Steer Your Way to Success: A Guide to Picking YOUR Best Sim Racing Set-up

If you're serious about sim racing, having a quality wheel base is crucial. But with so many different packages available, it can be challenging to know which one to choose. In this blog post, we'll break down the differences between each offering and what might suit you the most. After this blog, what seemed more confusing than Ferrari's strategy will be as smooth as Redbull's pitstops ;)

The Role of Force Feedback Systems:

Gear Driven

For those who want to dip their toes into the world of sim-racing, the most common options they’ll meet are gear driven systems like the Logitech G923. Connected directly to a smaller motor through gears, these are great budget packages that still offer pretty high quality finishes and components with much easier set up experiences. Gears are also known to be durable systems that can often stand up to a lot of abuse. However, the benefits of durability also comes along with the lower cost of production which gives it the entry-level pricing people have come to know about the wheels. Gears don’t provide the level of power detail and responsiveness that the direct drive and belt driven systems give but still provide a force-feedback experience that far surpasses playing on a controller. Complete packages of Gear driven systems like Logitech’s G923 are priced extremely accessible at $599 with the wheel and pedal all included as a part of the offering. There is no doubt that the G923 offers the best entry into the world of sim-racing and for those who aren’t quite ready to invest the big bucks on more serious experiences like the MOZA direct drive or Thrustmaster’s belt driven systems.

Belt Driven

Belt driven systems are when steering wheels have forces applied through a belt connected to a motor. Servo motors transfer force to belts which then drive the force to the steering wheel. These systems are often utilized for advanced to Intermediate level users as they are often smoother than gear driven alternatives and provide more nuance in the force feedback. Belt driven systems don’t quite have the power detail the DD systems provide but are certainly a step above Gear Driven systems. As a result of the above, belt systems often cost less than a complete direct drive set up but more than purely gear driven options like the Logitech G923. Options like Thrustmaster’s T-GT II, TS-XW, TS-PC and T300/T300RS provide complete packages with base, wheel and pedals to plug and play with high quality components, high power detail and often officially licensed wheels from the likes of Ferrari.

Direct Drive (DD)

Direct Drive systems are a popular choice for racing simulators as they offer the most realistic and immersive driving experience. However, when it comes to choosing the right DD system, there are several factors to consider. One of the most important considerations to consider when looking for a wheel base, is the force (measured in Nm) that it is able to output. A higher torque (Nm) indicates a  higher peak torque that a wheel can apply, providing a more responsive and detailed force feedback.

If you're looking for a hyper-realistic sim game experience, a high torque ceiling is a must-have. When it comes to DD systems, MOZA R21/R16/R9/R5 offers some of the best performance and immersion on the market. These systems are made of durable and high-quality materials, parts, and finishes, ensuring that they provide a long-lasting and reliable solution for your racing setup. Amongst MOZA's wide range of DD systems, the MOZA R21/R16/R9 comes with just the base, as professional users prefer to customize their setup to their exact preferences. However, for those just starting out with DD systems, MOZA offers a great starter package with the R5. This package includes the Base, Steering Wheel, and Pedals, at the same price of just the R9 base at $999.

Click Your Pick!

After all of that information, you might still be asking yourself, “what am I supposed to do now? Even amongst each system there's like a billion options!”. Fear no longer as we created a table below breaking down the most important information on the various different package offerings from each and every manufacturer we mentioned in the blog!

Product		Price	Level	System	Force	Pedals	Wheel	OS Compatibility
	Logitech Pro Racing PlayStation	$2299.95	Professional	Direct-Drive	11Nm	Not Included	Logitech Pro Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC
	Logitech Pro Racing XBOX	$2299.95	Professional	Direct-Drive	11Nm	Not Included	Logitech Pro Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC
	MOZA R21	$2495	Professional	Direct-Drive	21Nm	Not Included	Not Included	PC Only
	MOZA R16	$2199	Professional	Direct-Drive	16Nm	Not Included	Not Included	PC Only
Coming Soon	Thrustmaster T818	TBA	Professional	Direct-Drive	10Nm	Not Included	Not Included	PC Only
	MOZA R9	$999	Professional	Direct-Drive	9Nm	Not Included	Not Included	PC Only
	MOZA R5	$999	Advanced	Direct-Drive	5Nm	SR-P Lite Brake, Gas	MOZA ES	PC Only
	Thrustmaster T-GT II	$1899	Advanced	Belt	40W	T3PA GT II Brake, Gas, Clutch	T-GT II Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC
	Thrustmaster TS-XW Sparco	$1598.99	Advanced	Belt	40W	T3PA Brake, Gas, Clutch	Sparco P310	XBOX & PC
	Thrustmaster TS-PC Ferrari	$1249	Advanced	Belt	40W	Not Included	Ferrari 488	PC Only
	Thrustmaster T300 Ferrari	$1049	Intermediate	Belt	25W	T3PA Brake, Gas, Clutch	Ferrari 599XX EVO	PS4, PS5 & PC
	Thrustmaster T300RS GT	$999	Intermediate	Belt	25W	T3PA GT Brake, Gas, Clutch	T300RS GT Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC
	Thrustmaster TX	$899	Intermediate	Belt	25W	T3PA Brake, Gas, Clutch	TX Wheel	XBOX & PC
	Thrustmaster T-248	$799	Intermediate	Belt	N/A	T3PM Brake, Gas, Clutch	T-248 Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC
	Thrustmaster T-248X	$799	Intermediate	Belt	N/A	T3PM Brake, Gas, Clutch	T-248 Wheel	XBOX & PC
	Logitech G923 PlayStation	$599	Entry	Gear	N/A	Logitech G Brake, Gas, Clutch	G923 Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC
	Logitech G923 XBOX	$599	Entry	Gear	N/A	Logitech G Brake, Gas, Clutch	G923 Wheel	PS4, PS5 & PC