Heusinkveld Sim Pedals Ultimate+: the pedalboard that takes things to the next level

Heusinkveld Sim Pedals Ultimate+ are clearly positioned as a high-end pedalboard for demanding sim racers. We're no longer talking about "good gear for beginners", but about a tool designed for those who want to get as close as possible to a racecar pedalboard, in terms of feel, rigidity and consistency.

It's easy to understand what they promise: ultra-precise braking thanks to a powerful load cell, industrial-grade finish, highly advanced settings and consistency that holds up over long sessions, even at high intensity. Basically, the idea is to put an end to braking approximations and provide a reliable basis for riding hard, often and for a long time.

My angle here is clear: precision, feel underfoot and ease of riding smoothly. I'm mainly interested in what the crankset changes in terms of riding, braking confidence and grip management. All this without forgetting the reality of a sim racing setup: size, mounting, compatibility and the time needed to really enjoy it.

This is a premium product, with a pure performance orientation. The challenge is to see if the difference with a more affordable crankset really justifies the investment, and for what type of rider it makes the most sense. Because a crankset of this level can clearly take your riding to the next level... or be oversized if your setup or usage don't keep up.

Design and manufacturing: strong and durable

When unpacked, Sim Pedals Ultimate+ immediately give the impression of industrial hardware. Everything is machined metal, cleanly cut, with thick parts and no parasitic play. Visually, it's very "engineering", raw but clean. No decorative plastic, no frills. Function is the priority.

In hand, the sensation of density is striking. Each pedal is heavy and rigid, with no flex when pushed. Articulations are clean, springs and elastomers well guided. You really get the feel of an assembly designed to withstand years of violent braking without flinching. When you press down hard on the brake, nothing bends or snaps: everything goes through your foot, not the bottom bracket.

The finish is clean, but deliberately sober. No flashy brushed aluminum or fancy coatings. The edges are neatly trimmed, the brackets well machined, and the screws of decent quality. You can see that it's designed to be screwed onto a rigid cockpit, not placed in a hurry on a wooden support that moves in all directions.

What may be slightly disappointing is that this highly functional side may seem a little cold compared to some competitors who offer a more "finished consumer product" look. Here, it's closer to a prototype component than a living-room accessory. But on an aluminum chassis, it makes total sense.

Compared with more affordable mid-range LC-type cranksets, the gap in rigidity is obvious. Everything feels more solid, drier and more straightforward. The loss of parasitic movement is clear. It's easy to see that this crankset is made for those who demand maximum repeatability and aren't afraid to throw 100 % of their weight on the brake all evening.

Settings, customization and compatibility

Sim Pedals Ultimate+ are among the most configurable pedalboards I've ever used. Each pedal is mechanically adjustable on several axes: longitudinal position, height, angle, hardness, stop. You can really adapt the overall position to your cockpit, riding style and type of virtual discipline.

On the brake, you can adjust the combination of spring + bushings to modulate hardness and progression. It's possible to obtain a very firm brake, close to a GT or single-seater, or something more progressive for those who come from a softer crankset. The clutch and gas pedal also have their own stroke and resistance settings. The big advantage is that all these adjustments have a clear and perceptible impact, and we're not talking about gimmicky settings.

On the software side, Heusinkveld provides its own calibration tool. The interface is pretty straightforward: you calibrate each pedal, adjust the response curve, smooth the signal, set the maximum brake point, distribute the sensitivity over the stroke. It doesn't require a PhD in engineering, but you do need to take a little time to understand how each parameter affects the feel. Once you've found your settings, you hardly ever touch them again.

Ultimate+ are PC-oriented. On consoles, use requires third-party solutions or integration into other compatible hardware, so it's clearly not the ideal target for a console-only gamer. On PC, on the other hand, it integrates seamlessly with most steering wheels, shifters and rigid cockpits. The key point is to have a chassis strong enough to support the brake: on a desk or a basic cockpit that moves, you lose all interest in the pedalboard.

In terms of scalability, this is a solution designed to last for many years. It's more of a setup "centerpiece" than an entry point. It can be integrated into different cockpits over time, and the rest of the equipment around it can evolve. For someone aiming for a serious long-term setup, it's not a short-term purchase, but a stable base on which to build.

Sensations in play: the brake as an anchor point

Where Sim Pedals Ultimate+ really come into their own is on the track. The brake clearly deserves to be highlighted. You can immediately feel the difference with a potentiometer brake or even a more modest load cell. The stroke is short, firm and very progressive. You dose more according to pressure than position, just like on a real race car.

What really changes is the precision in the hard braking zone. You can go for the blocking limit with much greater regularity. Weighing in on the pedal, we can clearly feel the point at which the car starts to unload. Modulation becomes natural, almost reflexive, because the pedal return is clean, with no play and no variation from one braking action to the next. You don't miss your braking point as often, and above all you repeat it lap after lap.

Cornering is more controlled. Brake pressure can be released in a very controlled way to stabilize the car and bring it to the apex. This is where the crankset really makes a difference: the transition from hard braking to trail braking is much easier to manage. You keep the front grip longer, and position the car better. You immediately understand what the body is doing with each kilo of pressure added or removed.

On the throttle, the stroke is fluid, the return is clean, with enough resistance to precisely dose the power on corner exit. You don't struggle against the pedal, but you're not in a sluggish, wandering thing either. For powerful, responsive cars, this clearly helps to avoid unnecessary slippage, especially when re-accelerating with downforce.

Vibrators are mostly felt through the car's reaction rather than direct feedback to the pedalboard, but what's really nice is the stability when braking on a vibrator. The brake doesn't move, doesn't vibrate excessively, you stay focused on your pressure, not on a parasitic movement of the pedal. Result: less panic, more control.

Over long sessions, consistency is a real strength. The stroke and hardness remain identical, of course, but above all your brain gets used to this very stable signature. Muscle memory quickly settles in. You don't get so mentally tired looking for the right braking point, because it becomes almost automatic. That's where this kind of crankset comes into its own, for endurance or multi-stint riding.

Compared to a more modest crankset, the difference isn't just in maximum force. It's above all the granularity of the control zone that changes. Between 50 and 90 % of brake, you have many more exploitable nuances. Compared with some even more extreme hydraulic systems, the Ultimate+ remain a little "cleaner", a hair less rough, which can be an advantage if you want realism without necessarily looking for LMP prototype simulation at 100 %.

Overall, this pedalboard gives the reassuring impression of having a solid anchor, a fixed point in the setup. You know what the car is doing as soon as you touch the pedal. You concentrate more on the trajectory and the traffic than on "did I press too hard or not hard enough? You gain confidence, and that confidence quickly translates into more consistent lap times.

Who's it for? What we like, what we don't like

Heusinkveld Sim Pedals Ultimate+ are clearly aimed at an audience already well into sim racing. I see them as particularly well-suited to intermediate to advanced PC pilots who ride often, on rigid cockpits, and who want to work on their braking as a real strong point. For a motivated beginner who knows he wants to invest directly in the long term, it may also make sense, provided he accepts the learning curve.

What I appreciate most is the precision of the braking under load, the overall rigidity and consistency of feel. The crankset gives you very clear feedback, with no dead zones and no softness. Consistency is impressive: you get the same braking sensation whether you're at the beginning or the end of a session. The range of settings is really exploitable, allowing you to adjust the crankset to your style without feeling stuck in an "imposed" setup.

Another strong point is the confidence-inspiring build quality. You get the feeling you're buying a durable tool, not an accessory that's going to be changed at the next Black Friday. From an investment point of view, this changes everything: you're not buying a product that will be replaced after a year, but a central element of the setup, designed to accompany several cockpit and steering wheel evolutions.

On the other hand, there are a few limits to keep in mind. Firstly, the price puts the Ultimate+ in the serious investment category. For someone who plays occasionally or who doesn't have a rigid cockpit, it's clearly disproportionate. Secondly, the wealth of settings can be confusing. You need time to test, calibrate and find the combination of springs/elastomers/software curves that really suits you. Those who want a plug-and-play product may find it too technical. Last but not least, the PC orientation limits the interest of mainly console gamers, even if solutions do exist.

We're typically talking about a product whose perceived value explodes when you start riding regularly, looking for tenths, working out the braking to the last detail. If you see your setup as a long-term investment, and precision is more important than anything else, the value/benefit ratio becomes much easier to justify.

Verdict: a reference pedalboard for serious setups

Heusinkveld Sim Pedals Ultimate+ bring something very real to a sim racing setup: credible, repeatable, ultra-controllable braking. This isn't a small comfort upgrade, it's a real step forward in the way you ride. You go from a "correct" brake to a brake that becomes a working tool in its own right, especially if you race in disciplines where braking is everything.

On the market, they are clearly positioned in the premium category, without going to the total extreme of highly specialized hydraulic systems. It's an interesting balance between realism, robustness and everyday usability. Not the flashiest, but one of the most serious.

I strongly recommend them to PC sim racers equipped with rigid cockpits, who ride regularly in leagues or long sessions, and who want a pedalboard capable of keeping up with their progress for years. For a casual, desktop or mainly console-oriented gamer, the budget and assembly constraints seem less coherent.

If you're looking to lock in your braking, gain consistency and install a crankset you won't feel limited by for a long time, this product can clearly make the difference in your setup.