WATCH: showcasing Heusinkveld handbrake techniques in DiRT Rally 2.0

We sim racers love a good quality peripheral. And if you’re also a rally fan, nothing comes close to increasing immersion than a solidly constructed handbrake.

In this video, Enzo from Heusinkveld talks us through using the Heusinkveld Sim Handbrake v2 with DiRT Rally 2.0. A run through one of the hairpin-heavy German stages tests the load cell handbrake’s capabilities with more skidding action than a supermarket car park on a Saturday night.

The advantage of using a load cell handbrake over a mechanical example is that the load cell will detect the pressure of the handbrake lever pull. On the other hand, mechanical sim handbrakes track the distance of the lever pull with a potentiometer, so lack the muscle memory feel of a load cell.

And feel is very important in sim rallying – and even for general hooning in Forza Horizon 5. It helps build consistency in your driving, but the added immersion is arguably just as important.

From my own experiences, using a load cell handbrake has improved my driving in Richard Burns Rally to no end, making my trips to the ditch even more spectacular than usual.

Are there any sim racing peripherals you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments below.