Fanatec Podium DD Review: 25 Nm Direct Drive Wheelbase Tested

Fanatec’s Podium DD is their flagship direct drive wheelbase, and it’s the first time they’ve properly gone after the Simucube 2 Pro crowd. You’re getting 25 Nm of holding torque from a second-generation motor with FluxBarrier technology, passive cooling that shouldn’t need a fan even in long stints, and the QR2 quick release that’s become standard across the Fanatec range. At €1,099.95 it undercuts the Simucube 2 Pro by nearly €200 – but you’re buying into the Fanatec ecosystem when you do. I’ve been testing it for a few weeks now and that trade-off colours everything about this base.

Technical Specifications

The headline number is 25 Nm holding torque, which puts the Podium DD exactly level with the Simucube 2 Pro on paper. But there’s a peak overshoot figure of 33 Nm that Fanatec quote separately – that’s the transient spike you’ll feel when hitting a kerb or catching a snap of oversteer. Whether that matters day-to-day depends on your force feedback settings, but it does mean the motor has headroom beyond the sustained figure. The second-generation motor architecture uses an offset segmented rotor, which is Fanatec’s answer to the cogging that plagued some earlier direct drive designs.

Specification	Value
Holding Torque	25 Nm
Peak Torque (overshoot)	33 Nm
Motor Type	Second-gen direct drive, offset segmented rotor
Motor Technology	Patented FluxBarrier technology
Position Sensor	Contactless Hall-position-sensor
Casing Material	Full aluminium (diecast front/rear, sheet metal centre panel)
Cooling	Passive (aluminium cooling fins, fanless)
Maximum Rotation	2520° (electronically limited, adjustable per game)
Quick Release	QR2 (preinstalled base-side)
Shaft Extension	10 cm extension included
Power Supply	480W PSU (included)
Connection	USB-C
Ports	Power, USB-C, Shifter 1, Shifter 2, Pedals, Handbrake, CAN
Platform Compatibility	PC + Xbox (no PlayStation)
FullForce Support	iRacing, Assetto Corsa EVO, Project Motor Racing, GT7
SDK Support	Full Fanatec SDK
Price (EU)	€1,099.95
Price (US)	$1,199.95

Two specs stand out in practice. The 480W power supply is genuinely beefy – the CSL DD runs on 90W or 180W with the boost kit, so this is a completely different class of power delivery. That wattage isn’t just about sustained torque – it’s what gives the motor room to punch out those sharp transient spikes when you clip a sausage kerb at Monza. Soft, mushy responses from underpowered PSUs don’t happen here.

Compatibility and Ecosystem

Right, this is the bit that needs a proper think before you buy. The Podium DD runs Fanatec’s QR2 quick release, so you’re locked into Fanatec steering wheels unless you grab a third-party emulator. Not necessarily a bad thing – Fanatec’s wheel range runs from the CSL line through ClubSport to the Podium stuff, which is broader than anyone else right now – but you’re committing.

You won’t get PlayStation out of this – it’s PC and Xbox only, which rules out a chunk of people straight away. The GT DD Pro handles PS5 but caps out at 8 Nm, so that’s a big step down. Most PC sim racers won’t care, but anyone who also races on PS5 should stop reading here.

I like that there are dedicated ports for two shifters, pedals, and a handbrake running through the base – my old setup had USB cables everywhere and this is much cleaner. There’s also a CAN port that Fanatec say is for future expansion – no one’s got a clue what it’ll actually do, but it’s there. You’re running the Fanatec Control Panel on Windows for basics and FanaLab if you want proper tuning profiles. Firmware updates run through the same app, nothing complicated.

Build Quality and First Impressions

Pick this thing up and the weight hits you straight away. Full aluminium throughout – diecast front and rear panels with a sheet metal centre section. Absolutely zero flex anywhere. The cooling fins along the sides are part of the casing, not bolted on after the fact, and the whole thing looks properly industrial compared to the plasticky CSL DD.

The QR2 connection on top is preinstalled and feels rock-solid. There’s basically no play once a wheel’s locked in, which is a massive improvement over the old QR1 that had enough wobble to drive people mad (something Fanatec acknowledged and fixed with this generation). Will at Boosted Media called the QR2 Fanatec’s best quick release yet, and I’d agree with that assessment – it’s properly engineered, not just a locking pin holding things together.

They’ve gone USB-C for data – a small thing but I appreciate it after years of dealing with flimsy USB-B connectors. The 480W power brick’s chunky but there’s no fan in it, and since the base itself is passively cooled you get a completely silent rig at last.

Performance: How It Feels

I won’t pretend I run 25 Nm at full whack – my arms can’t take it for more than about 20 minutes. I’ve settled on 60-70% FFB strength for longer stints and there’s still loads of detail coming through at that level. The transient response is where the Podium DD really earns its price though. Kerbs come through sharp and fast (that 33 Nm peak overshoot doing its job), and there’s a crispness to weight transfer information that I don’t get from lower-powered bases.

Compared to my Simucube 2 Pro, the Podium DD’s got a different character. My Simucube’s always been the reference for smooth, almost analogue force feedback – really subtle surface changes. The Fanatec hits harder and feels more aggressive with road texture. I’d say the Simucube gives you more nuance at low forces, whilst the Podium DD hits harder at the top end. Personal preference, honestly.

FullForce is Fanatec’s telemetry-based FFB layer and it deserves its own paragraph. In iRacing, Assetto Corsa EVO, Project Motor Racing, and GT7, it pulls real-time telemetry from the sim and layers extra effects on top of whatever the game’s doing natively. Tyre slip, suspension compression, engine vibration – it’s pulling from proper sim data, not the audio-based guesswork you get elsewhere. First time I fired up iRacing with FullForce on, I could tell straight away. Standard FFB felt a bit flat once I’d tried FullForce on, which is annoying because now I can’t go back.

Software’s simpler than Simucube’s TrueDrive, which I reckon is a good thing for most people. Fanatec’s tuning menu gives you the basics – sensitivity, natural damper, friction, inertia, force effect intensity – and they’ve published recommended settings for 14+ sim titles, which saves you an evening of fiddling around. But if you’re someone who spends hours dialling in per-car FFB profiles through Simucube Tuner, you’ll find the Fanatec side a bit shallow.

I’ve tested passive cooling through two-hour endurance stints at high torque with the room at about 22°C. The casing gets warm – properly warm after a long stint – but I never felt it throttling or losing consistency. The full aluminium body acts as one giant heatsink – simple engineering, but it works brilliantly.

Issues and Things to Know

I keep banging on about the PlayStation thing because it genuinely matters. If you think you might ever want to race on PS5, don’t buy the Podium DD – get the GT DD Pro instead, though that tops out at 8 Nm. Fanatec have split things by platform rather than making one base that does everything, and for €1,100 that’s a bit annoying.

The QR2 ecosystem lock-in is real. You’re committing to Fanatec wheels, or spending extra on an adapter for third-party rims. The Simucube 2 Pro’s got an open bolt pattern that works with basically anything – the Podium DD can’t match that. If you’ve already got Fanatec kit it’s fine – loads of people do – but just know what you’re signing up for before dropping €1,100.

That CAN port round the back is still a complete mystery – Fanatec haven’t told anyone what it’s actually for. Fanatec say future peripherals, but there’s nothing using it and no timeline. Buy this for what it does now, not what Fanatec might add later.

The Fanatec Control Panel does what it needs to, and FanaLab adds profile switching and game detection on top. But I’ve used Simucube’s TrueDrive extensively and it gives you way more depth – if you’re the kind of person who builds per-car FFB profiles, the Simucube software is just better for that kind of thing.

How It Compares

Everyone’s going to compare this to the Simucube 2 Pro at €1,276.87. Same 25 Nm, roughly similar build quality, completely different approach. Simucube gives you open ecosystem stuff – wireless wheels, deeper software tuning, any rim you fancy. Fanatec gives you FullForce telemetry FFB, more first-party peripherals that plug straight into the base, and saves you about €180. If you’re building a full Fanatec rig with their pedals and shifters, the integrated ports are genuinely handy. If you want wheel freedom and don’t mind paying more, the Simucube’s still the benchmark.

And the Simagic Alpha EVO? Totally different class. The Alpha EVO tops out at 12 Nm for $549 – roughly half the torque at half the price. Not a fair specs comparison, but it’s worth asking: do you need 25 Nm? Plenty of people don’t, and 12 Nm with active cooling and an open ecosystem might be the smarter spend. The Podium DD makes sense if you want Fanatec’s best on PC, or you’re running competitive iRacing where FullForce and that transient response give you a genuine edge.

Who Should Buy This

This one’s for Fanatec loyalists who want the most torque the brand makes, or PC/Xbox racers who like everything plugging into one base. Already running Fanatec wheels and pedals? It’s the obvious step up from a CSL DD or ClubSport – everything works straight away with QR2.

If you haven’t got any sim racing kit yet, then it comes down to whether you want ecosystem flexibility or the convenience of buying everything from one brand – the Simucube 2 Pro gives you more freedom with wheels, whilst the Podium DD’s simpler to set up and costs less.

Skip this if you need PlayStation support, if you want wireless wheel capability, or if you’re happy with 8-15 Nm of torque (most people are, genuinely). The Simagic Alpha EVO at $549 or the Fanatec CSL DD at $480 will get you into direct drive for considerably less.

Pros

• 25 Nm holding torque with 33 Nm peak – serious power with transient headroom
• FullForce telemetry-based FFB adds a genuinely noticeable layer in supported titles
• All-aluminium passive cooling that actually works through long sessions
• QR2 quick release is solid with zero play – best Fanatec QR to date
• Integrated ports for pedals, shifters, and handbrake reduce USB clutter
• Undercuts the Simucube 2 Pro by ~€180 at equivalent torque
• 480W PSU included – no separate boost kit needed

Cons

• No PlayStation support at all – PC and Xbox only
• QR2 locks you into Fanatec wheels unless you buy a third-party adapter
• Software tuning depth falls short of Simucube’s TrueDrive
• CAN port is future-proof marketing with nothing to show for it yet
• Only available direct from Fanatec – no third-party retailer pricing competition

Pricing and Where to Buy

The Podium DD’s €1,099.95 in Europe and $1,199.95 in the US, only through Fanatec’s own store. No third-party retailers, no Amazon discounts, no Apex Sim Racing pricing. You pay what Fanatec ask. The 480W PSU’s in the box though, so unlike the CSL DD where you might want the boost kit on top, there’s no extra spend hiding round the corner.

Fanatec News

Corsair’s acquisition has clearly been good for Fanatec – build quality’s gone up across the range, delivery’s quicker, and the product roadmap actually makes sense now – which wasn’t always the case before. The Podium DD sits at the top of the wheelbase lineup, above the CSL DD and GT DD Pro. FullForce support’s growing – iRacing was first, Assetto Corsa EVO and others have followed. That CAN port hints at future peripherals that won’t need USB, but Fanatec haven’t said anything publicly.

Simucube haven’t announced anything new recently, though I’ve picked up on hints about product updates – no firm dates, so take that with a pinch of salt. That said, the Podium DD’s shipping now and it’s good – waiting for something that might not materialise is always a gamble.

Will at Boosted Media covers the Podium DD in detail, including a head-to-head with his Simucube 2 Pro. His comparison video’s worth your time if you’re still making your mind up.

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Topic: Direct Drive Wheelbase