In the world of sim racing there are only a few real players when it comes to steering wheels. Generally the more money you spend on
your virtual racing products the higher the performance is likely to be. Personally I would say the better steering wheels on the
market are:
There are other steering wheels available but generally these are the wheels that most people use. Please note that the G25, G27 and
DFGT have not particularly good pedal sets with them, whilst I believe the other virtual steering wheels come with no pedals. However,
the aforementioned wheels and the fanatec wheels can also be used with XBox 360 and the PlayStation 3 if that floats your boat.
There are various modifications that can be made to try to improve the bad brake sets that come with the cheaper steering wheels, but for
best performance you are best off looking into a good set of sim racing brake pedals.
Fanatec Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3
This is no ordinary sim racing hardware. This is the actual wheel for the 2022 BMW M4 GT3 race car, engineered by Fanatec in collaboration with BMW Motorsport.
That’s right, for the first time in sim racing history, a steering wheel has been developed simultaneously for both real and virtual racing.
Revealed at BMW SIM LIVE 2020, the Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3 represents the latest chapter in Fanatec's long partnership with BMW.
The Fanatec CSW v2 Servo Wheel is designed for a broad audience, Fanatec claim the wheel base is as close to a real car as you can get. While this may not be stricly accurate, the wheel base is one of the best on the market, especially for the price. It's not cheap, but you pay for quality. There are now a few more expensive options that you can choose from like the Leo Bodnar SimSteering, the OSW or the ...
The Fanatec CSW v2 base unit does not come with a steering wheel rim, you will need to buy that separately, there are plenty of different wheel rims available depending upon your chosen favourite sim racing vehicle or discipline. Fanatec calls these exchangeable wheel rims as they work with a quick release mechanism like in a real racing car. ?Exchange a steering wheel during the game within seconds with the improved and automotive grade quick release system. The v2 wheel base unit also has compatibility to consoles via optional ClubSport Steering Wheels to make this Wheel Base compatible to the latest gaming consoles.
The ClubSport Wheel Base V2 is a masterpiece of Germaneering® and sets new standards for performance and reliability. The ClubSport Wheel Base V2 is a complete redesign in both electronics and mechanics, Fanatec have used all their experience to build the ultimate sim racing wheel. The ClubSport Wheel Base V2 is made of heavy duty materials which are CNC machined aluminum parts in stunning anodized finish. The powerful brushless servo motor is incredible smooth and delivers super fast and instant acceleration. No dead spots around the center. The v2 wheelbase has an improved belt drive with big ball bearings, free of drag or belt slipage and feels almost like a direct drive wheel. As well as this the wheel base uses DirectSensor™ Technology and has double hall sensors on both motor and directly on the steering axis this provides unmatched precision and reliabity.
Features
Choose from a growing selection of very realistic steering wheels in many different styles
Quick release system to allow the easy exchange of steering wheels within seconds during gameplay
Wheel base made of CNC machined aluminum parts with anodized finish
Rock solid: Product weight 4200 g, product dimensions (L x W x H) 210 mm x 295 mm x 150 mm
DirectSensor™ technology: The sensor is mounted directly on the steering axis to avoid interference and performance issues that are inherent in belt and gear drives that have motor mounted sensor systems
DUAL HALL technology: One Sensor is mounted on the motor and a second one on the axis. It can hardly get more precise than this
Ultra strong brushless servo motor plus two vibration motors in the steering wheel (depending on the model)
New cooling system with big fans (also on the backside) and a huge heat sink
Revised belt drive mechanism that's made completely of metal and uses high quality ball bearings and European belts to deliver the smoothest, most precise force feedback possible
Belt tension has been increased to avoid any slip and bearings have been added or increased to minimize the drag
Mount for ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles and other optional accessories
Firmware can be updated with new features
900° of rotation which can be reduced in the Tuning menu of the attached ClubSport Steering Wheel
Fast 500 Hz USB update rate
Connection for two external shifters (e.g. H-pattern and sequential) in parallel
Compatibility
All Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheels made for the ClubSport Wheel Base
All Fanatec pedals
G25/G27 pedals (with optional adapter)
All Fanatec Shifter sets
All Fanatec Cockpits and Wheel Stands. The drilling pattern is compatible to the Porsche 911 or CSR wheels
Xbox One: The compatibility can be upgraded with (optional) steering wheels like the Universal Hub for Xbox One or the CSL P1 steering wheel. If there is any steering wheel without Xbox license attached then the base will NOT provide compatibility to Xbox One
To go with the Fanatec Wheel Base you will need a sim racing steering wheel rim, you can choose from the following models.
Ultimate Performance
Introducing the Podium DD2, the ultimate force feedback experience. Breakthrough technology, incredible performance. Quite simply the most advanced direct drive solution ever.
The Definitive Direct Drive System
Podium wheel bases use an outrunner-type motor engineered from the ground up specifically for sim racing. Instead of using a random industrial motor, our custom motors are tailored without compromise for sim racing. Outstanding acceleration, ultra-low cogging, and exceptional holding torque performance results in a driving experience unlike any other.
German Design With 5 Years Warranty
The Podium DD2 is the ultimate expression of our direct drive technology, thanks to our robust electronics designed for its extreme torque levels. Engineered with German precision and built to last for many years, the Podium DD2 is suitable for commercial and professional use; this the last wheel base you’ll ever need.
Direct Drive Without The Hassle
It’s all in the details. Our thousands of design hours means that you can just drive and enjoy.
Wireless Data And Power
The endless rotation of our direct drive motor inspired the development of a unique solution to transfer data and power to the wheel inputs and displays wirelessly. This means no USB cables are flying around which can easily get damaged and make it difficult to let the wheel spin in a drift.
Fully Certified, Plug And Play
The Podium DD2 is the first plug-and-play direct drive wheel base, featuring integrated electronics within the main housing. It’s as easy to set up as our CSL and ClubSport series products. Rigorous EMI and ESD testing ensures stability and longevity.
Ready for the Future
Not only is the Podium DD2 fully compatible with the existing Fanatec ecosystem, it’s also prepped for future upgrades.
OLED Display
At the front of the housing sits an OLED display. This provides endless opportunities not only for tuning your wheel base, but also includes features for advanced users, displaying real-time motor and force feedback data. Check the temperatures, torque curves, and avoid force feedback clipping. Too complicated? Just enjoy the graphics.
Full Backwards Compatibility
Our proven automotive grade QR has been upgraded with a new locking system, retaining compatibility with all existing Fanatec steering wheels, while also being completely interchangeable. All new wheel bases and steering wheels will have changeable quick releases; in the future you will have the option to upgrade to a new QR system.
Features
Custom-designed servo motor designed by our engineers and the first direct drive motor optimised for racing simulator applications.
Outrunner-type motor achieves outstanding peak torque of 25Nm, matching the torque output in most real race cars using power steering.
Motor acceleration and speed remains at the highest level, even with heavy steering wheels.
Ultra-low torque ripple ensures minimal mechanical distractions and the same smooth experience as in a belt driven wheel.
Wireless data and power to all Fanatec steering wheels to enable unlimited rotation of the steering wheel.
Integrated 2.7” 256x64 resolution OLED display.
Podium wheel bases include advanced telemetry features in the OLED display for real-time motor and force feedback data such as power output, FFB clipping and more. (Motor/FFB telemetry pages are for short-term analysis purposes and not for continuous use in racing.)
Upgraded Fanatec Tuning Menu
Five presets for different games and applications
Steering lock
FFB Strength
Shock
ABS
Drift mode
Force
Spring
Damper
Force Effect Intensity
Support for advanced dual clutch bite-point mode
Integrated electronics within wheel base housing, no external control box required
The integrated electronics and highest quality components ensure ultra-low latency, providing immediate feedback from racing simulators
Fully certified with CE, FCC, C-Tick, ROHS and all other certificates required by law, ensuring that this product does not interfere with other electronic devices
Torque Key allows user to lock/unlock the DD2’s full performance
All existing and upcoming Fanatec peripherals fully supported. Choose from a growing selection of Fanatec steering wheels in many different styles and price/quality levels
Killswitch allows instant shut down of the DD2 in the event of an emergency. It also features a remote power button, and universal mounting points for ease of access
Firmware can be updated with new features
Fast 1000 Hz USB update rate
Allows connection of two external shifters (e.g. H-pattern and sequential) in parallel
Mount for ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles and other optional accessories.
Supports Fanatec 3-hole mounting pattern (bottom mounting) and side mounting. Hard mounting to a cockpit is highly recommended due the high amount of torque
Full Fanatec SDK support ensures game compatibility out of the box for all major racing games across all platforms
Combines with FanaLab software for PC
Connect external devices to network for displaying telemetry data like speed, lap times, brake temperatures, tachometers and more
Support for major PC racing simulators
Control your Upgraded Fanatec Tuning Menu settings and presets directly from the software
Save game-specific settings to PC software, which will be applied when the game is launched
New FFB tuning features, e.g. speed-sensitive dampening
Automotive grade Quick Release system with expandable rubber damper
Standard 5 year warranty
Compatibility
Platforms
PC: This wheel base is compatible with PC in combination with all available Fanatec steering wheels.
Xbox®: This wheel base becomes compatible with Xbox One® and Xbox Series X|S when used with any Fanatec Xbox-licensed steering wheel.
PlayStation®: This product is not compatible with any PlayStation® console and cannot be upgraded to achieve compatibility.
The Direct Drive Sim Racing Revolution
In the late 90s, force feedback technology changed the world of sim racing completely. Now as technology evolves we are entering the Direct Drive era, taking force feedback realism to the next level.
Outrunner Motor Technology
The Fanatec Podium wheel bases use an outrunner-type motor engineered from the ground up specifically for sim racing. Instead of using a random industrial motor, Fanatec's custom motors are tailored without compromise for sim racing.
German Design with up to 5 year warranty
This heavy piece of solid metal is engineered with German precision and built to last for many years. This is the last wheel base you’ll ever need!
Direct Drive Without The Hassle
It’s all in the details. Fanatec's thousands of design hours means that you can just drive and enjoy.
Wireless Data and Power
The endless rotation of the Fanatec direct drive motor inspired the development of a unique solution to transfer data and power to the wheel inputs and displays wirelessly. This means no USB cables are flying around which can easily get damaged and make it difficult to let the wheel spin in a drift.
Fully Certified, Plug and Play
The Podium DD1 is the first plug-and-play direct drive wheel base, featuring integrated electronics within the main housing. It’s as easy to set up as the Fanatec CSL and ClubSport series products. Rigorous EMI and ESD testing ensures stability and longevity.
OLED Display
At the front of the housing sits an OLED display. This provides endless opportunities not only for tuning your wheel base, but also includes features for advanced users, displaying real-time motor and force feedback data. Check the temperatures, torque curves, and avoid force feedback clipping. Too complicated? Just enjoy the graphics.
Full backwards compatibility
Fanatec's proven automotive grade QR has been upgraded with a new locking system, retaining compatibility with all existing Fanatec steering wheels, while also being completely interchangeable. All new wheel bases and steering wheels will have changeable quick releases; in the future you will have the option to upgrade to a new QR system.
Features
Custom-designed servo motor designed by our engineers and the first direct drive motor optimised for racing simulator applications
Outrunner-type motor achieves outstanding peak torque of 20Nm, matching the torque output in most real race cars using power steering
The Podium Wheel Base DD1 holding torque is not less than 15Nm even under heavy use in a race
Motor acceleration and speed remains at the highest level, even with heavy steering wheels
Ultra-low torque ripple ensures minimal mechanical distractions and the same smooth experience as in a belt driven wheel
Wireless data and power to all Fanatec steering wheels to enable unlimited rotation of the steering wheel
Integrated 2.7” 256x64 resolution OLED display
Podium wheel bases include advanced telemetry features in the OLED display for real-time motor and force feedback data such as power output, FFB clipping and more
Upgraded Fanatec Tuning Menu
Five presets for different games and applications
Steering lock
FFB Strength
Shock
ABS
Drift mode
Force
Spring
Damper
Force Effect Intensity
Support for advanced dual clutch bite-point mode
Integrated electronics within wheel base housing, no external control box required
The electronics ensure extremely low latency to provide immediate feedback from racing simulators
Fully certified with CE, FCC, C-Tick, ROHS and all other certificates required by law, ensuring that this product does not interfere with other electronic devices
Torque Key allows user to lock/unlock the DD1’s full performance
All existing and upcoming Fanatec peripherals fully supported
Choose from a growing selection of Fanatec steering wheels in many different styles and price/quality levels
Firmware can be updated with new features
Fast 1000 Hz USB update rate
Ultra-low latency due to integrated electronics and highest quality components
Allows connection of two external shifters (e.g. H-pattern and sequential) in parallel
Mount for ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles and other optional accessories
Supports Fanatec 3-hole mounting pattern (bottom mounting) and side mounting. Hard mounting to a cockpit is highly recommended due the high amount of torque
Full Fanatec SDK support ensures game compatibility out of the box for all major racing games across all platforms
Introducing the new Podium software for PC applications
Show telemetry data from the racing simulation like speed, lap times, brake temperatures, tachometers on devices like smartphones, tablets or USB monitors
Supports all major PC racing simulators like F1 2017, Dirt Rally, Assetto Corsa, Project Cars 2 and rFactor 2
Control your Upgraded Fanatec Tuning Menu settings and presets directly from the software through the connected devices
Save game specific settings to PC software, which will be automatically applied when the game is launched
Introducing new FFB tuning features like speed sensitive dampening
Automotive grade Quick Release system with rubber dampener for zero flex and movement between the steering wheel and wheel base
Standard 2 years warranty
Optional extensions for 3 & 5 years warranty
Compatibility
Peripherals:
All Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheels
All Fanatec CSL Steering Wheels
All Fanatec Pedals
All Fanatec Shifters
All Fanatec Cockpits
ClubSport Table Clamp V2
Platforms:
PC: This wheel base is compatible with PC in combination with all available steering wheels?
Xbox One®: The compatibility can be upgraded with (optional) steering wheels like the ClubSport Steering Wheel Universal Hub for Xbox One or the Steering Wheel CSL P1 for Xbox One. Without any Xbox One® licensed steering wheel attached, the wheel base is NOT compatible to Xbox One®
PlayStation®: This product is not compatible to any PlayStation® console and cannot be upgraded to achieve compatibility
Fanatec have recently released the CSL Elite Wheel Base, which is compatible with PC and XBox One.
This sim racing steering wheel offers high-end functionality whilst still being affordable. Straight out of the box this is an advanced force feedback Wheel Base unit with single drive and servo motor for PC and Xbox One. It also offers interchangeable steering wheels using the quick release system established by their ClubSport series. You can change a steering wheel even during the game within a few seconds.
In addition to the hard-mount points, this sim racing steering wheel base comes with a table clamp right out-of-the-box allowing a stable and toolless attachment to your desk or table. It also has rev lights built into the top cover of the Wheel Base that show RPM information, and other functions (depending on the game), like fuel level. This sim racing steering wheel is positioned below the ClubSport Wheel Base V2, but more powerful than the V1, the CSL Elite Wheel Base is certainly powerful enough to handle all CSL and ClubSport steering wheels. Its powerful brushless servo motor in combination with the single belt drive, delivers incrediblly smooth and super-fast Force Feedback effects with instant acceleration, eliminating dead spots. Delivering >6Nm of torque on the steering axis. The CSL force feedback Wheel Base comes with a turning maximum of 1080° rotation, adjustable in the wheel tuning menu during gameplay from 90° to 1080°.
The list of pros for this sim racing steering wheel just go on and on:
Firmware can be updated with new features
Fast 500 Hz USB update rate
Allows connection of two external shifters (e.g. H-pattern and sequential) in parallel
All Fanatec ClubSport, CSR, CSR Elite, CSL and CSL Elite Pedals
All Fanatec Shifters (two shifters simultaneously)
Fanatec ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles
Fanatec ClubSport Handbrake (direct connection to Wheel Base)
Mounting on Cockpits and Wheel Stands: 3 hard-mount points on the bottom of the Wheel Base. The hole pattern is identical with the ClubSport Wheel Bases without the angle adapter
Xbox One®: The compatibility can be upgraded with (optional) steering wheels like the Steering Wheel Universal Hub for Xbox One or the Steering Wheel CSL P1 for Xbox One. Without any Xbox One® licensed Steering Wheel attached, the Wheel Base is NOT compatible to Xbox One®
The CSL Wheel Base is compatible with PC in combination with all available steering wheels
Upgradeable compatibility to Xbox One® Upgradeable compatibility to Xbox One®
Attach optional Steering Wheels to make this Wheel Base compatible to Xbox One®. This Wheel Base is compatible with PC in combination with all available Steering Wheels.
DIY Standalone Wheel - Mount any steering wheel to any wheelbase, and have buttons!
Leo Bodnar's SimSteering2 Force Feedback System. SimSteering2 is a high performance steering system for professional use. Developed over a period of years, the high precision and completely linear response, coupled with high strength provides the ultimate in realistic steering force feedback for all types of driving.