MOZA Racing SGP Sequential Shifter – Review

MOZA Racing SGP Sequential Shifter – Review

With the SGP Sequential Shifter, MOZA Racing’s line-up is now truly complete for the first time. The Sequential Shifter is now available on the market, reason enough to give it a thorough test.

Ordering and shipping

As usual with MOZA Racing, there are two ways to purchase the shifter. Firstly, you can buy it directly from the manufacturer, which is particularly worthwhile for those who live in countries with low taxes and customs duties. The shifter is available there for €139 plus shipping. In addition to MOZA Racing itself, some other distributors also offer the SGP Sequential Shifter directly within the EU. For example, our partner Sim-Motion also offers it for €139 incl. VAT plus shipping.

The product tested here was provided by the manufacturer. No influence was exerted on this review at any time.

Technical data

With a footprint of only approx. 18 x 5 centimetres, the Shifter fits into almost any setup:

Scope of delivery

As usual, MOZA Racing supplies its products with the necessary connection cables as well as the appropriate installation material and tools in a compact package. The Allen key, which is required for the stiffness adjustment, is particularly important.

• Sequential shifter
• Shifter handle
• USB Type-B to Type-A data cable
• RJ11 data cable
• M6 screws and M6 washers
• Hex wrench
• External hex wrench

Compatibility

The compatibility chapter is quickly dealt with. As of February 2024, the MOZA Racing SGP Sequential Shifter can only be used on a PC. You can either connect it directly with the USB type B to type A cable or connect it to a compatible wheelbase (including all V2 wheelbases) or the MOZA Hub with the RJ11 cable. The latter two connection options are generally preferable as they save a USB port on the PC.

Features

The SGP Sequential Shifter from MOZA Racing, like the recently released handbrake and the H-Shifter, is made entirely from aluminium (according to the manufacturer “aerospace-grade aluminium alloy”) and steel. The slim housing, as well as the shift arm and knob, are anodised in black with silver highlights. This creates a very elegant look and, together with the good workmanship, results in a very high-quality appearance.

Shifter

The most important function of a shifter is undoubtedly the shifting process itself. It is no surprise that a sequential shifter such as the MOZA SGP has exactly two shifting directions: forwards and backwards. The corresponding gear changes (detected by a non-contact Hall sensor) are characterised by a rich clicking sound when actuated, which definitely makes it unsuitable for use in the living room.

The hardness of the shifting process can then be adjusted within a certain range using screws on both sides. At the lowest level, the shifter can be operated more or less with a pinky finger, while the hardest possible level gives the shifter a medium release resistance compared to high-end shifters, which should be more than sufficient for most applications. Unfortunately, there is no real feedback during adjustment. Ultimately, you have to experiment until you are satisfied with the level of firmness achieved. This is limited both upwards (above a certain setting the shifter can no longer be shifted) and downwards (beyond a certain hardness there is no real resistance). The hardness can be further influenced by the selected height of the shift knob, which can be varied within a range of 64 millimetres using the various mounting holes.

As an additional option, the use of the standard M12 thread means that aftermarket gear knobs can also be used if required.

Additional lever

As an additional goodie, MOZA has installed an lever at the front, which functions as a button. For example, the neutral position of the gearbox can be placed on the lever and thus be reached at any time. However, this always requires that the respective simulation also supports this.

The aluminium lever has a very low resistance due to the very soft spring used and can therefore be actuated very easily. On the one hand, this enables very fast actuation, but on the other hand, a little more force would definitely have been desirable. Nevertheless, the additional lever is a very good addition and significantly enhances the shifter.

Buttons

In addition to the practical lever on the front, MOZA Racing has also integrated two illuminated buttons into the shifter’s housing. These can be illuminated in eight different colours via software and offer two further input options. For example, the ignition and starter can be operated from a central location regardless of the steering wheel being used.

Mounting

There are a total of 14 holes on the underside of the shifter. Eight of these are arranged at uniform distances and are each provided with M6 threads. In addition, there are three holes each on the front and rear without threads for M8 screws. This means that the shifter can be attached to almost any mounting plate imaginable. Unfortunately, the only thing missing here is a side mounting option, which would complement the many mounting points on the bottom of the shifter. As MOZA includes a very short RJ11 cable (only about one metre long), you may have to get a little creative to route the cable, depending on the rig.

Software

Generally, no software is required to operate the shifter. It is recognised by Windows as a game controller and all functions (shifter, levers and buttons) are recognised there as separate inputs and can therefore also be used in racing simulations.

Nevertheless, it is of course advisable to install the software from MOZA (MOZA Pit House) in order to have full control over the shifter. The colour and brightness of the two buttons can be individually set and adjusted here.

Conclusion

The SGP Sequential Shifter from MOZA Racing seamlessly joins the ranks of the HBP Handbrake and the HGP Shifter. At a price of less than €150, the manufacturer delivers an absolutely high-quality shifter with no significant weaknesses, which is again made entirely from aluminium, has an excellent build quality and also comes with a well-chosen scope of delivery. Small weaknesses such as the somewhat short Rj11 cable and the low triggering force of the handy additional lever are more than negligible considering the price range. The two illuminated buttons in the housing are also a nice addition and round off the excellent price-performance ratio of the SGP Sequential Shifter in a positive way.