A Comparative Performance Analysis of Load Cell and Hall-Effect Brake Sensors in Sim Racing

Alongside the general growth in gaming and esports, competitive simulated (sim) racing has specifically surged in popularity in recent years, leading to an increased demand for understanding performance. In recent work, braking-related metrics were identified among the key indicators of successful sim racing performance. While load cell sensors currently serve as the industry standard for brake hardware, sensors like the Hall sensor may provide another viable option. No study to date has compared the performance of these braking sensors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sim racing performance differed when racing using a load cell or Hall brake sensor. Twenty (<i>N</i> = 20) experienced sim racers raced with both the load cell and Hall brake sensors (with load cell behaviour mimicked on the Hall sensor) in a repeated measures design. Paired samples <i>t</i>-tests, Wilcoxon-signed rank tests, and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests were used to test for differences in lap time, driving behaviour metrics, and subjective responses between the two sensors. Results showed that participants achieved faster lap times using the load cell brake sensor (average lap time (<i>p</i> = 0.071); fastest lap time (<i>p</i> = 0.052)) and displayed braking behaviour more aligned with that of a "faster racer". The differences observed may be potentially attributed to differences in in-game response curves between two brake sensors, which specifically may impact both the initial, and trail braking, phases.