Asetek's round/formula la prima and forte rims and button box (and Invicta rim news?)

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Game changer. This was all I needed to ensure Asetek Forte is going to be my next system. After sales support is legendary.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I hate using the phrase, but yes… Asetek is becoming my top brand right now. Which is difficult because I really love Simagic

[@themadnes5413]

I ordered the forte, with la prima button box and round leather rim. (mostly rally) Thank you!

[@GamerMuscleVideos]

look at how he slaps those boxes ;)

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I trained for many years

[@barryfieldbattleclips]

Like a round wheel he loves how they slide through his hands 😜

[@themadnes5413]

@@barryfieldbattleclips nice long round shaft, or somehting likte that :D

[@AlexanderMielchen]

Job well done Asetek! So many good options! Everyone has different preferences, and this lineup should satisfy a lot of people's needs and wants.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

It's a hell of a lineup. They really chose the subtle differences well to cut the costs between the two tiers.

[@paulneskow3504]

I'm new to SR, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt. I initially purchased the La Prima bundle. Nice, but since my only frame of reference was driving older race cars, didn't like the brakes as they were. Got the Forte/Invicta upgrades. BRAKE is now what I remember from my old racing days. Just got the Forte button box, circular wheel with the orange segments, clutch pads, and longer handles for my Formula La Prima wheel. About all I can honestly say is the Asetek doesn't spend much time or thought on INSTRUCTIONS. There are tons of videos on "tuning" but it's darn hard to find much on installation. Took me a while to figure out the slide-the-pad trick. Then there was losing the nut from the pad. Then the screw. Same kinds of problems with installing the upgrade kits for throttle and especially the wiring of the brake. I wear 3X gloves and have a ring size of 13. My hands have no issues working on a Chevy, but these little European jobs are as much of a PITA as Jags and Healey's were. I STILL can't understand why they make you take off one of these teeny-tiny blocks on the printed board under the cap - you only seem to put it back on (but they don't mention THAT.) I DO believe Asetek makes good stuff. Just be careful working on it. Those little buggers are hard to find, and no extra's. i do believe it's easier to install an SRT in a Sig or HK, or even convert a DAK Sig to DA/SA than some of this stuff.

[@texnorthman]

24:15 - That comment on the wheel being relatively thin was one I missed first time around. The wheel is actually VERY thin, 29x29mm by my measurements. I've been using mine since mid January and I finally had to give in and buy something else as my hands are cramping up. Thankfully Asetek make it super easy to use third party wheels so I ended up getting a Cube Controls GT Pro V2 which is apparently 36mm thick. If that wheel doesn't fit me I can always just swap out the rim for a Sparco rim, which I think is something Asetek should have designed their button boxes to allow for instead of requiring custom rims.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yep the ergonomics aren’t as good as I’d like

[@texnorthman]

@ceDusoswa Agreed. It is a strange decision to be honest, 29x29mm is very slim for a racing wheel rim, like classic car dimensions rather than modern car. I am sure some people will like it, but it would have been nice if it was a part of their sales information as it differs drastically from comparable wheels that are usually in the 36x30mm range which in the hands is a huge difference. It's a shame, as the button box is actually really good in use, and the looks have grown on me once I got the LED's set up. The whole construction is super sturdy, I just can't deal with the ergonomics and there is no option for a thicker wheel rim.

[@Jeffery_USBP]

Thicker is always better. In wheels too.

[@Countrymusicnumber1]

I'm trying to decided between the Cube Control Gt Pro V2 Round wheel suede vs Asetek Button Box with Comfort Plus round wheel. Can you let me know if the extra cost of the cube control is worth it?

[@texnorthman]

@Countrymusicnumber1 For me the CubeControls wheel is miles better. The rims on all the Asetek round wheels are very skinny, and my hands would start cramping even with gloves on. No such issues with the Cube wheel. I also prefer the deeper dish to the Cube wheel as the knobs and buttons are less likely to catch on stuff when rallying or drifting. Finally, the cube controls wheel can be used with any base. I ended up swapping my Invicta base for a VNM Xtreme (mind blowingly good!) and I could use my Cube Controls wheel without issue 😊

[@oznemur]

Really love the flexibility of this brand. As a VR user if I were in the market I'd get the Forte Formula, Prima box with round leather rim. For fun it would be interesting to try and make a wooden rim to fit the Prima box as well😅

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

great choices! a wooden rim.. that would be epic too :D

[@oznemur]

@@LaurenceDusoswa yeah send prima box my way so I can show you how epic ahahahaha

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

the comfort + material is actually a sustainably made synthetic suede that is also more durable, takes up less moisture and dirt compared than traditional suede wheels. that's also why its more expensive than the open D suede.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Good to know! I missed that info

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

@@LaurenceDusoswa and if i'm not mistaken the laprima buttonbox cannot be upgraded with clutches and top "shifters".

[@jacksawyer7300]

I love the idea of the button box, the quick release and changable rims. The rims look really high quality and classy but the button box looks so cheap. Especially the La Prima with the blanking plates, it really lets it down. That said i havent seen them in person and sometimes pictures/ video don't do a product justice

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Well, it’s pretty affordable. And to make things cheaper, they often end up looking that way too :)

[@docslappy8946]

I like the flexibility and potential cost savings if you want multiple wheel types. However, we all want more😀, so its a shame there isn't a quick release instead of the 6 fiddley screws and then the paddles. I can't see myself regular swapping wheel rims and button boxes. Still I like the idea of getting whatever rim you want and then matching to either button box. So well done Asetek.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yeah a quick way to release the rims would be incredible!

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

on top of that, i've pulled the trigger and made an order for a forte wheelbase, la prima buttonbox, that comfort+ round wheel, and a couple of quick releases for the wheels i allready have. should arrive next week and i can't wait to upgrade from my 8 year old belt driven system.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahahaha YESSSS

[@coreirefpv]

Love the button box/changeable wheels format myself. You can get a nice few wheel options at a reasonable cost. I'm with you on the need for a fast way to swap them without allen keys etc. though. I'm doing the same thing with a Moza ES wheel so what I've done is ordered 6 thumb nuts and I'm putting 6 studs where the screws would go in the button box. Should make for much faster changes.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Imagine being able to slot the rim into the button plate and then just lift a latch to release it again! Would be amazing

[@coreirefpv]

That would be perfect. The first company to come up with a good solution like that would sell a lot off the back of it I'd say. I know I'd be much more likely to impulse buy more €100-150 wheels to fit my button box than to spend hundreds per wheel.

[@bfife22]

Don't get me wrong, I like how many options Asetek has, but how is this any better than a hub that allows for any 70mm pattern wheel to bolt to it (like the Simagic GT Pro)? Is it purely to be able to have encoders on the center of the hub? Or their rims will be priced much cheaper than most rims? Seems inconvenient to have to remove the paddles to swap the rim. The aftermarket quick release is damn awesome though.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

The lack of usb cable yet still having backlighting. The weight saving. Their rims are only €120 too. As for swapping the rims themselves, the ability to swap them is just to make buying and upgrading easier. Nobody is going to hotswap them before a session. Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper than anything comparable on the market.

[@IvebenKruzen]

@@LaurenceDusoswa You said "Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper than anything comparable on the market" but the Simagic GTC is cheaper and has the options to buy a round and d-shape rims as well. Maybe the price is different in EU vs here in North America.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You are correct. My context was different though. I meant it’s cheaper than anything else you’d be able to attach to an Asetek wheelbase. GT-C is a great option an a must have for Simagic owners.

[@IvebenKruzen]

@@LaurenceDusoswa ok that makes more sense now, thanks for clarifying.

[@leomendoza450]

Since the release of the R12 from moza I’ve been saving up for that with the es rim+formula mod….but they make a good case of not compromising on quality in the mid range. Being that I can’t afford much more than 12nm I thought the es rim(s) and its lightness would give an extra kick to the r12. Makes me reconsider the end game option much more tbh

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yeah don’t think too hard either. Buy the stuff that’s accessible and enjoy it. It’s an incredible time to be alive. The thoughts of other hardware being potentially better, cripples the experience for many when ‘better’ at this level is so subjective and is only really a tiny difference in the grand scheme of things

[@simonrikhotso5816]

Excellent unboxing.Nice video as usual. Your work is serving many of us out here, I can't thank you enough. As new to the hobby, I am just so stuck on which brand to go with for wheelbase between Alpha U and the Invicta. Have been stuck trying to decide for months now. I am in a position where I don't have the privilege of tasting any of them. my very favorite, from your reviews as well as look, is the Simagic. Now Asetek is making my life even worse with these very nice buttonboxes and rims. I am aware that I can, with Invicta, use any steering wheel. Can anyone here please tell me what they would choose if you had to have one and only one between the 2 wheelbases.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

People will tell you the choice they made. Nobody will tell you they are unhappy. Simagic and asetek are my two favourite brands. Buy the one that looks better :)

[@simonrikhotso5816]

Thank you very much Laurence. being super honest is another thing that I really really like about you. That's why I always count on your reviews. 🙏

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

@simonrikhotso5816 I’m here to help people to enjoy sim racing. I know it’s a big decision but go with your heart.

[@simonrikhotso5816]

@@LaurenceDusoswa You are the best in my books in this industry 100%

[@apexvisiontv]

Hopefully they do a smaller diameter wheel to go with the button boxes. I want a 320mm D shape for GT3

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

That would be cool. If the demand is there, I can see third party options becoming available soon

[@drchtct]

Hey Laurence, just wanted to say I enjoy these first impressions videos way more than the more scripted reviews where you read the script. These free talking ones feel more natural, really enjoy them. Oh, and by the way, the blacked out La Prima wheel looks super stealthy, finally no orange on an Asetek product lol, I'll never get who thought mixing red and orange was a good idea E: lmao I swear I wrote that before you said the orange clashes with the logo haha. Well guess we both noticed it, don't know how nobody at Asetek noticed it

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks so much for the feedback! Yeah I try to find the balance. This video, the comments and everything I learn and experience along the way gets condensed into notes which form the script for the long term reviews. Everything I said in this video will probably take up no more than 1 minute of my final review :) that’s the nature of it but I love these videos too because it’s just me being a consumer. They’re generally fun to make. I had covid for this one though 😂

[@deadmanwalking1930]

@@LaurenceDusoswa Hope you feel better soon.

[@joanesteveigarcia]

Very good first impressions, as always! A question. What do you think is more responsive with the La Prima wheelbase? The formula steering wheel or the round steering wheel with the button box? Is the La Prima steering wheel base with a 33 cm rim falling short? Greetings and thank you!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

The formula rims are even more responsive, but you still get lots of detail in the round rims too

[@joanesteveigarcia]

@@LaurenceDusoswa Thanks a lot!

[@Therearethings8148]

Before that, the buttons should be a little too far away, so that they are constantly pressed accidentally in situations where you need to act quickly.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I didn’t have that issue

[@aznpballa]

Are you moving over to the Asetek's wheel bases from Simagic? I currently have Simagic, and considering changing ship. If I buy a Asetek Prima wheel for now, can I somehow use the buttons with the Simagic base?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I move to whatever I am reviewing. So while I’m loving asetek, there’s no reason to switch from Simagic unless you want something very specific from their range. To answer your last question, no. Simagic steering wheels after the GT1/GT4 are not USB compatible.

[@limpetarch98k]

The d-shaped wheel is perfection, but by this point, I already placed an order for some Simagic. Took me months before I made the move, now all thats left is to wait. I do wish distributors just fucking let me buy the Alcantara rim with the Pro Hub.

[@bfife22]

You can with the regular Pro hub that doesn't have the two encoders in the center. The new one with the two encoders seems to only have leather rims. Hopefully they sell the other rims Alcantara with the two holes pre drilled into them.

[@limpetarch98k]

@@bfife22 Its kinda weird, because they sell the pro hub standalone and technically they also sell the alcantara version of the D-shaped rim as a standalone, but for reasons unknown to me, the rim is always out of stock.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yeah stock can be hit and miss with stuff like that. Resellers tend to order lots of the stuff that’s guaranteed to sell. They don’t like having odd parts with low margins in stock

[@Countrymusicnumber1]

I'm trying to decided between the Cube Control Gt Pro V2 Round wheel suede vs Asetek Button Box with Comfort Plus round wheel. Can you let me know which one you would pick?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I’m actually not familiar with the cube offering but the asetek round wheels aren’t my cup of tea. I don’t really like the shape of them.

[@AlexanderMielchen]

The video I was looking for, also First!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

nice

[@hoeunkim5435]

there has been an idea floating around in reddit that I came be aware which im going to try out. the idea is essentially to attach 2 QRs in a row to make Asetek essentially an NRG compatible QR. You take a wheel side Asetek QR and attach that to a base side NRG QR (Male piece) they are both 70mm 6 bolt design. then you can use any wheel with nrg qr. Since Asetek has USB pass through, it could be best of both worlds. what do you think about that?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yep. I believe I was the first to do that :D 18 weeks ago I posted this pic ;) instagram.com/p/CvIB4g9ti5P/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[@hoeunkim5435]

@@LaurenceDusoswa ah very nice. looks like the idea made full circle. how was it in your experience? did you feel any flex in attaching two QRs in a row?

[@hoeunkim5435]

Which usb hub is that when you bring out the third party steering wheel on the usb qr when talking about the steering wheel distance?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

That’s a Simagic GT1 steering wheel

[@hoeunkim5435]

@@LaurenceDusoswa is that an old gt1? Ive read that the usb c is for firmware updates and not for universal usb wheel functions. Does it have full functionality through usbc? Additionally have you used simagic alpha? How do you feel asetek la prima compares to simagic products like alpha or alpha mini

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

@@hoeunkim5435 yep that’s an old one. I’m not sure they changed it at all though. All buttons, lights and shifters work through USB yeah. As for forte comparison. The alpha and forte are similar. Too similar to notice clear differences In a blind test. Go for the one that looks best and has the best steering wheel offerings for you. You won’t be unhappy with either. I have individual reviews of both.

[@hoeunkim5435]

@@LaurenceDusoswa thank you for the reply. With so many good systems out there im having a such a hard time making a decision. Thank you for your reviews.

[@hoeunkim5435]

@@LaurenceDusoswa I had simagic alpha with gt1 wheel on order when I asked you this question... but with simagic's firmware issues that theyve been having for past few days, I canceled the order and picked up the asetek base from my local microcenter lol

[@tiza41]

Are shift pads included in the batten box?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I can’t remember to be honest

[@rexile1986]

Does the Invicta Formula wheel look better than Cube Control CSX3?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I can’t comment on that yet :)

[@rexile1986]

​@@LaurenceDusoswaI'll have to wait for your review then :)

[@polqqqz1098]

Hey whats is better ?? I can buy la prima bundle without pedals for 1070 E including shipping cost or camus15nm bundle with pedals for 965 $ incl shipping :)

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

La prima all day long

[@phelanpritchardgaming6194]

how many wheels could someone possibly need?

[@itschris1861]

5-7😊?🤣😅

[@AlexanderMielchen]

yes

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

yes

[@barryfieldbattleclips]

4 , and a spare 😂

[@derodge]

I'm not a fan of the exposed carbon fiber look on anything anymore. It's no longer the mid-2010s I like the LA Prima button box , Plus, once you start driving you don't even notice the LED's. For the price, with that round leather steering wheel this may be the best mid-range buy in sim-racing!!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I agree about it being a great buy. I do like the carbon fibre look though :)

[@lennertester]

Imagine someone buying a button box for every rim, not knowing you can swap them with ease.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahahahahahaha. Some might buy multiple button boxes as this is half the price of many competitors

[@justinelliott4127]

Width on the Open D Rim?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

All 330mm

[@AdhamHossam165]

Nice

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

pretty sweet

[@rpm_it]

What's the diameter of the wheels

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

330mm

[@dedge12858]

It's a neat idea but it's not like it's a minute's work to change the rims to switch between disciplines so I think I'm missing the point somehow. Surely, the real game changer would've been for the rims to be quick releasable from the button box. And to echo others' comments, Asetek might have excellent engineers but they really need find a decent designer because these look disappointing, to put it mildly.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

The idea is not to change the wheel rims every time you use them, but rather to be able to change the look or feel dramatically using a modular system.

[@dedge12858]

@@LaurenceDusoswa yep, I'm questioning the utility of the concept.

[@slaphead90]

I Love the review, and I love your presentation. However I have to admit I've reached peak "Sim Racing Product Review" fatigue. it's a general thing and nothing to do with your content, but it seems correct to voice my complaints here. Why? As an Irishman you have an innate ability to tell me I'm wrong and that I can go to hell in such a way as I'll look forward to the journey, and that in itself is very much worth it.😉

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahahaha I understand what you mean about fatigue. There’s so much good stuff out there at the moment it’s actually overwhelming for people. And I love the comments section. I’m just the guy who made the video. But everyone’s opinion is welcome, provided they aren’t offering opinions about things they have never used 😂

[@nikolarun]

i saw you filming at the ADAC show, i had a look at the wheels they had and they all felt really plasticy. the wheels just felt cheaply built to me.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Haha nice one! Well at the ADAC show, they were all prototypes and not the finished product. Many parts were 3D printed and not the finished product. These parts that I have are not cheaply built, that’s for sure

[@nikolarun]

@@LaurenceDusoswa and there is the problem. most of us have no access to try and touch or experience any of the equipment we buy. we have to rely on reviews and word of mouth. I would love for a brick and mortar shop with sim rigs etc, where you can book and try things.

[@AlexanderMielchen]

🍕

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

HAHAHAHAHA

[@WhippyWhip2]

more propriety shit, so instead of being able to use any rim in existence with this basic button box they force you into their propriety rims

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

They did it this way to save weight and allow for cheaper upgrades. You can always buy a third party usb button box and fit your OMP wheel to it… but expect to pay twice what these cost…

[@shadowb195]

Jesus crist!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

I know

[@funhobbiesunlimited]

🔴🏁

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

❤️

[@SIMRIG412]

Asetek just looks so cheap and like a child designed them. Way over priced

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

The look isn’t for everyone but the quality is very good and the pricing is super competitive, especially for a European company.