Sim racing wheel explained

A sim racing wheel is a control device for use in racing games, racing simulators, and driving simulators. They are usually packaged with a large paddle styled as a steering wheel, along with a set of pedals for the accelerator, brake, and clutch, as well as transmission controls. An analog wheel and pedal set such as this allows the user to accurately manipulate steering angle and pedal control that is required to properly manage a simulated car, as opposed to digital control such as a keyboard. The relatively large range of motion further allows the user to more accurately apply the controls. Racing wheels have been developed for use with arcade games, game consoles, personal computers, and also for professional driving simulators for race drivers.

One of the earliest racing wheels for the PC mass market was the Thrustmaster Formula T1, released in 1994.^{[1] [2]} It had no force feedback, only some form of spring-based centering resistance proportional to the steering angle.^[3] Two of the earliest FFB wheels for the consumer PC market were the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel,^[4] released in 1997, and the Logitech Wingman Formula Force.

Force feedback

Force feedback sim wheels have motors to simulate steering kickback. Racing wheels started off as simple plastic wheels hooked up to a rotary potentiometer, which were sprung by springs or bungees. These spring-based wheels had a reactive torque that increased proportionally only to the steering angle, without regard for the simulated vehicle dynamics.^[5]

Eventually manufacturers began to use electric motors in the controllers, in place of springs, in order to achieve a level of force feedback (sometimes abbreviated), first seen in Microsoft's Sidewinder wheel. At first this technology simply provided the centering force and other artificial effects such as shaking the wheel in a crash or other vibrations. However, as driving simulations have evolved, their physics engines have become more elaborate, allowing also for linking the force feedback close to the simulated vehicle dynamics of the in-game physics.^[5] This allows the user to truly feel what forces go through the steering rack, instead of just artificial effects, and genuinely enhance the realism of the game. A fundamental factor for an adequate subjective steering-feel and perception of drivability from a force feedback wheel, is the transfer function from steering torque to steering angle.^{[6] [7]}

In 2015, a preliminary comparison of gear-driven and direct-drive wheels in the 0–30 Hz frequency range, for a study on hard real-time multibody simulation and high-fidelity steering wheel force feedback, concluded that direct-drive wheels are preferable.^[8]

Buttons

Sim racing wheels, like real-world racing steering wheels, can have many buttons. Some examples are cruise control or pit-lane limiter for the pit lane, button for flashing lights, windscreen wipers, radio communication with the team, adjustments to the racing setup (such as brake balance, brake migration, differential braking (entry, mid+, exit, hi-speed; to make use of torque effectively at different points in a corner^[9]), traction control (amplitude and sensitivity), anti-roll bar adjustment (front and rear), engine program (strat mode/ engine mode to get extra power or conserve fuel and engine life), engine braking (the engine's throttle or absence of throttle when there is no input from the gas pedal, i.e. whether the engine contributes to the car slowing down or is keeping its speed), etc.), seeing sideways or in the mirror, or to browse various menus (for example using a 7-way «funky switch»).

Comparison of racing wheels

Subsections by motor type: no FFB, gear- or belt-driven, and direct-drive wheels.

No FFB

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)		Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type
Atomic	Lamborghini Gallardo Evo Racing Wheel		270			Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
BRD	Sim Pro Wheel, Speed7 Pedals	(<=2013)	290			Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	Formula T1	1994
Thrustmaster	Formula T2	1995^[10]
Thrustmaster	Ferrari Wireless Gt F430 Scuderia Edition Cockpit		270			Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	Ferrari GT 3-in-1		180			Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Microsoft	Sidewinder Precision Racing Wheel	1999	240			Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
ECCI	Trackstar 6000 Series Wheel/Pedals		270	^[11]		Paddles	"Pressure Modulated"	Standing
ECCI	Trackstar 7000 Force Feedback		900
Thomas SuperWheel	TSW Wheels, Pedals		720			Paddles, Sequential	Load Cell optional	Standing
A1	A1 GT Wheel		500			Paddles

Gear- and/or belt-driven

Earlier products

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)	mechanism	Wheel detaches from the base	Wheel cover material	Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type
Fanatec	Le Mans SE		?					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Fanatec	Speedster 2		?					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Fanatec	Speedster 3	(<=2005)^[12]	210					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Guillemot	Race Force-Feedback^[13]	(<=2000)
InterAct	FX Racing Wheel Review	(<=1999)
InterAct	V4 Force Feedback^[14]
Thrustmaster	Ferrari 458 Italia		270					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	Ferrari F430		270					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	RGT FFB Clutch		270					Paddles, Sequential	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	FGT 2-in-1 Force Feedback		180					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Saitek	R4 Force Wheel^[15] ^[16]	(<=1999)^[17]
Saitek	R440	2004	180					Paddles	Potentiometer	Hanging
Saitek	R660GT	2007	180					Paddles, Sequential	Potentiometer	Hanging
Microsoft	Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel	2006	270					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Defender	Extreme Turbo (PRO)		180					Sequential		Standing

Gear-driven

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)	mechanism	Wheel detaches from the base	Wheel cover material	Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type
Microsoft	Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel	1997	240	Gears				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Act Labs	Force RS (Force Racing System)	(<=2000)^[18]	270	Gears				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	Formula Force		180					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	Formula Force EX	2005	180	Gears		Plastic + Rubber		Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	DriveFX	2006	180	Gears		Plastic + Rubber		Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	Driving Force EX	2006	180	Gears		Plastic + Rubber		Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	Wingman Formula Force Wheel^[19]	(1998)^[20]	180	Steel belts and motors
Logitech	GT Force	2001^[21]	180
Logitech	MOMO Force (Red MOMO)	2004^[22]	270					Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	MOMO Racing Force	2005	240					Paddles, Sequential	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	Driving Force Pro		900					Paddles, Sequential	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	Driving Force GT	2007	900					Paddles, Sequential	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	G25	2006^[23]	900	Gear-driven (with straight-cut gears)				Paddles, H-shift, Sequential	Potentiometer	Standing
Fanatec	Porsche 911 Carrera Wheel	2009^[24]		Gear-driven					Potentiometer
Logitech	G27	2010	900	(helical) gear-driven^[25]		Leather^[26]		Paddles, H-shift	Potentiometer	Standing
Mad Catz	Pro Racing Force Feedback Wheel	2014	900	(helical) gear-driven^[27]		Suede leather		Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	G920	2015	900					Paddles, H-shift	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	G29	2015	900	Gear-driven				Paddles, H-shift	Potentiometer	Standing
Logitech	G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel	2020^[28]	900	Dual-motor geared force feedback

Hybrid gear and belt-driven

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)	mechanism	Wheel detaches from the base	Wheel cover material	Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type	Pedal Unit
Thrustmaster	T150 RS	2015	1080	Hybrid				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	TMX	2015	900	Hybrid				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	T150 Pro	2017	1080	Hybrid^[29] ^[30]				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing	T3PA
Thrustmaster	TMX Pro	2017	900	Hybrid				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing	T3PA
Thrustmaster	T248	2021	900	Hybrid^[31]		Plastic, Fake Leather		Paddles	Contactless, Magnetic	Standing	T3PM^[32]
Thrustmaster	T128	2022^[33]	900	Hybrid^[34]		Plastic		Paddles	Contactless, Magnetic	Standing	T2PM

Belt-driven

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)	mechanism	Wheel detaches from the base	Wheel cover material	Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type
	Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel	(<=2009)^[35]	900	Belt-driven				Paddles
	Porsche 911 GT2 Wheel	(<2011)	900	belt-driven Mabuchi 550 motor		Alcantara		Paddles
	Forza Motorsport CSR Elite Wheel	(<=2011)	900					Paddles
	Forza Motorsport CSR Wheel	(<=2011)	900	belt-driven Mabuchi 550 motor^[36]				Paddles
	Porsche 911 Carrera Wheel	2011^[37]	900	belt-driven				Paddles, H-Shift		Standing
	Porsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel	(<=2011)	900	Belt-driven				Paddles
Fanatec	CSL Elite Wheel	2017	1080-degree	Yes, single non-ribbed belt-drive,^[38] up to 6 Nm torque				Paddles
	ClubSport Wheel (CSW) v.1	(<=2013)	900	Single belt drive (Single gear toothed belt drive), brushless servo motor^[39]				Paddles
	ClubSport Wheel (CSW) V2.5		900	dual belt-drive, up to 8 Nm torque^[40]				Paddles
Thrustmaster	T300 RS^[41]	2014^[42] ^[43]	1080	Dual-belt-driven,^[44] brushless motor, hall sensor with 65k positions resolution^[45]	^[46]	Rubber		Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing
Thrustmaster	T500 RS	2011^[47]	1080	Brushed motors^[48]				Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing/Hanging
Thrustmaster	TS-PC Racer	2017^[49]	1080	dual-belt-drive,^[50] brushless motor (about 6 Nm torque), hall sensor with 65k positions resolution^[51]		Pseudo-alcantara^[52]

Direct-drive bases or wheel + base combos

See main article: Direct-drive sim racing wheel.

Other types / uncategorized

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)		Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type
Frex	Simwheel V1^[53]	2008^[54]	1080
VPP	Wheel, Hyperreal Pedals	(<= 2006)	270			Paddles	Potentiometer	Standing

Pedals

Other features by which pedals can be compared are whether they can be inverted (hanging pedals), build material (plastic, aluminum), adjustability (position, pressure, travel), measured pressure, travel length, sensor resolution.^[55]

Potentiometer-based and magnetic brake

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)		Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Sensor Resolution	Pedal Type
	Standard Porche Pedals						Potentiometer	8 bit	Standing
	CSR Pedals	2011^[56]					Potentiometer	8 bit	Standing/Hanging
A1	A1 GT Pedals						Potentiometer		Standing
Act Labs	RS Pedals						Potentiometer		Standing
Redline	Pedals						Potentiometer		Hanging
Thrustmaster	T3PA	2014^[57]					Potentiometer		Hanging
Thrustmaster	T3PA-Pro	2015^[58]					Potentiometer		Hanging
Thrustmaster	T3PM	2021^[59]					Contactless, Magnetic	10 bit	Standing

Loadcell brake

Manufacturer	Product	Year	Max Rotation (Deg)		Clutch	Brake Sensor	Sensor resolution	Pedal Type
Fanatec	Porsche Clubsport Pedals	2008^[60]				Load Cell		Standing/Hanging
	ClubSport Pedals	2009				Load Cell	10 bit	Standing
Thomas Super Wheel	TSW Load Cell Pedals	2010^[61]				Load Cell		Standing
	CSR Elite Pedals	2011^[62]				Load Cell	10 bit	Standing/Hanging
Fanatec	Clubsport Pedal V2	2013^[63]				Load Cell		Standing
Derek Speare Designs (DSD)	Wilwood Load Cell Pedals	2014^[64]				Load Cell		Standing
Fanatec	Clubsport Pedal V3	2015^[65]				Load Cell	12 bit	Standing
Fanatec	CSL Elite Pedals	2016^[66]				Optional Load Cell upgrade		Standing
Frex	Sim2Pedal					Hydraulic w/ Load Cell (HydroBrake)
Frex	Sim3Pedal					Hydraulic w/ Load Cell (HydroBrake)
A1	A1 Pro Pedals					Load Cell
CST (Cannon Simulation Technologies)	Pedals					"Pressure Sensing"		Hanging
REVZALOT	P36 Pedals					Load Cell		Standing
Thrustmaster	T-LCM	2020^[67]				Load Cell	16 bit	Standing
Simworx	Pro GT V3					Load Cell		Standing
MOZA Racing	SR-P Pedals	2022^[68]				Load Cell	16 bit	Standing

Shifters

Manufacturer	Product	Max Rotation (Deg)		Clutch	Shifter	Brake Sensor	Pedal Type
	Porsche Shifter				H-shift, Sequential
	CSR Shifter				H-shift, Sequential
Frex	HShift+				H-shift
Frex	Shift+				Sequential
A1	GearBox				H-Shift
Act Labs	RS Shifter				H-shift
Logitech	G Driving Force Shifter				H-Shift
Thrustmaster	Th8a	—	—	—	H-Shift (7+1)	—	—
Thrustmaster	Th8s	—	—	—	H-Shift (7+1)	—	—

See also

• HOTAS (hands on throttle-and-stick)
• Linkage (mechanical)
• Sim racing
• Sim racing pedals
• Sawtooth wave

Notes and References

1. Andrew See (1994) THRUSTMASTER FORMULA T1 DRIVING SIMULATOR CONTROLS by Thrustmaster, Game Bytes Magazine
2. DARIN GANGI Throwback Thursday: Thrustmaster T1, AUGUST 22, 2014
3. https://racesimcentral.net/thrustmaster-formula-t1-t2/ Thrustmaster Formula T1/T2 Profile
4. Julien Jay SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel review
5. Dell’Amico, M., Marzani, S., Minin, L., Montanari, R., Tesauri, F., Mariani, & Tango, F. (2007) Design of an adaptive feedback based steering wheel, p.181, in Marvin J. Dainoff (Ed., 2007) International Conference on Ergonomics and Health Aspects of Work with Computers (pp. 180–188). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
6. Chen, W., Chugh, T., Klomp, M., Ran, S., & Lidberg, M. (2017) Design and control of the steering torque feedback in a vehicle driving simulator, in Maksym Spiryagin, Timothy Gordon, Colin Cole, Tim McSweeney (Eds., 2021) The Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks, ch.7 (pp. 213–219). CRC Press, p.215
7. Harrer, M., Pfeffer, P., & Braess, H. H. (2017). Steering-feel, interaction between driver and car. In Steering Handbook (pp. 149–168). Springer, Cham.
8. Pastorino, R., Desloovere, M., Vanneste, F., Degezelle, P., Desmet, W., & Optidrive, N. V. (2015) Development, implementation and validation of a hard real-time multibody simulation for high-fidelity steering wheel force feedback, in Proceedings of the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics, Barcelona, Spain (Vol. 10).
9. https://www.evoindia.com/blog/f1-steering-wheel What all the controls do on a modern day F1 steering wheel
10. https://books.google.com/books?id=jC8WAQAAMAAJ The Red Chip Review, Issues 2–6
11. https://designapplause.com/mino-money-no-object/ecci-trackstar-6000/2061/ ECCI TrackStar 6000
12. https://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/speedster_xbox/ Fanatec Speedster 3 (Xbox) Review
13. Fabio "Bill" Cristi Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel – Review
14. Web site: InterAct Racing Wheel V4 Force Feedback – wheel and pedals set – wired Overview – CNET . www.cnet.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160830041006/http://www.cnet.com/products/interact-racing-wheel-v4-force-feedback-wheel-and-pedals-set-wired . 2016-08-30.
15. https://www.cnet.com/products/saitek-r4-force-wheel-and-pedals-set-wireless/ Saitek R4 Force – wheel and pedals set – wireless Specs
16. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32514-saitek-r4-review Saitek R4 Review
17. William Gall Saitek R4 ForceFeedback Wheel Review @ RDGR, 3D Gaming World Hardware Review, March 21, 1999
18. Yingzong http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews/force_rs/index.shtml, Hardware One, 12/01/00
19. Gonzo Wingman Formula Force Wheel, arstechnica
20. https://imgur.com/a/Gzdhg5o Logitech Wingman Formula Force Installation Guide
21. Andrew Evans Logitech G Teases New Racing Wheel, Reveal Due August 5, gtplanet.net, August 4, 2020
22. https://uk.pcmag.com/pc-games/29545/logitech-momo-racing-force-feedback-wheel Logitech Momo Racing Force-Feedback Wheel
23. BEN KUCHERA Logitech G25 Racing Wheel review, arstechnica, 10/25/2006
24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPwGMCflpVs Porsche Carrera Wheel Review & Clubsport Pedal Preview
25. Web site: Logitech G27 a Step Up From the G25? . Tekcore Magazine . November 7, 2011 . August 16, 2012 . https://archive.today/20130925173416/http://www.tekcore.co.uk/2011/11/07/logitech-g27-a-step-up-from-the-g25/ . September 25, 2013 . live .
26. Andrew Williams Thrustmaster T300 GTE Review, November 3, 2014
27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kyHwH5zCOkMad Catz Pro Racing Force Feedback Wheel Review
28. https://www.gtplanet.net/logitech-g923-review-20200821/ Logitech G923 Review: Mainstream Mainstay
29. Smoljic, Hrvoje THRUSTMASTER T150 PRO RACING WHEEL REVIEW: ENTRY LEVEL EXCELLENCE, keengamer.com, 2020-04-18
30. http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/t150-pro-forcefeedback t150-pro-forcefeedback
31. Web site: Thrustmaster T248 Wheel Kit Review, Sim Racing Garage . YouTube . 23 January 2023.
32. Web site: Thrustmaster T3PM . 23 January 2023.
33. Web site: T128: The Force Feedback racing wheel to get started in racing simulation . Thrustmaster website . 23 January 2023.
34. Web site: Thrustmaster T128 Wheel Kit Review, Sim Racing Garage . YouTube . 23 January 2023.
35. http://www.virtualr.net/fanatec-porsche-911-turbo-s-review Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel – Review
36. Web site: Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR wheel and Elite pedals review . Engadget . 2022-04-15.
37. http://www.virtualr.net/fanatec-porsche-911-carrera-wheel-review Fanatec Porsche 911 Carrera Wheel – Review
38. Web site: Williams . Andrew . Fanatec CSL Elite racing wheel review . PC Gamer . 1970-01-01 . 2022-04-15.
39. https://fanatec.com/eu-en/racing-wheels-wheel-bases/wheel-bases/csl-elite-wheel-base-v1.1 CSL Elite Wheel Base V1.1
40. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/fanatec-clubsport-v25 Fanatec ClubSport V2.5 review
41. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilbvbNYHonE Thrustmaster T300RS GT Review
42. T300 RS: THE FIRST OFFICIAL FORCE FEEDBACK WHEEL FOR PLAYSTATION®4, Thrustmaster official Press release, Los Angeles, June 10, 2014
43. T300 RS, the first force feedback racing wheel for the Playstation®4 System !, Thrustmaster official Press release, New York, 09.15.2014
44. Sim / By FLOW RACERS Thrustmaster T300RS GT Review
45. https://www.thrustmaster.com/sites/default/files/product/forcefeedback_wheelbenchmarkuk.pdf Thrustmaster Racing Wheels Benchmarking
46. https://www.beracer.com/thrustmaster-t300-rs-review/ Thrustmaster T300 RS review
47. Greer, Jordan Thrustmaster T300RS Review, gtplanet.net, February 9, 2015 (updated Jun 26, 2017)
48. Andrew Williams Thrustmaster T300 RS Review, trustedreviews.com, October 27, 2016
49. Matej Inside Sim Racing Reviews Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer, January 9, 2017 (updated Jan 24, 2018)
50. Sim Racing Garage Thrustmaster TS-PC Ferrari 488 Challenge Edition Review, Oct 14, 2018
51. Josh Walrath THRUSTMASTER TS-PC WHEEL REVIEW: A GENUINE LEAP, pcper.com, Feb 27, 2018
52. GamerMuscleVideos THRUSTMASTER TS PC RACER WHEEL REVIEW, Dec 13, 2016
53. http://www.betablocker.co.uk/?page_id=265 Frex Sim Wheel v1
54. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcqOE-FSnFI Frex Sim Wheel Review by SRT
55. https://flowracers.com/blog/best-sim-racing-load-cell-pedals/ The 5 Best Sim Racing Load Cell Pedals
56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ednMVliqLBQ Fanatec CSR pedal review
57. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKmA0-9DECU Thrustmaster T3PA Pedal Set Review by Inside Sim Racing
58. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN5P42Jj6xY Thrustmaster Thrustmaster T3PA-PRO Pedal Set Review
59. Web site: Thrustmaster launches affordable T248 hybrid drive wheel and pedal set .
60. http://www.virtualr.net/fanatec-csr-elite-pedals-review Fanatec CSR Elite Pedals – Review
61. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmY9l4KMEoM Fanatec CSR Elite Pedal Review
62. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ChKoSDkLLA Fanatec CSR Elite Pedal Review
63. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL8wW_Ozx4A Fanatec Clubsport Pedal V2 Review by Inside Sim Racing
64. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuBnbHNktA0 DSD Wilwood Load Cell Pedal Set – First Look by Inside Sim Racing
65. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26GvN2fKMCI Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 Review
66. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYjxOLRxnw Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel Base and Pedals First Look
67. Thrustmaster T-LCM Pedal Review – Thrustmaster's FIRST Load Cell Pedals!, Sim Racing Paddock, Feb 22, 2020
68. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfkUwuPZoV0 MOZA SR-P Pedals Installation Tutorial