For those on PlayStation, picking up a compatible direct drive sim racing wheel can be a bit tricky – simply, there aren’t many options on the market.
And you really do want something direct drive, too. As a general rule, it provides feedback that is both smoother and more detailed than something driven by gears or belts.
Fanatec was the first to offer PlayStation-compatible direct drive wheels, way back with the now discontinued Podium Racing Wheel F1, and then again at a lower price with the current Gran Turismo DD Pro.
It may have been cheaper than its prior models, but it’s still expensive – even without an actual wheel, the GT DD Pro base alone (with the 8Nm booster) would set you back over €/$600.
Now though, it is reduced for Black Friday and while stocks last.
That means a direct drive wheel base (that has a peak torque output of 5Nm, but boosted to 8Nm with a change of power brick, included in this offer), that works across PS4 and PS5 racing titles, can be yours for €/$499.95.
It’s natively supported by Gran Turismo 7 – plus the likes of EA SPORTS F1 24, ACC and more – and also works on PC.
It is also the first time it has been bundled with the QR2 (base-side) system. This is Fanatec’s latest quick release (the method for removing and swapping steering wheels), which is usually a €/$69.95 optional extra.
In total, then, a saving of just under €/$170.
You still need a wheel and pedals
There is one catch, however – no actual wheel or pedals are included, just the base.
Fanatec does offer a bundle, with a Gran Turismo branded wheel and set of entry-level CSL Pedals for €/$799.90 (8Nm), which is not part of the sale.
The beauty of the current offer is that you can mix and match pedals and wheels – either creating something cheaper, or something that costs a little bit more, but with different items.
Here are two suggested combinations.
The cheapest ‘bundle’
With the current offer, you can get the wheel base, the boost kit and the QR2 and then buy the CSL Steering Wheel P1 V2 for €/$119.95 and the CSL Pedals for €/$79.95.
That totals €/$699.85, coming in at €/$100.05 cheaper than the fixed bundle.
If you’re going to need a desk clamp, that’s a further €/$29.95, so still saving ~€/$70.
- Black Friday sale item: Gran Turismo DD Pro Wheel Base (5Nm), Boost Kit 180 (increases peak torque to 8Nm) and QR2 Wheel Side adaptor – €/$499.95
- CSL Steering Wheel P1 V2 wheel – €/$119.95
- CSL Pedals – €/$79.95
- CSL DD Table Clamp – €/$29.95
- Total – €/$729.80
Suggested pedal upgrade
For just under €/$50 more than the regular bundle, you can purchase the Black Friday set plus the round non-GT branded wheel and the upgraded load cell pedal kit.
This is key, as it means you will have a three-pedal setup (the base kit is just a throttle and brake) including a clutch. But also, the brake pedal is upgraded to be a load cell – braking force is measured by the amount of pressure applied, as opposed to the level of movement.
If you purchased the non-discounted bundle, and then the load cell pedal upgrade, you’d be paying €/$90 more.
- Black Friday sale item: Gran Turismo DD Pro Wheel Base (5Nm), Boost Kit 180 (increases peak torque to 8Nm) and QR2 Wheel Side adaptor – €/$499.95
- CSL Steering Wheel P1 V2 wheel – €/$119.95
- CSL Pedals Pedals LC – €/$199.95
- CSL DD Table Clamp – €/$29.95
- Total – €/$849.80
Suggested wheel upgrade
Instead of a plain round wheel, you could opt for this branded McLaren GT-style wheel instead, which has higher-grade materials and a greater number of inputs.
Perhaps not best for drift or rally use, this is a popular wheel for the vast majority of Fanatec-owning circuit racers.
This comes in at just €/$10 more than the standard Gran Turismo bundle, and with arguably a nicer wheel.
Black Friday sale item: Gran Turismo DD Pro Wheel Base (5Nm), Boost Kit 180 (increases peak torque to 8Nm) and QR2 Wheel Side adaptor – €/$499.95
- CSL Elite Steering Wheel McLaren GT3 V2 – €/$199.95
- CSL Pedals – €/$79.95
- CSL DD Table Clamp – €/$29.95
- Total – €/$809.80
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Great overview and suggestions – I pulled the trigger and placed my order for today morning, too!
However, when your picks include the CSL Steering Wheel P1 V2 wheel or CSL Elite Steering Wheel McLaren GT3 V2, you don’t mention the fact that both of these wheels come with QR1 by default – upgrading them to QR2 to work with the GT DD Pro from this bundle (that comes with QR2 base-side), will cost at least €/$ 69 for QR2 Lite (plastic) or €/$ 99 for QR2 (metal) PER WHEEL (if bought directly from Fanatec 😉 ).
Do you have information whether in this bundle QR2 base-side comes separately with QR1 base-side being assembled to the base? Unless the base comes with QR2 base-side separately rather than pre-assembled, your suggestion picks make the entire set incomplete and impossible to use if somebody orders per your suggestions 😉
Fantastic, enjoy your new wheel base. Thankfully, according to Fanatec directly, it comes with the QR1 installed and then the QR2 in a separate box, so you can buy the suggested wheels and use them without a mandatory QR2 upgrade, and then hop to QR2 later when the time is right – but good point!