Last updated: September 6th, 2023
After playing sim racing games on your PS5 with a controller, you may feel like you want to take things to the next level and try out a proper steering wheel. Doing so will be a game changer for your sim racing experience, as not only will a wheel provide a realistic and immersive sensation when driving, but it will also give you more control over your vehicle by delivering increased feedback through your hands.
With a wheel, you’ll feel a greater connection between your tyres and the road, and thus, you’ll be able to make split-second corrections that are often difficult to gauge with a controller and could mean the difference between spinning out and saving a slide.
However, many of the steering wheels manufactured for sim racing are only compatible with PCs, so knowing which wheels are licensed PlayStation devices is essential if you want to hook one up to your PS5.
PS5 Steering Wheels:
In this post, we’ll look at a collection of such PS5 wheels, which are usually sold as a bundle. These bundles include a steering wheel – known to enthusiasts as a ‘rim’ – as well as a wheelbase that houses a motor and converts the signal from sim racing games into a force known as torque, measured in Newton-metres (Nm). Some bundles also include a bonus pedal set, which can help save costs when getting started.
Of course, there are many different grades of wheels and wheelbases, all with different functions, power outputs, and material choices, so we’ll do our best to cover a variety of bundles from leading sim racing brands at varying price points, allowing you to find the best solution for your budget.
Logitech
One of the first brands you’re likely to encounter when looking for a sim racing wheel for gaming consoles is Logitech. While this brand primarily focuses on the entry-level segment of the market, some of the most competitive and successful sim drivers in the world swear by the company’s easy-to-use and robust gear, and in the world of eSports, Logitech is renowned for organising some of the best and most lucrative competitions in sim racing.
G29
The G29 is the classic gear-driven steering wheel with an 11-inch rim and features plug-and-play installation. It utilises dual-motor force feedback and solid steel ball bearings to give weight and durability to its technical abilities. The main body is constructed from metal, and the rim is wrapped in genuine perforated leather with a flash of metal at the top, just like actual racing wheels.
On the front of the rim, you’ll find a selection of buttons, and there are also a couple of metal paddle shifters on the rear of the wheel, which is light and responsive. When mounting the wheel, there is a choice between securing it to a table or racing rig via built-in clamps or the pre-installed screw mounting points.
This bundle is sold with pedals, giving you the perfect beginner set-up straight out of the box. Each pedal, that is to say, the accelerator, brake, and clutch, all utilise potentiometers that are essentially position sensors.
G923
The G923 is the next evolution of the G29 and is essentially the same wheel with a few upgrades. These include a new centre logo, black shifters instead of silver, all-black buttons, and, most significantly, Logitech Trueforce, the name that Logitech has given to its wheel vibration technology.
Trueforce is designed to replicate the vibrations you can feel from a car’s chassis while driving in real life. The aim is to add extra immersion and make you feel a stronger connection to the car you are driving.
You also get a pedal set with a brake, clutch, and accelerator, and Logitech claims to have upgraded the pedal technology to make everything a little smoother and more fluid. As with the G29, everything with the G923 is plug-and-play.
G Pro Racing Wheel
As the newest and most powerful (and highest priced) of all the Logitech wheels, the PRO Racing Wheel delivers a precise and professional driving experience thanks to its combination of direct drive and Trueforce feedback technology. Direct-drive wheels can deliver more power output than their gear/belt-driven counterparts and, more importantly, offer higher fidelity (detail: track, slip, kerbs – everything!), which translates into better car control.
If you decide to buy a PRO Racing Wheel, note that this bundle does not include a pedal set, but Logitech does offer the PRO Racing Pedals, which are sold separately.
This pedal set boasts upgraded technology over the pedals supplied with the G29 and G923, with a load cell brake, contactless hall effect sensors, swappable springs, and removable pedal modules.
Should you want to learn more about Logitech and other peripherals it makes for sim racing, check out our buyer’s guide, which also includes some useful mods to unlock the full potential of your hardware.
Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster has been developing high-tech gaming equipment for more than three decades to deliver a fun and realistic experience. For sim racers, the company has long been a go-to brand, especially for beginners and console gamers, as the price point of their merchandise allows it to be affordable while remaining professional and durable. Yet, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t expert drivers out there using Thrustmaster products, and some of the world’s quickest and top-ranked sim racers swear by the brand’s usability and reliability.
T300RS GT
The T300RS GT bundle comes with a wheelbase, rim, and pedal set, making a great starter kit for your sim racing career. The wheelbase in this package is belt-driven, meaning it delivers smoother force feedback than gear-driven units, removing distracting notchy sensations when cornering.
Remember, the most crucial thing a force feedback wheel must do is relay what your car is doing to your hands. A good wheelbase allows you to feel the front end of the car as it gets light when the rear tires exceed their grip limits and make steering input corrections to keep the car from spinning out of control, and the T300RS GT wheelbase can do that without a problem.
The rim presents plenty of buttons allowing you to navigate game menus and control car functions in-game, and you also get a pair of integrated paddle shifters. As for the pedals, the bundle include Thrustmaster’s T3PA Add-On set, which consists of a brake, clutch, and accelerator.
T-GT II
A step up from the T300RS GT is the T-GT II. While the wheelbase in this bundle is still belt-driven, it offers improved real-time force feedback, so you can expect higher levels of responsiveness. A more professional-looking rim compliments the enhanced wheelbase with a more extensive selection of buttons and rotary dials, allowing you to control more settings in your car on the fly. However, the pedal set is the same as with the T300RS GT.
If you’re looking for a gear shifter or handbrake to integrate into your Thrustmaster ecosystem, look at our full Thrustmaster buyer’s guide, which also offers a full breakdown of the company’s history and roots in the simulation industry.
Fanatec
As a producer of some of the most accessible professional sim racing equipment on the market, Fanatec has become an industry giant in the digital motorsport world. We can split Fanatec’s success into two notable attributes integrated into all the brand’s products: high-quality, ultra-realistic designs and ease of use. For what the equipment does, it’s set at a really realistic price point, particularly the CSL DD.
CSL DD
When the CSL DD wheelbase was first released, it created a real stir in the sim racing industry as it became the first entry-level wheel to feature direct drive technology. Obviously, this is no longer the case as the PRO Racing Wheel mentioned above also has this technology, but nevertheless, the CSL DD is more potent out of the box than the Logitech wheel and is upgradeable to be even more powerful, making it one of the most attractive wheelbases for PS5 sim racers.
Fanatec currently offers three PlayStation-compatible bundles that use the CSL DD wheelbase; the Gran Turismo DD Pro Premium Bundle, the Gran Turismo DD Pro pictured above (8 Nm), and the Gran Turismo DD Pro (5 Nm). Essentially, all three bundles come with the same wheelbase. However, the Premium and 8 Nm packages are supplied with an additional Boost Kit, which increases the power of the wheelbases to, unsurprisingly, 8 Nm over the standard 5 Nm that the wheelbase puts out as standard. The Premium bundle also has an upgraded pedal set with a clutch, while the 8 and 5 Nm bundles only include a brake and accelerator.
We previously wrote up a full article on the CSL DD, so if you want to know more, it’s well worth a read as it explains the importance of direct drive technology in more detail.
Podium Racing Wheel F1®
Saving the best for last, we have the Podium Racing Wheel F1 bundle. This package contains a special PlayStation-licenced Fanatec DD1 wheelbase and a Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheel F1.
As you can probably guess, the ‘DD’ part of the DD1 stands for direct drive, and this monster of a unit can deliver up to 20 Nm of torque. While this amount of power is likely more than most people will ever need, it means that the wheelbase can relay incredibly minute details from the game, such as road textures, tyre degradation, and wet surfaces giving you better control of your car.
The Podium Racing Wheel F1 is undoubtedly the most realistic system currently available for PlayStation, and although it doesn’t include a pedal set like most of the other bundles mentioned in this post, it is still sure to satisfy any PS5 user. We think the CSL V2 pedal set is a very good choice.
If you’re thinking of adding a DD1 to your setup, I’d advise you to choose a proper cockpit for sim racing; as the torque levels a DD1 can produce are just as high as any other high-end direct drive wheel. It’s better to have a good basis for all of your equipment and I’ve always advocated that a good cockpit will provide a solid foundation upon which for you to build a great sim racing setup.