From the Far East comes the launch of a new brand joining the already extensive family of sim racing peripherals. Several years ago, companies in China recognized the potential for designing and manufacturing products for virtual racing as a solid business opportunity. Let’s face it: most sim racing hardware is produced in the East, and it was only a matter of time before they ventured into direct marketing themselves.
What continues to surprise us is the strength with which these companies have broken into the sim racing scene. We all remember how Moza entered the market back in 2021 with their RS range, showcasing impressive production power by emerging almost from nowhere. Conspit appears to follow a similar path; rather than testing a single product in the market, they have released a full range from rims and pedals to handbrakes.
Introduction
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been testing what seems to us the most interesting option from Conspit so far: the H.AO button box paired with the RX320, DX320, and CX295 rims.
This button box is not only compatible with Conspit rims; thanks to its 70mm diameter bolt pattern, it offers broad compatibility with various rims on the market. However, we recommend the three options Conspit offers, which we present here.
Ecosystem
Before explaining which of the three rims we chose for continuous use, we believe it’s important to clarify an often-overlooked but critical aspect: compatibility. The H.AO button box offers near-total compatibility with almost any base on the market, which is excellent news. At boxthislap.org, we advocate for user freedom in choosing peripherals from different brands that are fully compatible with each other. This would be ideal, but we know that collaboration among leading brands is rare, as each tends to prioritize its own proprietary products.
In sim racing, we can differentiate between brands that create closed ecosystems, ensuring recurring customer purchases, and more open brands that make it easy to use their products with competitors’ gear. Conspit has decided to blend both approaches. While launching their own ecosystem of peripherals, they also offer compatibility for the H.AO button box with any base on the market, thanks to an adapter and USB cable connection.
Installation
The idea itself is complex, given that different base manufacturers make compatibility more or less challenging. Conspit’s execution has left us somewhat perplexed. As you can see in the images, the button box’s electronic board connects to the PC via a standard USB cable, which then has to pass through the adapter piece to the quick-release mechanism that each user must attach. Each user must also understand how their specific QR attaches to the rims. Here, we’ll exemplify the two most common cases.
The first option is for those with a QR featuring machined holes, allowing the QR to be screwed directly into the rim holes (Q1R, HRS, Simucube…). In this case, the USB cable is first connected at the electronic board end, routed through the QR adapter’s interior, passed through the groove in the adapter for this purpose, and then the QR is screwed onto the adapter. Ideally, the USB cable fits well in the groove and is not overly pinched by the QR. As you can see, the process is complicated, and the final result, though effective, is not particularly aesthetic, with the cable at risk of damage.
The second option is for those with a QR that also serves as an adapter itself (Fanatec, Moza, Asetek…). First, attach the Conspit adapter piece to your base’s QR, routing the USB cable through Conspit’s adapter and positioning it in the groove for this purpose. Once the two pieces are screwed together (as with the previous case), connect the cable to the button box, allowing a margin of at least 3 cm to facilitate the connection, then attach the complete set to the button box.
In summary, a complex process that could surely be solved more efficiently without risking the USB cable.
Materials
The button box is made from high-quality materials; the body itself consists of two seamlessly joined carbon fiber pieces that give the impression of a single unit. The back has been carefully molded to house the paddle shifter mechanisms for a clean, pleasing look.
The paddles themselves are also made of carbon fiber. As for the rim, regardless of the chosen model, construction materials remain the same: synthetic leather for the circumference and steel for the arms and frame. The H.AO button box’s front design is straightforward, emphasizing long-term functionality.
With a simple, symmetrical button layout, Conspit has focused on convenience for sim racers. The top holds three buttons on each side in a triangular arrangement for commonly mapped sim racing functions like pit limiter, entry and exit, or headlights flash.
Above these, within thumb’s reach, are two rotary dials for settings like brake bias or traction control. At the center of the wheel, two funky switches, ideal for navigation or checking blind spots, flank two spring-loaded toggle buttons for diagonal movement, useful for volume control or specialized car functions like stabilizer adjustments.
Conspit’s design also allows for easy rim mounting by making the funky switches removable via magnetic connections. This innovative feature enables quick rim changes.
Moving to the lower area, we find the same button layout as in the upper section, but this time one push button is replaced by a rotary switch. This can be used either as a regular rotary or as a position selector, making it very useful for mapping functions like engine maps or battery modes in hybrid cars. Unlike the rotary switches in the upper section, these lower ones are a bit more challenging to operate with just the thumb and are better suited for use with both the index finger and thumb together.
We can’t overlook the most notable feature of this button box: Conspit has integrated a small, 3-inch color display along with 9 RPM LEDs. Despite its size, the data presentation is very clean and easy to read. Often, the desire to display a large range of telemetry data can overwhelm the user, making reading and comprehension somewhat tedious. On this small display, Conspit has chosen to show essential data like speed, RPM, gear, lap time, delta, ABS, TC, fuel, and on-track flags. When the pit limiter is activated, the screen switches to a specific mode, prominently displaying the speed at the center, and the RPM LEDs will all flash yellow to signal that the speed limiter is active.
Flipping the rim around, we find three paddles, or rather, two sets of paddles. These are constructed from carbon fiber, just like the button box body, with the larger paddles dedicated to shifting, engraved with + and – symbols on the carbon paddle itself. They have a short throw and a firm feel, with a very responsive return to position and low sound—a surprising level of quality in these paddles. The two lower paddles dedicated to the clutch system are designed asymmetrically, with the right paddle being noticeably shorter than the left. This design gives the left paddle a better feel and sensitivity, as it’s often used to release the clutch gradually to prevent wheel slippage. The third set of paddles actually consists of trigger-style buttons that function in both directions, operating when pressed forward or backward.
A very original solution and, as far as we know, the first time it’s been implemented in a button box. Unlike the shift and clutch paddles, these triggers are made of a high-quality plastic composite rather than carbon fiber. If we think of functions to assign to these buttons, not many come to mind, but it would be useful for activating DRS or a Push-to-Pass mode, as they’re hard to press accidentally due to their location on the back of the rim.
Software
If there’s something we don’t like, we’re not shy about saying it. The Conspit Link app, which controls various parameters of the button box like button lighting, RPM LEDs, and clutch bite point, is not particularly polished.
Aside from the interface’s very Asian aesthetic, it is quite unintuitive and unclear. The main issue is configuring the RPM LED lights.
First, we cannot set the direction of the LED movement as the RPMs increase—they always go from left to right, but that’s a minor point. Secondly, the color of the LEDs is fixed and cannot be customized, which is also not a major issue.
But the third and final point is the most problematic. Unlike all other RPM LED light modules that automatically adjust depending on the car being driven, with the H. AO button box, we must manually configure the lights ourselves according to the car’s maximum RPM range. For example, if we set the lights for a single-seater with a maximum of 19,000 RPM and then switch to a Mazda MX5, we’ll notice that only a couple of LEDs light up since the module is set for a 19,000 RPM range instead of the Mazda’s range. This is unusual and something we haven’t seen with any other manufacturer; it’s an issue that should be resolved as soon as possible.
Conclusions
Overall, the button box, along with the wide variety of rims offered by Conspit, makes it a very solid and highly recommended product. The feel of the buttons is notably firmer than in any other button boxes on the market, which is particularly appreciated when used with gloves, as it provides better security and a sense of having firmly pressed the button. The ergonomics of the rims and button layout make it very comfortable to use over long sessions, and the light padding on the rim’s cover allows users to rest their hands comfortably if they don’t grip too tightly.
Perhaps it’s the assembly and software that leave us with the most questions. There will be time to address these areas as the company’s catalog and product development evolve.
It can be purchased on their website or through the distributor Simufy for 559 euros without a rim or 629 euros with one of your choice.
- Simufy (2% discount using our code at checkout: SFYOPTF7ZMR98)
You can visit the official Conspit website at this link.
This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
