Wheelbase
- What: the motor behind the wheel. this is force feedback
- Why: the main thing you feel. how the car talks to you
- When: first. a direct drive bundle is the first buy. more torque can wait
Levels
flowchart LR
A[Gear<br>2 to 3 Nm] --> B[Belt<br>3 to 6 Nm] --> C[Intro direct drive<br>3 to 6 Nm] --> D[Mid direct drive<br>8 to 12 Nm] --> E[High<br>15 to 21 Nm] --> F[Endgame<br>25 Nm+]
| Level |
Price |
Feels like |
Buy if |
| Toy, no force feedback |
Under $100 |
A spring. Teaches nothing |
Never. A gamepad is better |
| Gear drive, 2 to 3 Nm |
~$190 to $300 new, $100 to $150 used |
Notchy, rattly, vague in the center. Less feel, not slower |
Used, as a trial. PlayStation: fine new at ~$190 |
| Belt and hybrid, 3 to 6 Nm |
$300 to $450 |
Smoother, slightly muted |
PlayStation on a tight budget, or used |
| Intro direct drive, 3 to 6 Nm |
$280 to $600 in a bundle |
Smooth, quiet, detailed. Light |
First wheel bought new |
| Mid direct drive, 8 to 12 Nm |
$300 to $520 base only |
Real weight in fast corners. Headroom |
Most people. The "forever" base |
| High, 15 to 21 Nm |
$530 to $900 base only |
Strong enough to hurt in a crash |
Rigid rig already owned |
| Endgame, 25 Nm+ |
$900 to $3,300 base only |
Smoothest and fastest. Most owners run it at 30 to 60% |
You know exactly why |
Picks
| You |
Pick |
| First direct drive, PC |
Moza R5 Pro bundle, or R9 |
| PlayStation |
Logitech RS50. Cheapest direct drive: Thrustmaster T598 |
| Xbox |
Moza R3 Xbox bundle |
| Step up for feel |
Simagic Alpha Evo |
| $100 to $150 trial |
A used Logitech G29 / G920 |
What matters
- Direct drive vs not: the biggest step. Nothing between motor and wheel, so no lost detail
- Torque: 5 to 8 Nm is plenty to start. 12 Nm is the sweet spot. 10 to 15 Nm covers nearly everyone
- More torque buys detail and headroom, not speed. Owners of 20 Nm+ bases run them at 8 to 13 Nm
- Small price gap between two bases: buy the stronger one and turn it down
- The brand's wheel lineup and prices. You are buying into it
- Console support on the exact model
- Mount: above ~8 Nm a desk or foldable flexes
Ignore
- Torque above ~15 Nm. Headroom, not lap time
- Peak vs constant torque numbers across brands. Not comparable
- "Direct drive is dangerous." Not under ~10 Nm
- Vibration extras (Logitech TRUEFORCE, Fanatec FullForce). Nice, game dependent
- "Fanatec is dead." Owned by Corsair since 2024, new products, prices cut in 2026
Brand notes
| Brand |
Good |
Watch out |
| Moza |
Cheapest torque on PC, big lineup. The default first direct drive |
Slow support. PlayStation bases (R5S Pro, R16S Ultra) announced Sept 2026, no price or date |
| Fanatec |
Most wheels. Works on PlayStation and Xbox. The console default |
Proprietary wheels. Software and firmware complaints. On PC most now pick Moza or Simagic |
| Simagic |
Best-regarded feel for the money |
PC only |
| Logitech |
Easiest on console. One base covers PC + PS + Xbox with the right hub. Reliable |
Adds up once pedals and hub are in |
| Thrustmaster |
T598: cheapest PlayStation direct drive |
Thin lineup, old belt wheels overpriced at list |
| Simucube |
The reference. Huge third-party wheel scene |
PC only, price |
Compatibility
| Wheelbase |
PC |
PlayStation |
Xbox |
| Logitech G29 / G923 PS, RS50 PS, PRO PS |
Yes |
Yes |
RS50 / PRO with Xbox hub |
| Logitech G920 / G923 Xbox |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Thrustmaster T248 PS, T300, T598 PS |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Thrustmaster T248 Xbox, T598 Xbox |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Fanatec GT DD Pro, ClubSport DD+ |
Yes |
Yes |
With an Xbox wheel |
| Fanatec CSL DD, ClubSport DD, Podium DD |
Yes |
No |
With an Xbox wheel |
| Moza R3 Xbox bundle |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Moza R5 and up |
Yes |
No |
Unclear. Moza's own pages disagree. Count on the R3 Xbox bundle only |
| Simagic, Simucube, Asetek, VRS |
Yes |
No |
No |
- PlayStation support is in the base. It cannot be added later
- Moza on PS5 will need the new base. Existing Moza wheels and pedals are reported to work with it
- Every console wheel also works on PC
By tier
| Tier |
Wheelbase |
| 0 |
Moza R3 / R5 bundle, or used G29 |
| 1 |
Moza R5 / R5 Pro bundle. PlayStation: Logitech RS50, or T598 |
| 2 |
Moza R9, Simagic Evo Sport. Console: Fanatec GT DD Pro 8 Nm, Logitech RS50 |
| 3 |
Moza R12, Simagic Alpha Evo. Console: Fanatec ClubSport DD+, Logitech PRO |
| 4 |
Same, or 18 to 21 Nm |
| 5 |
Simucube 2 Pro or 3 Pro, Moza R25 Ultra |
Used
- Best used buy: Logitech G29 / G920, $100 to $150
- Used direct drive: only if clearly under today's new price. New prices fell in 2026
- Seen paid: Moza R9 + load cell pedals EUR 350. Fanatec CSL DD 8 Nm + 2 wheels + pedals under GBP 750
- Fanatec: check QR1 vs QR2. Old QR1 does not fit current wheels
- Check: shaft play, connectors, firmware still updates
- Avoid: belt wheels near new direct drive money (T300 at $370+)
- Warranty usually stays with the first owner
Where to buy
| Level |
Product |
Price |
Buy |
| Gear drive |
Logitech G29 / G920, with pedals |
~$190 to $300 |
Logitech G, Amazon |
| Gear drive |
Logitech G923, with pedals |
$300 |
Logitech G |
| Belt and hybrid |
Thrustmaster T248, with pedals |
$300 to $330 |
Thrustmaster |
| Belt and hybrid |
Thrustmaster T300 |
$370 to $450 |
Thrustmaster |
| Intro direct drive |
Moza R3 bundle, 3.9 Nm |
$279 PC, $339 Xbox |
Moza US, Xbox version |
| Intro direct drive |
Moza R5 bundle, 5.5 Nm |
$379 |
Moza US |
| Intro direct drive |
Moza R5 Pro bundle, 6 Nm |
$399 |
Moza US |
| Intro direct drive |
Thrustmaster T598, 5 Nm, with pedals |
$600 |
Thrustmaster |
| Intro direct drive |
Fanatec CSL DD, 5 Nm |
$400 base, $640 bundle |
Fanatec |
| Mid direct drive |
Moza R9 V3, 9 Nm |
$299 |
Moza US |
| Mid direct drive |
Moza R12 V2, 12 Nm |
$399 |
Moza US |
| Mid direct drive |
Simagic Alpha Evo Sport, 9 Nm |
$399 |
Simagic |
| Mid direct drive |
Simagic Alpha Evo, 12 Nm |
$519 |
Simagic |
| Mid direct drive |
Logitech RS50, 8 Nm |
$350 to $450 base, $600 to $700 with wheel |
Logitech G |
| Mid direct drive |
Logitech PRO, 11 Nm, with wheel |
$1,000 to $1,200 |
Logitech G |
| Mid direct drive |
Fanatec GT DD Pro, 8 Nm bundle |
$860 |
Fanatec |
| High |
Moza R16 Ultra, 16 Nm |
$529 |
Moza US |
| High |
Moza R21 Ultra, 21 Nm |
$699 |
Moza US |
| High |
Simagic Alpha Evo Pro, 18 Nm |
$699 |
Simagic |
| High |
Fanatec ClubSport DD / DD+ |
$700 / $900 |
Fanatec |
| High |
VRS DirectForce Pro, 20 Nm |
$799 |
VRS |
| Endgame |
Moza R25 Ultra, 25 Nm |
$899 |
Moza US |
| Endgame |
Simagic Alpha Evo Ultra, 28 Nm |
$969 |
Simagic |
| Endgame |
Fanatec Podium DD, 25 Nm |
$1,200 |
Fanatec |
| Endgame |
Simucube 2 Pro, 25 Nm |
$1,299 |
Trak Racer |
| Endgame |
Simucube 3 Pro, 25 Nm |
$1,599 |
Trak Racer |
- Prices checked 2026-10-09. Moza, Simagic and Simucube from live store listings. Fanatec, Logitech and Thrustmaster from their sites earlier the same day
- Moza sells base + wheel bundles for less than the parts: R9 + KS wheel $509, R12 + KS wheel $609
- G29: $189.98 at Amazon in a deal reported 2026-10-07
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