Our Verdict
Pros
- Excellent force feedback improvements
- PS5 compatibility with optional Xbox compatibility
- High quality F1 branded steering wheel
- Metal QR2 included
- Good value overall
Cons
- No Xbox compatibility out of the box
- Pedals not included
- No additional paddle modules like Podium F1
The story of waiting for a train and two coming at once is very relevant in this scenario. Fanatec isn’t known for its fast product releases, with its last major racing wheel release, the GT DD Pro, in November 2021.
Since then, we’ve eagerly waited for another racing wheel until, in November 2023, the ClubSport DD wheel base was announced. That racing wheel was the new generation of premium direct drive sim racing, somewhat taking over from the much older DD1 and DD2.
Last month, we got the announcement of the first bundle, which included the ClubSport DD+. We reviewed the Gran Turismo DD Exteme racing wheel and we are happy to say it is a good premium sim racing bundle. However, less than one month later, we got another surprise announcement from Fanatec, and this is for another new racing wheel bundle.
The ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 is a bundle with the same ClubSport DD+ wheel base as the GT DD Extreme bundle. This time, it pairs it with a Formula 1 branded steering wheel and the upgraded QR2 quick release. So, is this the better of the two recent Fanatec bundles? I plan to find out in our ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 review.
What is the Fanatec ClubSport Racing Wheel F1?
The newest Fanatec sim racing bundle is similar to the Gran Turismo DD Extreme I reviewed just a month ago. It includes a similar set of products for the exact same price. However, I believe that this newer bundle offers better value.
As part of the ClubSport Racing Wheel F1, you get the mighty ClubSport DD+ wheel base. This is currently Fanatec’s most premium wheel base, offering 15Nm of peak torque from a direct drive motor. It is PlayStation 5 compatible and can be used on an Xbox console with a compatible steering wheel. However, it’s important to note that this bundle as a whole is not Xbox-compatible as standard.
Fanatec has decided to pair this wheel base with a new version of its ClubSport Formula 2.5X steering wheel. We presume this bundle was released around March to coincide with the start of the Formula 1 season, and that is smart marketing if that is the case.
I’ll discuss each part of this bundle in more detail later in this review, but first, I want to address the elephant in the room. How is this different from the GT DD Extreme bundle that came out a month ago, and which is a smarter purchase?
Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Extreme vs ClubSport Racing Wheel F1
Reading through the spec list of the Gran Turismo DD Extreme bundle and this new bundle, I see that things are relatively similar. Both include the ClubSport DD+ wheel base, a unique steering wheel, a quick release, and are PS5 compatible. To round out the similarities, both racing wheels cost the same price.
When you look a bit closer, the differences appear. This new bundle offers a formula-style steering wheel compared to the circular steering wheel on the GT DD Extreme. With this bundle, you also get an upgraded version of the QR2 quick release.
Which ClubSport DD+ bundle is better?
The upgraded QR2 is a big improvement when comparing both racing wheels. It is constructed entirely from metal, making it much sturdier than the plastic QR2 Lite found on the GT DD Extreme. I also think that the Formula V2.5X steering wheel is an upgrade over the Gran Turismo-licensed steering wheel. It feels sturdier in your hand and looks a whole lot more premium.
Of course, if you like the official Gran Turismo branding or need a circular steering wheel for drifting, rallying, or racing a wider variety of cars, the GT DD Extreme may be a smarter choice. However, if you race open-wheel or GT cars, I would almost always recommend this new racing wheel bundle.
Does the ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 replace the Podium Racing Wheel F1?
If you have been around sim racing for a while or know Fanatec products well, you may remember the Podium Racing Wheel F1. This is another Formula 1 licensed bundle from Fanatec that looked awfully similar to this ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 bundle.
That bundle included the Podium DD1 wheel base along with a unique version of the Formula V2.5. The DD1 is a much older wheel base than the ClubSport DD+, but did offer more power. It sat higher in Fanatec’s ecosystem as a Podium product rather than a ClubSport product.
If you aren’t familiar with Fanatec’s naming convention, CSL products are the most budget-focused. ClubSport products are mid-tier products, while Podium products are the most premium.
So, does this ClubSport bundle replace the older and now discontinued Podium F1 bundle? Well, currently, yes. It offers a similar number of products, including a Formula 1 licensed steering wheel, PS5 compatible wheel base, and quick release. It is cheaper than the Podium F1 bundle and doesn’t include the Advanced Paddle Module.
However, with the Podium F1 being discontinued, there is no word on a new Podium wheel base launching any time soon. This is the go-to PS5 Formula 1 bundle from Fanatec.
Price
Moving onto the price, this is interesting, especially considering the recent release of the GT DD Extreme and the older Podium F1 bundle.
The ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 costs exactly the same as the GT DD Extreme at €1299.95. This is pretty impressive, given that it includes the better QR2 than the QR2 Lite. Also, I think the Formula 1 steering wheel is better quality than the Gran Turismo wheel rim, making this appear even better value.
- Buy the Fanatec ClubSport F1 (United States) – $1299.95
- Buy the Fanatec ClubSport F1 (Europe & UK) – €1299.95
- Buy the Fanatec ClubSport F1 (Australia) – $2139.90
I did mention the old Podium Racing Wheel F1, as it’s a valid comparison to this newer bundle. The original RRP of the Podium F1 bundle was $1,799.95. Things get interesting when we break down the cost of the ClubSport F1 wheel and the Podium F1 wheel.
The DD1 wheel base in the old bundle costs $999.95, the same as the ClubSport DD+. We can put a similar value on both steering wheels as they are functionally the same in both bundles, and they can be purchased individually at $349.95.
The QR2 in the new sim racing bundle is valued at $99.95 individually. The Podium Paddles and Podium Quick Release cost $179.95 and the old QR1 costs $99.95.
That brings the total value of items in the ClubSport F1 bundle to $1449.85. And the total value of items in the Podium F1 bundle to $1629.80. Looking at those two numbers, you do appear to get much better value from the newer ClubSport F1 bundle than you ever did with the older Podium F1.
| Racing wheel | Torque | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Fanatec GT DD Extreme | 15Nm | €/$1299.95 |
 | Fanatec ClubSport F1 | 15Nm | €/$1299.95 |
 | Fanatec Podium F1 | 20Nm | €/$1799.95 |
What’s included in the ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 bundle?
Now I want to dive a bit deeper into the value of this bundle and that starts by looking at what items are included. I will look at each piece of the puzzle in a bit more detail and see if each item is a good addition.
ClubSport DD+ wheel base
I’m going to start with the ClubSport DD+. This is the main attraction of the whole bundle and the basis for the overall performance. You can, over time, expand your steering wheel collection to utilise other products with this wheel base. But you won’t want to buy more wheel bases, as they are incredibly expensive. So, if you don’t like this wheel base, the bundle probably isn’t for you.
The good news is that this is an incredible racing wheel, one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of racing with over the past decade. Fanatec has put much effort into revamping and upgrading the force feedback to ensure this wheel base is incredibly future-proof and will provide the extreme performance that a sim racing product of this value should offer.
The new FullForce feature, along with force feedback 2.0, brings new elements to the overall driving experience and makes force feedback more immersive than ever. Fanatec has worked in a vibration element that utilises in-game physics to add vibrations and rumbles to the force feedback.
In practice, this adds to the immersion in a similar way that Logitech and MOZA Racing have done with TrueForce and the R12. Logitech TrueForce works very similarly to make the steering wheel vibrate, and MOZA implemented similar sensations with the MOZA R12 wheel base.
The other really impressive part of the ClubSport DD+ wheel base is its thermal performance. Most direct drive wheel bases suffer from thermal degradation over time, which results in many wheels not being able to hit the peak torque performance after a long race session.
Fanatec has made big strides toward improving thermal performance, meaning that even after a long gameplay stint with the wheel, you’ll still feel close to maximum performance.
Formula 1 steering wheel
The next piece of this bundle is the Formula V2.5X steering wheel. This wheel has been around for a long time and is one of my favourite steering wheels. It has been designed incredibly well, giving it almost perfect dimensions and ergonomics while racing.
The construction of the wheel is incredibly high, with carbon fibre used across the face plate and metal and leather used throughout. Across the top of the wheel are a series of RevLEDs that help indicate when to shift gear. And there are a series of flag LEDs on either side.
You get plenty of inputs to use while racing. There are 11 push buttons, multiple 12-way multi-position switches, thumb encoders, and toggle switches. These inputs can be programmed in games such as Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing and F1 23. Every time I made an adjustment using an input, it felt incredibly tactile and solid, adding to the premium feel.
The big difference with this steering wheel is that it boasts a unique colourway that you cannot buy individually. It also sports the Formula 1 branding across the front of the wheel, much like the F1 Esports wheel and the Podium F1 wheel did.
Would I buy this bundle to access this unique steering wheel? No, as it is the same as previous versions of the Formula V2.5x. However, it is nice that Fanatec has added extra desirability to the bundle by mixing up the colourway.
QR2 quick release
Finally, the quick release included is the QR2. This is the full-fat standard QR2, not the QR2 Lite found in the GT DD Extreme bundle. That will be music to most sim racers’ ears, as it felt like a bit of a cop-out that Fanatec only included the plastic quick release in the previous bundle.
This QR2 quick release is constructed entirely from metal and stabilises the whole bundle. You can swap the wheel side quick release onto any other compatible Fanatec steering wheel, which is nice. If you have an Xbox-compatible steering wheel, attaching the QR2 and the ClubSport DD+ will make for an Xbox-compatible Fanatec bundle.
How does this bundle perform?
We’ve previously reviewed the ClubSport DD wheel base, and in that review, I was impressed at the performance on show. The force feedback was crisper than anything I had previously used from Fanatec. The underlying vibrations and rumbles that indicated tyre slip and a range of other in-game actions felt immersive.
Upgrading to this ClubSport DD+, which boasts 4Nm more peak performance, only ups the ante. There is an argument that you get diminishing returns once you go past around 10Nm or so. And I do believe that, as most of my time spent with this ClubSport DD+ wheel base was with the force feedback turned down to around 11-12Nm.
At the full 15Nm, the wheel became too strong to enjoy racing in sessions that lasted an hour or longer. Fatigue sets in after a while, which can lead to silly mistakes. Detuning the force feedback to around 11-12Nm makes the whole experience much more enjoyable.
The problems that plagued the Gran Turismo DD Extreme bundle are primarily resolved in this product. The GT DD Extreme bundle had some noticeable flexing through the steering wheel, mainly due to the plastic QR2 Lite and the steering wheel utilising plastic elements.
This racing wheel eliminates all flexing. Thanks to the metal construction and forged carbon fibre faceplate, the steering wheel is much smaller and has much better build quality. Also, the aluminium QR2 is much sturdier than the plastic variation.
Thanks to the higher-quality parts, this is a much better outing than the Gran Turismo DD Extreme in the performance category.
Compatibility
I’ve mentioned it a few times, but the compatibility of this sim racing bundle is limited to just PlayStation and PC. That is until you introduce an Xbox-compatible steering wheel, which allows the wheel base and QR2 to be used with an Xbox console.
There aren’t many racing wheels that offer both Xbox and PlayStation compatibility from a single unit. Most brands create two individual wheels, one for each console. This bundle will be a great fit if you are a multi-console owner.
I will reiterate that this bundle alone cannot be used with an Xbox console. To enable this, you will require another Xbox-compatible Fanatec steering wheel.
In terms of using this bundle with other Fanatec products, you can use it with pretty much anything Fanatec currently sells. The wheel-side QR2 can be mounted to any Fanatec wheel rim, and you can pair any Fanatec pedals with this bundle.
Should you buy the Fanatec ClubSport Racing Wheel F1?
Despite its awkward long name, the Fanatec ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 is a relatively simple proposition. It bundles Fanatec’s current most powerful wheel base, with one of the best formula steering wheels and adds compatibility with PS5 consoles, with the option of Xbox compatibility as well.
It does all this while offering around $1450 worth of products for just $1299.95. This bundle is very good value considering what you get despite its rather large price tag.
If you are in the market for a premium direct drive racing wheel, this would make for a great option. If you currently own a range of Fanatec products and are looking to upgrade, I recommend buying the ClubSport DD+ wheel base on its own and using whichever steering wheel you currently own.
Are there pedals included with this Fanatec bundle?
Unfortunately, this bundle does not include pedals. The ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 only includes the wheel base and steering wheel.
What consoles is this Fanatec F1 wheel compatible with?
This Formula 1 racing wheel bundle offers PC and PS5 compatibility out of the box. The wheel base can be used with an Xbox console, but an additional Xbox-compatible steering wheel is required.
Technical Specifications
Review written by Felix König
