“Direct Drive” has become somewhat of a buzzword within the Sim Racing industry in recent years as we’ve seen wheel base technology come in leaps and bounds. What was once a complex and convoluted technology reserved only for those with deep pockets and high levels of patience is becoming more and more accessible to the everyday sim racer.
So today we take a look at the VRS DirectForce Pro, a Direct Drive sim racing wheel base that takes a well established technology and makes it available at an affordable price without the steep learning curve, making it one of the best value for money direct drive wheelbases for sim racers on a tighter budget.
We take the VRS DirectForce Pro for a drive in iRacing, Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, F1 2020, Automobilista 2 and Dirt Rally 2.0 to see how it stacks up against the Fanatec DD1, DD2, Ssimucube 2 Sport, Pro and Ultimate and Simagic M10 we’ve previously tested.
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The VRS DirectForce Pro is a 20nm Direct Drive wheelbase utilising the popular Small MiGE motor. It’s a high quality build for an excellent price.
To mount your wheel with a standard 70mm bolt pattern, you’ll need the optional Motor Shaft hub adapter which is simple, and solid!
The motor mounting bracket is also an optional accessory. Which doesn’t look particularly sturdy but we experienced very minimal flex which was unnoticeable while driving. It also gives a nice amount of tilt adjustability.
The software isn’t pretty, but is simple and effective, making it easy to achieve your desired characteristics. We feel it’s missing a static force control to reduce cornering forces without losing details in texture, and while we were able to create a consistent feel across a number of titles, it did take a little more work than it does with some other wheelbases.
The Direct Force Pro offers a very smooth and detailed FFB experience, comparable to our much more expensive Simicube 2 ultimate with just a small lack in definition in certain situations. But being at all comparable to the ultimate, is a huge compliment.
There is no “grainyness” as in the fanatec DD1 and DD2 which may lead some drivers to prefer this to the Fanatec bases. However you’ll be missing the benefits of the fanatec ecosystem such as the extensive list of wheels and additional features like on-wheel control of FFB settings.
Make sure to check out our full detailed review and visit https://virtualracingschool.com/dfp/ for more info.
