SIMSONN HS Pro Shifter Review: A Solid Upgrade for Sim Racing and Truck Sim Fans
The SIMSONN HS Pro shifter is one of those pieces of sim racing gear that surprised me in a good way. I have used a lot of hardware over the years, from budget-friendly equipment to more premium sim racing accessories, and this shifter landed in a really interesting place. It feels serious, it feels solid, and after using it for over a month, it has become the shifter I am keeping on my own rig for now.
SIMSONN sent this unit over for review, but this is not a paid script or a forced opinion. The shifter was provided to me, but my thoughts are my own.
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First Impressions
The first impression starts with the packaging. The outer sleeve looks nice and gives the product a more premium feel, although the box underneath is fairly basic. That part is not a huge deal, but it is worth mentioning because packaging is always part of the first experience.
Once the shifter is out of the box, the product itself makes a much stronger impression. The HS Pro feels heavy, sturdy, and well built. The main body is metal, with a few plastic trim pieces that are fitted very cleanly. Nothing about it feels cheap in the hand. The fit and finish are very good, and it immediately feels like a real upgrade over entry-level plastic shifters.
Compared to Budget and Mid-Range Shifters
For context, I compared this against two shifters I already know well.
The first is the Thrustmaster shifter, which is one of the more affordable options. It works, it feels decent, and for the money it is still a solid starter shifter. But it is plastic, and you can feel and hear that when you use it.
The second comparison is the MOZA HGP shifter. That has been my main shifter and is still a very good product. However, one of the things I have always noticed with the MOZA is the sharp clickiness. Some people like that, but for me it can become distracting and can pull away from the immersion.
This is where the SIMSONN HS Pro really stood out. It still has a mechanical feeling, but it is less harsh and less clicky. It feels more rounded, more solid, and more enjoyable to use. That difference alone is one of the biggest reasons I decided to keep it on my rig.
Gated Shifting Feel
The HS Pro is an eight-gate shifter, with seven forward gears and reverse. The movement feels controlled and precise. In normal truck simulator driving, you are not exactly slamming through gears, so the most important thing is that the shifter feels solid and reliably hits the correct gate.
For faster driving, I tested it in Assetto Corsa EVO, where accuracy matters more. The shifter performed very well. I did not feel like I was fighting the gates or missing shifts because of the hardware. My clutch work may still need improvement, but the shifter itself did its job.
Sequential Mode
The shifter also includes a sequential plate. This blocks off the other gates and allows the shifter to work as a sequential shifter using the third and fourth gear positions. It has a spring return to bring it back to center, which gives it the physical movement you would expect from a sequential setup.
One important thing to understand is that this is still a button-style input. It is not progressive like an analog handbrake or throttle. That means if you use it as a handbrake, it is simply on or off. For sequential shifting, that is perfectly fine. For handbrake use, it works, but it is not a replacement for a true progressive handbrake.
Great for Truck Simulator Setups
One of the features I really like is the two extra buttons on the top of the shifter. For people who play American Truck Simulator or Euro Truck Simulator 2, those buttons can be useful for range and splitter functions.
Is it as natural as having the range and splitter directly on a truck-style shift knob? No. A proper truck knob is still the better solution if you want maximum realism. But having those two buttons available directly on the shifter is still very useful, especially if you are trying to keep your setup clean or do not want to add more hardware.
RGB Lighting
The HS Pro also has RGB lighting around the base and illuminated buttons on top. Personally, I am not a huge RGB person unless the lighting serves a purpose, such as showing RPM, flags, or other telemetry. The software does appear to support some telemetry-based lighting effects, including flag colors, which is a nice touch.
In my setup, the shifter is mounted flush into a custom armrest area, so the RGB lighting around the base is not very useful for me. However, the illuminated top buttons are helpful because they make the controls easier to see and use.
Mounting and Accessories
The shifter includes mounting hardware, a USB cable, a sequential plate, knob adapters, and a small gate-blocking piece that can turn it into a more traditional six-speed plus reverse layout.
My personal setup uses a custom metal mounting plate and armrest area, so what you see in my video is not exactly how the shifter will look out of the box. The custom plate is not included. However, the shifter does have mounting points on the back, so there should be multiple ways to attach it to a sim rig.
The Biggest Negative: Software
The biggest negative for me was the software experience. The shifter itself worked fine without the software, but downloading the software was frustrating. I had trouble getting it through normal browsers and eventually had to find a workaround.
To SIMSONN’s credit, they were responsive when I reached out, but the process still needs improvement. For a paying customer, even if the hardware is excellent, software access should be simple. The shifter can be used without the software, but if you want to calibrate it or adjust the lighting, you may need it.
This does not stop me from recommending the shifter, but it is something buyers should know.
Final Thoughts
After using the SIMSONN HS Pro shifter for over a month, I can say that I genuinely like it. It feels solid, it is well built, it has useful functionality, and it gives me a shifting feel that I prefer over the MOZA HGP in my own setup.
It is not perfect. The software download experience needs to be better, and the RGB lighting may not matter to everyone. But as a physical shifter, it delivers.
For truck simulator players, it gives you a strong gated shifting experience with extra buttons that can be used for range and splitter controls. For sim racing players, it works well as an H-pattern shifter and includes a sequential option when needed.
At its current price, it competes directly with other mid-range shifters and offers a lot of value. For my own rig, it has earned its place.
If you are looking for a solid metal shifter for PC sim racing, American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2, or general driving games, the SIMSONN HS Pro is absolutely worth considering.