Button Boxes

A button box adds the switches, encoders, and toggles you can't fit on a wheel, so the buying decision is mostly about input count and type, build quality, and how it connects. Pro units like the Cube Controls GT PRO V2 and Fanatec Podium Button Module Endurance pack dense, high-quality switchgear with rotary encoders and clearly labeled functions for assigning brake bias, traction control, and engine maps. Enthusiast boxes such as the Simplayer 3.5-inch control box, SIM-PANEL R Gen 2, and MiYee offer a generous spread of buttons and toggles at a more accessible level, while beginner options like the PXN CB1, SIMPUSH, and Thrustmaster box cover the basics for adding a handful of bindings.

Connection and mounting matter next. Many boxes are plain USB so they work with any base regardless of ecosystem, which makes them flexible add-ons; check whether the unit mounts to your cockpit, wheel, or sits on the desk, and whether the switch types (momentary buttons, toggles, rotaries) match the functions you actually map.

Decide first how many inputs you genuinely need — count the in-car functions you adjust mid-race — and whether you want desk-side placement or rig mounting. If you run a Formula wheel already loaded with buttons, a smaller box may suffice; endurance and GT drivers juggling many systems benefit from a denser pro unit. Scores are spec-based, drawn from input counts and build specs, not hands-on use.