SIMAGIC
Simagic have established themselves as one of the key players in Sim Racing, with an extensive mid to high end ecosystem of direct drive bases from 10NM to 24NM in strength, as well as a variety of wheels, pedals, handbrakes and shifters which compete very aggressively against the likes of Fanatec and Moza.
They’ve also introduced innovative products like their haptic feedback motors for pedals, which integrate seamlessly into their ecosystem, but can also be paired with other brands, and this has become a real strength for them. Where other brands intentionally make it as difficult as possible to mix and match their product switch other brands, Simagic seemingly do the opposite.
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As part of our Essential Direct Drive Sim Racing Buyer's Guide we covered the most important details of the Simagic ecosystem.
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SIMAGIC REVIEWS AND CONTENT
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Fanatec
Fanatec have the largest available ecosystem of products including wheels, pedals, direct drive wheel bases, a shifter and a handbrake (although the shifter and handbrake are well overdue for a refresh). Their products are split across 3 different tiers. The CSL range, which is their cheaper more entry level gear, ClubSport, which sits in the middle, and Podium at the top. Although this gets a little confusing as their new ClubSport DD and DD+ actually provide a marginally better driving experience than the older Podium DD1 and DD2, with smoother, faster response and more force feedback detail. The new ClubSport DD and DD+ also boast Fanatec’s new “FullForce” technology, which adds more granular detail to things like road textures and kerbs for the games that support it (which at the time of writing is none).
Fanatec’s products are also natively console compatible, which is one of the major reasons why their products are so popular.
Worth noting is the fact that Fanatec lock out force feedback on their bases if you do not have a Fanatec branded wheel or hub attached to the base, which will increase the cost associated in using their bases with any aftermarket wheel. There are aftermarket adaptors which can circumvent this.
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Purchase Direct From Fanatec
Fanatec gear can be purchased through Amazon which may provide availability to different regions.
Detailed Fanatec Reviews and Guides
Fanatec Pros and Cons
Pros
- Extensive ecosystem that covers a variety of needs and budgets
- Natively console compatible (PlayStation & Xbox)
- Ability to tune force feedback and driving settings or switch profiles directly from the wheel
- Excellent game compatibility and game level integration (Many games already have presets baked in, etc)
- Excellent consistency in the driving experience between different games
Cons
- Slow customer service at time of writing
- Company’s current financial position appears unstable
- Software on PC is outdated compared to competitors
- Force Feedback locked out unless you use their wheels or hub adaptors
Simucube
The Simucube name is pretty much synonymous with Direct Drive sim racing wheelbases, and their parent company Granite Devices has a wealth of experience in mechanical engineering and mechatronics. Many people consider the Simucube bases to be the benchmark when it comes to force feedback quality, despite the product range being almost 5 years old now.
Simucube 2 bases are on the high end of the scale price wise, even with their cheapest 17NM Simucube 2 Sport base and it only goes up from there. However you are getting what you pay for and the products feel more like a piece of high end machinery you’d find in a manufacturing facility than a video game input device.
Their ecosystem is somewhat limited, with only a few of their own wheels available, and their active pedals which are revolutionary for sim racing, but also prohibitively expensive.
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As part of our Essential Direct Drive Sim Racing Buyer's Guide we covered the most important details of the Simucube ecosystem.
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Simucube Reviews by Boosted Media
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Simucube Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exceptional build quality, materials and refinement
- Industry leading Force Feedback quality
- 360Hz Force Feedback in iRacing
- Excellent adjustability and very refined Force Feedback
- Cloud based Force Feedback Profiles
- Continuous innovation with exciting products like active pedals
- Backed by a large parent company with greater resources than some smaller competitors
Cons
- No Native Console Compatibility
- Limited ecosystem with no shifter or handbrake and only a small selection of wheels
- No provision for connecting wheels electronically through the wheelbase
- Batteries required for any wheel which connects wirelessly
- Price and quality potentially past the point of diminishing return vs modern competitors