We present a guide on compatible steering wheels for PC and consoles, sorted by their torque measured in Newton per meter. All of them are currently available in the market and can be purchased in Europe through official stores or distributors.
With the introduction of the latest steering wheels using Direct Drive technology, the sensations have improved significantly, and the torque offered by these bases has come into consideration. It’s not the only important value, as slew rate is also crucial for the sensations, but in most mid-range and low-end bases, this value is rarely specified.
In any case, enjoy this list of 28 alternatives to enter the world of sim racing in the best way possible.
5Nm
Fanatec CSL DD
Let’s start with something that is not just a toy that will last for two weeks. The Fanatec CSL DD is available for €350 and is a Direct Drive option for the company’s entry-level range, setting a new standard in the industry. It broke all the norms by creating a Direct Drive with a very reduced cost. We analyzed it here.
- Force: 5Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: 2520º
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
It is priced at €349.95 and can be purchased here. Ready2Race pack for 399,95€ is available by clicking here.
Fanatec GT DD PRO
The Fanatec GT DD PRO is the Playstation 5 compatible version of the CSL DD. It has the same features but different aesthetics for a base that allows experiencing Gran Turismo 7 at another level. We analyzed it here.
- Force: 5Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: 2520º
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
It is priced at €699.95 and includes a wheel and pedals. It can be purchased here.
Moza Racing R5
The Chinese company Moza has created an immense catalog of products that cover all price ranges and features in just a few years. Their youngest member is the Moza Racing R5 base, which allows entry into the company’s ecosystem in an affordable way for the same price as Fanatec.
- Force: 5.5Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: Unlimited
- Power: 84W
- Voltage: 12V
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
- Encoder: 32768 ppr (15-bits)
It is priced at €349.99 and can be purchased here.
8Nm
Fanatec CSL DD + Boost Kit 180
The Fanatec CSL DD can be upgraded to reach 8Nm with this power supply that you can get in this pack or make it yourself for less money. We analyzed it here.
- Force: 8Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: 2520º
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
It is priced at €499.95 and can be purchased here.
Fanatec GT DD PRO + Boost Kit 180
Boosting the Fanatec GT DD PRO with this power supply can make it much more powerful. Compatible with Playstation 5 , it offers many new features for console gaming like Gran Turismo 7 . We analyzed it here.
- Force: 8Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: 2520º
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
It is priced at €599.95 and can be purchased here.
9Nm
Moza Racing R9
The Moza Racing R9 base in the lower-mid range is already a serious contender that offers a lot of potential. It competes strongly with both higher-end and lower-end rivals and performs very well. We analyzed it here.
- Force: 9Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: Unlimited
- Power: 180W
- Voltage: 36V
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
- Encoder: 32768 ppr (15-bits)
It is priced at €479.99 and can be purchased here.
10Nm
Thrustmaster T818
The strongest base from Thrustmaster and the company’s first Direct Drive. It has received mixed reviews upon its release after a long development time. We analyzed it here.
- Force: 10Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
It is priced at €649.99 and can be purchased here.
Simagic Alpha Mini
Another contender from the Far East that has a distributor in Europe. Through Bolori, you can purchase all the Simagic products, with this Alpha Mini being a cornerstone in the company’s growing ecosystem.
- Force: 10Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Encoder: 262144ppr (18-bits)
It is priced at €599.99 and can be purchased here.
11Nm
Logitech Pro Racing Wheel
A key offering from one of the oldest and most respected manufacturers in the sim racing scene. Their products are what we all started with, backed by great customer service. Now, they are exclusively available on their website and are a bit more expensive than they should be. We conducted an extensive analysis that you can read here. One of its major advantages is compatibility with Playstation 5 .
- Force: 11Nm
- Platform: PC and PS5 or Xbox
- Slew Rate: Not specified
It is priced at €1099 with a wheel included and can be purchased here.
12Nm
Asetek La Prima Direct Drive
Asetek’s entry-level Direct Drive is a powerful 12Nm base that includes pedals and a wheel in the same package so you won’t miss out on anything. It’s not yet available for distribution, but we’re sure that we’ll start seeing reviews of this product from the Danish company very soon.
- Force: 12Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Encoder: 22bit / 0.000085 degrees / 4,000,000 steps
- Power: 180W
It is priced at €1069 and includes a wheel. You can purchase it here.
Moza Racing R12
The Moza Racing R12 base in the higher-mid range is already a serious contender that offers a lot of potential. It competes strongly with both higher-end and lower-end rivals and performs very well.
- Force: 12Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Steering Angle: Unlimited
- Power: 216W
- Voltage: 36V
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
- Encoder: 32768 ppr (15-bits)
It is priced at €649.99 and can be purchased here.
13Nm
AccuForce Pro V2
One of the true veterans that hasn’t changed much since around 2018 after a version refresh. It’s not sold in Spain and used to feature a stepper motor that was less smooth than a regular servo. From the American company SimXperience.
- Force: 13Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Encoder: 16 bits
It is priced at $1,299 and can be purchased here.
15Nm
Simagic Alpha
The middle model from Simagic. Through Bolori, you can purchase all the Simagic products, including this Alpha, which is a central product in the company’s mid-range lineup.
- Force: 15Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Encoder: 262144ppr (18-bits)
It is priced at €1079 and can be purchased here.
Cammus DDWB
The first venture into sim racing from this Chinese company, which has more developments related to cars and motorsport, ranging from electric karts to supercars, and now their first foray into gaming with a wheel, base, pedals, and cockpit.
- Force: 15Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
It is priced at €699 and can be purchased here.
16Nm
Moza Racing R16
Moza Racing’s mid-high range has all the ingredients of their flagship model, just with slightly less torque and supposedly lower slew rate. While we haven’t tested this specific model, we’re aware of the models around it, and we can only say good things about them.
- Force: 16Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Angle of rotation: Unlimited
- Power: 360W
- Voltage: 36V
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
- Encoder: 262144ppr (18-bits)
It is priced at €999.99 and can be purchased here.
SimSteering2 FFB System 52
One of the early commercial offerings from Leo Bodnar. Its price puts it out of reach for most people, and a significant portion of the investment goes directly towards the European-manufactured KollMorgen motor used in highly demanding and precise industrial processes. There has been only one modification since 2014, which speaks volumes about the category we’re entering from this point onward.
- Force: 16Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- New inertia and friction configurations for a more natural feel.
- Improved damping
- Smoothness in rotation
- Absolute position registration at startup
- iRacing mode
It is priced at €4061 and can be purchased here.
17Nm
Simucube Sport
The youngest member of the Simucube family from Finland. Granite Devices, the parent company, has been one of the major driving forces behind the shift to Direct Drive, although they may not be fully aware of it. Thanks to their contributions to open-source software, one of the most widely used versions of OpenSimWheel was created, and the rest is history. It’s a great base that lives up to expectations.
- Force: 17Nm
- Slew Rate: 4.8Nm/ms
- Power: 280W
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
It is priced at €1233.60 and can be purchased here.
18Nm
Asetek Forte Direct Drive
One of the new bases that is entering the market in recent months. With Simucube technology as its foundation, we’ll see what the folks at Asetek have achieved during its development. We’re eager to get our hands on it and share our thoughts in an upcoming review.
- Force: 18Nm
- Slew Rate: 6.7Nm/ms
- Encoder: 22bit / 0.000085 degrees / 4,000,000 steps
- Power: 400W
It is priced at €1049 and can be purchased here.
20Nm
Fanatec DD1
Being the first commercial DD wheel in Europe under a prestigious brand works in its favor. After a challenging development process and with a supposed bombproof reliability, Fanatec provides a powerful motor capable of delivering 20Nm and promises compatibility with its entire ecosystem of devices. We hope to be able to do a review or analysis at some point in the future. There is a variant compatible with the Playstation 5 .
- Force: 20Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Rotation Angle: 2520º
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
It is priced at €1199.95 and can be purchased here.
VRS DirectForce Pro
The most refined evolution of what would be a commercial OpenSimWheel that is still available for sale. It is as reliable as an Augury OSW or any other you can find in the second-hand market.
- Force: 20Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Encoder: 22bit / 0.000085 degrees / 4,000,000 steps
- Power: 400W
It is priced at €899 and can be purchased here.
SimSteering2 FFB System 53
Another more powerful and discounted Kollmorgen motor for the same Leo Bodnar controller. Its price is still not very tempting, although it is lower than the less powerful version.
- Force: 20.5Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- New inertia and friction settings for a more natural feel
- Improved damping
- Smooth rotation
- Absolute position logging on power-up
- iRacing mode
It is priced at €3655.71 and can be purchased here.
21Nm
Moza Racing R21
The most impressive offering from Moza Racing so far is concentrated in this high-end base. This top-tier range aims to compete with the established European manufacturers and put up a strong fight. We will share our experience with it and our opinion in the coming weeks. So far, it looks very promising.
- Force: 21Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Rotation Angle: Unlimited
- Power: 480W
- Voltage: 36V
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
- Encoder: 262144ppr (18-bits)
It is priced at €1199.99 and can be purchased here.
23Nm
Simagic Alpha U
The top model from Simagic. Through Bolori, you can purchase all Simagic products, including this Alpha U, which is the flagship product of the company’s high-end range.
- Force: 23Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Platform: PC
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Encoder: 262144ppr (18-bits)
It is priced at €1149 and can be purchased here.
25Nm
Fanatec DD2
The most powerful offering from Fanatec provides a powerful motor capable of delivering 25Nm and is compatible with their entire device ecosystem. We hope to be able to review or analyze it at some point in the future.
- Force: 25Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
- Rotation Angle: 2520º
- Refresh Rate: 1000Hz
It is priced at €1499.95 and can be purchased here.
Simucube Pro
Perhaps one of the biggest successes of Direct Drive bases. It falls within the average of the Simucube catalog but has some features that bring it very close to the top. The decision to eliminate the second power supply has made it a more convenient option to assemble and use.
- Force: 25Nm
- Slew Rate: 8Nm/ms
- Power: 450W
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
It is priced at €1486.76 and can be purchased here.
26Nm
SimSteering2 FFB System 54
The most powerful Kollmorgen motor offered by Leo Bodnar in this culmination of British sim racing. For those who have money to spare and don’t consider performance per euro or other considerations.
- Force: 26Nm
- Slew Rate: Not specified
- New inertia and friction settings for a more natural feel
- Improved damping
- Smooth rotation
- Absolute position logging on power-up
- iRacing mode
It is priced at €4028.65 and can be purchased here.
27Nm
Asetek Invicta Direct Drive
Asetek’s most powerful offering falls slightly below the maximum we can find in terms of hardware. Although it’s possible that no one would need more in any case.
- Force: 27Nm
- Slew Rate: 9.4Nm/ms
- Encoder: 22bit / 0.000085 degrees / 4,000,000 steps
- Power: 400W
It is priced at €1549.99 and can be purchased here.
32Nm
Simucube Ultimate
If you’ve made it this far, maybe even this isn’t enough for you. The most advanced base that currently exists and has been dominating the scene with an iron fist since 2019. It’s an absolute beast that is difficult to put into words, and we attempted to do so poorly in our review which you can find here.
Congratulations to Simucube and Granite Devices for leading this table for so long, even though it’s an unreachable product for most of us.
- Force: 32Nm
- Slew Rate: 9.5Nm/ms
- Power: 1000W
- Wheel Connection: Wireless
It is priced at €3180.80 and can be purchased here.
And this (for now) concludes the list of the best of the best Direct Drive bases for simulation. There are still some gaps to fill, and we hope that some brands will complete their catalogs. We’ll see what the future holds and if, as Óscar says, we reach absurd values.
