BDH Launches Revolutionary Active Shifter at Sim Racing Expo 2025

At the Sim Racing Expo 2025 in Dortmund, BDH added a completely new chapter to the evolution of sim racing hardware: the BDH Active Shifter. Where traditional H-pattern shifters end, this revolutionary innovation really takes off. For the first time, there is a shifter on the market that not only responds to your action, but also actively pushes back with realistic feedback based on the virtual physics of your car.

This launch marks not only a new product, but a technological milestone in the history of sim racing. BDH shows that simulation can be more than just steering, braking and shifting. With the Active Shifter, they bring the finesse of mechanical shifting to an unprecedented level of realism.

'Active Shifting': a new standard in experience

Built on the robust foundation of the legendary BDH H1 “Bazooka”, the new BDH Active Shifter the first of its kind that actively moves with what is happening in the simulation. Via native integration with SimHub, every gear, every vibration, every moment of resistance is driven by the real physical forces from your virtual car. No pre-programmed effects, but direct mechanical feedback based on real physics.

“Feel the drivetrain, not just the shift” is not an empty promise: this is pure mechanical authenticity.

Where other shifters offer only static resistance with clicks and springs, the Active Shifter provides a dynamic system that adjusts to RPM, engine load and even clutch engagement. The result: every time you shift gears, you feel what the car feels. This makes shifting moments not only functional, but also meaningful - they contribute to your sense of driving, your focus and your connection with the car.

What makes the BDH Active Shifter unique?

Revolutionary technology

• Servo-Driven Force Feedback System: A powerful servo motor provides realistic resistance, shocks and vibration based on the behaviour of the driveline.
• Dynamic Gear Grinding & Kickback: On mis-shifting or a missed clutch, you feel real mechanical kickback. Not a script, but a live reaction.
• Zero-latency SimHub integration: Communication with SimHub is instant and without delay, making every nuance in your ride palpable.
• Dynamic gate locking: Under load or during mis-shifting, the system blocks certain paths, like a real gearbox.

Thanks to this technology, shifting feels like a dialogue between driver and machine. The Active Shifter is more than a device: it is a mechatronic extension of your driving style.

Adaptability and ergonomics

• Gate configuration customisable: Switch between 4-, 5- or 6-speed layouts, ideal for GT cars, rally cars or historic bolides.
• In-session tuning: Adjust feedback strength, vibration patterns or gate-lock settings via a convenient rotary encoder, without leaving the game.
• Right- and left-handed montage: The shifter can be mounted on either side of your rig without modification.
• Premium build quality: CNC-machined from aerospace-grade billet aluminium with a tight anodisation. No plastic, no compromise.

In addition, the modular design ensures ease of maintenance and future expandability. You can easily replace or upgrade components such as the shifter knob, encoder and even the gateplate.

More than force feedback: this lives

The BDH Active Shifter brings something that has so far been missing in sim racing hardware: active mechanical interactivity. This shifter doesn't feel like an accessory, but an integral part of your drivetrain.

• Under acceleration, the lever holds firm, as if you really feel the torque working through the driveshaft.
• In case of gear shift errors or skipping gears, you feel the kick, just like a mistake in a sequential gearbox.
• If you do not fully depress the clutch, the system lets you feel it through increased resistance or even a temporary lock-up.

It is these nuances that create an experience that will surprise even the most experienced sim racers. Instead of you controlling the shifter, the shifter communicates with you. Every interaction becomes a feedback loop, tuned to the behaviour of your digital vehicle.

Even engine noise translates into tangible vibrations. Driving an atmospheric car at high revs, you feel the intensity increase in your right hand. With a turbocharged engine, the feedback pattern changes, with subtle vibrations and higher peak loads.

SimHub integration: instant, native, future-proof

Unlike other force feedback shifters, the BDH Active Shifter does not require any external plugins or scripts. Everything works native via SimHub, which means you can count on maximum compatibility with platforms like Assetto Corsa (and Competizione), iRacing, Automobilista 2, Le Mans Ultimate and more.

• RPM = vibration: Engine vibrations are instantly converted into tactile haptic feedback.
• Clutch engagement = resistance: The shifter senses whether or not your clutch is depressed and reacts accordingly.
• Drive load = gate response: The more load on the driveline, the heavier the lever shifts.

This direct link between physical feedback and simulation behaviour makes the BDH Active Shifter unique in its class. Moreover, you can save specific settings for each vehicle profile, allowing you to tune the shifter directly to the car you are driving. This makes it not only powerful, but also efficient to use.

Control everything in real time

Via the built-in interface, you can adjust the shifter completely to your liking. Whether you drive a modern GT3 car or a classic Ford Escort from the 1970s: you effortlessly adjust your layout, resistance and feedback without interrupting your race. All settings are instantly adjustable while driving.

• Gate layout switch (4-speed, 5-speed, 6-speed)
• Haptic intensity per acceleration
• Torque hold, clutch-bite calibration and vibration profile
• Storing and loading profiles by car or class

Operation feels intuitive, as if you were working with the on-board computer of a real racing car. Small LED indicators show feedback level and gate layout, so you always know exactly what position the shifter is in.

Pre-order details & delivery

Want to be the first to get there? These are the pre-order details:

• Presale price: £1,700 (excluding VAT), regular price £1,850
• Booking: £300 deposit via BDH
• Expected delivery: March 2026
• Cancellation: Full refund possible within 14 days. After that, the deposit will be used for production planning.

Please note that the first batch is limited. So don't wait too long to reserve. Buyers from Europe can count on shipping support, import duty and montageach manuals in multiple languages.

Conclusion: a new standard has been set

The BDH Active Shifter is not an evolution, but rather a revolution. It transforms shifting from an action to an experience, powered by technology that feels like you are actually in the car. This is incredibly cool! I think the launch of this revolutionary Active Shifter is already the highlight of the Sim Racing Expo.

I have tested many shifters, from budget to high-end, but this Active Shifter feels like a completely new era. In fact, exactly what Simucube did a few years ago with the first Active Pedal. Everything about this unit oozes quality: the design, the engineering, the innovation, and especially the feedback. The native integration with SimHub is great and also the ability to make on-the-fly adjustments makes this Active Shifter a professional piece of sim racing hardware that makes sim racing even more realistic. This is definitely not a cheap shifter, but that also makes it oh so cool! Because innovation comes at a price.