The sim-racing peripherals fair has been going on for some time now at Moza Racing. After concocting a racing range, the Chinese firm has moved on to flight simulation, offering a host of peripherals specifically designed for aircraft pilots.

Among our flight simulation products, we have the AB9 base, which is a first in its category. With its experience in DD bases, Moza has applied the same principle to offer us an active flight simulation base. And guess what? The AB9 is a real game changer for airplane fans, thanks to its two electric motors producing 9 nm of constant torque and 12 at peak.

Continuing in the same vein, Moza has hit the simulation world hard again by converting this same AB9 into an active gearbox. Yes, you read those few words correctly: Moza has developed the world’s first Active Shiter using a device already available in its range. In what follows, we’ll introduce you to this shifter and tell you whether the AB9 base is suitable for use in sim-racing.

Key features and shifter technology

• AB9 base with 2 electric motors delivering 9 nm constant torque and 12 nm peak torque
• Aluminum alloy structure
• Compatible with the entire Moza and Pit House ecosystem
• Compatible with many native sim-racing titles
• Available in sequential and H Pattern modes depending on configuration
• Configurable to simulate various gearbox types
• The two motors are used to simulate the rails of a gearbox in H Pattern mode, with 1 fixing the lever in place in sequential mode while the other shifts gears on an axis.

Active Shifter design

As for the design, there’s really nothing new here, especially if you’ve already seen Moza’s AB9 base. The casing of this device is handsome, all black, with a few bronze accents. It’s minimalist, with a fairly square shape.

The base is high, as it should be, since this is primarily a flight simulation device. On top, there’s a leather-like gusset and a place to attach the gear knobs or control stick. There are 2 in all: a round one for H Pattern mode, and a cylindrical one for sequential. However, you can swap them as you wish.

Customized assembly

The AB9 is a base that comes with a metal furniture mounting system. The base is mounted from the bottom using the screw slots, and you also have the option of attaching it to a chassis, be it a flight or driving simu.

To transform the AB9 into an Active Shifter, we recommend the use of a chassis for excellent rigidity, or the use of the furniture support, provided you have a rather sturdy desk. Although you won’t really need much strength to shift gears, it’s best to have a solid setup to avoid any accidents.

Shifter manufacture and finishing

The AB9 uses aluminum alloy for its cabinet, giving it a premium feel. The base is, frankly, very well finished in every respect. Whether it’s the paintwork, the assembly of the various parts or the finish, the AB9 is a quality device, and I’d expect nothing less from Moza Racing.

The casing is certainly CNC machined, making it free from any manufacturing defects. There are no sharp edges, and the gearshift gusset (or handle if you’re in a flight setup) sports white stitching. I’m not sure whether it’s leather or imitation leather, and I’d lean towards the latter. Either way, the quality is there.

Lever adjustment and grip

To adjust this shifter, you’ll need two pieces of software. If you only use the AB9 for Active Shifter, you’ll need Moza Pit House to adjust the device. And if you’re an airplane or car pilot, you’ll most likely have Moza Cockpit, and it’s advisable to keep it on your PC.

Let’s move on to the settings. Basically, you have the gearbox mode (H Pattern or sequential), the gear layout and everything to do with resistance. Via Pit House, you’ll need to indicate which mode the AB9 will be used in, and if it’s manual, i.e. H Pattern, you’ll need to enter the number of gears (5, 6 or 7) and the reverse gear position.

And after that, you have the DD base settings themselves. I’m talking about damping, shift resistance, engine torque, stroke, vibration and a whole host of other parameters to fine-tune before you can drive your car. I’m not going to lie to you when I say it’s quick, and this process will differ from driver to driver.

Sensations during play

Let’s get down to business and put the AB9 as an Active Shifter in our sim racing setup, and see what it’s worth. After the various settings and configurations required for each title – yes, this is done for each title and, above all, for each vehicle (some have 5-speed gearboxes, while others are on 6 or 7-speed gearboxes) – a learning period on Moza’s Active Shifter is in order. Unlike other gearboxes on the market, the AB9 doesn’t have a grid as such. As a result, you’ll be confronted with an initial blurring of gears, as if you were driving a car that has seen hundreds of thousands of kilometers. But after twenty minutes or so, you’ll feel right at home.

So, the sensations. To put it simply: it’s pure bliss. Shifting gears and feeling the power of the engines being applied to the stick is an exceptional sensation to say the least, and I’ve never experienced it before to be honest. Moza has made a real impact with its Active Shifter, far outstripping the competition.

In manual mode, or H Pattern, you’ll feel the gears shift just like in a real car. You see the moment when the gears line up perfectly, allowing the stick, and the gear too, to be sucked into position. With Active Shifter, it’s identical in every respect. And in sequential mode, when you pull or push the stick to change gear, you get the same mechanical noise from several metal parts cooperating to give you what you want, all – and this goes for manual mode too – with so much feedback and haptic feedback. It’s pure bliss, as I said above.

Shifter compatibility

The AB9’s Active Shifter compatibility is pretty good. Not all sim-racing titles will natively support the base, but the industry tenors do, so no big worries there.

Platform-wise, it’s PC-only with Windows 10 and 11. Consoles are very limited in their support for such a device, not to mention the software you need to configure it. So…

Value for money

The AB9 costs €600 on its own, and the shifter pack goes for around €50. So yes, €650 for an active shifter is a pretty steep price. But on the other hand, Moza’s Active Shifter has no competition and offers a real flurry of racing sensations, more than justifying its price for purists in my opinion.

My verdict on Moza Racing’s Active Shifter

If you’re looking for new sensations, then Moza’s Active Shifter is a must-have as far as I’m concerned. It’ll give you a ton of extra sensations that’ll make you doubt you’re driving in a simulator.

However, if you rarely drive in manual mode, especially in rallying, I can’t see myself suggesting such a device because of its rather high price. But if you can afford it, it will change your whole vision of manual and sequential driving, and forever.