Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter
A little while ago Asetek SimSports unveiled and introduced their own wheelbase lineup. Soon, it became apparent that they wouldn’t stop there and were going to open up their ecosystem to other manufacturers in the simracing market. We’ve already had the opportunity to test and review the Forte wheelbase and the Invicta wheelbase. Now, it’s time for the Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter, which opens up Asetek’s ecosystem to be used with third party steering wheels on Asetek wheelbases.
The Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter is available in the Asetek SimSports webshop with a price tag of €152.51 for a single unit or €610.05 in a bundle of 5, effectively giving you 4+1 for free.
Packaging & Contents
The package containing the Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter was delivered to us by DPD and took three days to arrive. Inside, we found a standard brown shipping box containing the product box for the Invicta Quick Release Adapter. The product box is a typical brown design, with a matte black sleeve featuring Asetek branding and relevant product information.
After removing the sleeve we can open the brown product box. Inside, we first encounter a soft, black foam layer with a card featuring a QR code, directing us to a page where we can find the product manual. Once the foam is removed, we spot the Invicta Quick Release Adapter, snugly nestled in a thick layer of softer black foam. Surrounding it are two additional extenders and the necessary mounting materials. Beneath this layer, we finally discover a large ball-headed Allen key.
The Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter
We’ve already had a glimpse of the steering wheel side of the Asetek Quick Release system with the Asetek Forte steering wheel. In this review, we briefly discussed the concept behind the system, highlighting that the Asetek Quick Release takes a unique approach by not sliding steering wheels directly onto the output shaft of the wheelbase. Instead, it involves sliding the wheel down into a groove and securing it with a spring-loaded lever. Despite some minor points to consider about the Quick Release’s design, the overall experience was highly positive. In the case of the Forte steering wheel, the steering wheel side of the Quick Release system is integrated into the housing and primarily constructed from plastic.
The Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter, on the other hand, is entirely crafted from black anodized and CNC-machined aluminum, providing a high-end look and a sturdy feel in hand. Visible on the Quick Release Adapter is the lever for detaching the steering wheel from the wheelbase, featuring the stylish ‘Invicta’ signature on the rear and the Asetek SimSports logo on the front. Inside the Invicta Quick Release Adapter, there’s a circuit board that establishes a connection with the Asetek wheelbase, utilizing a wireless USB connection on the wheelbase side. Connected to this circuit board is a female USB plug, with its cable mostly concealed within the internals of the Quick Release Adapter. The USB cable of a third-party steering wheel can then be plugged into this female USB plug, providing power to the wheel and handling the data transfer from the steering wheel to the PC. Essentially, this means that the Asetek wheelbase and Invicta Quick Release Adapter act as a direct USB port for a third-party steering wheel.
The Invicta Quick Release Adapter can be extended using the two provided aluminum extenders. Inlcuding the pre-installed piece, you receive extensions in three lengths: 80mm, 150mm, and 200mm. Notably, this allows you to increase the distance between the steering wheel and the wheelbase, but the extension occurs on the steering wheel side rather than the wheelbase side. Furthermore, an adapter plate is included with a universal hole pattern of 70mm.
It’s worth noting that in this case, we are testing and reviewing the separately available Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter. However, this isn’t the only way to use the Quick Release Adapter; Asetek also collaborates with several steering wheel manufacturers, such as Ascher Racing, GSI, and more, to provide native support for wheels from these manufacturers. This means you can purchase these wheels with a pre-mounted Asetek Quick Release, eliminating the need for cables and allowing the steering wheel to be directly powered through the wheelbase.
Mounting
Following the instructions, assembling the Invicta Quick Release is basically a breeze. We’re mounting it on our Leoxz XF1 Pro steering wheel and opt to install one of the extenders, specifically the 150mm one. However, we notice that it requires a bit more effort than we initially anticipated. We need to first loosen the 80mm piece, along with the plate connecting it to the Quick Release Adapter housing, from the inside. Afterwards, we remove the plate, attach the 150mm extender, and then reattach it to the Quick Release Adapter housing. Unfortunately, the quality control isn’t perfect in our case. While loosening the bolts, one comes off much more easily than the others, after which we notice it left some exposed aluminum material to which we hurt ourselves a tiny bit.
Mounting the Quick Release Adapter to our Leoxz XF1 Pro steering wheel is a breeze. We choose to conceal a part of the cable inside the Quick Release Adapter and wrap the remaining cable around it. With everything in place, the assembly feels incredibly sturdy. It’s worth noting that the steering wheel immediately feels somewhat larger due to the extended Quick Release Adapter, which protrudes quite a bit to the rear. With the Invicta Quick Release Adapter securely mounted, it’s time to hit the virtual track!
Using the Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter
We’ll be using the Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter on the Asetek Forte wheelbase, mounted on one of our FormulaSimRigs Avanzata sim rigs. To do this, we simply slide the Leoxz XF1 Pro steering wheel, equipped with the Invicta Quick Release Adapter, from above onto the wheelbase side of the Quick Release. The Invicta Quick Release Adapter fits nicely into place and is immediately secured by the black lever. We power on our Forte wheelbase and see the screen on our Leoxz XF1 Pro steering wheel light up. Next, we launch SimHub to control the steering wheel’s display and instantly see our custom ‘idle’ screen. It’s exciting to see that we can achieve this with a partially concealed cable, without having to plug it into a USB hub, eliminating any dangling cables.
We start off by hitting the tracks in Assetto Corsa with the RSS Formula Hybrid 2022 mod. While driving, we don’t notice any peculiarities. The Invicta Quick Release Adapter provides an experience completely free from any play, simply feeling solid and reliable. Removing and reattaching the steering wheel is done in a smooth, one-handed motion, making the wheel swaps incredibly easy. Personally, we appreciate having a bit more distance between the steering wheel and the wheelbase, and the included extenders prove to be a solution to achieve that.
Simultaneously, using the extender exposes two downsides to it. Firstly, they have a considerable diameter, meaning that when a monitor is placed between the wheelbase and the steering wheel, it can’t be lowered too much, which is sometimes desired to achieve a nice field of view (FOV). The second drawback is that, as mentioned earlier, the extender is mounted on the steering wheel side of the Invicta Quick Release. This means that now, with the Quick Release Adapter and 150mm extender mounted and the rest of our sim rig adjusted accordingly, we can no longer use the original Forte steering wheel. We have the wheelbase mounted further away from us to compensate for the length of the extender on our steering wheel. This means that if we were to mount the original Asetek Forte steering wheel, of which the Quick Release Adapter cannot be removed or modified, our arms would have to stretch too far, resulting in an uncomfortable driving experience. This puts Asetek’s own steering wheels potentially out of play when setting up your sim rig for use with an extender.
Conclusion
With the wheelbases in their lineup, Asetek has opened up the simracing market, providing more options and fewer restricted ecosystems. Asetek even embraces the desire of simracers to use third-party steering wheels on their wheelbases, and in our experience, they have largely succeeded in doing so.
The overall design and build quality are exactly what you’d expect from Asetek. The Invicta Quick Release feels incredibly solid, providing a fantastic driving experience free from any play or flex. Installing the Quick Release is not inherently difficult but may take a bit of time. Our model does have a small quality control concern as we hurt ourselves a little bit on a slightly damaged screw hole.
While we appreciate the inclusion of two additional extenders with the Quick Release Adapter, it’s a disappointment to see that these extenders are to be mounted on the steering wheel side, and not the wheelbase side. A protruding Quick Release Adapter adds a sleek aesthetic when combined with our Leoxz XF1 Pro steering wheel, enhancing the driving experience. However, it raises compatibility concerns for us. We’ve adjusted our sim rig for use with a now extended steering wheel, practically rendering the original Asetek Forte steering wheel unusable without uncomfortably stretching our arms.
With a price tag of €152.51 for a single unit, or 4+1 free for €610.05, we don’t consider it a very budget-friendly Quick Release Adapter. When compared to other brands like Simagic and Moza, the price is on the higher side, especially if you plan to use multiple steering wheels, even though those alternatives don’t offer the option to conceal your USB cable. On the flip side, the price is in line with products like the Fanatec Podium Hub, and in our view, the Asetek version scores higher on innovation, possibly justifying the cost. All in all we’re pleased to see that Asetek provides simracers the opportunity to use third-party steering wheels on their wheelbases in a solid and user-friendly manner.
The Asetek Invicta Quick Release Adapter is available at the mentioned prices in the Asetek SimSports webshop.
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