups with F1-type chassis where your legs are positioned parallel to the ground. As a result, if you’re racing for less than 30 minutes, your feet won’t hurt so much. But if your sim-racing sessions are longer, hello aches and discomfort. This problem is inherent to all Asetek crankset ranges, and in my opinion, the manufacturer has developed its products with F1 frames in mind, and only that.

Sensations during play

The base

A quick reminder: the Asetek Invicta develops 27 nm of torque at peak. The longer the racing session, the lower the torque until it stabilizes at 18 nm, if I’m not mistaken. Nevertheless, that’s still a pretty high value, and it’s important to set up the base properly before using it, especially if you’re not a pro, as such a power level can easily lead to unintentional injury.

Once you’ve found your settings, the Invicta is a joy to use in sim-racing. With it, you’ll feel all the effects produced by the racing title’s physics engine, be they light, medium and/or heavy. This base is so powerful that it can also transmit light and heavy effects at the same time, such as ABS (if activated) and a shock when you collide with an object or another car. What’s more, you can really say goodbye to clipping with it, as 27 nm is more than large enough to accommodate any steering wheel, even the 1.3 kg Forte.

The steering wheel

The “flaw” of this steering wheel remains its weight, which exceeds 1.3 kg on the scale. True, it uses carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, with an aluminum backplate, but it’s still heavy. Nevertheless, with the Invicta base, you won’t feel the weight in your hands at all, and that’s quite a feat in my opinion.

As far as sensations are concerned, the QR is excellent for perfectly transcribing the effects sent by the base. There’s no play, dead zone or anything else. You turn the wheel, and the car changes trajectory almost instantaneously. And the same goes for the controls, although some of them are a bit hard to use, and you’ll have to get to grips with them.

The pedals

Let’s move on to the second main part of this bundle: the Invicta hydraulic crankset and its THORP technology. So, basically, we have two pedals, but you can add another one for the clutch, sold separately at over €300. This one, the optional clutch pedal, is pretty cool to use. It incorporates a two-stage system, but the settings tend towards softness. You can make it hard if you like, but it won’t be like an LC brake pedal, for example.

As for the throttle, it’s a fairly standard pedal with excellent linearity under the right foot and very good feedback from it. It’s reliable and you’ll get used to it very quickly. I really liked this pedal.

And finally, the brake pedal and its hydraulic system. This too is a two-stage system, the first of which is the preload, with a short stroke and fairly good flexibility (it’s adjustable too, by the way). However, as soon as you pass this first stage and reach the second, i.e. the hydraulic system, the game changes. The brake pedal becomes ultra-hard, with virtually no travel. But in terms of feel, it’s insane! The further you push your foot down on the pedal, the more the hydraulic system will transform this braking pressure into force that will be applied to the car. Want a simple explanation? Well, it’s the same feeling as in a real racing car, that’s all.

Asetek Invicta compatibility

The entire Invicta range is compatible with the PC platform, and I’d be surprised if it weren’t. You can use other Asetek peripherals with Invicta ones, without the slightest problem.

As far as chassis are concerned, you won’t have too many problems with them, as long as you buy a brand-name, sturdy one too.

Value for money

So, the value for money. For starters, the bundle retails for almost €3,100 incl. VAT. That’s expensive, really expensive, but at the same time, the sensations are there. I think, and this only concerns me, that the value for money of this bundle is not bad, greatly influenced by the immersion you’ll have when using it.

My verdict on the Invicta Bundle from Asetek SimSports

Unlike the Forte bundle I tried, I can only recommend the Invicta to all experienced riders looking for an alternative to Simucube. The sensations provided by the chainstay are immersive, blurring the line between reality and simulation. The pedals are a carbon copy of those used in motor racing (GT, F1 or other), and I’m not exaggerating at all. And the steering wheel, well, it’s not bad, but would be better if we had a 4- or 6-paddle module at the back.

However, this Incivta bundle is clearly aimed at drivers who are F1 fans, with a chassis specific to racing. Of course, you’ll be able to do other races with it, but only short ones due to the position of the pedals.