Asetek Initium Racing Bundle review: Budget sim racing done right

Asetek has three other product lines, namely, La Prima, Forte, and Invicta. All three offer an immersive and professional sim racing experience with the Invicta being the top of the line offering. With the Initium bundle, the company has brought its expertise and learnings to the relatively budget segment. This means excellent build quality paired with precise driving haptics and feedback. The 5 Nm torque gives a wide dynamic range for relaying the nuances of driving on a track or offroad. But with the capability of pushing 8 Nm, it offers more value than the competition.

The pedal set not only looks good but performs just as well. The Hall sensor backed throttle is great and the two-step spring loaded brake (also Hall sensor backed) takes the experience to the next level. While not the most ergonomically customizable, the dual-mode capability makes the pedal set perfect for a sim rig installation. As for the steering wheel, it is comfortable with ample input options, and the paddles are quiet enough to not bother people around. They could have been a bit bigger though. 

The Asetek Initium Racing Bundle is priced at €713 for the European market and $599 for the US. However, it is currently only available in the European market and it is unclear when it will make its way this side of the pond. There are other Asetek products available in the US so it’s likely a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’.

The Initium lineup also includes a Racing Bundle II that comes with a 2-in-1 cockpit and a compact race seat. This bundle is priced at $1,049 (€1,179). Asetek has a clutch, throttle, and brake upgrade, as well as boost kit for the wheelbase.  

The Asetek Initium racing bundle is a complete package with ample power and upgrade options.

For being a bundle, the Asetek Initium kit comes in individual boxes for the wheelbase, steering wheel, and the pedals. Bundles from Moza, Turtle Beach, and others are generally packed within a single box making them much easier to put away when not being used. As for packaging, everything is foam protected and easy to assemble. The mounting hardware, desk clamp, and cables are neatly arranged as well. Asetek also provides extra springs for the brake and throttle to increase their stiffness.

“Initium” means entry and the Asetek bundle is an entry-level offering from the company known for its more premium La Prima, Forte, and Invicta series. Despite its cheaper price tag, the build quality is excellent and the company has made smart decisions on what corners to cut. Everything feels solid and well put together.

The extruded aluminum wheelbase is quite heavy at 5.7 kg and that’s because it houses up to 8 Nm of direct drive torque, though the standard bundle includes an adapter that only allows for 5.5 Nm. That’s not a compromise as it is perfectly in line with the similarly priced Moza R5 (check out our review) and Thrustmaster T598-P bundles, as well as the more expensive Fanatec CSL DD QR2 bundle. There is a quick release mechanism as well that we struggled with at first, but it got better overtime. The steering wheel got locked in place and wouldn’t come out as easily as it is supposed to with the “quick release.” We reached out to Asetek and they recommended a firm tap on the steering wheel to detach it. This is apparently an issue with first connections but it gets easier and smoother with subsequent attempts.

The steering wheel is made from automotive-grade injection molded plastic and has a rubber grip. Asetek has decided to not use leather here which, honestly, doesn’t take anything away from the driving experience. The buttons are well laid out and fairly easy to reach. The LEDs for the rev counter are a nice addition to this budget racing bundle. At the back are two magnetic paddles and they are soft, quiet, but not the most accessible when the hands are not in the ideal position on the steering wheel.

Coming to the pedals, Asetek has brought its learnings from the premium kits into the Initium pedal kit. There is throttle and brake with room for a clutch pedal. They both use Hall sensors for input and the brake pedal has a two-step spring loaded actuation. The pedals also have a ‘Cockpit’ and a ‘Floor’ mode that allows changing the angle of the throttle and brake, depending on how it’s being used. The pedal set is made from glassfibre reinforced composite material and the finish looks really good.

We tested the Asetek Initium bundle for about a month and ran it through the typical gauntlet of games including Forza Horizon 5, F1 2025, Dirt Rally 2.0, Project Cars 3, and Assetto Corsa Competizione on PC. Other than Forza Horizon 5, the bundle worked out of the box with some remapping within the game settings. For some reason, Forza Horizon 5 would just crash when the Initium wheelbase was connected, an issue that did not exist with the Moza R5 or the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 (check out our review). However, using Vjoy and Forza Emuwheel solved this issue. Some other minor issues include the D-pad being a bit stiff and the backlit buttons, as well as the rev LEDs, not lighting up unless RaceHub has been launched once.

The driving experience with the Asetek Initium bundle is excellent. Especially in Assetto Corsa Competizione and F1 2025, the feel of the track is translated to the hands through precise and dynamic vibrations. Going over kerbs, grass, gravel, or ripping on the track sends accurate feedback to the steering wheel. The force feedback, which Asetek calls “real 5.5 Nm,” is punchy and demands strong inputs for counter steering and course corrections. A rig mounted setup is ideal for the Initium bundle, but a solid desk will work too.

The pedals are what set the Initium bundle apart from the competition. Even though they lack the height and gap adjustments, and there is no rubber padding on the plates, the driving feel makes up for all of it. With the stock softer springs, there is ample resistance for me to have a wide input range. The two-step spring loaded brake works amazingly for modulating the braking, as well as braking consistently. Asetek has done a great job with the pedals. Plus, there are several upgrade options as well including load cell brake, hydraulic brake, and a more precise throttle upgrade.

Lastly, the RaceHub software works as intended. It offers granular adjustments for the wheelbase and pedals. The feedback adjustment is also detailed yet straightforward, if you know how the various settings impact the driving feel. Of course, you can have different profiles with different values depending on the games you are playing.