H-pattern vs sequential shifter: and do you need a handbrake?

The short answer

If you mostly drive modern GT or formula cars, your wheel's paddles are all you need. Add an H-pattern shifter for classic, road and truck driving. Add a sequential shifter for rally and touring cars. Add a handbrake if you drive rally or drift; it's essential for both.

H-pattern or sequential?

H-pattern shifters recreate a manual gearbox: you move the lever across a gate into each gear and use a clutch pedal. They're the most involving way to drive classic cars, road cars and trucks.

Sequential shifters move forward and back, one gear at a time. They're faster and simpler, and they match rally, touring and many historic race cars.

Shifters we stock

• MOZA Sequential Shifter: $129
• MOZA HGP Shifter (H-pattern): $149
• Sim-Lab SQ1 Sequential: $199
• Simagic Q1S Sequential: $239 to $254
• Simagic Q1 Sequential: $242.10 to $269
• Simagic DS-8X: $329

Change the feel with Simagic round or tapered knobs and the long handle. Shop shifters.

Do you need a handbrake?

For rally and drift, yes. You use it to rotate the car into hairpins and start or hold a drift, and mapping it to a button is no substitute. Load cell and hydraulic handbrakes respond to how hard you pull, so you can lock the rears gently or all at once.

• Simagic TB-1: $109
• Sim-Lab XB1 load cell: $219
• Simagic TB-RS hydraulic: $260.10

Prices are current at the time of writing. Shop handbrakes.

Other things to consider

A clutch pedal. An H-pattern shifter feels incomplete without one. Check that your pedal set has a clutch, or add one: Simagic and Asetek clutch pedals are in our pedals range.

Mounting. A shifter or handbrake needs a solid mount at the right height beside your seat. A shared plate lets you fit both side by side. We stock plates and brackets from Advanced SimRacing, Simagic and Sim-Lab; check that the one you choose suits your chassis.

Your games. Most current sims support both shifter types and handbrakes, but each car decides which gearbox it has. Pick the shifter that matches the cars you drive most.

Our recommendation

• Modern GT and formula only: stick with paddles
• Classic, road and truck driving: an H-pattern shifter plus a clutch pedal
• Rally: a sequential shifter and a handbrake on a shared plate
• Drift: a handbrake first, then an H-pattern or sequential shifter

Not sure what fits your rig? Contact us and we'll help you choose and mount it.