As a fellow techand automotive reviewer I have to say this is one of the best product reviews I have ever seen. Simple, to the point and well scripted. Great work!
I think InsideSimRacing should learn from this channel! No overwhelming sponsorships that have forced-positivity. None of that should be allowed on YT. Especially for a review like this. Great job!
@@watersnortmoment3734 Sure, you can manipulate a straw to turn a wheel.. But can you set out to sea on a boat with a SCREEN DOOR BOTTOM, sealed with Flex Seal?!
Shawn, terrific review as always. it would be extremely valuable if you could share with us how close this gets to a basic DD setup like the accuforce. That way a buyer can make the decision: going for the v2.5 or spending more on a DD wheel.
Hi Shawn. I stumbled upon ur page as I am getting into sim with my kids. Your reviews are just amazing and detailed. I appriciate the time and effort you pit out into making these videos for us. I recommended your channel to my friends.
So I've went ahead and made the purchase of this, I believe this is about as far as this tech will be able to advance though. There in my opinion is no way they will be able to get any more out of the belt type of set up as this particular unit. After this, it's direct drive, I've not recieved my order as of yet and I'm super excited to get it. After all the research I've done on all of these set ups, what I've seen is this has to be the best of the best of what can be had from this type of system. When I have the room and can get an amazing rig instead of a wheelstand I will be getting the dd but until then I know this will be bad to the bone.
Hey Shaun, I ordered this wheel right after you announced it. i have had it for a few weeks and i feel like its a better on center feel and i feel like i warm up much faster. Awesome Review. Thank you
this is called professional review. great job. One thing tho. The real formula car without assist is very heavy at fast turn. In fact . super heavy much heavier than 2.5 can provide.
Great Work Shaun. Thanks for the informative, brief, and thorough review. Really appreciated. It's hard to find someone covering sim tech that isn't an obvious fanboy or well paid spokesperson or a critique' extraordinaire! You came across as honest, fair, and unbiased. You showed alot of excitement and enthusiasm but who wouldn't within a week of unboxing anything Fanatec? Keep up the good work my man...Subscribed!
Excellent video thank you. I’m just getting into sim racing and still loving my g920 in Assetto Corsa and Project Cars 2, it does everything I need at my level, but this may be something to look at down the road. Appreciate watching all your vids and your contributions to the hobby. 👍
I will upgrade to direct drive when my clubsport v2 gives out one day but it's amazing how smooth this wheel is. The big bearings and smooth v-ribbed belts are vastly smoother than the Thrustmaster wheels I've owned that had a looser belt with teeth. I'm sure direct drive will blow me away when I get one but I'm still very impressed with this wheel.
The only two problems I have with Fanatec: No dealer in Canada (Amazon etc.) causing the price here being way more than the original which is already very expensive. No dealer in Canada makes RMA or warranty work an absolute nightmare compared to say Thrustmaster with which you can just return through Amazon.
Cristian Capece me too. The upgrades are nice but nothing really noticeable when compared to the v2. Certainly not worth buying a 2.5 as an owner of a v2.
I usually just kind of watch videos only sometimes do I put input but I wanted to say that I am new to owning a PC and to sim racing. And that after watching your video and seeing your set up I went ahead and purchased the v2.5 and am going to work on having my own set up in the future. I downloaded a video and was sent a text and didn't recognize it until after. I spammed it I apologize but I look forward to learning more by watching your videos. Thanks a bunch.
Hi Shaun love your channel and thanks for in depth review. it has aloud me to confirm to myself this is the right direction to take my console racing for my own channel and you have gained your self a subscriber. keep up the good work!
Sold sold sold!! Shaun you most certainly have a second career in sales if ever needed haha. I would of went with Fanatec many years ago but how the consumer is limited to their rims put me off, to wait a few months or a year to get the extra cash for an OSW and a Sam Maxwell rim is worth it.
Solid Review Shaun! My only "Not So Good" would be that the cable connections are still in a PITA location when you need to change something out. A straight rather than angled RJ plug connections would've been nice; plus a hand break connection would've been a nice addition to the 2.5 since the csl wheel base has such connection. Otherwise, Fantastic wheelbase for the Money....
Great review, as always. I was very close to buy it, not even knowing I would buy v2.5, but I chose OSW BIg Mige and kept great BMW and F1 rims by Fanatec. I calculated all and OSW seemed better way to go if I wanted to keep heavy BMW rim.
Good review but I wanted to point out that FanLEDs and SLIMax do NOT work yet. As of version 2.4h at least. I've had the base since release and check for updates almost daily. Some games have been updated to work with the display though (Asssetto Corsa for example). Updates will fix this eventually of course....
@shaun cole, great review of the v2.5 base !! very detailed an good lenght of the review, other make reviews in 4-5 min, that is not possible to introduce a wheel base, like the clubsport or direct drive bases. i can wait to see what you say about the new fanatec direct drive base that releases in very near future. after that i'm gonna see if i take the csw v2.5 or the fanatec direct drive ;)
hey bud so I just received the wheelbase with the BMW rim for review myself this my first time with the fanatic gear and I'm noticing on certain times especially when I am just accelerating off of a dead stop there is a loud force-feedback sort of sound coming from the wheelbase nothing seems to be loose everything is super smooth, just the loud metallic ffb noises on fast take off and rumble strips. now don't get me wrong I do feel that effect in the wheel very strong as well I just don't know if it's normal for these wheels because everything else seems to be super smoothing and quiet.
The back of the base isnt plastic lol its metal with a rubber coating man the entire base is metal people seem to get there rubber coating and plastic feel mixed up weird but great review again buddy
Great unit. but Fanetec still seems to think a wheel rim with switches is somehow worth 400 bucks. Yes they have a cheap F1 rim for 179! and 1 single round rim for 249.00! and six rims priced at 399.00 yikes ! And for some crazy reason 1 at 359.! I am sorry a car rim with switches and a few leds is not worth 400 bucks to me.I am sure these are made in china as well for next to zero labor cost. This doubles the price of the unit! Some awesome profit margins they have at Fanetec it appears. 750.00 for a entry level setup without pedals seems a lil bit ridiculous when you look at other competitors offerings. If you buy just a few rims you could have a direct drive setup , or save a ton ,with way more affordable rims for way less with top of the line thrustmaster stuff. just my opinion and I'm sure the fanatec fanatics will be screaming, but look at the math. They do seem like a marginal step up in quality but not worth 400 bucks for each china made wheel add on.
I have almost all thrustmaster add on wheels and I’m crying that I spent a penny with them. Bought a v2.5 and I wish I just bought this right away. Huuuge difference when racing and switching cars and tracks. Tuning on the fly is game changing because on straights it can oscillate but a click of a button and you change that and keep playing with it right before our turns. It’s amazing what you can do when you really get good with it
Plus you feel a lot more of the road compared to my tx servo. Also when I drift and use my sequential th8a and sparco handbrake, my simhub stops recognizing the shifter and have to unplug and plug back to get it to work again, so annoying when you’re in firs place and can’t shift and lose. Bought another simhub from amazon 2 days later and same shit. Don’t waste your $$
You miss a lot believe me. I drove a V2 yesterday and compared to my DD-Wheel it felt like a toy. The forces generated and the immediate response you get from a DD-Wheel are just overwhelming, and even more so the vast amount of torque. But don't get me wrong the V2 is a very good wheel and a lot cheaper as a DD solution.
I honestly think a dd drive would be pointless in competitive sim racing like iracing. The forces it would create would be too much I believe. In casual fun racing against AI sure, a dd would be fun but iracing, no thanks. I mean you have people like ray alfalla and michael conti winning peak championships with driving force gt's and g25's lol before making the switch to fanatec.
KD Customs DD wheels are used for realism, You can simulate cars without power steering and you get the instant response and feel without any dampening, it's raw driving, pros use lower model wheels for the simple reason that they can overpower the FFB and force the car to do things it doesn't want to do
This review makes it even more difficult not to spend too much money on Sim Racing ;) I'm still racing on my G27 but since I first tried the clubsport v2 it doesn't feel that great anymore... From a students perspective: Should I get a Fanatec setup? It is a lot of money but the loss in value of Fanatec products is quite low isn't it? Maybe someone has some wise words for me :) Great review! Keep up the good work
With that said, I always advice people to spend as little as possible when purchasing items like this. $1200 is a bit of money to spend on a peripheral that you might end up not using as much as you might have hoped. I'd try the elite base and p1 wheel, it's a lot less money for a similar experience.
My three year old Fanatec CSR non elite is gone s9 dampened i have to set drift to 5 for FFB to work properly. Now when it calibrates it turns really slowly instead of quickly like it did when it was new.
My wheel seems to have stronger ffb when turning to the right as weird as that is idk why its that way but mabye with a new motor frimware it will fix it hopefully that would be great
Hi, I have just bought this combo upgrading from a G29, really looking forward to delivery and using it, and it's all thanks to your review! I was wondering could you tell me your settings for assetto corsa? Thanks for your help :)
Great review Shaun, I think that you touched on every possible point and feature of the new wheel base. Just curious, while testing did you have the pedals connected to the base or directly to the PC?
nice review I got my 2.5 base about a month now works great did an update of the software and it wont get out of "CAL" mode and fanaled does not work for me and has never worked I was floored when I saw yours working (Iracing) I'm not sure if something is wrong with my wheel for sure now. I'm contacting fanatecs asap
Hi, CAL means that you simply need to calibrate the H-Mode of your Shifter. I am sure shaun used the new beta version of Fanaleds to get the display etc. supported which you can find in the fanatec forums (community section). Does not sound like anything is wrong with your equipment.
You made an interesting comment and wonder if you can confirm "This was running 10% in game forces and full strength of the wheel" So wheel setting FF=100 but gain (assetto corsa) will be 10%. Have I got this right?
Shawn... If I get this, I'll need to attach the wheelbase to my PC computer desk. Does Fanatec have a clamp for desk attachment? Thanks, anyone... -Brian in Rhode Island
With my orignal csw on the way out (dirt racing i can smell it burning). Not sure if i go with this or pony up for an accuforce or if my R3V could handle a DD wheel.
Okay I am on the fence between buying the BMW replica rim from fanatic and the GT rim with lime green accent the BMW has two vibrating Motors. the GT wheel does not do the two vibrating Motors make that much of a difference to not purchase the GT style Rim which I actually really want. Putting it on a dd1
Once again, very nice review Shaun! The only thing turning me off is Fanatec crazy shipping fees to send their stuff in Canada... If I order the wheel+pedals+shifter, it's 315$ in shipping only and that's pretty steep to say the least, especially with the exchange rate these days. I might end up with a Thrustmaster because of that... A TS-PC Racer review coming soon? :P
PayPal has an option for me that I can put anything on PayPal Credit, and I can pay it off in 6 months no interest. That's a big help. You WANT this over the Thrustmaster.
Thanks for the tip. However my issue is not with credit but with them charging 200$ more just to cross a border... I don't like feeling ripped off and that makes me want to consider other options.
Simon Champagne If you live close to the boarder and have a friend in the States maybe have it sent to their address and visit for the weekend? just a thought....
so on drift off mode... would you still experience ffb as usual in game? and in turn in is there no ffb? or is it purely dampening? also in drift 5 would it overcome the ffb in tire bite as well?
Great Review. I am thinking of purchasing the V2.5 as I am tired of using my old Logitech G27... I need/want to feel exactly what the four wheels are doing. I have a question about the Universal Hub, should I purchase that as well? What are the advantages of having it? I have a PC by the way, not an Xbox.
If I'm just getting into sim racing and looking to buy my first wheel should I buy something like this now? Is there something better coming out soon that I should wait for? I'd rather wait if something awesome is around the corner.
Stupid Question: Why not just connect the wheel directly to the motor, like a DD wheel? Why is DD so much more expensive, (other than bigger motor) and why doesnt all companies do it this way. Belts and gears just seem like such a waste of space. What im asking is: What are the advantages from a companies point of view, of a belted or geared steering wheel?
Great review shaun. I received my 2.5 a couple of days ago but I do have one issue. The part at 17:52 where you talk about being able to let go of the wheel and it not move, mine moves back and forth quite a bit. I can be on pit road when I enter Iracing and if I don't have my hand on the wheel it will oscillate kind of aggressively back and forth. I have the dampen oscillations box selected but still wobbles back and forth. Have you or anyone possibly reading this heard of or experienced this?
Nice review... I've been thinking about upgrading my Fanatec wheel. This is tempting... You should try it out on the MOD AI Highlands track: *Highlands Traffic AI v1.2 (Left & Right)*, tons of fun with mixed cars... available on Race Department.
gosh that was an expensive video, dont know if you will see this but ive just ordered this along with a R330 rim, upgrading from a thrustmaster TGT which i always thought felt a bit notchy, did i make a good choice or should i have gone straight for a direct drive from a TGT, thanks.
Hi Shaun.. I have the exact same Rseat RS1 Alcantara as you have.. I'm about to buy the BMW rim solely because it's the same material and it probably looks better. But it's more tempting to go for the Porsche. How does it look on your rig? Couldn't see a good shot of the whole rig here, and I know I'm nitpicking, but for me the aesthetics are important aswell :)
Hey Shaun, I've been running the Fanatec Universal Hub with a 320mm wheel for a year now. I've been wanting to get the Formula Black wheel but wasn't sure if the 260mm width would be way too narrow. How does it fare on the v2.5 base for GT3 and GTE cars?
having trouble calibrating wheel base. using xbox hub and oval wheel, i installed newest update and got to the cal screen on wheel i hit tuning button and press A plus menu button does nothing. trying to get this to work on pc. I emailed fanatec and no reply
Hey Shaun, I recently bought a fanatec V2.5 and I'm loving it! I do have a question though - on my wheel settings, the ones that can be changed on the wheel itself, I do not have the option to choose linearity, deadzone, dampner, or FOR. I only am only able to change sensitivity, force feedback, degree of rotation, ABS, BrF, and drift. I believe I have the most recent firmware installed on the wheel. Do you by any chance have any idea what I am doing wrong? Or if I'm even doing anything wrong? Any feedback is appreciated, thanks Shaun.
I mean fnastec put on there website that if yku put it below -5 on drift mode you can feel oscillations lol they explain -5 is equal to the 0 setting on the v2 I actually feel like it has slightly more dampening at -5 and that's nice e soemtimes but -3 or 4 are around what v2 felt like so there is a fix and if its still to low drag then add kore in the settings but yeah it's meant to operate like a dd wheel a low lag wheel and some games dont support that so you will feel these things on certain games especially but fnastec goes into detail how to prevent it from happening which is nice of them lol
So this isn't available until 5-17 is this correct? I just cancelled my whole thrustmaster stuff. I had everything ordered, I did it over the weekend but after seeing this I decided this is better spent money. Could you please let me know everything you know about being able to get this please? Would be grateful
Do you know that playing forza horizon 4 with csw 2.5 bmw gt2 has no feedback at all? How to adjust? I don't know how to train to have the ability to give back. It was originally.
Does anyone know if the Fanatec pedal set is adjustable so you can have your brake pedal higher than your gas for more realistic heel toeing? The ones I have seen on the market all appear to be in the same plane which is a problem of course because then when applying the brakes, that pedal is now below that of the gas...
I'd reaaaally like a video that gives me, a normal sim racer (not competing hardcore online, but with friends and then single player - im not the 80% of racers who don't care, I'm not the 5% hardcore, I'm part of the middle group of about 30-40% of racers), an understanding if I should go Direct Drive FFB e.g. DD1/2 and compare that with how these hold up versus the CW2.5. It's weird, but I can't find that comparison online...
I have the pedals that cane with the wheel , the one thing I need a 24 v, close to 3 amps, I am trying to get a direct drive , I don't think I will drive in racing , the one I would drive Knoxville , with dirt . Thanks Very much ., one thing the wheel is good .
Debating on the CSL series vs Clubsport from my old Driving Force GT that's going bad. Is the Clubsport that much better than the CSL elite? Or should I just go CSL elite and save money?
Hi Shaun, I just have some questions for you about this wheel. So I currently have a Thrustmaster TX Base. I have a adpater on the Leather rim so I can run a genuine DND Steering wheel. This wheel is pretty heavy and I am wanting to upgrade to this CSW V2.5 because my TX just cant handle the weight. I drift mainly and drift so pretty much Im drifting 70% of the time then I race the other 30%. Do you know how this wheel goes with the Universal hub and a heavy wheel? Just I wont have enough money at first to buy a couple rims. I might down the track but you know Fanatec stuff is pretty pricey. I want to have a good amount of feeling over the road for when Im racing. Still want the same feeling as you would get with the BMW rim for eg. One of the other reasons Im thinking about upgrading is because my TX overheats, Alot! Like I mean ALOT! Ive been through 4 TXs because my wheel always burns out the motor and melts it. Would be greatly appreciated if you could help me out Shaun, thankyou. Keep up the awesome reviews man! Cheers, Saxon.
As a fellow techand automotive reviewer I have to say this is one of the best product reviews I have ever seen. Simple, to the point and well scripted. Great work!
I think InsideSimRacing should learn from this channel! No overwhelming sponsorships that have forced-positivity. None of that should be allowed on YT. Especially for a review like this. Great job!
The straw test should be industry standard.
Michael Thompson that's a dank meme
yes
Straws not good enough..
we need the coffee stir stick test.
@@616Haggard The grass blade test.
@@watersnortmoment3734 Sure, you can manipulate a straw to turn a wheel..
But can you set out to sea on a boat with a SCREEN DOOR BOTTOM, sealed with Flex Seal?!
Shawn, terrific review as always. it would be extremely valuable if you could share with us how close this gets to a basic DD setup like the accuforce. That way a buyer can make the decision: going for the v2.5 or spending more on a DD wheel.
Bas Klorus right I love my 2.5 but I wonder how much better is a dd?
Hi Shawn. I stumbled upon ur page as I am getting into sim with my kids. Your reviews are just amazing and detailed. I appriciate the time and effort you pit out into making these videos for us. I recommended your channel to my friends.
Great review as usual Shaun. Nobody reviews Sim Racing hardware like you do ✌️
So I've went ahead and made the purchase of this, I believe this is about as far as this tech will be able to advance though. There in my opinion is no way they will be able to get any more out of the belt type of set up as this particular unit. After this, it's direct drive, I've not recieved my order as of yet and I'm super excited to get it. After all the research I've done on all of these set ups, what I've seen is this has to be the best of the best of what can be had from this type of system. When I have the room and can get an amazing rig instead of a wheelstand I will be getting the dd but until then I know this will be bad to the bone.
Thank you very much for this interview. Answered all my questions, and I trust YOUR reviews. Thanks bro! Gonna sell some kidneys now.
Hey Shaun, I ordered this wheel right after you announced it. i have had it for a few weeks and i feel like its a better on center feel and i feel like i warm up much faster. Awesome Review. Thank you
Great job Shawn, Fanatec takes Sim Racing to a new level and your explaination of the features is a great help.
this is called professional review. great job.
One thing tho. The real formula car without assist is very heavy at fast turn. In fact . super heavy much heavier than 2.5 can provide.
Excellent demonatration of the drift mode. Really explained it well to me.
Thanks You guys are the first one to release a review on this wheel base :)
Straw test just cost me $1200.00
Great Work Shaun. Thanks for the informative, brief, and thorough review. Really appreciated. It's hard to find someone covering sim tech that isn't an obvious fanboy or well paid spokesperson or a critique' extraordinaire! You came across as honest, fair, and unbiased. You showed alot of excitement and enthusiasm but who wouldn't within a week of unboxing anything Fanatec? Keep up the good work my man...Subscribed!
Fantastic product. i have one and worth the upgrade over v2. Much better FFB (more strong and precise) and less clipping. Im loving this base.
My CSW Ver. 2.5, V3 pedals, and McLaren GT3 Ver. 2 wheel is on order with a projected ship date of 29 March.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
There's Shawn Cole! - good to see your face and reviews again.....
Excellent video thank you. I’m just getting into sim racing and still loving my g920 in Assetto Corsa and Project Cars 2, it does everything I need at my level, but this may be something to look at down the road. Appreciate watching all your vids and your contributions to the hobby. 👍
I will upgrade to direct drive when my clubsport v2 gives out one day but it's amazing how smooth this wheel is. The big bearings and smooth v-ribbed belts are vastly smoother than the Thrustmaster wheels I've owned that had a looser belt with teeth. I'm sure direct drive will blow me away when I get one but I'm still very impressed with this wheel.
The only two problems I have with Fanatec:
No dealer in Canada (Amazon etc.) causing the price here being way more than the original which is already very expensive.
No dealer in Canada makes RMA or warranty work an absolute nightmare compared to say Thrustmaster with which you can just return through Amazon.
Ordered mine a week ago with the fanatec club sport f1 wheel
after watching it , i got me one can't wait for the delivery :)
I think for now I still hold my v2, great video and see you...on the track!!:)
Cristian Capece me too. The upgrades are nice but nothing really noticeable when compared to the v2. Certainly not worth buying a 2.5 as an owner of a v2.
Great review Shaun!
Great review shaun! The CSW V2.5 is awesome!!
I usually just kind of watch videos only sometimes do I put input but I wanted to say that I am new to owning a PC and to sim racing. And that after watching your video and seeing your set up I went ahead and purchased the v2.5 and am going to work on having my own set up in the future. I downloaded a video and was sent a text and didn't recognize it until after. I spammed it I apologize but I look forward to learning more by watching your videos. Thanks a bunch.
Superb review, Shaun!
Jose cespo
Wilferdo martinez
Ramana
Thanks for the thorough review! I think I am about to make the jump from a g27 and a homemade mount to a v2.5 with a p1 and rs1!
B Mcginnis dang you got cash
Great review. The fan noise killed it for me though.
spiralmoment turn the in game sound up. Plus turn it off if you’re not playing
Hi Shaun love your channel and thanks for in depth review. it has aloud me to confirm to myself this is the right direction to take my console racing for my own channel and you have gained your self a subscriber. keep up the good work!
10 out of 10. Awesome review.
It would be nice to do a comparison between this wheel and the Elite
Sold sold sold!! Shaun you most certainly have a second career in sales if ever needed haha.
I would of went with Fanatec many years ago but how the consumer is limited to their rims put me off, to wait a few months or a year to get the extra cash for an OSW and a Sam Maxwell rim is worth it.
Very good review Shaun . very good indeed !
this wheel is night and day over the v1. Well worth the $
Solid Review Shaun! My only "Not So Good" would be that the cable connections are still in a PITA location when you need to change something out. A straight rather than angled RJ plug connections would've been nice; plus a hand break connection would've been a nice addition to the 2.5 since the csl wheel base has such connection. Otherwise, Fantastic wheelbase for the Money....
Hand brake plugs into one of the shifter sockets.
daymobrown Nice, thank you, I'll give it a Go!!!
Excellent review
Great review, very detailed and above all else I love your racing boots:)
Great review, as always. I was very close to buy it, not even knowing I would buy v2.5, but I chose OSW BIg Mige and kept great BMW and F1 rims by Fanatec. I calculated all and OSW seemed better way to go if I wanted to keep heavy BMW rim.
Tomasz Piotr Sidewicz is the BMW rim really feels that heavy??
I agree with the sentiments already expressed. One of the best reviews I have ever seen on RUclips. Subscribed!
Great review. Thanks Shaun.
Good review but I wanted to point out that FanLEDs and SLIMax do NOT work yet. As of version 2.4h at least. I've had the base since release and check for updates almost daily. Some games have been updated to work with the display though (Asssetto Corsa for example). Updates will fix this eventually of course....
I was using a beta version, but its coming quickly
@shaun cole, great review of the v2.5 base !! very detailed an good lenght of the review, other make reviews in 4-5 min, that is not possible to introduce a wheel base, like the clubsport or direct drive bases. i can wait to see what you say about the new fanatec direct drive base that releases in very near future. after that i'm gonna see if i take the csw v2.5 or the fanatec direct drive ;)
I have a ACT-Labs , and it is made just like , think there was a small set up from ACT-Labs, on the one of the lower Fanatic wheel with one belt.
hey bud so I just received the wheelbase with the BMW rim for review myself this my first time with the fanatic gear and I'm noticing on certain times especially when I am just accelerating off of a dead stop there is a loud force-feedback sort of sound coming from the wheelbase nothing seems to be loose everything is super smooth, just the loud metallic ffb noises on fast take off and rumble strips. now don't get me wrong I do feel that effect in the wheel very strong as well I just don't know if it's normal for these wheels because everything else seems to be super smoothing and quiet.
The back of the base isnt plastic lol its metal with a rubber coating man the entire base is metal people seem to get there rubber coating and plastic feel mixed up weird but great review again buddy
I don't get why they put the reflective cover on the top. It's in a pretty good position to reflect your screen into your eyes.
You have sold it to me and thanks for including the info for Xbox 👌🏻👍🏻🏎💨
Great unit. but Fanetec still seems to think a wheel rim with switches is somehow worth 400 bucks. Yes they have a cheap F1 rim for 179! and 1 single round rim for 249.00! and six rims priced at 399.00 yikes ! And for some crazy reason 1 at 359.! I am sorry a car rim with switches and a few leds is not worth 400 bucks to me.I am sure these are made in china as well for next to zero labor cost. This doubles the price of the unit! Some awesome profit margins they have at Fanetec it appears. 750.00 for a entry level setup without pedals seems a lil bit ridiculous when you look at other competitors offerings. If you buy just a few rims you could have a direct drive setup , or save a ton ,with way more affordable rims for way less with top of the line thrustmaster stuff. just my opinion and I'm sure the fanatec fanatics will be screaming, but look at the math. They do seem like a marginal step up in quality but not worth 400 bucks for each china made wheel add on.
Paul F Try looking at Bodnars GT1 wheel for $2000+
Its because its quality
I have almost all thrustmaster add on wheels and I’m crying that I spent a penny with them. Bought a v2.5 and I wish I just bought this right away. Huuuge difference when racing and switching cars and tracks. Tuning on the fly is game changing because on straights it can oscillate but a click of a button and you change that and keep playing with it right before our turns. It’s amazing what you can do when you really get good with it
Plus you feel a lot more of the road compared to my tx servo. Also when I drift and use my sequential th8a and sparco handbrake, my simhub stops recognizing the shifter and have to unplug and plug back to get it to work again, so annoying when you’re in firs place and can’t shift and lose. Bought another simhub from amazon 2 days later and same shit. Don’t waste your $$
Obviously you are an idiot. The wheels arent $400. Its the Xbox hub with so much customisation and rim. Also you can buy the rims alone for $129-149.
thanks for great review, superb
and I know it's not no DD, but is one really missing alot going with this? instead?
You miss a lot believe me. I drove a V2 yesterday and compared to my DD-Wheel it felt like a toy. The forces generated and the immediate response you get from a DD-Wheel are just overwhelming, and even more so the vast amount of torque. But don't get me wrong the V2 is a very good wheel and a lot cheaper as a DD solution.
I honestly think a dd drive would be pointless in competitive sim racing like iracing. The forces it would create would be too much I believe. In casual fun racing against AI sure, a dd would be fun but iracing, no thanks. I mean you have people like ray alfalla and michael conti winning peak championships with driving force gt's and g25's lol before making the switch to fanatec.
yeah 1 of the pros have even told me they use g27 with no FFB, lol....I think it was conti... might be wrong though.
KD Customs DD wheels are used for realism, You can simulate cars without power steering and you get the instant response and feel without any dampening, it's raw driving, pros use lower model wheels for the simple reason that they can overpower the FFB and force the car to do things it doesn't want to do
Excellent review and incredible racing simulator, I need to buy one
This review makes it even more difficult not to spend too much money on Sim Racing ;) I'm still racing on my G27 but since I first tried the clubsport v2 it doesn't feel that great anymore...
From a students perspective: Should I get a Fanatec setup? It is a lot of money but the loss in value of Fanatec products is quite low isn't it?
Maybe someone has some wise words for me :)
Great review! Keep up the good work
I sold my V1 years ago, after heavy use by me. I know the guy and warned him, but he still tells me it's great.
I've had my V2 for 1.5 years and I've had no issues so far other than the fan whine stated in this review.
With that said, I always advice people to spend as little as possible when purchasing items like this. $1200 is a bit of money to spend on a peripheral that you might end up not using as much as you might have hoped. I'd try the elite base and p1 wheel, it's a lot less money for a similar experience.
Tobi Ogunsanwo 7
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My three year old Fanatec CSR non elite is gone s9 dampened i have to set drift to 5 for FFB to work properly. Now when it calibrates it turns really slowly instead of quickly like it did when it was new.
I would renew my iRacing subscription if i had these and i intend to get some soon. :)
My wheel seems to have stronger ffb when turning to the right as weird as that is idk why its that way but mabye with a new motor frimware it will fix it hopefully that would be great
Hi, I have just bought this combo upgrading from a G29, really looking forward to delivery and using it, and it's all thanks to your review! I was wondering could you tell me your settings for assetto corsa? Thanks for your help :)
Great review Shaun, I think that you touched on every possible point and feature of the new wheel base. Just curious, while testing did you have the pedals connected to the base or directly to the PC?
shaun I really like you mate.thanks for the great reviews
nice review I got my 2.5 base about a month now works great did an update of the software and it wont get out of "CAL" mode and fanaled does not work for me and has never worked I was floored when I saw yours working (Iracing) I'm not sure if something is wrong with my wheel for sure now. I'm contacting fanatecs asap
Hi,
CAL means that you simply need to calibrate the H-Mode of your Shifter. I am sure shaun used the new beta version of Fanaleds to get the display etc. supported which you can find in the fanatec forums (community section). Does not sound like anything is wrong with your equipment.
I like your all videos as I am watching you since inside Sim racing. You are the Sim Racing Guru. ❤️🤗❤️
You made an interesting comment and wonder if you can confirm "This was running 10% in game forces and full strength of the wheel" So wheel setting FF=100 but gain (assetto corsa) will be 10%. Have I got this right?
We need a best for (blank) budget best video. I have fanatic gear but we need someone to really show options for different budgets.
Shawn... If I get this, I'll need to attach the wheelbase to my PC computer desk. Does Fanatec have a clamp for desk attachment? Thanks, anyone... -Brian in Rhode Island
There is a desk clamp, you'll have to purchase it separately though.
With my orignal csw on the way out (dirt racing i can smell it burning). Not sure if i go with this or pony up for an accuforce or if my R3V could handle a DD wheel.
Did they improve the dampening with the CSL Elite too?
Okay I am on the fence between buying the BMW replica rim from fanatic and the GT rim with lime green accent the BMW has two vibrating Motors. the GT wheel does not do the two vibrating Motors make that much of a difference to not purchase the GT style Rim which I actually really want. Putting it on a dd1
Once again, very nice review Shaun! The only thing turning me off is Fanatec crazy shipping fees to send their stuff in Canada... If I order the wheel+pedals+shifter, it's 315$ in shipping only and that's pretty steep to say the least, especially with the exchange rate these days. I might end up with a Thrustmaster because of that... A TS-PC Racer review coming soon? :P
PayPal has an option for me that I can put anything on PayPal Credit, and I can pay it off in 6 months no interest. That's a big help. You WANT this over the Thrustmaster.
Thanks for the tip. However my issue is not with credit but with them charging 200$ more just to cross a border... I don't like feeling ripped off and that makes me want to consider other options.
Simon Champagne If you live close to the boarder and have a friend in the States maybe have it sent to their address and visit for the weekend? just a thought....
so on drift off mode... would you still experience ffb as usual in game? and in turn in is there no ffb? or is it purely dampening? also in drift 5 would it overcome the ffb in tire bite as well?
Force Feedback still occurs the same way.
Very informing video, as usual shaun 👍
Nice review!! Is the power supply the same as in the V2? 7.5amp, 24V?
Tks
Great Review. I am thinking of purchasing the V2.5 as I am tired of using my old Logitech G27... I need/want to feel exactly what the four wheels are doing. I have a question about the Universal Hub, should I purchase that as well? What are the advantages of having it? I have a PC by the way, not an Xbox.
If I'm just getting into sim racing and looking to buy my first wheel should I buy something like this now? Is there something better coming out soon that I should wait for? I'd rather wait if something awesome is around the corner.
Stupid Question:
Why not just connect the wheel directly to the motor, like a DD wheel?
Why is DD so much more expensive, (other than bigger motor) and why doesnt all companies do it this way.
Belts and gears just seem like such a waste of space.
What im asking is: What are the advantages from a companies point of view, of a belted or geared steering wheel?
You can use a smaller motor for a larger strength. Like a pulley system.
@@alexandrosjones right makes sense, cheaper to produce and easier to cool with fans??
Great review shaun. I received my 2.5 a couple of days ago but I do have one issue. The part at 17:52 where you talk about being able to let go of the wheel and it not move, mine moves back and forth quite a bit. I can be on pit road when I enter Iracing and if I don't have my hand on the wheel it will oscillate kind of aggressively back and forth. I have the dampen oscillations box selected but still wobbles back and forth. Have you or anyone possibly reading this heard of or experienced this?
Nice review... I've been thinking about upgrading my Fanatec wheel. This is tempting... You should try it out on the MOD AI Highlands track: *Highlands Traffic AI v1.2 (Left & Right)*, tons of fun with mixed cars... available on Race Department.
How do get wheel to display both speed and gear in between shifts?? Please help
I've got one of these, it drives me nuts...
great review as always. have me sold lol I can't afford a direct drive so this likely is my best option lol
gosh that was an expensive video, dont know if you will see this but ive just ordered this along with a R330 rim, upgrading from a thrustmaster TGT which i always thought felt a bit notchy, did i make a good choice or should i have gone straight for a direct drive from a TGT, thanks.
Yes, you made a good choice. Happy New Year!
Hi Shaun.. I have the exact same Rseat RS1 Alcantara as you have.. I'm about to buy the BMW rim solely because it's the same material and it probably looks better. But it's more tempting to go for the Porsche. How does it look on your rig? Couldn't see a good shot of the whole rig here, and I know I'm nitpicking, but for me the aesthetics are important aswell :)
Hey Shaun, I've been running the Fanatec Universal Hub with a 320mm wheel for a year now. I've been wanting to get the Formula Black wheel but wasn't sure if the 260mm width would be way too narrow. How does it fare on the v2.5 base for GT3 and GTE cars?
having trouble calibrating wheel base. using xbox hub and oval wheel, i installed newest update and got to the cal screen on wheel i hit tuning button and press A plus menu button does nothing. trying to get this to work on pc. I emailed
fanatec and no reply
Hey Shaun, I recently bought a fanatec V2.5 and I'm loving it! I do have a question though - on my wheel settings, the ones that can be changed on the wheel itself, I do not have the option to choose linearity, deadzone, dampner, or FOR. I only am only able to change sensitivity, force feedback, degree of rotation, ABS, BrF, and drift. I believe I have the most recent firmware installed on the wheel. Do you by any chance have any idea what I am doing wrong? Or if I'm even doing anything wrong? Any feedback is appreciated, thanks Shaun.
I mean fnastec put on there website that if yku put it below -5 on drift mode you can feel oscillations lol they explain -5 is equal to the 0 setting on the v2 I actually feel like it has slightly more dampening at -5 and that's nice e soemtimes but -3 or 4 are around what v2 felt like so there is a fix and if its still to low drag then add kore in the settings but yeah it's meant to operate like a dd wheel a low lag wheel and some games dont support that so you will feel these things on certain games especially but fnastec goes into detail how to prevent it from happening which is nice of them lol
I am curious, who makes the belt for Fanatec or what size is it? I can almost read it through the window but its too blurry. Thanks
So this isn't available until 5-17 is this correct? I just cancelled my whole thrustmaster stuff. I had everything ordered, I did it over the weekend but after seeing this I decided this is better spent money. Could you please let me know everything you know about being able to get this please? Would be grateful
Just bought this.
Do you know that playing forza horizon 4 with csw 2.5 bmw gt2 has no feedback at all? How to adjust? I don't know how to train to have the ability to give back. It was originally.
so the only change between v2 and v2.5 are basically drift option +5 and the logo. The rest sounds more like advertisement...
Does anyone know if the Fanatec pedal set is adjustable so you can have your brake pedal higher than your gas for more realistic heel toeing? The ones I have seen on the market all appear to be in the same plane which is a problem of course because then when applying the brakes, that pedal is now below that of the gas...
"It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine."
Stop turtouing yourself man, you'll never afford it. Live in the Now!
thank you so much
I have a question. Fanatec CSW 2.5 is is fully compatible with dirt rally and project cars ?? Thanks
I'd reaaaally like a video that gives me, a normal sim racer (not competing hardcore online, but with friends and then single player - im not the 80% of racers who don't care, I'm not the 5% hardcore, I'm part of the middle group of about 30-40% of racers), an understanding if I should go Direct Drive FFB e.g. DD1/2 and compare that with how these hold up versus the CW2.5. It's weird, but I can't find that comparison online...
Simon Kaastrup-Olsen if you’re not hardcore go v2.5, you won’t regret it! Resell is really good too
I would like to ask about your Rig. What is the base that you’re attaching your seat, pedals, wheel etc...?
I have the pedals that cane with the wheel , the one thing I need a 24 v, close to 3 amps, I am trying to get a direct drive , I don't think I will drive in racing , the one I would drive Knoxville , with dirt . Thanks Very much ., one thing the wheel is good .
Debating on the CSL series vs Clubsport from my old Driving Force GT that's going bad. Is the Clubsport that much better than the CSL elite? Or should I just go CSL elite and save money?
Hi Shaun, I just have some questions for you about this wheel. So I currently have a Thrustmaster TX Base. I have a adpater on the Leather rim so I can run a genuine DND Steering wheel. This wheel is pretty heavy and I am wanting to upgrade to this CSW V2.5 because my TX just cant handle the weight. I drift mainly and drift so pretty much Im drifting 70% of the time then I race the other 30%. Do you know how this wheel goes with the Universal hub and a heavy wheel? Just I wont have enough money at first to buy a couple rims. I might down the track but you know Fanatec stuff is pretty pricey. I want to have a good amount of feeling over the road for when Im racing. Still want the same feeling as you would get with the BMW rim for eg. One of the other reasons Im thinking about upgrading is because my TX overheats, Alot! Like I mean ALOT! Ive been through 4 TXs because my wheel always burns out the motor and melts it. Would be greatly appreciated if you could help me out Shaun, thankyou. Keep up the awesome reviews man!
Cheers, Saxon.