Here it comes one of the mos awaited reviews for a vast number of users. Our collaborator specialized in belt driven devices discovers a new Direct Drive universe with this new Fanatec CSL DD. A new reference for the market, rest of manufacturers and future developments.
After several months of the Fanatec CSL DD release and talking about this new base countless times in the simracing Week show on Twitch (spanish), we have finally been able to test it and feel it in our hands. We have test it with the boost kit (8 Nm) and the McLaren GT3 in its renewed version, the V2.
This new base opened the mid-range market to another type of base that was only reserved for the high range until now: the direct drive bases. The matter is that Fanatec, with the CSL DD, broke the market in its favor in a move that no one could expect remembering the famous presentation of Sony PlayStation and its “299” at E3 1995.
In this review we will try to tell you about the sensations that it has produced us and, above all, if we agree that such a huge expectation and massive number of purchases and reservations, despite of the delays in deliveries that are taking place, are justified.
Packaging and features
Everything comes perfectly wrapped and presented as Fanatec usually does: boxes with three flaps with their closure and a foam enclosure that does not fall apart, perfectly protecting the product. An important detail: choosing the boost kit together with the base, the power unit that gives us up to a maximum torque of 5 Nm does not come in the same box of the base. Instead, you will find an empty hole and a separate box will come with the power unit that will provide the maximum force of 8 Nm. In this way it is cheaper than buying the base alone and adding the boost kit later; however, you save only 20 euros, so buying the base and the 8 Nm boost kit separately is still an interesting choice even if one is in doubt or has a tight budget, since you can keep both power supplies, one as a backup. Due to having only the boost kit, in this test we will not be able to compare the sensations between 5Nm and 8 Nm. We will understand that 60% more strength, and therefore acceleration and speed of rotation, is a remarkable increase to show a higher sampling of those nuances per second.
The first impression when taking the base out of the box is that it is very heavy, almost 5 and a half kilos, very compact and solid. It is really small compared to other bases in the market. It brings a feeling of high quality, like many of Fanatec’s products. The body is made entirely of aluminum, acting as passive heatsink, and has two plastic caps, one on the front and other on the back.
The base is connected to to the PC through a USB-C cable, as well as the internal connection with the QR of the ring. This second connection is removable and can be updated to the new QR2. You have to fix well the intermediate QR that is between base and hoop to prevent it from leaving between so much swing of forces. This point is important because in the tests it has come loose, leaving us without connection of buttons and forces, only turn.
Setup and configuration
The cockpit that we have used to install this base is a Next Level Racing GT Track. The base tray of the GT Track has the necessary holes to be able to screw the Fanatec CSL DD base without using any adapter. The base comes with 4 screws that can slide inside its chassis to place them in the most suitable position. In this case we have used 3 and we have placed them forming a triangle. As these screws can slide inside the rails in the base, we can fix it by varying its position a few centimeters to move it away or bring it closer to us. Once tightened, it is perfectly firm in the tray. As you can see, the base is completely flat at the bottom, like all direct drive bases are, so the cockpit tray had to be tilted up a bit, so that the rim was in a more comfortable position.
Once all is in the desired position, we connect all the peripherals to the base: ClubSport V 1.5 handbrake, ClubSport Shifter SQ V 1.5, inverted ClubSport V3 pedals, USB cable and power supply, plus a compatible rim.
We tested this base with the renewed version of the McLaren GT3 rim, the V2. To connect this wheel to the base we have used the QR Lite, which in this particular unit fits very tight with the base, being really firm once we turn the thread.
Once everything is connected, we press the only button it has on the front and keep it in the first state, where the Led shines in red (PC mode), since green is the Xbox mode and yellow the compatibility mode with the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5.
Once we finish the installation of the latest drivers and firmware, we must calibrate base, pedals and test all the buttons on the rim and shifter. Here’s an important point: the H mode shifter seems to give general configuration problems; there are several threads in forums about it because it seems that it does not detect this mode properly. There are a couple of major solutions: first is to configure it directly from the rim being everything disconnected from the PC; and the second one, if the base and the shifter are connected very close or attached to the same metal cockpit there are chances of some interference. In our case the second solution worked: unscrew the shifter from the cockpit, configure it and screw it again. After this poltergeist, everything was working perfectly till today.
As a configuration of the FFB we write you the ones recommended by Fanatec in its forum and from there, play following your needs and tastes. Remember that it doesn’t exist a perfect FFB or a better configuration, it depends on you and what you prefer to feel. Some people prefer a configuration which better reflects the weight or the behavior of the car, having more feeling of the front or rear wheels, other people the state of the track, as well as it happens with the feeling of the brake and throttle and hardness of these:
CSL DD
(Compatibility Mode recommended)
Tuning Menu Settings:
SEN 1080 (shown as 108 on some displays)
FF 100
FFS Peak
NDP 15
NFR Off
NIN Off
INT 6
FEI 100
FOR 100
SPR 100*
DPR 100*
BLI User Preference
SHO 100
BRF User Preference
*SPR and DPR values have no effect by default. They can be enabled through the app.ini, but this is not recommended.
In-Game Settings:
Wheel Range and Map Range: Automatically determined by calibration wizard
Use Linear Mode: Checked
Reduce force when parked: Checked
Strength: 8.5**
Wheel force: 5 Nm (standard power supply) or 8 Nm (Boost Kit 180)
Damping 0%
Min Force 0.0%
**This is the slider above the ‘Wheel Force’ setting. If it is showing ‘Max Force’ values, you can click the text to switch to ‘Strength’ values. 8.5 is a suggested starting value, but it is highly dependent on the car selected. Therefore it is recommended to make your own adjustments to this value for every car by checking the box ‘Use custom controls for this car’, while paying attention to the clipping meter described above.
An interesting configuration of the McLaren GT3 is the one that concerns the clutch buttons. These have several modes of operation, the main one is as a clutch. In this mode both buttons act as only one but with the very useful bite function to be able to leave the clutch acting up to a percentage, for example 50%. This is perfect for standing starts. To configure the bite percentage, it is only necessary to press both cams, release one and holding the other press the funky switch up. After that you will see the actual percentage and adjust it turning the funky switch. Other available mode of these buttons is as a throttle and another as a brake, this is a very useful function to those people with mobility problems, so they can also enjoy simracing while maintaining much more touch in acceleration and braking than with two simple buttons. Last mode is using them as regular buttons, for example, looking at left and right.
Tests
All the tests have been done with two simulators: Assetto Corsa Ultimate and iRacing, mainly with street, GT3 and formula type vehicles, in track tests and some races. We would like to try some drift test, but with this rim it’s not possible to do it, we need more grip surface. Sure that with this base drifting would be much more fun because of the feeling control of the base but let’s see in future reviews.
Something that impress us a lot it’s how quiet it is the CSL DD coming from a common belt driven base. The silence contrasts with all the movements and swings that develops in each section along the track. Due to the inner workings of this base and the absence of as many moving parts as there are in the other type of bases, when we make an opposite movement towards where the vehicle takes us, for example, counter-steering, we do not have the feeling of forcing anything inside the base. For sure many of us have heard some crackling inside of the base that seemed that we were forcing something that could break at some point, and due to that we decreased the FFB loosing feelings with it. All that with a direct drive disappears, also giving to us a perception of a product of greater longevity.
Regardless of how quiet it is, the best feeling is about control. Shortly after starting to drive you already feel in the millisecond where you are going and if you are going as you should go. It’s that feeling, noticing what is happening so immediately, what makes you gain in confidence in what you are doing. And it is that by receiving everything more immediately, you act faster, and better. Driving slower cars as a Mazda MX5, it’s very difficult to completely lose the control thanks to this immediacy when it comes to receiving the information. For example, that the rear is beginning to lose grip after going off the track. In faster cars such as GT3 or formula, while in many situations in the past it was impossible to recover the control, now we have been able to recover it in many of them where we previously knew that we were lost. We are sure that in rally and drift the feeling has to be very, very good.
The way that the base transmits that force is as firm as it’s smooth in its movements, I mean that the feeling of softness that we describe is because it really feels like a natural movement. There are no unexpected jumps but what has to be transmitted.
It is awesome to feel how you are traveling all the meters of the circuit, turn by turn, noticing with such realism all the irregularities and being able to correct, where necessary, decisively and without the feeling that you forcing the base.
Final thoughts
Fanatec has changed the paradigm of the mid-range definitively with the introduction of this DD. Currently there is no brand that offers so much at the price of this CSL DD, even if it’s with a more adjusted maximum force, since it will more than enough to meet the expectations of practically everyone. There is no doubt that this type of base, a direct drive, is the one you should acquire if it enters your budget, leaving behind belt driven devices. Since the CSL DD, the bases of belts and gears have been relegated to the low or entry range.
Like all good simracing products, do not expect these to make you better than you already are in terms of talent, but they will help you to get closer to living a real experience. At the end, what it does fast is training and talent and, while it is true that people who really have talent will continue to be good, a direct drive base is like pedals with a load cell: surely they do not make you go much faster, but they will help you to be constant and not make basic mistakes. Which means consistency, which is finally the key.
Pricing & Availability
The Fanatec CSL DD has a price of 349,95 euros, 479.95 if we buy it with the 8 Nm boost kit, unbeatable for what it offers today compared to any competing base. We must keep in mind that the base alone, regardless of whether we want to order it with the increase in torque or not, is insufficient if we haven’t already more stuff such as an Fanatec rim or pedals. So we would have to buy both and this would make the pack a little more expensive. And even so, it would still be very worthwhile compared with, now old, the best belt driven bases.
- Buy CSL DD (8Nm) bundle -> 479,95 euros
- Buy CSL DD (5Nm) -> 349,95 euros
- Buy McLaren GT3 CSL V2 -> 199,95 euros
Currently there are also several packs compatible with PlayStation although only the Express version, more expensive, is the one that is available for immediate shipment. For the rest, the availability is April.
- Buy GT DD Pro Premium bundle -> 969,85 euros
- Buy GT DD Pro Express bundle -> 849,95 euros
- Buy GT DD Pro (8Nm) -> 849,90 euros
- Buy GT DD Pro (5Nm) -> 699,95 euros
