Fanatec Direct Drive Wheel Coming In Q4 2017

It was one of the most asked questions amongst Sim Racing Hardware enthusiasts. When is Fanatec going to release a Direct Drive Wheel?

Fanatec CEO, Thomas Jackermeier, has now shared some more details and confirmed that the Fanatec Direct Drive wheel is scheduled for release in Q4 of 2017. Fanatec is planning to produce a selection of models, featuring different torque levels. The DD wheel will be PC compatible, but Fanatec does not rule out a Xbox One version. Thomas also states that the first generation will not be compatible with the PlayStation PS4.

In order to have full control concerning the pricing and specs of the products, Fanatec will use custom servo motors developed in-house. To accommodate the high forces, also a new quick-release is developed which will be compatible with all the existing ClubSport steering wheel rims.
Once the internal tests are finished, Fanatec will allow a selection of sim racers to become product testers. We will keep you posted when more info is available.

The Fanatec Direct Drive wheel is scheduled to make its first public appearance at the 2017 Simracing Expo held on 16-17 September at the Nürburgring race circuit in Germany. No official pricing details are shared, but Fanatec is confident they will be able to compete with the existing Direct Drive wheel products on the market.

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Press Release:

Models

We are developing more than one base. The main difference will be the maximum torque. The torque range is starting at a competitive level far above the CS WB V2.5  and ranges up to a level most of you will not be able to use for a long time.
It will not replace the CS WB V2.5 and we will keep this model as the best non-DD solution on the market.
The DD wheelbases are the first products of a complete series of hardcore products which are positioned above the ClubSport series. This series will include wheelbases, steering wheels, pedals, shifters and hand brakes in the (very) long run.

Plug&Play

The DD will be a typical plug&play product like other Fanatec wheelbases. All in one housing and no cable mess.

Certification

Like any other Fanatec product, the DD will be fully certified and lab tested. This will avoid EMI issues and other interference with your other devices. The DD uses a lot of power and huge magnets are involved so this is a very important point which is often not considered until you get a lot of mysterious issues and damages to your whole system.

Compatibility

PC for sure as this is the main market and there is no reason that it should not work on Xbox One. The first generation will not be compatible to PS4.
We have a great relationship with all racing game developers and you can be sure that there will be broad support for this wheel base. Our target is to set a new standard in simracing.

Motors:

We looked at the current motors on the market and there was nothing which really fulfilled our requirements. Those industrial motors were not designed for simracing. Steppers and hybrid steppers deliver a way too notchy feeling for a hardcore product, no matter how good you tweak the software. Also other servo motors are always a compromise. Therefore we developed complete custom servo motors where we decided what speed, torque, size, power consumption, pricing etc. we need.

Steering Wheels

All the current ClubSport steering wheels will be compatible. We developed a new QR system on the base to handle the extra power but it will stay a quick release.
There will be no cable from the wheel to the base or to USB. The wheel will be able to rotate unlimited without the risk to snap off a cable or to disturb you while driving.
The CSL and CSL Elite steering wheels will be compatible as well but torque will be reduced if such a wheel is detected.

Software

Please let us know what kind of software you are expecting to get with the DD. What parameters do you want to adjust and how and where do you want to adjust these parameters. We are pretty flexible on this point.

Target Dates

Disclaimer
Dates are always a very sensitive subject. In principle you need to understand that the DD technology is not only new to us, our DD wheels are completely designed from scratch and a breakthrough for the whole industry. This involves some completely new technology which had to be invented and everything is customized. A lot of unknown factors are not good to give any solid time projections.
We simply cannot give you any guaranteed dates at this point. But at least you get some indication of our target dates.

Community event:

There will be a community event where we invite interested sim racers to test and compare our new DD wheels directly to all other solutions on the market. Time and date are not defined yet but it will obviously be before the launch date. More news and how to apply for this test will be posted here.

Beta Test:

The external beta test will start after all internal tests are done. We will also make a separate announcement where you can apply to become a tester. We are interested in the opinion of current DD users and ultra hardcore users as well as people with analytic and structured thinking which are able to find remaining bugs and make suggestions for improvements.
Please make sure you already filled out this form.

First public appearance:

We plan to show this product at the Simracing Expo this year.

Launch date:

Q4 2017

Pricing

There will be a significant difference to the current wheelbases we have so there will be different performance levels at different price points. As the current CS WB V2.5 is still priced significantly lower than any other DD wheel on the market (please compare it with a full system incl. steering wheel with buttons) there is still room for us to make a very competitive offer.
Our new DD bases can compete in pricing as well as superior functionality and performance.

Official Webpage – www.fanatec.com