Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/419

ACT-LABS RS Shifter

by Jason Clark on December 3, 1999 9:32 PM EST


Introduction
1st Griiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnd (woops), 2nd, 3rd…. That was the story of my first experience driving a 5-speed at age 17. What has changed? I don't grind them anymore :) And, I can now drive a 7-speed 400hp rally car while sitting in front of my PC, using a real shifter.

That's right! ACT LABS, a Canadian-based company in British Columbia, has brought out the first PC based shifter. This takes the PC driving simulations to an entirely new level, where you actually feel like you are the driver. No pressing on some silly buttons to shift or using a paddle shifter - when you are in fact driving a car with a stick shifter.

Ever since the dawn of the PC driving games (i.e Test Drive, Need For Speed), I have felt that there was something missing. Programmers and peripheral manufacturers have constantly been improving the games, and the peripherals used in playing these games. But, for awhile now, we have kind of been at a standstill with just conventional wheels with either a paddle shifter or a little plastic knob attached to a 2" rod that is supposed to be a "shifter". WRONG. Enters ACT LABS. ACT LABS has stepped up the realism level with the new RS Shifter. This shifter features several gear patterns that will pretty much fit any array of setups: 5 speed, 6 speed, 7 speed, and a HI-LO that is essentially the legacy mode.

Features: (Courtesy: ACT LABS)

FEATURES
Default die cast metal
8-gear shift pattern consisting of 7 forward and reverse
Full Gear mode - access any gear at any time
HI/LO Mode - full legacy support for older games
2 accessory gear plates included for 6-speed and 2-speed patterns
Ability to mount after market collector knobs
Mounts on either side of your wheel for Left/Right hand support
Utilizes future-proof Engine cartridge technology
Bundled with Rally Championship 2-track 2-car exclusive demo
Sleek metallic and black shifter knob
Ultra realistic feel with "true" gear resistance
Reverse gear designed for "forced" access only


How does it work?
Well, it's quite simple actually. The shifter unit is a metal rod with a shifter knob attached to it. The shifter knob can actually be interchanged with real shifter knobs (i.e MOMO). The base of the shifter is plastic, but what isn't these days? Inside the shifter is a spring-driven mechanism that simulates real shifting force and gives the impression of syncronized gears. What I mean by that is, similar to when you shift from gear to gear in today's cars, the transmission actually guides you to each gear; granted you can still foul it up, but for the most part, it works. The shifter works with the ACT LABS Force RS and the Regular RS wheel. So, yes it's use is limited to those two wheels. The shifter comes with a cartridge holder which plugs into the RS wheel's engine system, this is a fantastic technology that allows the wheel to be used on both PC's and Console based systems. Unfortunately the RS shifter only works with console systems using the legacy HI-LOW mode, which is just due to the way the console button mapping works.

Game Support
As with many computer products, there is that ever-looming "support". Current support is a bit limited, but that cannot be helped as this device requires support from the game itself. I have put a list together of the games that it currently supports, and soon-to-be-released games that will have support.

Released Games Supporting The Shifter
Viper Racing
Sports Car GT
Rally Championship 2000
Spirit of Speed
Un-Released Games Supporting The Shifter
Ford Racing
Need For Speed Porsche Evolution
Need For Speed Motor City
Le Mans 24hr
Dirt Track Racing
Carmageddon TDR 2000

Functionality
As mentioned earlier in the review, the shifter requires an ACT LABS wheel. Essentially, the shifter sits on a metal bar that fits in the wheel's clamping mechanism; and once you clamp the wheel down, the shifter is locked in. This works quite well - I didn't find any movement at all, other than me feverously shifting down when I realized I was doing 110mph while approaching a 90° bend :) The shifting in each gear is fluid and realistic. Reverse requires force to get into, just like in a real car. A handy feature of this shifter is the ability to be positioned on both the left and the right of the wheel, satisfying all drivers. Overall, a very well thought-out device that is easy to set up and does its job very, very well. Just a side note, the Force RS wheel now supports USB :)

Testing
Sure, I was, uhh, "testing" it :) Basically, I sat down for a couple of days and just played the games it supported. My favorite is the new, very, very cool "Rally Championship 2000" by Europress. This game really makes this shifter shine, with some of the rally cars using a 7-speed gear pattern. I can honestly say that I had much more fun playing these driving games with the shifter than I have ever had before. The amount of realism it brings to driving games is just fantastic.

Conclusion
ACT LABS has done it again. First, they won our force-feedback wheel round-up. NOW they have the first PC Shifting system! The RS Shifter is a new frontier in computer gaming. The realism it adds to the PC racing genre is phenomenal. Although there is a lack of games supporting the shifter right now, the list of titles that will have support is growing. This is one peripheral that will NOT be gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. So what's the next step? A clutch :)?

For excellence in gaming peripheral innovation, the ACT LABS RS Shifter is awarded the Silver Medal. Editor's Choice Award

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