MOZA Racing unveiled their CRP2 pedals at gamescom 2024, entering the mid- to high-end range for pedal sets for the first time. But how do the MOZA CRP2 stack up against other similarly-priced sets? Michel and Yannik took a closer look.
Pedals! An important topic in sim racing, because the response, the pedal feel and the pressure on the brakes contribute significantly to realism, fun and, at the top level of simracing, also to competitiveness. In the medium price range you can easily spend as much money on a good load cell pedal set as on a solid 10-15 Nm wheel base.
We take a closer look at three of these pedal sets for around 500 bucks, with which we have gained the most experience in the last weeks and months. In addition to Asetek and Sim-Lab, we also compare the brand-new MOZA CRP2 pedals, which have just been introduced at gamescom. Which one would we choose? What should you consider when buying?
We had the MOZA CRP2, Asetek Forte and Sim-Lab XP1 pedal sets provided to us by the manufacturers, so we installed them on our rigs and went to compare them one after another. First, let's take a look at the basic range and prices.
Prices & Features
The MOZA CRP2 load cell pedals with 200-kg sensor are the cheapest in today's comparison. For the set with throttle and brake you pay €449 EUR. The clutch costs €109 extra, which brings us to €558 for a complete set.Next in line is Sim-Lab's XP1 set, which also has a 200-kg sensor that can transfer up to 100 kg of braking force. This is available for €499, if you add the clutch we end up at €649. This is the bundle price - if you decide to buy the clutch separately at a later date, you will have to pay an additional €50.
The Asetek Forte pedals are the most expensive pedals in the group at €574.99. They have the Mechanical Load Cell Powered Cylinder, which is very popular with simracers and is designed to give a race car feel without the need for a hydraulic pedal. Asetek's cheaper clutch pedal is the La Prima version, which costs €156.24, bringing the total to €731.23.
In our comparison, we will focus on the respective two-pedal setups, since we only have the MOZA clutch at our disposal. The MOZA set would be the only set with console compatibility - in this case, Xbox - when used with the RJ port of a MOZA wheelbase that is operated with their ESX wheel. Otherwise these pedal sets all work standalone via USB on PC.
The Asetek Forte pedals in action.
Materials & Adjustability
The first differences can be seen in the design, materials and adjustment mechanisms. Asetek and MOZA use aluminum for the pedals, while Sim-Lab has a robust all-metal construction. The CNC-machined parts and the quality of the coating are on the highest level at Asetek, MOZA has a more functional look and the graphics on the side add some Need For Speed Underground 2 flair.The CRP2 comes with a pedal tray that even has a stylish carbon plate. Asetek has chosen an integrated design, and the XP1 from Sim-Lab is designed to be mounted directly to the pedal deck of sim rigs. With Sim-Lab, you will immediately notice the pedal angle adjustment on the side, which gives you much more flexibility when mounting. MOZA, for example, has no pedal angle adjustment at all, and Asetek has the slight pedal angle mechanism directly on the front of the pedal.
MOZA CRP2 pedals.
In general, the Danes seem to have the most sophisticated adjustment solutions. And for the slightly higher price compared to the other two, it also comes with an adjustable LED strip. From the factory, the brake is set at a 90-degree angle to the base, and the throttle pedal is set a few degrees forward.
We did a little test to see what the minimum and maximum throttle adjustment ranges are. This can be crucial depending on the category you are driving or your personal taste. Asetek was very impressive here, and the longest pedal travel from Sim-Lab was still shorter than the shortest from MOZA. Our sweet spot for different cars is around 6-6.5 cm, but only Asetek gives you overhead if you want to be well under AND over.
Changing springs with different spring rates, elastomers for the brake pedal and adjusting the preload is possible with all pedals. Some caution is required when working on all of them, the MOZA CRP2 has quite sharp edges, while Asetek and Sim-Lab feature clamps that can really cut you.
Plenty of different damping blocks allow for great customizability of the MOZA CRP2 pedals.
Some options come standard in the packages. MOZA and Asetek also have performance or elastomer kits in the accessories that allow you to further adjust the feel and stiffness of the pedal. With the CRP2 pedals, MOZA has little damping blocks instead of the more common elastomers, and we have been experimenting with them for a while - it is actually a lot of fun to try and find the right feel with them.
Finding The Right Pedal Feel
The range of brake response and pressure is very wide and MOZA gives you examples in the manual based on racing classes.We also tried F1 and it was really extremely hard, 10 out of 10 hard, like pushing against a wall. And that matches the impressions of F1 drivers or people who have tried it in a simulator. Don't even try this wearing just socks!We actually liked the GT3 setting best, or a slightly softer F2 setting with four red blocks and the red spring. The flexibility of the MOZA brake definitely won us over, although it is hard to release the pedal mechanism on your own without a second person to push it all the way in.
Basically, the right pedal feel should be achievable for everyone, no matter how often you skip leg day or whether you race with socks or shoes on. MOZA also scores with accessories. For example, there is an alternative throttle pedal and an inversion kit that costs almost €100 less than the one from Sim-Lab.
Sim-Lab XP1 pedals.
We did our driving tests in EA Sports WRC and Assetto Corsa Competizione. On gravel, the right amount of braking is essential and the pedals have to react quickly. In the Porsche Cup in ACC, we tested how well you can feel the brakes without ABS before the tires lock up. Since we now have several of our Sim-Lab P1X Pro cockpits installed in our office, all powered by the same PC system with Ryzen 7 and RTX 4080 Super, it was of course very helpful to be able to switch directly between the pedals and install them all at the same time.
Using The Pedals
So what were the driving impressions? Were there big differences between the pedals? Since they are all very finely adjustable and use similar load cell sensor strengths, the differences were perhaps in the 10% range.With the MOZA pedals, the mounting also spoiled the feel a bit, as the pedal tray did not fit on our pedal deck and the assembly was completely without a heel rest.
For us, the CRP2 and XP1 were on the same level. Both sets allow you to be very precise and build muscle memory on the brake. The ability to upgrade the set with the mBooster active pedal is a big plus for the CRP2. The XP1, on the other hand, offers more angle and height adjustment.
We both agreed that the Asetek Forte deserved an "excellent" rating. Especially when braking, it was even smoother and you felt like your foot was directly on the brake disc. Simply clean! Yannik's take on the set: "It gave me the best feeling of being able to modulate it properly, which made for an enjoyable experience in both sims".
On the Asetek Forte set, both pedals are mounted pretty close together, and there is no way to change that unless you go for the S-series, which are the same pedals but separate and a bit more expensive. The LED strip is a nice touch, but not something you would see in a race anyway.
Software
Of course, this comparison would not be complete without a few words about the software and calibration. MOZA integrates all its products into the Pithouse software, which is well structured and explained. Here you can update the firmware, set pedal output curves and calibrate. The features of the Asetek RaceHub and Sim-Lab RaceDirector are very similar.All software visualizes the pedal maps, which might make sense for F1 cars or cars with very aggressive braking, but to be honest I always prefer to drive completely linear. How about you?
Sim-Lab and Asetek have a slightly better function to control the dead zones, which you often need, especially in the lower range.
The XP1s were the only pedals so far that made more noise in the form of squeaking after a while. But it was nothing that a little PTFE spray could not fix.
Conclusion
For us, the Asetek Forte is the winner in this comparison, but it is also the most expensive. MOZA has finally succeeded in bringing a pedal set to the market that no longer has to hide behind the established manufacturers. With the Damping Blocks and Springs you can customize the pedal feel the most, and with the mBooster it will be even more interesting soon! A good middle ground are the Sim-Lab XP1, which simply look solid and impress with their adjustability. You really cannot go wrong with any of the three pedal sets, however - it all comes down to individual preferences, after all.Image: Venym
Yannik's Comparison To His Daily Driver - Venym Atrax 3
"The Asetek pedals felt the closest to the Venym Atrax 3 I use on my rig every day and are probably the closest construction-wise, too. The pedal arms are relatively long, which is a feature of the Venym set, too, although they are slightly curved on the French set to mimic the shape of pedals you would find in a formula car. Venym's parent company Mygale has been building junior formula cars for over 30 years, hence the design."Would I swap the Atrax 3 for any of the sets we've tested? That'd be a no if we are talking about the sets as they were on the rigs in our office. I like the Venym's LED strips on the throttle and brake to visualize inputs via the pedal cam on stream, which would be harder with the Asetek solution with my current camera placement. You can quickly switch elastomers and springs without tools, and to me, they have a nice, smooth feel, too.
"The swap I would consider, however, is for the MOZA CRP2 set with the mBooster active pedal. I tend to like a very stiff brake for modern cars in which I left-foot brake, but that does not really work well in older cars using heel and toe - and those are probably my biggest passion in sim racing. So my current setup is a compromise as I do not want to change elastomers all the time depending on the car. An active pedal could achieve this with a few clicks in a software - so that would be worth a serious look."
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What are you looking for in a pedal set? What are your experiences with the sets we compared? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our hardware forum!
