Have you ever used your Fanatec wheel and thought, “Hmmmm, these paddle shifters are just not clicky enough…” Well my friends, we may have a solution for you, the Creosim MPS-15 Paddle Shifters.
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What are the Creosim MPS-15 Paddle Shifters? The MPS-15’s replace the stock Fanatec paddle shifters that utilize a spring, and improve the shifting experience – according to Creosim – by utilizing magnets for a quicker snap-back action. This quicker snap back creates a more positive feeling and ensures no missed shifts.
The Creosim MPS-15 Paddle Shifters are compatible with the Fanatec Formula Wheels and Fanatec Universal Hub, and even custom wheels if they use the Fanatec hole pattern of course.
The paddles cost 139,0€ in the EU (includes VAT) or 111,2€ outside the EU, which isn’t inexpensive but is in-line with other magnet paddle shifters out there.
But this price does put them at about half the price of the Fanatec Formula rim I reviewed them on, so at that price, they need to be good.
My first impression of the MPS-15 was positive. They were nicely packaged – although it should be noted that this is a pre-production unit and packaging could change – and all the parts and pieces had a quality feel.
Speaking of the parts and pieces, you receive the shifter units, the bolts needed to attach them, and the two piece extended GT-style paddles for larger diameter wheels.
It must also be noted that the silver and black pre-production shifter units you see here will change to all black when the production units come out, which I think is a good move to keep the murdered-out-look of the Fanatec wheels going.
Installation was pretty straight forward thanks to a nice video that you can watch at Creosim’s website, www.creosim.com. The only tough part is ensuring that you have the tools you need, which include 8/64th’s allen wrench – or the metric equivalent – for the hex bolts on the front of the wheel and needle nose pliers needed to remove and reconnect the wire bundles. If you do not have these tools, you’re going to need to pick them up because there’s really no way to install the shifter paddles without them.
The MPS-15 features three intensity settings. If you look at the top of the paddle shifters, there are three holes to give you three different locations for the magnet. As you move the magnet closer to the paddle, you increase the force needed to activate the paddle. Adjusting the magnet is as simple as unscrewing the bolt, pushing the magnet to a new hole locations, and reinstalling the bolt.
Let’s now talk performance.
Full disclosure. When I was first contacted by Creosim about the MPS-15, I said, “Why?” I had no issue with the base Fanatec paddle shifters and had always thought they were quite good.
With that said, once I started using the MPS-15’s, I could see that they are a significant step up. I really did enjoy how positive they feel, and although I can’t have you feel them for yourself, obviously, I think you can clearly hear how positive they are (in the video review).
While missing shifts was never an issue for me with the base paddle shifters on the Fanatec wheels, I can clearly see how the MPS-15 eliminates this issue if you struggle with it. You have to apply a fair amount of force to activate them, especially when you have the magnet in the position closest to the paddles.
But it’s not too much force. I drove a good number of laps with the magnet in this position and my fingers didn’t fatigue.
But there was one issue that I did experience. The left paddle for downshifting felt really good and had a positive pull and click. The right paddle on the other hand, was a little soft…
It wasn’t a huge difference but I could feel and hear that my right paddle wasn’t coming into contact with its magnet as well as the left paddle was.
I passed this along to Creosim and they said that the issue was due to inconsistencies in the countersinking for the magnet holes on the pre-production units and that the issue has been corrected for the production units.
I was able to work around this issue a bit by using the hole closest to the paddle which masked the issue significantly compared to the inside hole position, and if I ran the left paddle in the middle hole, it balanced them out to about the same.
Lets get to our Final Thoughts. The Creosim MPS-15 Paddle Shifters are a solution to a problem that, maybe exists. I don’t think there’s an inherent issue with the base Fanatec paddle shifters.
With that said, I did enjoy these paddle shifters. The magnet design does result in a better feel than the stock spring.
As for the countersinking issue, I am going to take Creosim at it’s word that it has indeed been fixed, in part because they had a clear response when I contacted them about it, indicating to me that it had been identified and rectified.
This problem being fixed is required for me to recommend the MPS-15’s. Even though I still enjoyed them despite the issue, I didn’t have to pony up over $100 for them, and that is a price point that requires them to be flawless.
So, my recommendation of the Creosim MPS-15 Paddle Shifters come with some conditions. If you don’t care for the base – spring – Fanatec paddle shifters, and the click of the MPS-15’s get you all hot and bothered, and if you think the issue I encountered has been fixed, then I say buy them. I think you’ll really enjoy them.
And if you don’t meet those criteria, then I understand. While I do like them a lot despite the issue, I didn’t have to pay for them, and considering the price point and all the other things you could spend your money on in sim racing, they are a premium product with a premium price tag.
