I want to start this review with a disclaimer. I took delivery of the Simagic Alpha Evo Pro wheelbase some weeks ago, but due to a huge hardware review backlog, it’s taken me a while to collate my thoughts on its performance.
Still, spending more time with a product before evaluating its abilities is no bad thing, and being my first Simagic product, I was greatly looking forward to sampling the Chinese brand’s wares.
The headline-grabbing feature of the Pro is its price: it’s $699, excluding shipping and taxes, which, for an 18 Nm wheelbase, is unprecedented. By way of comparison, Asetek’s 18 Nm Forte wheelbase is $899.99 and Conspit’s 18 Nm Ares Platinum is $799, while Fanatec offers the 12 Nm ClubSport DD wheelbase for €799.95 and Moza’s 21 Nm R21 (the closest Moza can get to 18 Nm) is $849.
Simagic has a significant edge on the competition in terms of cost, but does this mean the Alpha Evo Pro has been built down to a price? Find out my thoughts below.
Mounting
The Alpha Evo Pro is the pinnacle of Simagic’s latest range of wheelbases, with the Alpha Evo Sport and Alpha Evo representing entry-level and mid-range options, respectively.
Both of the lower options use a different chassis to the Pro, and offer all the same functionalities as each other, just with 9 Nm and 12 Nm torque outputs. The Pro is a bulkier item than its stablemates, however, being 38mm deeper and 2.3 Kg heavier. It feels compact and purposeful, though.
The wheelbase has a surprisingly low profile, being much shorter than my previous Fanatec CSL DD and Moza R12 wheelbases, so it fitted onto my rig well (I have a GT Omega Prime Lite cockpit and used its default wheel deck for mounting, which was straightforward to install).
The wheelbase itself can be mounted from below, but requires additional pieces to allow front and side mounting, which are available separately from Simagic.
The Pro is a sturdy unit, with the outer case constructed from aluminium, but the front and rear face plate sections are plastic, featuring an open duct on the left side which acts as an exhaust for the cooling fan (no passive cooling fins like on the aforementioned CSL DD or R12 here).
Features
The front section has an interesting circular RGB light section that can be set up to display various colours to represent certain actions (when your car’s traction control is triggered, for example).
It’s a handy, telemetry-powered feature, but it’s stymied by the fact that some steering wheels will almost entirely block it out (the Simagic FX Pro is wide enough to cover most of it, while the circular GTS wheel is ideally proportioned).
The rear section of the Pro contains a plethora of outputs – 14 in total – but realistically, you’ll only need to use the power and USB connections. Naturally, it’s possible to use third-party steering wheels with the Alpha Evo range, but these need to be plugged in and set up separately with Simagic’s optional Alpha EVO USB Quick Release, which is available to buy separately.
Oddly, there’s no way to affix a digital display unit (DDU) to the front of the Pro (or the other Alpha Evo wheelbases), as Simagic has employed a new magnetic mount solution designed for its latest dash products. Bizarrely, they’re not available yet, making this an unusual design decision.
Software
Simagic’s SimPro Manager software is easy to set up and update, giving players a chance to customise the RGB ring light as well as the button colours and rev strip functions on their steering wheels (if applicable).
I found that it worked exceedingly well for the most part, but on one occasion, the wheelbase became completely unresponsive. Fortunately, by completing a ‘firmware flash’ (it’s an option within the SimPro app), the wheelbase was returned to factory settings and functioned once again.
Much like Moza’s Pit House software that I used prior to this review, I was able to amend how the rev strip lights worked according to the various cars I drove, saving separate presets for each.
For example, I recently jumped straight from Le Mans Ultimate’s Hypercars into 1960s Formula 1 machines in rFactor 2. These vintage single-seaters required a bit of mollycoddling and had a strict rev limit, so I edited the lights to flash red at around 10,750rpm to help prevent engine damage (I DNFd with brake failure, but the engine was in excellent condition, at least).
Performance
Pleasingly, the Pro continues to impress with its force feedback performance. It’s the smoothest-feeling wheelbase I’ve tested, smoother even than a Simucube Sport 2. From my point of view, then, Simagic’s much-hyped ‘zero-cogging’ technology works extremely well.
The Pro has 18 Nm of continuous torque (this is not a ‘peak’ figure, as quoted by some other wheelbase manufacturers), which is more than enough for the vast majority of sim racers.
Even when running the base at full beans throughout an endurance race stint, its chassis remained cool. Whether or not the cooling fan kicked in, I’m not sure, but if it did, I couldn’t hear it. Naturally, if you’re clattering kerbs and flat-spotting your tyres, the Pro can be fairly noisy, but in general use, I had no immediate issues with its volume.
The feedback is solid across Assetto Corsa, RaceRoom, Richard Burns Rally, iRacing and rFactor 2, but I felt like something was missing from Le Mans Ultimate: a lack of clarity, perhaps. I found that completely turning off FFB smoothing in LMU’s control options helped mitigate this loss of sensation, though.
I also felt that the Pro produced more precise feedback when I used Simagic’s circular GTS steering wheel instead of the formula-style FX Pro. This could simply be a case of requiring quicker hands to account for the wider and bulkier rim, however.
Over time, the smoothness of the Pro’s FFB became almost uncanny, and even after reducing all dampening effects to zero (dampers add a stabilising effect to help smooth out force feedback and prevent extreme oscillations). It’s a subtle presence, but after a few weeks of testing, I feel the Pro’s FFB could be rawer.
The wheelbase’s quick release is a tried and tested item, but the correct orientation for mounting a steering wheel isn’t immediately obvious; something to note if you’re new to Simagic products. Once mastered, it’s a secure and solid system which uses aluminium parts – don’t expect any flex from the Alpha Evo wheelbase range.
Conclusion
The Simagic Alpha Evo Pro undoubtedly exceeds the performance of wheelbases in its price range, offering smooth yet powerful force feedback across a wide gamut of sim racing titles.
The SimPro Manager software delivers everything you need to tailor FFB feel, and its feedback is innately smooth – eerily so at times – even with damping effects turned off. More fine-tuning settings would be appreciated in future for those looking for a more tactile experience, however.
From a design point of view, the magnetic DDU holder is an odd choice that will force many players to affix their third-party DDUs using double-sided tape. The fact that Simagic hasn’t released any compatible products several months after the Alpha Evo line launched is quite baffling.
Although it’s aesthetically pleasing and feels sturdy, the Pro’s plastic front section is a disappointment. Understandably, concessions have to be made to achieve the Pro’s price point, and there are very few elements that feel cheap or built down to a price.
Less understandable is the RGB ring light, which is only of benefit if you have the correct steering wheel attached at the time. Those who exclusively use bulky formula-style wheels will barely notice it, but I found it genuinely helpful when using the round GTS rim.
The Simagic Alpha Evo Pro is therefore an excellent option for mid-to-top-level sim racers craving a high torque rating at a reasonable price. And with a comprehensive two-year warranty, Simagic has given its customers some added security with their purchase.
The Pro undoubtedly has its flaws, but it punches well above its weight in terms of performance.
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