SimLab XB1 Handbrake announced

Sim-Lab, a Dutch company famous for its top notch sim racing cockpits, has recently expanded its range of product outside rigs and related accessories.

Since early April 2023, the company announced the release of their first proper sim racing peripheral that will make drifting and rally fans super excited: the XB1 Handbrake With the introduction of a 150kg of load cell, this is positioned to compete with the top quality products already available by competitors, such ad the Fanatec 1.5

A loadcell, such as for pedals, measures force instead of the travel of the handbrake lever, allowing to be much more consistent as your brain can build the so called “muscle memory” and apply the same amount of pressure every lap.

An elastomer with 3 different level of hardness, that can be removed, helps creating a dual damper effect, to better emulate a real racing or drift car. We did not test the XB1 handbrake yet, but from what we see from the official pictures it looks quite solid.

In terms of compatibility, it can be plugged to a PC via USB and it is compatible with all Sim-Lab cockpits via an optional mounting bracket. It is not compatible with console such as Xbox and Playstation. 
What is nice about the Sim Lab XB1 is that, being a plug and play device, you could start playing right away without spending time to configure it. For those looking for more sophisticated tuning and setting, the Sim Lab software called Race Director will give you full customisability.

The XB1 Handbrake is now available on the Sim Lab website, at a price of 199€ (around 215$). It will ship worldwide.

Alternatives to the Sim-Lab XB1 handbrake

• Fanatec Club Sport handbrake