The Best Direct Drive Wheels for Sim Racing

Featured image: Moza Vision GS wheel fitted to my Simucube 2 Pro

While I have no intention of parting with my Simucube 2 Pro direct drive wheelbase, there are now numerous options for the beginner to intermediate sim racer on a budget to go racing with.

Here at SIMRACINGCOCKPIT HQ, I have a few options (sorry for the flex there!). Fanatec’s CSL DD, which is, in my opinion, the best low-budget wheelbase and still on sale today; my Simucube 2 Pro, a more expensive but higher-end device (and the best overall choice in my opinion); the Moza R21 Ultra and R25 Ultra; and Fanatec’s Podium DD. I own a Moza R5 (since replaced by the R5 Pro) and a Moza R3, I’ve tested the Logitech RS50, and I tested the Simagic Alpha back when it was current – Simagic have since moved everything onto the Alpha Evo platform.

So, what’s on the market? The reason I’m still on the Simucube 2 Pro is that no manufacturer since has put a compelling enough offer in front of me to migrate. I’ve spent so much seat time with it that I’m very used to how it feels, and therefore I’m fastest in it. But if you’re just starting out, or choosing an upgrade – or, if I was starting again and building a new cockpit today – which way would I go at the various budgets?

Your buying choices have never been better than they are today, leaving you to answer the question – which direct drive wheel is best for your skill level? And of course, what fits my budget criteria? In the list below, I’ve tried my best to balance pure force feedback performance and price.

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Find your wheelbase | What’s changed | My picks for 2026 | The right DD for you | Firmware and tuning | Direct Drive Bundles | How to choose | The main differences | What matters | Why direct drive | What torque means | What’s inside | Fanatec CSL DD | ClubSport DD | Podium DD | Simucube 2 Pro | Simucube 3 | Moza R21 / R25 Ultra | Moza R12 | Moza R5 | Simagic Alpha Evo | Logitech RS50 | Sim-Lab DDS | Specs compared | Time to choose

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What’s changed since I last wrote this (September 2026)

A fair bit has moved since I last updated my guide. Fanatec’s ClubSport DD went from 12 to 15 Nm and the DD+ from 15 to 18 Nm back in May, via a free firmware update, and the Podium DD has replaced the DD1 and DD2. Simucube launched the Simucube 3 (Sport 15 Nm, Pro 25 Nm, Ultimate 35 Nm) and still sells the SC2 Pro alongside it. Moza has replaced the R5 with the R5 Pro, the R12 with the R12 V2 and the R16 with the R16 Ultra, and added the R21 Ultra and R25 Ultra at the top; Simagic has swapped the whole Alpha Mini / Alpha / Alpha-U line for the Alpha Evo range; Logitech has turned up with the RS50; and Sim-Lab’s DDS is still a pre-order. The net result is that every tier has got cheaper. The mechanism underneath – a servo motor, an encoder, a controller board – have remained largely unchanged in principle. What has changed is that 21-bit encoders and cogging-free motors are now standard right down to the $400 bases (which is astonishing – it seems like only a few years ago that direct drive wheels were somewhat unobtainable for most), and the differences between them have narrowed to the point where, once the force feedback is set up, a few hours of seat time will have you up to speed on any of them. The Simucube 3 class of kit is better – cleaner, faster, with telemetry effects the cheaper bases don’t have – but the gap is a lot smaller than the price gap, and, in every case, the money isn’t where your laptime comes from.

My picks for 2026

Like many other reviewers and sim racers in the community, I’ve always enjoyed the Fanatec feedback, but I’m yet to see a reason to dispose of my Simucube 2 Pro. At the high end, I would love a Simucube 3, but the reality is the expensive new QR, potentially new wheels and a different fitting challenge – it just isn’t on my periphery today. If I was starting from scratch with a new high-end rig, I probably would go for the Simucube 3.

On the budget side, I think the budget Fanatec gear is pretty unbeatable, but it’s also quite easily matched by its equivalent Moza platform. I’d be happy with the latest 15 Nm Fanatec direct drive wheel, the ClubSport DD – the one they’ve updated the firmware on and found an extra three newton metres.

The all-rounder for me is the Moza R21 Ultra, just because it’s 21 Nm of torque. There’s plenty of headroom, it isn’t an overpoweringly powerful wheelbase, and it just works and runs.

Pick	Wheelbase	Torque	Platforms	Discount code	More
The benchmark	Simucube 2 Pro	25 Nm	PC	–	More
Starting from scratch at the top	Simucube 3 Pro	25 Nm	PC	–	More
The all-rounder	Moza R21 Ultra	21 Nm	PC	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT (3% off)	More
Budget	Fanatec CSL DD	5 Nm (8 Nm with the Boost Kit)	PC, Xbox	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT5 (5% off)	More
Budget with headroom	Fanatec ClubSport DD	15 Nm	PC, Xbox	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT5 (5% off)	More

The right Direct Drive for you

I’ve always struggled with the idea of “the best” direct drive wheel, because the bottom line is that whichever wheel you own, you get used to its unique pattern of force feedback anyway. It’s much the same as a real car. No two actual racing cars feel the same at the steering rack, or communicate the track detail through the front tyres in the same way. Different cars are different things, different wheelbases are different things, and whichever one you choose, within the parameters of which ones the reviewers prefer, you’re going to get used to it and get quick on it simply by getting seat time in your sim.

It’s the firmware and tuning, not the motor

A well set up wheelbase, in terms of the tuning, will usually win in the end. You adapt to the more unique attributes of each wheelbase’s force feedback spectrum. Seat time plus refinement over time is better than simply expecting to buy the best direct drive wheel according to lots of reviewers, and thinking that buying the newest device will make you faster. No one will say this in a YouTube video, because they’re motivated to sell the device – unless the consensus on the device is that it’s terrible, in which case they may even refuse to review it. In my history I was sent one wheelbase that I refused to review and returned, because it was rubbish. I won’t disclose the manufacturer, to save their blushes.

Direct Drive Bundles

If you truly are just getting started out and you have a fixed budget, buying a bundle makes an awful lot of sense because you get the pedals, the steering wheel, and the direct drive wheelbase, leaving you only to choose the cockpit, preferably with a seat. And, of course, your gaming PC and monitor. Bundles weren’t really a thing when I got started, but they are a very cost effective way to begin today.

How to Choose a Direct Drive Wheel

If you ask for a recommendation in the majority of the sim racing forums, you will end up with a bit of a competition amongst owners to declare their wheel the best. Put simply, there’s always going to be some bias when you’re asking around. I think the best advice is to try to gather an opinion from a broad range of sources – use the wisdom of the crowds, if you will.

I’m a Simucube fan (you’ve probably already noticed that) but my dispassionate view is that all of the direct drive wheels I’m looking at today provide varying levels of detailed FFB (Force Feedback) in-game and that any beginner can easily get started with these devices.

Each device has a budget price range, with the cheapest units priced at sub-500 ($/£/€). The majority of direct drive wheelbases listed are priced at sub-1000 ($/£/€) and a handful, like the Simagic Alpha Evo Ultra and the Simucube 3 Ultimate, are high-budget devices. As a rule, force feedback strength (measured in Nm) is proportional to price and FFB quality. Put simply, more expensive wheelbases are stronger and offer super force feedback detail.

My view is that the wheelbase is such an important part of your setup, that, if you can add another 10 to 20% to the budget, you should consider that option seriously.

What are the main differences between Direct Drive wheels?

The main differences between each direct drive unit are peak torque availability (the measure of strength quoted in Nm), software support (firmware updates and quality of calibration software) and reliability (customer service and overall product feedback in forums).

Cheaper direct-drive wheelbases might get hot during prolonged use, which adversely impacts torque availability over time – this is an example of how price and quality are related.

Some software can be glitchy (although in every case with the wheels I’ve tested, issues can be overcome with a bit of thought).

With this said, all wheelbases are now plug-and-play and are easy to install and set up. Each community offers online support for troubleshooting and the forums are always forthcoming with FFB settings for your favourite racing game.

Simucube’s Paddock has been the leader here, offering the ability to upload, share or download popular FFB profiles, sorted by game. This is my favourite feature. It lives in Simucube Tuner 3.0 now – the app that replaces True Drive for the Simucube 3 and runs the Simucube 2 as well – and the old True Drive Paddock is being retired later in 2026, with existing profiles carried across.

If you have force feedback properly set up, there is rarely any significant difference between wheels that would fundamentally affect your enjoyment or performance in your simulator.

That’s not to say that each manufacturer has unique characteristics, but in every case, the differences are somewhat subtle, except for the overall strength and endurance characteristics.

Factors that are Important to the Typical Sim Racer

Critically, I want my DD wheel to work! If you’ve spent enough time in the sim, you’ll know that from time to time, things can go wrong.

If you’re quite technically inclined (perhaps you build your own OSW wheels or you’re just interested in the software and technology), then occasional problems aren’t a big deal. But if something stops working just before qualifying, it can be frustrating.

Mainstream equipment providers like Fanatec and Simucube are well-developed and ultra-reliable.

That’s because they’re no longer particularly niche, they’re plug-and-play and, offer good after-sales support. It’s rare that much goes wrong with them, because they are actually quite simple devices.

Just to let you know, QR Hub compatibility is important too. The QR (quick release) hub is the part that connects the wheel to the wheelbase.

I own several Fanatec wheels, which are only compatible with Fanatec wheelbases. My Simucube F-Pro can be mounted to any hub that supports either a 50.8mm or 70mm PCD fitment.

Two practical things follow from that. On console, the licence lives in different places: PlayStation compatibility is built into the base (the ClubSport DD+, the GT DD Pro, the PlayStation version of the RS50), while Xbox compatibility comes from an Xbox-licensed steering wheel on a base that supports it – so check both halves before you buy. And above roughly 8 or 9 Nm you’ll want a rig: Moza’s desk clamp is made for the R5, R9 and R12 and Fanatec’s for the CSL DD, and none of the 15 Nm-and-up bases here are meant to hang off a table.

Why is Direct Drive better for Sim Racing?

Direct Drive wheel motors have no “lash”. Lash is a momentary, if subtle relaxing and tensioning on a belt within most conventional belt-driven sim steering systems. The absence of lash in a direct drive wheel results in the ability to crank the steering weight up without losing any of the feedback quality. Since I first wrote this, belt-driven wheelbases have all but disappeared from the market – Fanatec retired its CSL Elite and ClubSport belt bases when the CSL DD arrived, and a 5 Nm direct drive base now costs what a belt base did – so the question today is which direct drive base to buy.

All of the wheel movement is as intended by the simulation software. There’s less lag in the system and no mechanical play. The speed at which a direct drive wheel can deliver feedback means you can respond more quickly to slides, so you’ll feel like you can handle slides and sudden events quickly and competently. Once you’re used to the forces involved with a DD sim wheel, you’ll likely feel more confident, make fewer mistakes and eventually find a sweet spot where you’re really enjoying the driving.

Direct-drive wheels can deliver higher peak and nominal (holding) torque levels. The availability of torque does open the opportunity to give more concise force feedback effects (see: what is FFB?) – as a driver, I like to feel when the car is losing its available grip, and I like that sensation to manifest itself through an opposing force, especially in the mid-corner. Direct-drive wheels do this exceptionally well, whereas something like a Logitech G29 would barely let you know you were sliding by comparison.

I love feeling the track detail as I’m driving. Kerbs and rumble strips are there to tell you you’re on the track limit with your car. To feel the vibration through the wheel is great. By their nature, the motor and motor control electronics can operate the motor at very high frequencies. High enough, that the Simucube 2 Pro can beep at you simply by sending a high frequency through the motor. And most DD wheels feel heavy, industrial by design, and as a result, feel like they’ll stand the rigours of time.

What does “Torque” mean and How Does it Benefit Me?

Torque is the most important aspect when it comes to direct drive systems. Manufacturers tend to talk about two types of torque values: peak torque, and holding (or constant) torque.

“Peak torque” refers to the maximum output of the wheel motor in short bursts. You might experience peak torque when you drive over a high kerb, during a high-speed direction change, or in a crash.

“Holding torque” refers to the strength of the motor in resisting rotation.

In sim racing, the driver is regularly resisting the car’s self-aligning torque through a corner, causing the motor to heat up. High holding torque performance is crucial to a consistent driving experience.

“Torque ripple” is a very subtle vibration you would feel in the steering wheel during constant rotation.

What’s inside a Direct Drive Wheelbase?

Most of us would never dream of unscrewing our wheelbase cases to find out what’s inside. Fortunately, YouTubers like Barry Rowlands at Sim Racing Garage do so regularly – it’s worth watching him take a Fanatec DD2 apart.

In any DD wheelbase, fundamentally, you have a motor, a power supply, a motherboard, a digital motor drive and a USB converter.

Types of motor

You’ll encounter a few different types, arrangements, and manufacturers of the motor in a DD wheelbase. Here’s what you’ll commonly come across.

Conventional in-runner motors have stator coils on the inside of the case, and the magnets are attached to a rotor in the centre. The shaft rotates with the magnets. This is a typical motor arrangement found in a DD wheel.

Outrunner motors have their magnets attached to an outer casing that rotates around the stator.

The motor shaft when spun would also spin the outer motor case. The permanent magnets on the outrunner are placed on the rotor and the rotor spins on the outside case. On the inside of the motor are the stator windings which do not rotate, they are fixed in position.

Outrunners can produce more torque but have a lower RPM per volt. The Fanatec DD1 and DD2 used outrunner motors as their preferred component choice as they felt the outrunner could deliver more torque at low RPMs.

A servo motor is not a motor type per se, but a motor that has an encoder built into its casing to measure position, torque and rotation. This is critical for fine control of the output rotation and sensing the driver’s inputs (resisting forces, steering inputs and so on) through the digital motor drive.

MiGE is a popular servo manufacturer in the sim racing community, and their products tend to form the basis of most OSW wheel kits. With an optional Fanatec hub adapter and a USB conversion board, you could make a start on building your own direct-drive sim wheel quite cheaply.

That’s pretty much everything any sim racer needs to be informed about on the topic, so let’s get on with my list of direct drive wheels:

Fanatec CSL DD

Fanatec rocked the sim racing industry a few years ago with their new CSL DD wheelbase. As a sub $500 / 500EUR device, it plays directly in the usual stomping grounds of Logitech and Thrustmaster. As the CSL DD was launched, so was the Clubsport and CSL Elite range of belt drive wheelbases made obsolete. It’s both PC and XBOX compatible – making it quite a versatile device!

Fanatec rightly staked its future on direct drive-only equipment.

Fanatec is cleverly making direct-drive wheels more affordable, and, by getting to market earlier than its competition, this little direct-drive unit has become the entry-level unit. If I were building a budget sim rig, I’d choose this wheelbase and a SimLab GT1 Evo sim racing rig making a strong starting point for barely more than $1000!

The idea of a $1000 wheelbase and cockpit would have been pure fantasy a few years ago. Yet, here we are. But, is the CSL DD any good? I had my doubts, but when I tried it I found it very smooth and surprisingly detailed for an 8Nm peak torque wheelbase. The new QR system “QR2” is really solid and a huge improvement over the original.

The new QR2 mates the wheel to the wheelbase with a satisfying “clack” and then, no movement. It’s a strong QR and the Pro version has FIA approval. Looking at it from a racer’s point of view I can’t find a reason why I wouldn’t use this quick release on my (IRL) racing car – it’s clearly extremely strong, and simple.

This is a brilliant starter wheelbase – and comes recommended by me. If you’re on a budget but want (rightly!) the direct drive experience, this is a fantastic and very low-budget entry point to serious sim racing. The CSL DD doesn’t have PlayStation compatibility, but you can set this up to work via Drivehub. At Fanatec today the CSL DD is $399.99 as the 5 Nm unit, or $479.99 with the 8 Nm Boost Kit, and both ship with QR2.

Fanatec ClubSport DD and DD+

While I’m waiting to get my hands on these units to test, I can easily summarise the reviews that I’ve read from people I trust – that the Clubsport DD and DD Plus are the natural next step for an organisation like Fanatec.

What fascinated me about these two product launches is that they haven’t become successors to the higher-end Podium series of wheelbases. That question has since been answered by the Podium DD, which I cover below.

According to Fanatec, the Clubsport DD and DD Plus represent the “cutting edge in direct drive wheelbase technology” – but what are the differences?

ClubSport DD

Its key features include a direct drive servo motor custom-designed in Germany, delivering 15 Nm of consistent torque – 12 Nm as launched, with the extra three newton metres unlocked by a free firmware update in May 2026. The motor utilises FluxBarrier technology and an optimised skew angle on rotor magnets for enhanced efficiency and smoothness. The base is passively cooled, ensuring stable performance even under extreme conditions. It supports the full Fanatec ecosystem and is compatible with PC and Xbox (with an Xbox-licensed steering wheel). It’s $699.99 at Fanatec today.

ClubSport DD+

PC and PlayStation licensed, you’re also getting an extra 3Nm of additional torque for your money – 18 Nm since the same firmware update. I suspect there’s no particular difference in the design internals, cooling and performance over time; as explained by this performance chart:

I don’t recall ever feeling like my Simucube starts to degrade over time, it doesn’t even get hot! The DD+ is $899.99 at Fanatec today.

Fanatec Podium DD (and the DD1 and DD2 it replaces)

When I owned one, I was a huge fan of my Fanatec DD2. The DD2 was extremely easy to install and set up making it ideal for the first-time direct drive wheel user. In fact, I upgraded from a CSL Elite to the DD2 and have always felt that this was a good choice.

Fanatec’s outrunner-style motor was unique in sim racing and allowed for a really convincing torque delivery throughout the torque range. It had, however, been around for a long time, and I wondered at the time whether the age of the device meant it was about to be discontinued. It was.

The Podium DD is what replaced it, and I’ve had one here since October 2025. It’s Fanatec’s flagship now: 25 Nm of holding torque (with peak overshoot to 33 Nm), a second-generation motor with FluxBarrier, passive cooling, QR2 as standard and a 480 W supply, at $1,199.99 at Fanatec today. I’ve always enjoyed the Fanatec feedback, and it’s good to see the DD2 get a proper successor.

If you’re new to sim racing and want simplicity and a high-quality experience overall, Fanatec equipment (for me) is still the best way to enter sim racing.

Simucube 2 Pro

If you can afford a Simucube 2 Sport or Pro, this is the direct-drive wheelbase to own.

I’ve owned my Simucube 2 Pro for over five years now, and I’ve never felt the need to update my setup with anything else. You’ll have seen lots of photos of my racing simulator dotted around the site, and while other items of kit change constantly, the SC2 Pro is pretty much anchored down. It isn’t going anywhere.

Simucube’s Direct Drive brushless torque motor is super smooth, and you can tell that the build quality and componentry in this wheel are of an exceptionally high standard. It’s a very weighty item and holding it, you feel like it’ll probably last forever! Driving it with the many profiles available in Paddock (now inside Simucube Tuner) is a breeze, so setting the FFB up for your sim software is completely painless.

Let’s take a quick look at the technical details. The entry-level Simucube 2 Sport operates at a peak torque of 17 Nm with a slew rate of 4.8 Nm/ms. Compared to the Moza and Fanatec units this will feel strong and very responsive.

The Simucube 2 Pro is quite a different device, with a peak torque availability of 25 Nm at a slew rate of 8.0 Nm/ms. The SC2 Pro feels more detailed and can be more intense, particularly on the kerbs and during high torque moments.

The SQR hub leaves absolutely no flex on the table, and there are just a bunch of amazing features including their ARM CPU and motor control electronics that make this thing so fast and responsive, it’s a surprise when you first start using it.

I use my Simucube as my only wheelbase after having sold the DD2. It just outperforms the other direct drive wheels I’ve tested on both the detail and smoothness of the FFB (Force Feedback).

Personally, it’s the SQR hub that does it for me. I’ve always found the Fanatec hub lacking in stiffness – there’s always a tiny bit of play between the wheel and the hub. The SQR quick-release system is literally rock solid, and I love it for that.

For more information on the Simucube 2 family, I’ve written a guide to this favourite direct drive unit including installation and setup. If you can afford one, a Simucube is still the DD wheelbase to own. Simucube still sells the SC2 Pro at EUR1,073, and a pre-owned one at EUR755.

Simucube 3

Simucube launched the Simucube 3 in late 2025, in three strengths: the Sport at 15 Nm (EUR1,039 at Simucube today), the Pro at 25 Nm (EUR1,239) and the Ultimate at 35 Nm (EUR2,679), with the SC2 Pro still on sale alongside them. All three get a 23-bit encoder, a new contactless quick release called LightBridge, and a new app, Simucube Tuner, in place of True Drive. Every one of them also needs the Simucube Link Hub to run, sold separately at roughly EUR100. The feel is a refinement of the SC2; the complaints are the price ladder (a small step from Sport to Pro, a big one from Pro to Ultimate) and that hub, and for an SC2 owner the sums get hard once the hub and a new set of quick releases are added up.

I would love a Simucube 3. But the reality is the expensive new QR, potentially new wheels and a different fitting challenge – it just isn’t on my periphery today. If I was starting from scratch with a new high-end rig, I probably would go for it.

Moza R21 Ultra and R25 Ultra

Although I was a little late, I finally got round to writing up my thoughts on the R25 Ultra wheelbase, recently released from our friends at Moza. Somewhat fortuitously, I got sent the R21 too (I think by mistake – which is of course absolutely fine).

It’s yet another leap forward for Moza Racing in the direct drive wheelbase market, replacing the old R21 and introducing the R25 Ultra with its 25Nm of promised torque. The R21 delivers 21Nm of torque whilst the R25 pushes to 25Nm. The R21 Ultra is $699 and the R25 Ultra $899 at Moza today.

Moza has evolved considerably since I first tested their R5. The early bases felt good for the money but sometimes lacked the polish and refinement of their premium competitors. The R21 and R25 Ultra change that narrative a fair bit. Manufacturing quality is at this point not something we need to dwell on for a long time – both wheelbases are really well finished, built like rocks and, to perfect the look, have customisable RGB lighting along the top of the chassis on both units.

The motor is where I think Moza has made a ton of technical progress. The flatwire design eliminates cogging entirely (that’s the torque ripple you sometimes feel at low speeds with traditional motors). In practice, this translates to smoother force delivery across the entire torque range. No notchiness, no dead spots.

Moza claims a 26% higher torque density than their competitors in the marketing material. Obviously I don’t have the equipment here to measure this, all I can really do is nod agreeably. It just feels solid, very powerful and pretty detailed in the FFB output.

Every time I grab the wheel, the first thing that hits me is the sharpness. The base feels super sharp and quick with virtually no detectable latency. It’s quite aggressive and lively, especially when running without additional damping. At zero filters, the wheel can oscillate more than expected, so some tuning is necessary. The fix is easy enough: increase the Wheel Damper in Pit House from default up to 20-30%, and if you feel a strange deadness in the centre, turn Hands-Off Protection off entirely.

The road surface communication is excellent too. Every little imperfection, loss of grip, over or under steer – I feel like it’s transmitted very well. Thanks to the incredibly fast responsiveness and detail, I found myself catching more slides quicker and earlier than I typically would.

Overall, I had a blast and I think for what it costs the R21 is a particularly safe bet. If you’re already invested in the Moza ecosystem and looking to upgrade, the R21 Ultra is an easy recommendation. If you’re at the absolute top end and want that last 5% of precision with the True Torque sensor, the R25 justifies its premium while staying on an unimaginably low budget (relative to what we had just a few years ago!). Either way, you’re getting performance that would normally require a significantly larger investment. Nicely done, Moza Racing!

Moza R12 (now the R12 V2)

The Moza R12 Direct Drive Wheelbase carves out a niche for itself by offering a balance of power, performance, and price. Engineered with a peak torque of 12Nm, it provides the force feedback detail and smoothness of a higher budget wheelbase.

The R12 stands out due to its high-quality design, housed in aluminium, and an impressive set of features such as a limitless max wheel rotation, a USB refresh rate of 1000Hz, and online firmware update support via their Pit House software.

Technically speaking, the R12 is closer to the R21 than the R5 and R9. That’s because the R12 motor employs a “slanted-pole” design. With the rotor divided into three sections, each set at carefully determined angles, the motor’s design greatly mitigates cogging torque, torque ripple, electromagnetic (EM) disturbance, and noise levels in contrast to traditional motors.

I like the Moza series of DD units, as they open up the opportunity to build a sim racing setup on a low budget. With this said, when the R12 launched at Simucube 2 Sport money I wasn’t certain it stacked up against the Sport, which is technically superior. Moza had it right with the R5 and R9, but at that price they’d left the R12 “hung out to dry”, as surely customers would choose the Simucube over the R12. That argument has moved on: the R12 is now the R12 V2, with a 21-bit encoder, support for iRacing’s 360 Hz force feedback signal and the same slanted-pole motor, at $399 at Moza today (down from $469), which is a very different sum from the one I was doing back then; the V2 has since been through here too. One piece of standing advice with any Moza base, this one included: leave the firmware alone unless you’re updating to fix something specific, because owners report updates upsetting – and occasionally bricking – a base often enough that it isn’t worth the gamble.

Moza R5 (now the R5 Pro)

The MOZA Racing R5 Wheel Base is a direct-drive wheelbase that provides a peak torque of 5.5 Nm. It is MOZA’s entry-level, lowest-budget model, complementing the R9, which offers a peak of 9 Nm torque. It’s compact and a good starter choice if the CSL DD is out of reach, budget-wise.

I’ve had the R5 in for review and, for the money, it’s another great way to start sim racing – naturally, price dictates quality and, on that note, I didn’t find the FFB to be as detailed or impressive, but I’m going to be picky because of the wheels I own.

The R5 would make a very, very good budget starter DD wheelbase, and the desk clamp is a lot better than the Fanatec equivalent.

There are also plenty of settings to work with and tune your device in Moza’s Pit House software.

The R5 is built similarly to the R9, with an aviation-grade aluminium shell and plastic rear housing. The R5 is smaller than the R9, which is a plus, as it allows for easy positioning of the screen near the wheel, especially when using the included table clamp.

The R5 features a surprisingly high-quality quick release, the same as on more expensive units from MOZA. I think this quick release is among the best currently offered by a wheelbase manufacturer, as it is of high quality, easy to use, and has no flex or play, outside of aftermarket options. It’s a proper “Motorsport” hub. I’ve seen them at the track.

One thing worth pointing out is that given the R9 compares well to the CSL DD, the R9 would in my opinion be a good buy, but Fanatec does have the edge, marginally on FFB quality and software. Don’t forget that FFB can improve with firmware updates! Since July 2026 the R5 has been replaced by the R5 Pro – 6 Nm, a 21-bit encoder, and an ES Lite wheel and SR-P Lite2 pedals in the box – at $399 for the bundle against $379 for the original R5 bundle at Moza today (the R5 I reviewed was the original). Whichever bundle you go for, the pedals have no load cell, so that’s the first thing you’ll want to upgrade.

Simagic Alpha Evo

Simagic has retired the Alpha Mini, the Alpha (the one I tested) and the Alpha-U, and replaced the lot with the Alpha Evo range: the Evo Sport at 9 Nm ($399), the Evo at 12 Nm ($519), the Evo Pro at 18 Nm ($699) and the Evo Ultra at 28 Nm ($969), at Apex Sim Racing and Trak Racer today. All four run a 21-bit encoder, an open NRG-style quick release and active cooling. At $400 to $700 this is the value range of 2026 and the one most people end up cross-shopping against Moza’s R9 and R12, and the Pro’s extra 6 Nm is worth the $180 over the standard Evo. None of the Evo range has been on the rig here yet.

Logitech G RS50

Logitech’s RS50 is an 8 Nm direct drive base with TRUEFORCE haptics – a second data stream from the game engine, layered on top of the force feedback – an OLED screen on the base, and it comes in two versions – a PlayStation 5/PC base and an Xbox/PC base – so pick the console you own; the licensing lives in the base and there is no separate hub to buy for it. The base alone is $349.99 to $449.99 at Logitech today depending on version, and the RS50 System (base, hub and round wheel) is $629.99. One sat on my Sim-Lab P1X for a few months in early 2026, next to the Simucube. It’s the plug-and-play console pick of 2026, and at the same money it’s the safer choice than the Thrustmaster T598, whose owners report power supply failures and disconnects.

Sim-Lab DDS TorqueSync

Sim-Lab has announced its entry into the direct drive market with two new wheelbases targeting different segments of the market: the DDS26 at 26Nm and the DDS39 at 39Nm.

Early testing suggests impressive force feedback detail and response rates across the range. The wheelbases feature Sim-Lab’s custom servo motor design and purpose-built force feedback processing. Initial demos showcase clean, detailed feedback particularly on track surfaces and kerbing.

What sets these units apart is Sim-Lab’s focus on raw signal processing, delivering extremely precise force feedback without artificial filtering. The wheelbase design integrates seamlessly with Sim-Lab’s existing ecosystem of rigs and accessories. As of September 2026 the DDS26 is still sold as a pre-order Founders Edition at EUR1,515 on Sim-Lab’s EU store, with Sim-Lab quoting a few weeks to ship, so it isn’t one you can put side by side with the rest of these yet.

Technical Summary and Specifications: Direct Drive Wheelbases Compared

Wheelbase	Holding torque	Encoder	Platforms	Quick release	Discount code	More
Fanatec CSL DD	5 Nm / 8 Nm (Boost Kit)	optical	PC, Xbox	QR2	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT5 (5% off)	More
Fanatec ClubSport DD	15 Nm	–	PC, Xbox	QR2	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT5 (5% off)	More
Fanatec ClubSport DD+	18 Nm	–	PC, PlayStation	QR2	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT5 (5% off)	More
Fanatec Podium DD	25 Nm (33 Nm peak)	–	PC, Xbox	QR2	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT5 (5% off)	More
Simucube 2 Sport / Pro	17 Nm / 25 Nm	22-bit	PC	SQR	–	More
Simucube 3 Sport / Pro / Ultimate	15 / 25 / 35 Nm	23-bit	PC	LightBridge (Link Hub required)	–	More
Moza R5 Pro	6 Nm	21-bit	PC	Moza QR	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT (3% off)	More
Moza R9 V3	9 Nm	21-bit	PC	Moza QR	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT (3% off)	More
Moza R12 V2	12 Nm	21-bit	PC	Moza QR	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT (3% off)	More
Moza R21 Ultra / R25 Ultra	21 Nm / 25 Nm (R25 adds a torque sensor)	21-bit	PC	Moza QR	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT (3% off)	More
Simagic Alpha Evo Sport / Evo / Pro / Ultra	9 / 12 / 18 / 28 Nm	21-bit	PC	NRG-style open QR	–	More
Logitech G RS50	8 Nm	–	PC + PlayStation 5, or PC + Xbox (two versions)	RS hub	–	More
Sim-Lab DDS26 / DDS39	26 Nm / 39 Nm	–	PC	Xero-Play QR V2	SIMRACINGCOCKPIT (5% off)	More

Time to choose

Whichever one you choose, within the parameters of which ones the reviewers prefer, you’re going to get quick on it by getting seat time in your sim – and a well set up wheelbase will usually win in the end. Good luck and let me know how you get on in the comments!

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Topic: Direct Drive Wheels