best racing sim controller you can get. Period. By a coincidence of
geography, I live down the highway from the Canadian Distributor, Rory
Brown. After driving up to Vancouver to visit and try out the Hyper
Stimulator I had to have it.
First, lets get the unplesantries out of the way: Yes, they are expensive.
Yes, they take up a lot of space. But those are the only negatives that I
can find.
The positives are just astounding. The actual driver controls (steering
wheel and pedals) are fantastic. The feel and usability of the steering
wheel (my unit also has the 12 programmable buttons) and gear change paddles
is exemplary. It feels completely solid and smooth; like something taken
directly from a formula 1 race car. The buttons contained in the center make
using the controller, and running my favorite sims a snap. The weighting on
the wheel is first rate, and has a very wide range of user adjustment. Of
course it adjusts for height as well as reach. The pedals are as close to
perfection as can currently be manufactured. They are, of course, adjustable
for reach. The feel and tension on both the accelerator and the break are
phenomenally accurate. The break has the feel of an especially precise
instrument. It deflects maybe about ? inch, and the silky smooth feel within
that ? inch is astonishing. You can hold the breaks of the car exactly on
lock up, corner after corner, lap after lap, at will.
In addition to these primary concerns, the Hyper Stimulator has much more
going for it as well. I also purchased the new, optional sequential shifter.
Playing the demo of Grand Prix Legends while using the sequential shifter
was fantastic. Yet another high caliber piece of equipment. The seat shaker
is marvelous. The transducer is attached DIRECTLY to the seat, right between
your shoulder blades. Now I KNOW why they nicknamed rumble strips "dragons
teeth"! In addition the overall build quality, the grade of the carbon fiber
lay-up, the fit and finish of ALL the hand made aluminum parts, the quality
of the paint and finish, etc., speaks to the care and craftsmanship of this
unit.
What does this all add up to?
On my second lap of practice out of the pits at Monza (GP2) just to shake
the unit down, I was over 2 SECONDS quicker than I had EVER gone, and I wasn
t even pushing it yet.
When you have to have THE BEST, the Hyper Stimulator is it.
Tony Borroz