Fanatec's Gran Turismo 7 Racing Wheel Available to Pre-Order from $700 Now

Well that’s… expensive. It does look cool but as someone who doesn’t even know how to drive, I think I’d be a lot better served spending that much on actual driving lessons than a fake wheel.

Not something I’d buy as I’m not a racing nut but if you’ve used one they are absolutely amazing

effin' FINALLY 😂 Been waiting for this announcement for months! But, of course, I couldn't stand the wait (and it still won't be available until March, and realistically even later if you aren't lucky enough to get in the first wave of preorders), so last weekend, I bit the bullet and just bought the uber-pricey Podium DD...

This bundle looks really good though. The leaks from this summer were accurate. The wheel doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. Good luck getting one, though!

@Papasears If you can afford a $700 sim racing setup, I think you can swing $70 for a game😂

Holy moly that price! Well I hope it lives up to the expectations of whoever buys this.

I guess they're taking the Apple approach now...

Smoking hella d*ck with that pricing.

Asking for that kind of cash, yet still missing a third pedal and a gear shift. Whatever they're smoking, I want some.

At least it's cheaper than all the Avengers DLC.

€969.85 is more than I spent on my first actual car. Crazy.

My G29 and PSVR are feeling rather old now. This and PSVR 2 is looking like an amazing future. I’m all in.

Just need that Gran Turismo 7 VR announcement.

That price is actually kinda low for a high spec racing wheel these days. Fanatec's official F1 wheel costs almost €2K (for the wheel alone).

They are pricey but defenately one of the best wheel manufacturers on the market. Make anything by logitech and Thrustmaster look like kids toys. I used to race with a logitech g29 but one day i booted it up and it had a weird motor fault. Was out of warranty by 5 months and wasnt about to drop another £250 on somethingvid expect to last longer. Miss playing F1 alot tho.

I'm after a good racing wheel for GT7 but one that's around 600 quid cheaper.

I have been sim-racing on PC for nearly 20yrs and have had a few different wheels. I haven't yet gone Direct Drive but, based on the type of wheel you get here + pedals, this is a good price for the tech that you're getting (believe it or not!). It's clearly not for everyone and I don't personally think it's worth it for a game like GT7 (I love the GT series by the way) - but the extra detail afforded by a DD wheel is likely better served by one of the more 'hardcore' PC simulators. I'm currently saving to upgrade from my CSL Elite PS4 wheel to a Simucube wheel (or maybe Fanatec DD1/2) but will need a stronger rig than my Next Level Racing F-GT to avoid movement/flex.

@mikeym I literally just ordered an F-GT and a Fanatec DD last weekend. You don't think the rig can withstand the DD? I can deal with some flex, I would expect it from only a $500 rig. And coming from a T300 on a Playseat Challenge, I know a little about flex. I just can't pay $800+ for just a rig now now. I feel the F-GT is a good entry...

Rather affordable given what some wheels go for by Fanatec. It's also the first Direct Drive wheel on a console I think?

@eagletrippin - I think you might be OK with F-GT and the CSL DD. Are you going 5nm or 8nm? My CSL Elite PS4 has 'up to 6nm' torque and is fine with the F-GT. My concern over flex is more if I end up getting a Simucube Pro with 25nm (not that I would run it anywhere near that!). The most benefit you get with a DD wheel is the fine detail, rather than brute force. I've also seen some people have made minor mods to their F-GT to strengthen them for use with higher torque DD wheel bases. There's a video somewhere showing the stock F-GT and an OSW without any noticeable flex - but don't think it was particularly independent, maybe even from NLR themselves...

@SweetSummerShunv
I find Apple high cost but NOT high value, i.e. lacking justifcation for the price and not favourably comparable to the competition. This is quire the opposite.

A full direct drive base (the motor) is usally £1000+, the wheel/rim is then typically £200 and the pedals another £200; and that is low end.

So this comes in at less than half the price of a tpical low-end direct drive setup and is generally perceived as giving 100% of the direct drive (low-end) experience from the feedback/reviews of the DD and pedas which have been out a while, its only a new rim.
This is a fair chunk of cash but its also very keenly priced.

All this for immersion, yet no VR compatibility. Such a shame.

I didn't pay that much for my first car !!!

I remember thinking $250 was expensive last year when I was looking into buying a PS4 racing wheel for my PS5. Good lord. I love the idea and had a racing wheel for my PS1... but my PS1's racing wheel was $50 with gear shift and peddles. $700 is ridiculous at best.

@glassmusic I totally agree with you, they should at least give the option with such an enthusiast product.

@mikeym what sims are you referring to? Is any of those available for a Playstation?

@Dr-M - best sim title available on PS is probably Assetto Corsa Competizione. I race or have tried just about all the racing simulators on PC. Unfortunately ACC doesn't have very good VR implementation, so I don't race it much.

@glassmusic - I thought I had read that the GT DD is compatible with everything in their 'eco-system' and therefore the ClubSport Shifter. Guess it's down to how big the user base would be and whether games would support it too... Another £250 or so too!

It's a pretty good price if you look at other wheels available from them . I was waiting for this info but unfortunately no xbox support so I will have to pass I want a wheel that supports both this gen . May have to look at the Podium dd wheel that works with both

@mikeym No bro, not the CSL DD; I got all 20 NM Podium DD! (eBay prices of the 8 NM CSL DD are getting ridiculously close to one of these anyway, so I figured, Why not?) I certainly do not plan on running anywhere near that limit, either. I want the hi-def detail FFB and haptics, but without clipping — I can imagine running at 12 NM or so.
But as long as my wheelbase isn't pivoting forward & back 1/2-inch in either direction like my Playseat Challenge does at a meager 3NM Thrustmaster, I'll be pleased!

I understand many people in the comments feeling that the cost is outrageous — and to some extent, I agree. But, if only you knew the prices for this market and this kind of tech😂

Sim racing is a very niche market, an enthusiast market. Direct Drive (DD) wheelbases (not including actual wheels aka rims, or pedals, or shifters) typically range from $1200 to about $3200, from what I have seen. So to be able to get a DD wheelbase, wheel & pedals for $700 is a really good deal. (Also, this "Gran Turismo" wheelbase is compatible with Xbox when paired with an Xbox wheel, cross-platform which is rare, and it gets you into the Fanatec ecosystem of compatible products.) Fanatec quality is really top notch, their products use mostly metals, and very little plastic, which is why their stuff is considered "not toys". And yet, they are still considered entry-level in some regards. (I've seen some pedals from other brands cost $1800 or more!!!)

TLDR; IMO, Thrustmaster is a jump up from Logitech; and Fanatec is a jump up from Thrustmaster...and I have owned wheels/pedals from all 3 companies in the past year.👍 But absolutely nothing wrong with running with a G27 or G29 to race with — if you're the competitive type, you can be a champion with those wheels. More expensive equipment doesn't make you faster or better. But if want the immersion (like me), and want the detail to read what your car is doing on the road (for example, knowing that your car is about to lose traction and being able to react milliseconds sooner), then you'll have to pay more for higher quality equipment...

@Latex lol. I just ordered the Podium DD (PlayStation) for that exact reason: cross-compatibility with Xbox. If you get a PlayStation wheelbase (like this Gran Turismo CSL DD Pro base), it becomes compatible with Xbox when you connect an Xbox wheel to it...👍

@mikeym RE: ACC on PlayStation — I would agree. I have it for Xbox, but enjoy ACC far more than I do Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport, which of course are both very good too. The FFB, the physics and just the way the cars handle feels so good. Caveat: ACC on console is best played on PS5 or Series X — up to 60fps. On last-gen, especially base consoles, performance can be poor...

If I had the space to build myself a racing/flight sim cabinet, I'd put one of these in it, as racing games are top 3 genres for me. But yea, this way too hardcore for my pleb self, though one day! Lol

lol holy hell i dont think il get this past the wife 😂

@RavenWolfe81 @Mad001 You'd be surprised, my wife & I live in a rather small condo, and I used to play on our living room TV: foldable cockpit (Playseat Challenge w/ Thrustmaster T300). I'd fold it up, walk it upstairs to store it in the corner, and then bring it back down when I'd want to sim race (usually after she goes to bed). It was a workout, but we'll worth it for the fun! Spend a lot of time doing cable management to make it look clean so you don't have a spaghetti wired mess, and she might go for it!

@tehKAMI how could they do that though. Cars in this game could possibly have 8 manual gears or more.
Paddle shifts would be the best option imo then it's not a problem and an accurate representation of the more modern cars.

Just checking, it really DOESN'T have paddles?
That's totally ridiculous.

@Dan_ozzzy189 You can already buy gear shifters separately so I'm not sure where lies the confusion.

@tehKAMI oh, I see.
Spend all that cash on an incomplete package.
Makes total sense.
Thanks for clearing up the confusion.
#facepalm

@eagletrippin Funny thing is I have a perfect spot for one but it's got my wife's exercise bike in it. It's never used but I can't take it down apparently, lol.

Just ordered premium bundle with peddle tuning kit total cost £765.54 including shipping which was only £27. March 14th expected delivery though. Give me some time to save up for a decent rig as I've brought the playseat challenge last month and I've never used it probably won't. So anyone interested in playseat challenge in Birmingham area not used they can come and have it for £120

@Dan_ozzzy189 - It has paddles on the wheel. It doesn't have an H-Shifter as part of the package I'm not aware of any cars with 8 manual gears. I have the Fanatec H-Shifter for PC and only use it on older, manual cars - so that it is authentic. The separate Fanatec H-Shifter has 7 gears + reverse, which I've only used fully in the past when I've played Euro Truck Simulator.

@eagletrippin lol wires!? after the wiring up and tearing down the psvr. every time i think of the psvr i need a course of anti depressants 🤣😂.

If I was into racing games, yeah I'd get it. But I'm not, so I'll pass.

This comments section just highlights the fact the PlayStation crowd might not be the best fit for Fanatec products. Stuff like Project Cars 2 is considered Simcade and Gran Turismo is even further along the gamey side of things. Fanatec stuff is meant for the true simulator experiences.

To all intents and purposes, this actually is value for money if you speak to those in the know.

What it does do is give me some decent satisfaction that I have absolutely no interest in racing games whatsoever.

Not for me but looks like a beast. I hardware Wishlist is a proper controller for Hatsune Miku Future Tone. I can wish…

Can't wait to see an Elden Ring GT7 wheel no-hit run.

@Papasears I get whatcha mean. But none of these companies offer those types of deals (hardware + game bundles), at least not in the console space. But, yea — Fanatec is a company that charges you $80 for a pedal damper, $100 for a wheel quick release, $100 for a kill switch, and $150 for a power supply.😒 They will squeeze every dollar out of you that they can... Nevertheless, I think they make high quality products. Other than buttons/knobs on their wheels, you won't find much plastic, mostly metals...

@eagletrippin Just discovered that new F-GTs now come with additional strengthening bars for the wheel deck and modification to pedal plate. So, hopefully all will be good for you. I'm trying to see if I can get a kit with the parts separately for my old F-GT.

@mikeym Good to hear👍 Literally just got mine delivered today; going to spend a few hours tomorrow putting it together whilst watching football. One thing I can say, I flipped that thing — all 88 lbs. of it — end over end, up all 49 steps of my condo...fun, exhausting times!
Use the chat feature on their website and ask them about those extra parts. I used the chat last week, and service desk informed me that I could upgrade the seat (which looks extremely flat) by acquiring their universal seat brackets (at a cost, I'm assuming), which only comes with F-GT frame-only version... Perhaps they'll have a solution/upgrade for you👍

@eagletrippin Thanks and good luck to you ;--) I sent them a webnote - being as polite and complimentary as possible. I've learned over the years that it generally helps to be positive with these things 😂

@mikeym Yeah the service desk person I talked to (Tyson) was really helpful/thorough with his responses. Curious to know what improvements were made to make it more sturdy for DD wheels. But I hope that extends the life of your F-GT!

@mikeym Yup, I can confirm that my new rig came with the "strengthening kit". It's just an extra bracket that goes on each side of the wheel plate and runs down to the base of the rig. It also comes with a bracket for the pedal plate, as well. I should hopefully get my new DD in the next couple of weeks and can see how it holds up.

How he manages to keep a straight face when he proclaims 'available to pre order for JUST 699.99' is beyond me.
That's just laughable.

@eagletrippin - good to hear. If you remember, let me know how you get on

@mikeym Finally got my new setup (cockpit & wheelbase) up & going. The Podium DD was delivered days, if not weeks before FedEx usually gets around to it — an early Christmas for me If I could post pictures, I would. Anyways, I was only able to mess around with it for a half-hour. Running at around 35-40% FFB of the DD1 — and with the F-GT strengthening kit installed — I certainly didn't feel or see even the slightest hint of a "play" in wheel mount. No side-to-side movement, no forward & back movement — and that's an understatement. This thing is still as a statue, a tank, unmovable. Although, if getting your legs in & out underneath the wheelstand was not already difficult, these strengthening brackets make it even harder. I didn't get to try the DD1 on the F-GT without the strengthening kit, however. I'll be honest, the rig was already feeling rock-solid before I even installed the kit. But where the strengthening kit undoubtedly helps is for the pedal base. I probably could stand and do a light bounce up & down on that thing and it wouldn't move. Whereas before the kit, the pedal base did have a very slight forward & back movement/flex to it. I think the kit will alleviate any concerns you have for adding a DD and/or load cell pedals to your rig.👍 Tonight I will play around a little in GTSport😁

@eagletrippin That's great to hear Eagle. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I need to chase NLR as I haven't had a response to my web note. Will use your suggestion of Facebook was it?

@mikeym Sure thing man. Nope not facebook, on their official website, there is a messaging "icon" that allows you to reach out to customer service. They got back to me even on Thanksgiving Day...

@mikeym Man, the F-GT with a Podium is life-altering😂 Gran Turismo always felt boring to me. But now I am seeing how it was truly meant to played, at the highest fidelity as possible... I know that people spend 2x as much on 8020 rigs, with side-mounting for DD bases, etc. Maybe it's because I'm coming from the portable Playseat Challenge, but never do I feel any kind of movement whilst driving. Granted, I play at around 35% torque, nowhere near full power that others might...

Did you ever reach out to NLR? I contacted them asking how much it would cost for a universal seat bracket, in case I want to upgrade my seat; and also for replacement wheel support bars (I may have overtightened my wheel base — my fault — and I developed minor separations in the joint). Man, these jokers want $230 for the seat brackets, and $115 for the replacement bars! lol. I'm seeing if sweet talking them can get them to lower the cost for me...

@eagletrippin - Great to hear they did respond to the online chat thing. $93 for 'Strengthening Kit' which they say is mainly shipping costs. Not terrible but still more than I would have expected! Guess I have to decide if I wait and go 'all in' on 8020 rig plus DD or do this and either wait or get the DD wheel at the same time and see how it goes...

I am likely moving house soon, so might just wait it out and get a new rig in time for setting up in the new house...

@mikeym Yeah, that's what they said to me too, shipping costs... Ahh yeah that would make sense to wait until you move into a new house — putting together any of these rigs is a PITA, lol. If you can afford it, get a Podium DD PS4 from Fanatec's site, then sell the F1 wheel separately — I got $1000 for mine😲 Not including taxes, I basically got a new Podium DD for $800😁