MOZA Racing HMA150 Haptic Motion Actuator – Review 

Motion systems have always been considered the pinnacle of virtual motorsports. With the HMA150 Haptic Motion Actuator, MOZA Racing, an established manufacturer with a broad ecosystem, is now entering the motion market. Can the system prove itself in testing? And who is it actually designed for? This review aims to answer those questions.

Ordering and Shipping

The Motion System can be ordered as usual directly through MOZA Racing’s online store and should soon be available again through third-party retailers. However, there is one important thing to keep in mind regarding shipping: Although the complete kit is delivered in a single box, the package is quite heavy. You should be aware of this and make the necessary preparations on delivery day if you aren’t exactly a powerhouse yourself. The individual actuators and accessories are well-padded and protected inside the package.

• MOZA Racing HMA150 Haptic Motion Actuator (4x): 3.199 €
• MOZA HMA Profile Adapter Kit: 49 €

The product tested was provided by the manufacturer for the duration of the review. At no point was the content of this review influenced.

Specs

Below, you will find the specs listed by MOZA Racing. Of particular note are the large maximum stroke and low operating voltage for this price range.

Scope of Delivery

As shown in the Order/Shipping section, the hardware is very securely packaged for delivery. There are three layers of inlays, each containing different components of the system. In addition to the fully assembled actuators, the package contains the brackets, mounting hardware, the controller box, the emergency stop, stand foot holders and tools, as well as other accessories. Nothing was overlooked.

• Actuators
• Stand foot mounts
• Mounting brackets
• Controller box
• Emergency stop
• Screws, nuts, and tools
• Material for cable management

Compatibility and Connections

The system is designed to operate within the MOZA ecosystem. Accordingly, the in-house software (Motion Manager) is required for operation, and a combination with third-party actuators is not planned. Fortunately, MOZA Racing is thinking ahead: The included controller box offers not only four, but eight connections, which can be used to connect additional actuators in the future, for example. According to MOZA, this would theoretically allow for a 6-DOF system. The actuators are mechanically compatible with any current aluminum rig with standard profiles. See the next section for more information.

Installation and First Steps

Mounting the actuators on the rig is absolutely no problem thanks to the included brackets. You just need to think it through a bit during installation to save yourself unnecessary work. For example, the bracket included in the package is designed to be mounted on aluminum profiles with two adjacent grooves (spaced 40 mm apart). However, if you have a rig like the P1X Pro Cockpit used in this test, which has partially closed groove channels, you’ll need the optional adapter set, which provides additional mounting options with spacings of 80 or 120 millimeters. Another aspect to keep in mind is the positioning of the brackets; MOZA recommends mounting them as low as possible. Here, it’s important to roughly estimate the lowest point of the rig so that, even in its lowest position with maximum tilt, the rig still maintains sufficient clearance to the floor.

Anyone who has ever plugged in a speaker cable can route the cables without any trouble. However, you should make a note of the respective port during installation, as the software will prompt you for this information later. The included mounts (for aluminum rigs) and cable ties can then be used to hide the cables somewhat. The length is chosen so that it’s sufficient even for large rigs like the test rig. Finally, you just need to connect the controller box to the emergency stop and the PC, and plug the power supply into the power outlet.

The actuators can also be easily retrofitted to an already assembled rig. However, it’s important to realize that an absolutely stable rig is an absolute must for a motion system, and a premium rig with the appropriate quality and torsional rigidity should definitely be considered if one isn’t already owned. Both the emergency stop switch and the controller box have mounting points for attaching them directly to the rig using the included T-slot nuts. Only the rather large power supply (approx. 30 x 12 cm) is a bit more difficult to position discreetly.

Motion-System

Below you’ll find a description of the HMA150 Haptic Motion Actuator in use as a sim racing motion system. It covers everything from a brief guide to the various settings and a driving report.

Introduction

Alongside VR headsets, motion systems are perhaps among the most controversial topics among sim racers. Some have come to swear by them, while others argue that they cannot accurately replicate reality. It’s important to always keep in mind what a motion system is physically capable of. For example, to physically reproduce sustained braking deceleration, the entire rig would have to be continuously accelerated in the longitudinal direction during the braking process. Due to the limited range of motion, this is naturally not possible with standard home-use motion systems. Instead, the rig is tilted forward so that part of the acceleration due to gravity acts on the driver as a corresponding sensation of load. Movements of the vehicle body, such as those caused by bumps, curbs, and pitch, roll, and vertical movements, can, on the other hand, be simulated relatively convincingly using the four built-in actuators.

Absolute realism cannot be achieved with any rig currently available on the market. However, if you want to take your driving experience to a new level, this opens up entirely new possibilities, similar to those offered by belt tensioners or bass shakers. The potential for fun is enormous. It’s also very much about tricking your own brain and getting the most out of a system. That’s why there’s hardly any other topic where opinions and attitudes diverge as widely as they do when it comes to motion systems.

Another important factor with motion systems is safety. Movement always carries a certain risk of injury. MOZA therefore specifies a minimum age of 16 (or 12 under adult supervision).

Technical features and performance

Unlike most other commercially available motion systems, MOZA uses a 48-volt system and integrates the controllers into the housings of the individual actuators. This eliminates the need for the traditional setup with external servo drives and a 230-volt system, which is otherwise often used. This makes the system much more living-room-friendly, especially compared to DIY projects that sometimes involve exposed wiring. A side effect is reduced sensitivity to electromagnetic interference (EMI), which often causes problems in motion systems.

When it comes to performance, however, MOZA Racing has nothing to be ashamed of. With a 150-millimeter stroke, a speed of up to 300 mm/s, a specified latency of 8 milliseconds, and accelerations exceeding 1 g, the HMA150 delivers performance figures that are usually only found in more expensive systems. In practice, the travel distance actually needed by most sim racers is well under ten centimeters, and even the maximum possible speed is likely to be relevant for only a very small number of users. So there’s more than enough headroom here, even for heavy rigs and drivers.

Apart from the plastic top cover, the actuators are made entirely of aluminum and feature a very simple yet elegant design. The build quality is good, and visually, they bear little resemblance to industrial motors, which often have a very rough appearance. Considering the performance specifications and what’s included in the package, the price is attractively competitive compared to many rival motion systems.

In practice, the driving experience is impressive across the board: The system responds powerfully, extremely quickly, and without any noticeable delay. The forces are so immense that they had to be partially reduced during testing. Load changes, road bumps, and handling in curves are conveyed by the system with precision and confidence at all times. In short: It’s a blast to drive, the unit offers enormous power reserves, and the value for money is very competitive compared to the competition.

Software

Of course, to take full advantage of the system’s capabilities, you’ll also need the right software. MOZA’s Motion Manager software walks users through the setup process step by step, so the initial setup is complete in just a few seconds. All you need to provide is the distance between the actuators (the automatically detected distance may vary slightly) and the assignment of each actuator to its corresponding port on the controller. Once both have been assigned, setup is complete. If necessary, the firmware of the controller or the individual actuators can then be updated. After that, you can head out onto the track or manually test the movements in the software. The latter is recommended to avoid collisions with, for example, an external monitor.

Anyone already familiar with the MOZA Pit House will find their way around here very quickly. However, the software is also very easy for complete beginners to understand, as it is very well-organized and the most important features are clearly separated. The automatically assignable profiles are particularly handy. Unfortunately, the software was not yet fully mature during the testing period, but there were constant improvements at very short intervals, and feedback from beta testers was addressed very quickly. Overall, additional customization options such as separate acceleration and deceleration settings would be desirable here. However, given the rapid, steady pace of development, these features should be available very soon.

Settings and Realism

When it comes to the settings, the first step is to understand a few basic principles. Pitch describes the platform’s forward or backward tilt, roll describes the sideways tilt, and heave describes the up-and-down movement. In addition, there are separate settings for roll and pitch acceleration, which are applied when the vehicle accelerates along the respective axes. There is also the heave effect, which can best be interpreted as a representation of the vehicle’s move

• Motion Effects:
  • Pitch + Pitch Acceleration
  • Roll + Roll Acceleration
  • Heave
• Haptic Effects:
  • Road Details
  • Traction Control
  • ABS
  • Engine Vibration
  • Gear Shift
  • Wheel Slip

For all motion effects, you can adjust both the intensity and the smoothness individually (higher values make the movements smoother, but also slower). For the additional haptic effects, you can configure the intensity and the frequency or duration individually for each effect.

Ultimately, you’ll need to create your own profile, but you can use the user profiles provided by MOZA (recommendation: Soft) as a starting point. It’s up to each sim racer to decide to what extent they want to adjust the settings toward realism or an immersive experience. For this review, very conservative settings with very low values for the motion effects were used almost throughout, which were slightly below even the suggested soft profiles. This allows you to still clearly feel the vehicle’s movements while avoiding extreme values and strong effects. During the beta phase, the additional haptic effects were not yet used in testing, though this did not detract from the motion experience.

A handy tool is the Floating Panel, which consolidates all settings in a compact view and can be displayed over other windows. Here, you have all parameters at your fingertips at a glance and can adjust them very conveniently, especially when switching between profiles.

Noise and Power Consumption

Although one might expect a motion system to require a great deal of power, MOZA Racing’s motion system proved to be very energy-efficient during testing. Aside from the relatively high power consumption of about 30 watts in idle mode, the entire system typically required only 50 to 75 watts during normal driving operations. A startup current limiter was also unnecessary:

• Idle with the power supply turned on: ~30 watts
• Operation with moderate settings: <100 watt

When it comes to noise levels, the picture is mixed. If the system is used with the included, lightly rubberized feet and their mounts, it’s best to place additional anti-vibration mats underneath. Whether you can use the rig in a rental apartment depends heavily on the specific situation. Key factors include the floor’s sound insulation, the selected motion settings, and likely also the neighbors’ tolerance. However, due to the potential for structure-borne sound transmission, the system is not really suitable for unrestricted use in a living room.

Compatible Games

Below is a list of the titles currently listed as compatible in the software. AI support also enables compatibility with various other titles, although this feature was not used during testing.

• American Truck Simulator
• Assetto Corsa
• Assetto Corsa Competizione
• Assetto Corsa Evo
• Assetto Corsa Rally
• Automobilista 2
• BeamNG.drive
• DiRT 4, DiRT Rally 2.0
• EA SPORTS™ WRC
• Euro Truck Simulator 2
• F1 2018, F1 2019, F1 2020, F1 2021, F1 22, F1 23, F1 24, F1 25
• Farming Simulator 22, Farming Simulator 25
• Fernbus Simulator
• Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5, Forza Horizon 6, Forza Motorsport
• iRacing
• KartKraft
• Le Mans Ultimate
• LFS
• Project CARS, Project CARS 2, Project CARS 3
• Project Motor Racing
• RaceRoom Racing Experience
• rFactor 2
• Richard Burns Rally
• Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
• WRC 8 FIA World Rally Championship, WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship, WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship, WRC Generations – The FIA WRC Official Game

DIY Project: Adapter for Vibration Dampers

In keeping with the topic of noise, here’s a little DIY project. The 3D-printed adapter connects the EluFlex SB M8 vibration damper to the existing feet, further reducing noise and vibrations in the room by a noticeable amount.

LEDs

The actuators have an LED strip on the top that will be controllable directly via the software in the future. It will likely then be possible to display telemetry data as colored accents (such as TC/ABS interventions).

Video

Conclusion

The MOZA HMA150 is a powerful motion system with enormous capacity, high-quality construction, and an excellent price-performance ratio. Thanks to its simple setup, straightforward start-up, and user-friendly software, MOZA is bringing motion technology out of its previous niche. This makes the high-end experience, which was previously hardly affordable for the mainstream or often only feasible for DIY enthusiasts, accessible to a broader audience. Currently, the software still exhibits minor flaws, though these were continuously improved during the testing period. Once these are resolved, the HMA150 will offer an exceptionally attractive overall package that could permanently transform the motion market.

Motion

MOZA Racing HMA150

PROS

• Plug & Play
• Price/performance ratio
• 150 mm travel and 300 mm/s speed
• Low latency
• Scope of delivery
• Ease of installation

CONS

• Closed Ecosystem
• (Software as of the time of testing)

MSRP 3.199 €

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COMMUNITY SCORE

6,5 / 10 (17 votes)