Part 2: Best Sim Racing Wheel and Pedal Setup for Euro Truck Simulator 2 & ATS

Choosing the right hardware for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator means starting from a deliberately different set of priorities than a racing rig, not simply scaling one down. A driver moving from a keyboard or gamepad to a wheel mainly wants to know what to buy, in what order, and which choices actually change the feel. This guide lays out exactly that: the one package that covers the essentials, the upgrades worth making later, and how the two games shift the buying order. For the full mechanical reasoning behind each choice, the Ultimate Truck Simulator Hardware Guide for ETS2 and ATS covers the theory in depth.

What Actually Matters When Buying

A few realities of heavy vehicles should guide the main hardware choices, and getting them right prevents the most common money-wasting mistakes a sim trucker can make.

• Steering is light, not heavy. Real trucks use hydraulic power steering, so a heavier trailer never makes the wheel harder to turn. Buying a high-torque base to "carry the load" is the most common mistake; what matters is a clean low-speed signal and a large rim.

• The rim is the single biggest change. Real truck wheels measure roughly 450 to 510 mm, so a 400 mm round rim, rather than a 280 mm GT wheel, sets the correct steering pace immediately.

• Braking is pressure-based. Air brakes meter force through a treadle valve, so a force-reading load cell set soft is the authentic brake, while a travel-reading Hall pedal is a perfectly good starting point.

• Shifting is manual and knob-driven. An H-pattern shifter suits older rigs, with the range and splitter living on the shift knob; modern automated trucks need none of it.

• Sessions are long. Comfort and column-mounted controls matter far more than they would across a twenty-minute race.

The Setup, From Foundation to Full Build

Start here: the MOZA Trucking Bundle

The fastest way to fix the three things that matter most at once is the MOZA Trucking Bundle, which pairs a 5.5 Nm R5 direct-drive base with the 400 mm TSW Truck Wheel, the SR-P Lite pedals, and the included truck wheel clamp to mount it. Entry-level direct drive delivers the clean, low-frequency detail that long-haul driving lives on, the truck-diameter rim corrects the steering pace instantly, and the Hall-sensor pedals handle throttle and braking smoothly. Everything in it runs on PC, matching the only platform ETS2 and ATS ship on. For a driver who simply wants the right starting point without assembling parts individually, this single package is the recommendation.

Add for manual rigs: clutch and H-shifter

Older trucks reward a three-pedal, H-pattern layout, and this is the first upgrade most drivers make. Adding the SR-P Lite Clutch turns the bundle's two pedals into a full three-pedal manual set, while a metal H-pattern unit such as the MOZA HGP Shifter supplies the deliberate, mechanical throw a loaded gearbox deserves. On a real 18-speed the range and splitter sit on the shift knob itself, and a third-party replica USB knob fitted to the shifter recreates that pre-selection; mapping the two switches to wheel-hub buttons remains the no-extra-purchase fallback. Drivers sticking to modern automated trucks can skip this tier entirely.

Upgrade for detail and heavy haul

Once trucking becomes a primary focus, a stronger base buys resolution rather than raw weight. Stepping up to a 9 Nm base like the MOZA R9 V3 widens the dynamic range, giving sharp curb and pothole impacts, deep suspension travel, and fine road texture more headroom before the signal clips. 

For more authentic braking, a load-cell set such as the MOZA SRP2 Pedals, whose brake firmness adjusts through swappable elastomers set to their softest option, echoes the spongy modulation of a real air brake far better than a stiff race configuration. The aim is the soft, long-travel feel of a pneumatic brake, not the stiff, short-travel response of a race setup. Neither of these is a first purchase; they reward drivers who already log long hours and want the last layer of fidelity.

Finish for immersion: stalks and hub controls

A truck cab runs on secondary controls, and replacing keyboard presses with physical inputs is what separates a generic rig from a cockpit. Dedicated column stalks like the MOZA Multi-function Stalks add auto-cancelling turn signals, wipers, and lights exactly where a commercial driver expects them, while the backlit buttons and thumbwheels on the TSW rim keep camera and mirror adjustments off the keyboard during a tight reversing maneuver.

Where Not to Spend First

Knowing what to skip early protects the budget as much as knowing what to buy.

• Maximum torque. Because power steering keeps the wheel light, a higher-torque base of 12 Nm or more adds cost without changing how a truck drives; a mid-range 9 Nm base already has all the headroom the discipline needs.

• A load-cell brake on day one. The Hall-sensor pedals in the bundle are smooth enough to learn on, so a force-reading load cell is a later refinement rather than a starting requirement.

• A suede GT rim. Suede suits short high-grip race stints, whereas long deliveries reward a durable grip surface and, far more importantly, the larger truck diameter.

• Paddle or sequential shifters. Heavy trucks do not change gears with paddles, so a sequential or paddle add-on is not the gearbox upgrade these games call for; the H-pattern shifter is.

ETS2 vs ATS: What Changes Your Buy

Both titles share a physics engine and a PC-only home, but their regional flavors pull the buying order in different directions.

In practice, an ETS2-first buyer can defer the clutch and shifter and redirect that budget toward comfort and column stalks. European routes lean on automated transmissions and dense, low-speed maneuvering through cities and roundabouts, so the large rim and the secondary controls earn their keep far more often than a manual gearbox does. The money is better spent making long cruises comfortable and keeping signals and wipers off the keyboard.

An ATS-first buyer should treat the clutch and H-pattern shifter as foundational rather than optional. Classic American rigs and long graded descents make splitting gears by hand the core of the experience, so the gearbox interface deserves budget priority alongside the wheel itself. The stronger base and load-cell brake then follow naturally for drivers tackling heavy-haul cargo over mountain passes.

A driver who splits time between both games can safely start with the bundle, then add the clutch and shifter as soon as ATS becomes the main focus. Because every component shares the same quick-release standard, the same base carries a truck rim during the day and a racing rim at night, so none of this hardware is locked to a single discipline.

The Bottom Line

For most drivers, the MOZA Trucking Bundle is the setup to start with, since it corrects the rim, the base, and the pedals in a single step on the right platform, and nothing else needs buying to start driving well. From there, the upgrade that changes the most depends on the game: the clutch and shifter for ATS, comfort and stalks for ETS2, with a stronger base and a soft load-cell brake reserved for those chasing the final layer of authenticity. Buying in that order keeps every euro or dollar pointed at the change a sim trucker will actually feel. Readers who want the full reasoning behind each component will find it in the Ultimate Truck Simulator Hardware Guide for ETS2 and ATS.