Last updated: November 25th, 2023
Every year I try to predict what Black Friday deals manufacturers like Fanatec, SimLab, Grid Engineering, Next Level and more might make available to us. Black Friday will be on the 24th of November 2023 this year, but historically, most deals are live the week before. Except Fanatec, of course – they rarely pre-announce their full black Friday sale content. That always leaves me to attempt to guess what their deals might be each year! If you can’t wait or you don’t have much faith that there will be much on sale this year, you could try taking a look at our guide to finding discounts on the Fanatec website.
What did last year’s deals look like at Fanatec?
ClubSport Pedals V3 Inverted – €/$399.95
ClubSport Pedals V3 – €/$299.95
Podium Wheel Base DD2 – €/$1199.95
CSL DD Boost Kit 180 – 30% off
10% Off Any Fanatec Wheel – See All Wheels Here
There are some wheel bundles with upto 30% off too. Not that I can disclose the full gamut of this year’s deals (thanks Embargo!) but some Fanatec gear will be 80% off. They’re going to dump some stock I think.
Black Friday Sim Racing Deals 2023
- Fanatec Deals
- PiMax Crystal VR
- Apex Sim Racing
- Pedals
- Advanced Integrated Triple Monitor Stand
- SimLab
- Trak Racer
- More Fanatec discounts
So this article is part fact (the deals we’ve found with our partners already) and, some conjecture on the writers part. But the deals, are fact. I’m convinced the Direct Drive Podium wheelbases will move very quickly:
Just a tiny warning:
Every year there’s always some sort of Black Friday sales on the Fanatec website. Every year, the website goes down, so moving early is usually well advised.
If you’re in the market for some Fanatec equipment this year, will it be worth the wait?
Maybe, just Maybe – they’ll be some QR1 CSL DDs
Just last month Fanatec finally released the much-awaited and revised version of their new quick-release system, the QR2. We like it, in fact, we reviewed it here if you want to take a look, see below, I’m building one for my son out of the Fanatec CSL Bundle kit and an Overpower OP Child Rig:
As you probably realize, I’m a Fanatec partner via their affiliate program. Shortly before the CSL DD launch, they wrote to us to let us know that the commission from sales of the CSL DD would be approximately half that of all of their other product range. Citing, if I recall correctly, lower margins on their budget range.
If the typical Black Friday discount is 20% (which it has been in the past, so it’s likely to be similar in 2023), there’s no chance they’ll turn a profit enough to warrant a discount on those items. However – Fanatec has recently launched an entire generation of brand new direct drive wheels:
So if I’m right, the new items Fanatec are promoting now are going to supersede the stuff we’ve seen on their shelves for a few years, makes sense, right?
My general rule is, if Fanatec has recently revised, improved and created a new product from scratch, you’re not going to see that in the black Friday sale. Sorry!
So, what will be in the Fanatec sale?
We;;, the big and obvious change is Fanatec’s migration to the QR2 quick-release system. This (in my opinion) will trigger a few things. Wheelbase owners who may want to buy up the older version of the QR mount for their wheels and wheelbase combo. It also triggers a keenness on Fanatec’s part to dump old stock – happy days, potentially, for us buyers!
1. DD2 wheelbases and bundles
As a pure conjecture, the evidence is starting to look a little likely that the Podium series DD wheels are coming to their lifecycle’s end. They are excellent DD wheelbases, and one I enjoyed owning for several years. But, I’m taking a leap here and going to take a lear here and say that we’ll see discounted DD1 and DD2 direct drive wheelbases on the Fanatec site. I think we’ll see a Black Friday sale on the DD2 wheelbase lines, in particular the Podium Racing Wheel F1®.
The DD1 and DD2 designs are almost 6 years old. In sim racing terms, that’s quite an age. Fanatec has seen its competitive landscape change massively in that time. There’s a good chance that the original direct drive product sales are being cannibalized by orders for the CSL DD, the DD and the DD+, and, if that’s the case Fanatec might be working on an upgraded high-end wheelbase to compete with the likes of the Simucube. Let’s remember that Fanatec is an ecosystem provider – and they’ll certainly be feeling the pinch on their sales owing to competition from a far broader supplier landscape than we’ve ever had before in sim racing.
I suspect that they’ll limit orders of any discounted wheels and wheelbases just like last year – 2000 units.
2. Steering wheels
If you head over to the Fanatec steering wheel category you’ll notice that their new BMW M4 steering wheel is on pre-order and won’t be shipping until February 2024! Generally, Fanatec stock levels have been allowing eBay sellers to inflate their used prices to more than RRP in some cases. This issue seems to have been resolved throughout 2023, but black Friday seems to take them by surprise every time! If there’s something you really want, don’t wait around.
On that note, if you’re looking for a deal, you might want to chase something high-end, or just get your hands on (what are very good) reasonable budget Fanatec wheels I’d guess that the less expensive, in-stock products are good candidates for a Black Friday offer. Can you believe these are some of the least popular wheels in their catalogue?
I think items from the CSL range such as the CSL Elite Steering Wheel WRC, and the excellent and very inexpensive McLaren GT3 wheel might appear in the sale too.
3. RennSport Cockpit V2
The RennSport Cockpit has been around for a while but you never really see it mentioned all that much. With the dominance of 8020 profile sim racing rigs (read our guide here) I’m not all that surprised. It’s too expensive compared to other, far cheaper, and stiffer alternatives. As I understand it the unit is no longer available in the United States. But, in my opinion, the writing’s on the wall for this cockpit as Fanatec has developed a snazzy looking F1 style cockpit:
I strongly suspect that in a similar vein to the budget approach to pricing the CSL DD, there’s a new Fanatec cockpit coming in 2023.
I expect the RennSport V2 will be finally made obsolete. Potentially then, a clearance bargain opportunity awaits.
4. Pedals
Fanatec has run with the CSL Elite Pedals for a long time. The Load Cell version is now unavailable leaving the less desirable but perfectly adequate CSL Elite pedals looking a little lonely on their pedals category page.
The CSL Elite pedals are based on a time-tested design and I quite rate them (they’re one of my favourite budget pedal sets on our pedal buyer’s guide.
If these CSL pedals don’t get included in the black Friday deals – their V3 equivalent almost certainly will be.
Do Fanatec offer coupon codes for a discount?
No, Fanatec do not offer any sort of coupon vouchers for a discount:
You’ll find a few websites trying to encourage you to click their links to earn an affiliate commission. That’s OK provided they’ve disclosed the nature of the link (like we do) but you won’t get a discount just because you’ve seen a “deal” on someone’s website. Click carefully.
With that said it’s possible to find discounted items on the website before they announce anything. Follow this guide and, if you’re quick and savvy enough, you might get to the deals before anyone else.
How to survive Fanatec’s Black Friday
So many people complained last year about site downtime. The site was down a lot during the CSL DD launch. Expect the Fanatec website to be down! I suppose if you’re that focused on picking up a bargain then set your calendar for around midday CET on Friday, 24 November.
Watch the Fanatec forum for announcements and adjust your calendars appropriately.
If you’re hoping to buy a CSL DD on Black Friday, then you already know my opinion – I don’t expect to see them opening a sale price on that unit. You’re already cutting it fine for Christmas and *even if* Fanatec opens up a sale for their latest product, the saving at best will be 20EUR. Ask yourself if it’s worth the risk!
Will Fanatec even have a Black Friday in 2023? Who knows, although we think they probably will.
Whatever you decide to do, all the best of luck – I’ll update this page as more information comes in as we approach November.
More Black Friday Deals
Pimax Crystal
Pimax’s excellent Crystal, a VR headset that enables you to immerse yourself in virtual reality, is offered at a discounted price of $1439 instead of $1599 during the Black Friday season. That’s a staggering discount of $160 discount on this deal alone and provided you have a powerful enough GPU, this is one of the most powerfully immersive VR headsets I’ve used so far.
Apex Sim Racing
Our friends at Apex Sim Racing have discounts up to 25% off across their site – well worth a look!
WIMSIM Tier 2 – Drivers Package (Advanced Sim)
Advanced Sim Racing is being generous at this time of the year and offering a massive discount on their WIMSIM series, complete racing simulator package.
The WIMSIM Tier 2 stands out with its exceptional price of $7095 CAD instead of the original price of $7999 CAD during the Black Friday season. This would make for an impressive start into the sim racing world. or, at the very least be a killer upgrade to your existing system.
Advanced Integrated Triple Monitor Stand
The Advanced Integrated Triple Monitor Stand is offered at a discounted price on Advanced Sim Racing and during the Black Friday season, you can grab this aluminium profile / steel monitor stand for a total of $529 CAD.
Normally, the going price for this monitor stand is $599 CAD but here, you’ll save $70 CAD on the purchase. If you’re not sure, We have covered a lot of different monitor stand options in our monitor stand buyer’s guide here.
Razer Leviathan Soundbar (Digital Motorsports)
The Razer Leviathan Soundbar is going for a fraction of its price during the Black Friday season and if you want to amp up your sound game, investing in a soundbar such as Razer Leviathan would be a wise choice.
Typically, you’d pay a sum of £324 for this bad boy but right now, it is offered at a discounted price of £250, that’s a saving of £74. If you’re looking for a bit more help, we’ve compiled a list of good soundbars and speakers for sim racing here.
Advanced Integrated Triple Monitor Stand
Our friends at SimLab are offering a blanket 10% discount on all things on their website. They’ve really had some success with their new products and acquisitions these past two years, I think their product output is exceptional. Take a look at some of recent reviews:
Sim Lab X1 Pro Sim Racing Cockpit
Listed on our favourite cockpit buyer’s guide, and don’t want to break the bank while investing in your dream racing sim? Now’s your chance to grab a ready-made sim racing cockpit from Sim Lab at a very reasonable price. This is a simple, yet very strong example of the next generation of sim racing cockpits. You’ll see from the way the brackets and fixings are cast, that SimLab is working towards form and function. Their work really does look the part:
The ergonomic Sim Lab X1-Pro Sim Racing Cockpit with its top-notch build quality will have a reduced price during the Black Friday period and during this time, you can grab this one for just $1439. On an average sunny day, these cockpits go for $1599 but right now, you can enjoy a discount of $159 on your purchase.
TR80 RACING SIMULATOR MK5
TrakRacer is known for offering low-cost racing sims and they’re further dropping the prices of their signature cockpits during the Black Friday season. At the time of writing, the TR80 which is a strong and rigid cockpit is available at a price of $575. Generally, you have to pay $677 for this cockpit but with this discount, you can easily save $102. Trak Racer stuff is quite nice – they use a matte finish to their aluminium profile sections and the cockpits themselves are simply constructed:
TR160 MK4 RACING SIMULATOR WITH SET OF 4 D-BOX 4250I MOTION ACTUATORS BUNDLE
The Trak Racer TR160 MK4 racing simulator is designed to deliver a cutting-edge driving experience. The base structure is built from high-end 160 × 40mm aluminium T-Slot extruded profiles, finished in black anodizing for a sleek look. The framework is reinforced with heavy-duty anodized black 90-degree brackets and laser-cut carbon steel plates.
Reviewers highlight the rigidity of the TR160 MK4, praising its strong joint construction which involves 5mm thick corner brackets and multiple M8 bolts. This sturdy build translates to minimal flex during intense driving manoeuvres, like-spirited heel-and-toe driving. While the familiar design of the pedal deck and shifter mount is commended for its effectiveness, some criticism is noted towards the Rally-styled seat which exhibits some flex and a bottom cushion that could benefit from additional thickness for comfort during extended use. Nonetheless, the overall sentiment suggests that the cockpit is a highly solid unit that could be the last one to buy, thanks to its scalability for future sim racing setups.
The D-BOX 4250i motion actuators, which can be integrated with the TR160 MK4, represent the third-generation technology from D-BOX Technologies, known for their high-quality haptics systems. These actuators are more robust and compact than previous versions, maintaining the same core architecture and software integration processes. Although the Gen-3 actuators come at a lower price point than the Gen-2, the term ‘cheaper’ is used deliberately to denote affordability without compromising the acclaimed D-BOX quality. The actuators, available in different voltage configurations, aim to enhance the realism of the simulation by providing tactile feedback and motion, allowing users to feel the nuances of the virtual road and racing environment.
Together, the TR160 MK4 cockpit and the D-BOX motion actuators create a comprehensive simulator setup that aims to satisfy both the durability demands of seasoned racers and the immersion sought after by enthusiasts looking for a realistic driving experience. To me, this is pretty cutting-edge, high-end simulation gear.
TR160 MK4 RACING SIMULATOR WITH SET OF 4 D-BOX 4250I MOTION ACTUATORS BUNDLE is available at a price of €6685 instead of €7866. With savings of over €1100, you might have enough in the bank for all the remaining accessories.
TR80 LITE RACING SIMULATOR
Don’t have a ton of budget for a racing sim cockpit? The TR80 Lite Racing Simulator is right up your alley. And now that it is offered at an even lower price due to the Black Friday sale, it really is the best time to grab this chassis.
At the time of writing, the TR80 Lite Racing Simulator is offered at a price of €272 instead of €321, that’s a discount of €48 on this deal.
More deals to follow and, if you see something you’d like me to add – just shout! Good luck grabbing a bargain!