PERFORMANCE, FUNCTIONALITY AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

The RS Shifter is a unique piece of sim racing equipment. This shifter features several gear patterns that allow for just about any setup whether it be 5,6 or 7 speed and a HI/LO shifter setup that is necessary for legacy mode when the sim does not support the free shifting of the RS Shifter.

The RS Shifter comes with a default metal shift "gate" built into the unit. It's to be used for 7 speeds. ACT-LABS also included 2 additional plastic "overlay" gates, which you can place on top of the default gate built into the unit. The 2 overlay gates are 6-speed shifter and Legacy Mode (Hi/Lo). These simply "snap" on to provide you with the gear pattern for shifting. ACT-LABS definitely thought a lot about the use of the shifter with different titles.

The shifter knob itself can be interchanged with real shifter knobs such as a MOMO. Although the base of the shifter is plastic, the shifter is a very solid unit. The internals are composed of a spring-driven shifter mechanism that does a good job of simulating the actual gear shifting forces present during the synchronization of the transmission. The shifting into and out of each gear is very fluid and definitely adds to the immersion effect we all seek in sim racing.

The only problem I have encountered with the RS Shifter is actually not a problem with the shifter itself. In SportsCar GT, there is a problem where 6th gear is actually coded for the reverse position on the shifter and the reverse gear is coded in the 6th gear position. My understanding is that this is a problem with the way the game was coded for gear selection inputs.

My favorite sim to use the RS Shifter with is Viper Racing. You can really add a whole lot of realism to this sim by simply adding the RS Shifter. Downshifting while at high RPM can cause you to lose control as well as skipping gears while downshifting and not keeping the braking and chassis load balanced with RPMs. It definitely makes it more difficult to drive initially, but after you get use to it you will realize how realistic the overall setup of the ACT-LABS Force RS Wheel and RS Shifter can be.

My suggestion to ACT-LABS is this : Add a clutch pedal to the Force RS Wheel and then add Force Feedback effects to the shifter! Think about it. When you hit a severe bump in a Rally sim or any title the gear shift could actually pop out of gear. OK, so maybe I get carried away with my desire for total immersion, but it IS still possible! This would be one incredible control setup for sim racers.


SIM/GAME SUPPORT

As you might expect, there is the issue of which sims/games support the RS Shifter. As I mentioned above, the RS Shifter can still be used in legacy mode (IE Up shifts up and Down shifts down). The following titles support the RS Shifter:

• Viper Racing
  
• SportsCar GT
  
• Rally Championship 2000
  
• Spirit of Speed
  
• Ford Racing
  
• Dirt Track Racing
  
• Need for Speed Porche Evolution
  
• Le Mans 24hr
  
• Need for Speed Motor City (Not released yet)
  
• World Sports Cars (Not released yet)
  
• Carmageddon TDR 2000 (Not released yet)
  
• and more
  

• Solid build
  
• Comfortable grip and can change the knob if you so choose
  
• Easy to install and setup
  
• Precise gear shifting 'notch' feel
  
• Precise input
  
• Great addition to a Force RS wheel
  
• Can be used as a sequential shifter for titles that do not support its free shifting function
  

• The RS Shifter is not supported in every game/sim
  
• Force RS Wheel and RS Shifter combo does take up some room on a desk