On Friday and Saturday of the prior week (11th and 12th November 2022), Asetek SimSports posted a series of videos on their YouTube channel which gave more insight into their upcoming line of products, some of which are available to preorder now.
In total, there were three new videos which went over the new Forte Formula Steering Wheel, a new line of entry level La Prima products including a separate La Prima Clutch pedal, and a new S Series line of products that revisited the existing Invicta and Forte throttle and brake pedals.
In all of the videos, Asetek SimSports’ CEO and Founder André Eriksen provided a deeper look into the customization and upgradability options for their upcoming products. The folks at Asetek SimSports are building an encompassing ecosystem of products that aims to set the bar higher than before.
Traxion.GG reported on the revealed product line on Friday. The La Prima level is their entry level line, the Forte products mid-range level while Invicta products are the high-end. There’s also now a “separate” S Series, but the important point being driven home is that these products are interchangeable, upgradeable, customizable, all to meet the desires of the consumer at purchase and in the future.
THE FORTE AND LA PRIMA FORMULA STEERING WHEEL
With this look into the Forte Formula Steering Wheel, some of the changeable things will include knobs, hand grips and even the shifter paddles. The La Prima wheel will also have this ability, with Eriksen also revealing that it can be upgraded to the Forte level later down the road with certain upgradable parts. There’s only one color at present, but color swapping looks to be something to mix up at some point.
The software aspects of the wheel will also be hugely customizable in the RaceHub, such as there being different colors to choose from that are available for the built-in LEDs. The wheels are made of a combination of materials, the outer shell a mixture of carbon, glass and plastics for a sturdy casing.
One of the major points of contention, with the wheel as interchangeable as they’ve made it and want it to be, the internal connection points have been considered so that they are able to hold up over time and not wear more easily as pieces are replaced or upgraded.
As for the differences between the two Steering Wheels, the Forte includes six thumb rollers while the La Prima only has two, plus there are no shift LEDs on the La Prima. Otherwise, they are nearly the same. A Motherboard upgrade will be an option down the line for La Prima owners to upgrade to the Forte level.
The Invicta level is Asetek’s top of the line, but at this time, an Invicta-level Steering Wheel is not yet unveiled. It was discussed in the video, as Eriksen believes that the future Invicta-level product will likely have some sort of screen included, but that’s all we know from the video and what’s been posted.
The new mid-range Forte peripheral from the company is available to pre-order now for €504.19 / $599.99, while the La Prima bundle – the only way to get the La Prima Steering Wheel, La Prima Wheel Base and La Prima Brake and Throttle package – is only €1,134.45 / $1.349.99.
A LOOK AT S SERIES PEDALS AND THE LA PRIMA CLUTCH
If you remember back to earlier in the year, Asetek SimSports started things out with a line of sim racing pedals, the Invicta series of products which included a brake and throttle set as well as an optional, separate clutch.
Fast forward to now, and there’s been a Forte line of pedals that followed shortly after plus a special set of Pagani pedals and now the La Prima line of products, the brake and throttle combo only available to own through the bundle. They also have some sim racing boots too.
Anyway, since the clutch is an optional piece, the only La Prima product that will be sold separately is the La Prima Clutch Pedal System, which won’t function on its own, but will work interchangeably with the Forte, Invicta and Pagani products. It’s available for €126.04 / $149.99.
To keep that customization theme flowing, the Forte and Invicta pedals are now available in a separated series, the S Series, which offers separate Brake and Throttle peripherals from both the Invicta and Forte series.
They come packaged together, but the pedals are separated to allow users to mount them how they want to. Since they have to be made separately, they are a bit more expensive, the Invicta S Series pedals at €756.29 / $899.99 and the Forte S Series pedals at €462.18 / $549.99.
As Eriksen says in the video regarding the S Series products, “you can mix and match as you want” when it comes to these pedals. Grabbing the Invictas with the La Prima Clutch is totally an option if you choose to go that route.
With Asetek making their name heard early on in their relatively young sim racing equipment run, what stands out is their openness about why certain things are the way they are, how these products are intended to function and what their goals are, straight from André Eriksen’s own mouth.
The company has already impressed with their current line of products on the market. The ability to ‘make it your own’ is just an added bonus to a great line of products, but it’s clearly something Asetek SimSports prides themselves on.
Source: Asetek SimSports
