6+R H-Pattern/Sequential Shifter (Unbranded)
The majority of our reviews are initiated through a manufacturer or supplier who would like to have their product reviewed by us, which we are very grateful for. However, every now and then we also come across something unique that sparks our curiosity making us want to purchase it ourselves for a review and personal use. In this review, the latter is the case. A while ago we came across a very affordable H-Shifter which is sold unbranded on platforms such as eBay and AliExpress. We were very curious about the quality of it and decided to take the chance and share our experiences with you!
The unbranded USB H-Shifter is available in several variations and with different options. You have the choice between 6 or 7 gears (plus reverse), the option for an extra module that makes a sequential mode possible and an extra toggle switch for underneath the gear knob. You can also pick between an aluminum-colored and black housing. We opted for the black 6+R model including sequential mode and extra toggle switch. For the enthusiast a separate table clamp is also available for this shifter. As mentioned, this H-Shifter is available on sales sites such as eBay and AliExpress. At the time of writing, the model as we are going to review it has a reasonable price tag of around €75 including shipping.
Packaging & Contents
We received our unbranded H-Shifter within two weeks after ordering. It was neatly delivered in a normal, sturdy shipping box. Inside the box we find the H-Shifter with pre-assembled toggle switch firmly packed in a plastic bag of which all walls are completely filled with air. We were quite impressed with this very neat packaging and we expect that the chance of damage during shipment is virtually nil. Furthermore, we find a bag with the part for sequential mode and a bag with mounting materials.
Technology & Quality
Our first impression is that the quality of this shifter is surprisingly good. The housing is, except for the top plate with the gates for the gears, completely made of aluminum and feels very solid. The design is quite plain, but in our opinion it looks nice and it clearly shows that this shifter is built on functionality. The base of the housing, with the mounting slots for the bolts, is a good size and thanks to the wide slots you can find a place on almost every shifter plate to secure it properly. If you have a sim rig based on aluminum profiles you can also choose to mount two parts 40×40 profile with a length of 10cm perpendicular to your frame or shifter arm for the most elegant solution, or an 80×40 profile of +/- 15cm in length on which the shifter fits exactly.
The mechanical part of this H-Shifter is ingenious; you push the shaft between a set of wheels which are pushed against each other with the help of small springs on the other side. These same wheels keep the shifter in place when you’re in gear or neutral. This whole mechanism is attached to the bottom of the housing, where again there are springs that allow the shaft to move sideways but also ensure that it always returns to its center position. The gear lever has a diameter of 8mm. It provides a good solid feel when shifting to start with, but that also means that, with a standard 8mm thread, the gear knob is interchangeable with an infinite number of options of universal gear knobs. Would you prefer a skull, samurai sword or a stylish gear knob with an H-pattern on top, it’s really all possible. The supplied gear knob is very neutral, but feels great with its solid weight and fits comfortably in the hand with its size. Purchasing a universal shift knob is therefore absolutely not a must for a pleasant experience with this shifter. Also, the height of the gear knob can be adjusted slightly by fastening it further down on the screw thread and securing it with the flange nut. With the shifter on our table, we try to get an impression of the resistance it offers during shifting. We notice that you will have to exert a fair amount of force to push the gear lever into a gear; with the shifter not fixed, we easily push it away from us before the lever falls into gear. This makes us very curious about the experience while driving.
In terms of electronics, the H-Shifter is just as simple and functional as the housing and the mechanical part. At the end of each gear slot is a standard micro switch which is pressed by the shaft of the gear lever, these micro switches can be seen from the outside. All switches are connected to each other with two PCBs and a third PCB transmits the data through a 4-pin connector. The PCBs and microswitches are attached to the top of the shifter which you can remove and inside is the 4-pin female connector which sends the output to the USB cable. This connection makes removing and reassembling the top plate including microswitches and PCBs very easy.
Usage
The H-Shifter is plug-and-play in Windows; after mounting it on our Trak Racer TR8 Pro sim rig and plugging it into the USB port, it is instantly recognized and usable without having to install any drivers. On consoles, this shifter will unfortunately not work. We are going to use the H-Shifter along with the Cammus GT1 DD Bundle and Venym Atrax 3 pedals in Assetto Corsa; assigning all gears in Content Manager goes smoothly and the shifter is ready for use straight away.
While driving we immediately notice that it does indeed take some effort to push the lever into a gear. Of course, this is not a very hard exercise, but you certainly have to be assertive when operating the shifter, which means it definitely does not feel like a toy or a cheap shifter. We would say that the effort you have to put in to shift gears is comparable to that of a manual shifter in a normal passenger car. Because you also have to push the shifter through a mechanical obstruction, the feeling you get through the lever is somewhat comparable to that of a real car and given the price and simplicity of the shifter that is quite impressive.
Thanks to the rounded edges, the gear lever is easily guided into the next gear and choosing the wrong gear is not a quick occurrence. A small exception to this is the fifth to sixth gear on our 6+R model, you also have to push it outwards assertively to prevent the gear lever from sliding to fourth gear by itself, while the reverse is also quite easy to find. What is important to realize, and what can cause some ‘mis-shifts’, is that the microswitches are at the end of the gear slots. In other words, the gear is only registered as soon as the lever is completely at the end point, meaning you cannot already release the clutch while you drop the lever into gear. Assetto Corsa interprets this as a shift to neutral, even though the lever is in gear afterwards. This requires you to press and release the clutch again to get the car into the selected gear. Here too, it is therefore best to be assertive with the gear changes and it is better to push the gear lever into gear with great confidence when you want to switch quickly. In our view, this does contribute to the shifter experience and provides a more engaged feeling when shifting. Shifting is extremely smooth and satisfying thanks to the used wheels and springs and it also sounds very mechanical, which we think is fantastic. This sound production can be experienced as a drawback when there are other people around whom you do not want to disturb. On our Instagram we have placed a reel with the sound it produces and a short impression of the H-Shifter.
The sequential module is very simple but effective, you mount it with a bolt and a nut around the gear lever and drop it into the slots for the third and fourth gears, after which you can assign third and fourth gear as ‘gear up’ and ‘gear down’ inputs. This module extends the shift lever in both directions, reaching the microswitch earlier and reducing the stroke of the lever. The module pushes the gear lever into the resistance of the wheels and the springs, but not through them. This short stroke makes the sequential mode feel very responsive and the resistance requires some assertiveness here too, but not as much as when shifting with the H-pattern. A nice extra possibility with the sequential module is that you could also use it as a simple handbrake in this setup. Since this module has almost no additional cost, but does convert the H-Shifter into a sequential shifter with a completely different feel, we would always suggest to order this module. We find the only drawback that this module is plain white, which looks quite cheap on our otherwise completely black shifter.
The obvious white color also applies to the extra toggle switch which you can mount on the shaft of the gear lever. Of course we also installed the toggle switch but do not think it adds very much. In the first place, this toggle switch is easily accessible with your fingers around the shift knob, but you also feel it getting in the way when shifting, which we find quite distracting. In addition, it is a continuous toggle switch for which we have not been able to think of very many useful applications. We would have found a momentary toggle switch a bit more practical in order to be able to be used for more purposes.
Conclusion
The unbranded H-Shifter has surprised us very positively in all respects. For its price, the shifter is very well built and practical and we are especially happy to see that the housing is not entirely plastic or 3D printed but aluminum, which gives it a very sturdy and solid feel. Mechanically, the H-Shifter is very simple but effective, which makes it all the more impressive that the feeling of shifting feels so sublime and powerful. Operating the gear lever requires the necessary assertiveness, which definitely adds to the experience. The electronics are also very simple and functional. The only slightly vulnerable thing we see here are the microswitches which are visibly quite exposed, but otherwise everything looks neatly concealed and durable.
Additional pros are the sequential module, which transforms the shifter into a very pleasant sequential experience and with which you can also use the shifter as a simplified handbrake, and the exchangeable shift knob with a universal 8mm thread. The base of the shifter is a nice size and we foresee that it should be able to fit to almost any universal shifter plate. If we had to mention negatives, in our case it would be the extra continuous toggle switch, the unattractive white color of the toggle switch and sequential module, and the noise produced by the shifter. We find this mechanical sound very satisfying and certainly contribute something to the experience, but this can surely be negative if you like to race in absolute silence.
All in all, we find this unbranded H-Shifter absolutely sublime and impressive for its price. For those looking for an H-Shifter with or without a sequential mode, we would definitely consider this a no-brainer to get. We can definitely say this is a keeper on our simrig. The H-Shifter as we reviewed it cost us a reasonable €75,- including shipping and is available on various sales sites such as eBay and AliExpress.
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