Hi @Jay_Barry
Shuji at Zwift HQ here. I looked at your server logs and see you have a Zwift Hub trainer with the latest firmware v5.2.2. The firmware version is important as that’s where the magic happens to enable virtual shifting.
I also happen to have a Zwift Hub and own two road bikes: one is 11 speed and other 12 speed. The Zwift Cog’s benefit to me is that I don’t have to change the cassette on the trainer if I want to switch bikes. If you have multiple bikes in the house - this will also benefit you.
If you only have one bike to worry about - you don’t absolutely need a Zwift cog per se. You can leave your multi-gear cassette on your Zwift Hub trainer and still use virtual shifting as long as you get a Zwift Click shifter a la carte, OR a set of Play controllers. I happen to have both, and you can use them together, but it’s overkill unless you have a tri bike. For tri bikes - putting the Click at the end of your aero extensions is wonderful, and you should get both.
The Play controllers are really nice because they let you navigate the game menus without having a keyboard for your PC nearby.
If you get one or the other shift controller - make sure you update the firmware on those devices first before pairing them to Zwift.