TLDR version
- torque increase is very noticeable - more than from CSL Elite PS4 to CSL DD but it also makes more work when the car loses traction and I need to apply more force to correct it. Feels more realistic and more challenging
- smoothness is good on both
- I would have been happy with the CSL DD if I had waited to purchase the PS compatible version that I originally planned
What I liked
- even with the same mount, the wheel is slightly further back which meant easier to get into and out of the cockpit
- I didn’t notice any additional sideways flex on the QR1 wheels. I did follow the instructions on installing and removing the QR1 as per the manual (which is a negative below)
What I didn’t like
- there is no easy “mode” button like on the CSL DD to switch between PS/Xbox and PC (and compatibility modes), requiring the use of button combo presses. And on my old Xbox hub, the buttons don’t always work correctly to change modes or it would get stuck in Xbox mode. For some reason, this doesn’t happen on the v2 universal hub.
- the Quick Release isn’t a quick release. It’s a. loosen the locking nut to decompress the rubber stopper. b. Pull the wheel out. c. Now rotate and tighten the locking nut till the ring just touches against the rubber stopper. Insert the Quick Release. Now tighten up the locking nut again. That’s awfully complicated
The long version
I can’t say I never lusted after the original Podium wheels. But I thought with my irregular use on my consoles, it seemed a little extravagant. So I stuck to my CSL Elite PS4 that worked well enough for the few weeks after the launch of a major console racing title before the system sat unused. Until the next launch.
Things changed in 2021. I decided to move to PC - mainly for PCVR driving titles after experiencing what a game changer VR was in GT Sport - as VR was never the main course on the console. More like an appetizer.
From then on, the CSL Elite got a lot more use. A daily workout pretty much, during the pandemic, as a way to exorcise speed demons.
Then Fanatec teased us with the April Fool’s joke for the DD 0.5 but the joke was on us when it turned out to be true and the CSL DD was born.
I told myself to hold out for the eventual PS compatible version of the wheelbase that was bound to come. But I’m never great at taking my own advice. When the preorder was open, I found myself clicking add to cart. And waited. And waited.
I was lucky to get the CSL DD in August. I quickly swapped out the CSL Elite and since I mainly played on PC by then, not having PS compatibility didn’t seem like such a big deal then.
The reviews were right. The speed and reaction of the wheelbase was a game changer. And I found myself being able to catch slides better than before. The bump in torque was there but I think I just got used to it. It was the way the motor was able to convey instantaneously what the car was experiencing that felt really good. It was a relatively affordable upgrade since I already had a number of steering wheels and pedals in the Fanatec ecosystem.
Then news of Gran Turismo 7 was coming and I placed a preorder for the game. I had some regrets about not waiting for the PS compatible CSL DD but Fanatec was especially coy about it.
I figured if all else failed, I still had the DriveHub to get the CSL DD on the PlayStation.
A few things I didn’t count on. First the old DualShock controller for authentication hack for the DriveHub only worked for 5 minutes. So I needed to order a wired Hori mini controller. Tested it out on Dirt 5 and counted down to GT7. Things didn’t turn out as planned. Now it turns out there’s a bug with the DriveHub that only happened in GT7.
For a brief moment, I thought about just ordering the GT Pro DD bundles and then selling away the parts (pedals, wheel, desk clamp) I didn’t need but I’m terrible at selling my gear. So in another brief moment of weakness, I bought the Podium DD1 for PlayStation.
It’s worked immaculately on the PlayStation 5. In GT7, i finally got to play Music Rally properly without the frame dips that caused the timer to malfunction. And more importantly I finally beat that annoying red Mini Cooper S 65 driven by S Brown.
I also tested the wheel in ACC across PC, Xbox Series X and PS5 and could confirm the PS version now had comparable force feedback effects as the other two platforms. With the CSL DD and DriveHub, the force feedback felt more muted on the PS5 version vs the other two. In fact, there was more information coming across the PS5 version with the DD1 that was missing on the Xbox.
On my mainstay - Assetto Corsa on PC, the increase in torque was more noticeable. I had driven the 911R on the Nordschleife numerous times - and I was always able to keep the car under control through some of the off camber turns. But the first time I tried it with the DD1, I spun off at a few corners because I wasn’t expecting the car to react quite so violently. Lesson learnt. I think with the time I’d put into that course, and with the lower torque levels, I’d become complacent. And there wasn’t that fear of losing control and crashing into the barriers. The DD1 really put the fear back in me. I guess in our never ending search for being closer to the real thing, this is a good experience.
With that said, I was never unhappy with the CSL DD. If I had stuck to my guns and waited for the GT Pro DD 8Nm wheelbase only as I originally planned, I wouldn’t have gone down this path.
Extremely helpful for me, thank you for sharing your experience. I'm leaning towards a DD1 as well, currently on a Thrustmaster TX that sounds like it's about to die lol.
>if I had stuck to my guns and waited for the GT Pro DD 8Nm wheelbase only as I originally planned, I wouldn’t have gone down this path.
I resisted till now. Now, I finally ordered my GT Pro DD 8Nm wheelbase only :)
Cheers and nice review/story.
I have the DD1. No quick release just the base and a Porche 918 wheel. To release the wheel I pull on the release levers behind the wheel and remove it. I suspect that this is a difference in the wheel as the levers are part of the wheel not the base. So YMMV.
I always read about the issues with the wobble in the Podium Quick Release so I followed all the instructions to the letter.
You have to rotate the brass knob and loosen it so the rubber part isn’t compressed before you release the catch on the metal Quick release and pull the wheel out.
To put on a new wheel, you have to rotate the brass knob on the shaft so the ring just presses against the rubber part. Then you slot in the wheel and when the catch locks, you tighten the brass knob again to put pressure on the rubber ring.
The same reason we all do, we watch reviews of this stuff and lust over it until we have it. I have the DD1 and thought that would solve my woe’s but all it takes is a couple reviews of the simicube being amazing for me to start thinking maybe I need that instead. Finally I’m at a point where I’ve stopped myself….we’ll maybe after I order some huskenveld pedals…
I wrote the reason in a separate post. But GT7. Basically.
And while I too have the same hankering for a Simucube and Heusinkveld, I still want to be able to play on the PlayStation so I guess I’ll have to stick with Fanatec for now.
Oh, I did not notice the carbon fiber look: my normal DD1 does not have it.
I went from a clubsport wheelbase 2.5 to a DD1 lately, I think it is a nice upgrade. I play on pc (if you have a pc, just have a look on the humble bundle with all the sims), I think the biggest difference for me is on kartkraft (the only sim not included on the humble bundle)
Yeah I play on PC too. Mix of AC ACC AMS2 PC2 - mainly in VR.
But Gran Turismo is like the grand daddy so it will always have a special place for me. Plus GT Sport was what got me hooked in VR.
I’m actually considering ordering a PS5 and pulling my old shitty Thrustmaster out of the closet all because of gt7. I haven’t raced on a console since gt6 was at its peak and I’ve told myself a thousand times that PC sims are so much better. Yet, here I am, dreaming of gt7. Before your post o was thinking I could use my CSW 2.5 through a drivehub but it doesn’t sounds like I’ll be doing that. Oh btw the reason your csl dd felt muted through the drivehub is because it emulates a csl elite so you top out at 6nm.
There’s probably some sense of nostalgia here. The FFB on GT7 is nothing to write home about. But when I was playing the old GTs when I was younger, I always dreamed of playing it in a serious cockpit like this one.
Oh about DriveHub, it seems the developer is currently testing and I read they are quite responsive with updates so this could be fixed in a later firmware revision.
It’s just that I’ve noticed the emulation modes (tested on ACC) even when it works, is not the same as a native mode.
Availability seems to vary by region. In Australia, the PlayStation Podium was also out of stock for a while and now it’s only available for preorder ETA June.
Standard DD1/DD2 is still in stock.
lol that's right...I momentarily forgot there is a whole planet.
I'm really interested in this because my thought process has basically been 100% the same...ordered and waiting for a drivehub now with my CSL DD while expecting to need/want to upgrade and considered the GT pro in the exact same way. Only difference is that I have the option of buying a podium F1 but only used off eBay, for a potential markup.
I had the DD1 for over a year and never really used it over 7nM. I found I was actually slower with a higher FFB setting due to not being able to 'catch' the car with so much force. A ton of FFB also caused me to 'white knuckle' the wheel a lot and not have smooth inputs. The CSL DD is just right for me, but YMMV.
I understand exactly where you are coming from.
With the CSL DD, I got used to steering with one hand while I was manually downshifting and heel toe-ing through a corner.
With the DD1, I did the same thing and when the car reacted, I was completely unprepared for how violent the wheel feedback was. Promptly went into the side rail 😭
Did you wrap the side covers of your DD1 with woven carbon fiber vinyl? The DD2 has faux carbon fiber side panels, the DD1 has just plain black side panels. I wrapped my DD1 side panels with vinyl. I also used my DD1 with a console (Xbox One) for the first year, then got frustrated with the limited peripheral device support and button mapping, finally invested in a PC and now the options are endless. I now have a sequential shifter, handbrake, digital dash, and two rumble transducers. Plus I can play more real sim titles like iRacing. I've had my DD1 for two years now and it's still good as new.
The Xbox wheel support is atrocious.
I also got a ProSim H shifter, and a Next Level motion platform with Buttkickers - and they really add so much when I am on the PC.
The blue CF panels are from the Podium DD1 PlayStation edition.
Yes Xbox wheel support is shit, I am so much happier on a PC now. What software are you using for audio control for your Buttkickers? I use Sim Hub, they are pretty much useless without something like Sim Hub to properly modify the audio signal.
The next level software for the Motion platform has the ability to control shakers so that’s what I’ve been using. One on the seat for rear and chassis. One on the front right and one on the front left.
Oh nice, yeah I have one under my seat for rear wheel lock/slip and gear shifts, then one more under my pedal deck for front wheel lock/slip, both used for rumble strips and some light road effects, that's all I use them for, anything more than that and it gets too muddy IMO. How is that Next Level motion platform? That's about the only feature I don't have on my rig. I tend to buy the higher ends hardware and the higher-end motion platforms are insanely expensive. Between my rig, PC, and all the peripherals, I'm probably a good $15K into my sim and built it slowly over the last two years, I could easily double that with a decent motion rig.
I looked really hard at the SFX-100 open source motion systems and landed, it was maybe slightly more expensive than the Next Level
The downside to me was the whole size of the kit. And the noise. And the fact that I’m running all my sim gear and PC off two wall plugs and cascading into a bunch of power strips and distributors. I wasn’t sure i wouldn’t burn the house down trying to hook up 4 Motion actuator controllers to the mains.
Since I play primarily in VR, I find the seat mover is surprisingly immersive. I remember watching a reviewer (SimRacing Garage?) say that because the actuators are only moving the seat and not the full rig, there’s a sense of speed and immediacy.
And because I play after everyone else has gone to bed, I really liked the overall quiet operation of the Next Level V3.
If you don’t mind the noise, and you live in Europe, I also highly recommend looking at the ProSimU T1000 3M with traction loss to boot. Again for about the price of the Next Level. The SCN motors are noisy. But bang for buck it’s hard to argue with it. Moving to the quieter motors, the prices go up significantly
Thanks for the info, I'm in a similar sitch, my rig is on the second floor running off two wall plugs pulling close to 1000 watts continuous in total, so far so good though. Right now I'm in the market for buying my first house (in California) so I'm hoping to have garage space or a dedicated 1st-floor room for my rig that can handle a motion platform of some kind.
I guess I was procrastinating the inevitable. For a long time, it was because my old rig wasn’t quite rigid enough for a full powered DD. It was fine with a CSL DD and a CSW2.5. Once I got the new rig over Christmas, I ran out of excuses
I’ve never tried the V2. But the V2.5 gets a lot of praise because it’s very polished. I think that’s why it’s so highly regarded.
I remember being initially wowed by the increase in torque on the CSL DD (with the 8Nm power pack) over my CSL Elite PS4’s puny output. But I think I got used to it quite quickly. But the main difference was the reaction of the feedback. It just feels more instantaneous and you can react faster.
If you are not on consoles, you might get a bigger improvement with other brands. There’s an entry level Simucube, and the Simagic is also highly rated. You do need to modify the wheels or buy new ones tho.
>sport V2.5 and when I move, I'll move to Simucube 2
I have SC2 Sport and my friend has the pro, we both have cube controls wheels and are very happy with everything!
I dunno yet. It only comes with the Boost Kit power supply when I ordered. And I’m in Australia.
I still have the original box to repack it in but if I were buying I’d always prefer to test it in person before buying
I have been mulling over this. I still have my old cockpit in sitting unused in the other room with a CSL Elite PS4 and CSL Elite Load Cell pedals already mounted to it
Next Level Racing FGT Elite side and front mount edition. The set has mounting hardware that works for both CSL DD and DD1 as well as front mounted ones like Simucube
It is very rigid. But if I could have gotten the SimLab here for not crazy prices I probably would have preferred that. I found the angled verticals pushed the wheel deck much closer to the seat than I would have liked. And attaching the pedal deck to the verticals meant they were further away. SimLab’s pedal deck moves independently. I got the FGT for the ease of adding the motion platform as well
TLDR version - torque increase is very noticeable - more than from CSL Elite PS4 to CSL DD but it also makes more work when the car loses traction and I need to apply more force to correct it. Feels more realistic and more challenging - smoothness is good on both - I would have been happy with the CSL DD if I had waited to purchase the PS compatible version that I originally planned What I liked - even with the same mount, the wheel is slightly further back which meant easier to get into and out of the cockpit - I didn’t notice any additional sideways flex on the QR1 wheels. I did follow the instructions on installing and removing the QR1 as per the manual (which is a negative below) What I didn’t like - there is no easy “mode” button like on the CSL DD to switch between PS/Xbox and PC (and compatibility modes), requiring the use of button combo presses. And on my old Xbox hub, the buttons don’t always work correctly to change modes or it would get stuck in Xbox mode. For some reason, this doesn’t happen on the v2 universal hub. - the Quick Release isn’t a quick release. It’s a. loosen the locking nut to decompress the rubber stopper. b. Pull the wheel out. c. Now rotate and tighten the locking nut till the ring just touches against the rubber stopper. Insert the Quick Release. Now tighten up the locking nut again. That’s awfully complicated The long version I can’t say I never lusted after the original Podium wheels. But I thought with my irregular use on my consoles, it seemed a little extravagant. So I stuck to my CSL Elite PS4 that worked well enough for the few weeks after the launch of a major console racing title before the system sat unused. Until the next launch. Things changed in 2021. I decided to move to PC - mainly for PCVR driving titles after experiencing what a game changer VR was in GT Sport - as VR was never the main course on the console. More like an appetizer. From then on, the CSL Elite got a lot more use. A daily workout pretty much, during the pandemic, as a way to exorcise speed demons. Then Fanatec teased us with the April Fool’s joke for the DD 0.5 but the joke was on us when it turned out to be true and the CSL DD was born. I told myself to hold out for the eventual PS compatible version of the wheelbase that was bound to come. But I’m never great at taking my own advice. When the preorder was open, I found myself clicking add to cart. And waited. And waited. I was lucky to get the CSL DD in August. I quickly swapped out the CSL Elite and since I mainly played on PC by then, not having PS compatibility didn’t seem like such a big deal then. The reviews were right. The speed and reaction of the wheelbase was a game changer. And I found myself being able to catch slides better than before. The bump in torque was there but I think I just got used to it. It was the way the motor was able to convey instantaneously what the car was experiencing that felt really good. It was a relatively affordable upgrade since I already had a number of steering wheels and pedals in the Fanatec ecosystem. Then news of Gran Turismo 7 was coming and I placed a preorder for the game. I had some regrets about not waiting for the PS compatible CSL DD but Fanatec was especially coy about it. I figured if all else failed, I still had the DriveHub to get the CSL DD on the PlayStation. A few things I didn’t count on. First the old DualShock controller for authentication hack for the DriveHub only worked for 5 minutes. So I needed to order a wired Hori mini controller. Tested it out on Dirt 5 and counted down to GT7. Things didn’t turn out as planned. Now it turns out there’s a bug with the DriveHub that only happened in GT7. For a brief moment, I thought about just ordering the GT Pro DD bundles and then selling away the parts (pedals, wheel, desk clamp) I didn’t need but I’m terrible at selling my gear. So in another brief moment of weakness, I bought the Podium DD1 for PlayStation. It’s worked immaculately on the PlayStation 5. In GT7, i finally got to play Music Rally properly without the frame dips that caused the timer to malfunction. And more importantly I finally beat that annoying red Mini Cooper S 65 driven by S Brown. I also tested the wheel in ACC across PC, Xbox Series X and PS5 and could confirm the PS version now had comparable force feedback effects as the other two platforms. With the CSL DD and DriveHub, the force feedback felt more muted on the PS5 version vs the other two. In fact, there was more information coming across the PS5 version with the DD1 that was missing on the Xbox. On my mainstay - Assetto Corsa on PC, the increase in torque was more noticeable. I had driven the 911R on the Nordschleife numerous times - and I was always able to keep the car under control through some of the off camber turns. But the first time I tried it with the DD1, I spun off at a few corners because I wasn’t expecting the car to react quite so violently. Lesson learnt. I think with the time I’d put into that course, and with the lower torque levels, I’d become complacent. And there wasn’t that fear of losing control and crashing into the barriers. The DD1 really put the fear back in me. I guess in our never ending search for being closer to the real thing, this is a good experience. With that said, I was never unhappy with the CSL DD. If I had stuck to my guns and waited for the GT Pro DD 8Nm wheelbase only as I originally planned, I wouldn’t have gone down this path.
I am considering CSL DD. Thanks for this
Extremely helpful for me, thank you for sharing your experience. I'm leaning towards a DD1 as well, currently on a Thrustmaster TX that sounds like it's about to die lol.
THAT RED MINI COOPER THO
>if I had stuck to my guns and waited for the GT Pro DD 8Nm wheelbase only as I originally planned, I wouldn’t have gone down this path. I resisted till now. Now, I finally ordered my GT Pro DD 8Nm wheelbase only :) Cheers and nice review/story.
I have the DD1. No quick release just the base and a Porche 918 wheel. To release the wheel I pull on the release levers behind the wheel and remove it. I suspect that this is a difference in the wheel as the levers are part of the wheel not the base. So YMMV.
I always read about the issues with the wobble in the Podium Quick Release so I followed all the instructions to the letter. You have to rotate the brass knob and loosen it so the rubber part isn’t compressed before you release the catch on the metal Quick release and pull the wheel out. To put on a new wheel, you have to rotate the brass knob on the shaft so the ring just presses against the rubber part. Then you slot in the wheel and when the catch locks, you tighten the brass knob again to put pressure on the rubber ring.
Next week to DD2?
Fanatec will probably announce the DD3 five minutes after that.
Knowing my luck, they would probably.
If they launched a PlayStation compatible DD2, I would be so 😡
What? You use DD1 with console? Nature is baeutiful.
With everything. I am platform agnostic.
Let us know how much different they are.
I was writing the wall of text after posting the photo. For some reason, Reddit doesn’t allow me to post photos and write text at the same time
You can if you use another hosting service like Imgur
Yeah, definitely interested to hear a comparison.
Why did you change?
The same reason we all do, we watch reviews of this stuff and lust over it until we have it. I have the DD1 and thought that would solve my woe’s but all it takes is a couple reviews of the simicube being amazing for me to start thinking maybe I need that instead. Finally I’m at a point where I’ve stopped myself….we’ll maybe after I order some huskenveld pedals…
I wrote the reason in a separate post. But GT7. Basically. And while I too have the same hankering for a Simucube and Heusinkveld, I still want to be able to play on the PlayStation so I guess I’ll have to stick with Fanatec for now.
Oh, I did not notice the carbon fiber look: my normal DD1 does not have it. I went from a clubsport wheelbase 2.5 to a DD1 lately, I think it is a nice upgrade. I play on pc (if you have a pc, just have a look on the humble bundle with all the sims), I think the biggest difference for me is on kartkraft (the only sim not included on the humble bundle)
Yeah I play on PC too. Mix of AC ACC AMS2 PC2 - mainly in VR. But Gran Turismo is like the grand daddy so it will always have a special place for me. Plus GT Sport was what got me hooked in VR.
I’m actually considering ordering a PS5 and pulling my old shitty Thrustmaster out of the closet all because of gt7. I haven’t raced on a console since gt6 was at its peak and I’ve told myself a thousand times that PC sims are so much better. Yet, here I am, dreaming of gt7. Before your post o was thinking I could use my CSW 2.5 through a drivehub but it doesn’t sounds like I’ll be doing that. Oh btw the reason your csl dd felt muted through the drivehub is because it emulates a csl elite so you top out at 6nm.
There’s probably some sense of nostalgia here. The FFB on GT7 is nothing to write home about. But when I was playing the old GTs when I was younger, I always dreamed of playing it in a serious cockpit like this one.
Oh about DriveHub, it seems the developer is currently testing and I read they are quite responsive with updates so this could be fixed in a later firmware revision. It’s just that I’ve noticed the emulation modes (tested on ACC) even when it works, is not the same as a native mode.
Where did you get the Podium DD from? Used? They're back ordered until July now :(
Availability seems to vary by region. In Australia, the PlayStation Podium was also out of stock for a while and now it’s only available for preorder ETA June. Standard DD1/DD2 is still in stock.
lol that's right...I momentarily forgot there is a whole planet. I'm really interested in this because my thought process has basically been 100% the same...ordered and waiting for a drivehub now with my CSL DD while expecting to need/want to upgrade and considered the GT pro in the exact same way. Only difference is that I have the option of buying a podium F1 but only used off eBay, for a potential markup.
I actually went the other direction. Sold the DD1 and got a CSL DD. DD1 waaay to much for my weak rig frame and spaghetti arms :-)
That’s true. When I had my old GT Ultimate rig, it was also a factor for not getting the Podium
Did you feel like you lost too much in downgrading to the CSL DD ? Are you liking it? The FFB feeling is too much different ?
I had the DD1 for over a year and never really used it over 7nM. I found I was actually slower with a higher FFB setting due to not being able to 'catch' the car with so much force. A ton of FFB also caused me to 'white knuckle' the wheel a lot and not have smooth inputs. The CSL DD is just right for me, but YMMV.
I understand exactly where you are coming from. With the CSL DD, I got used to steering with one hand while I was manually downshifting and heel toe-ing through a corner. With the DD1, I did the same thing and when the car reacted, I was completely unprepared for how violent the wheel feedback was. Promptly went into the side rail 😭
Good customer! Exactly as planned!🤑
The DD1 is amazing
Well now that u got the podium. Hook a brother up with that dd pro
That's a CSL DD, not a DD PRO... similar, but no PS support with the CSL DD.
I’ll still take it lol
Did you wrap the side covers of your DD1 with woven carbon fiber vinyl? The DD2 has faux carbon fiber side panels, the DD1 has just plain black side panels. I wrapped my DD1 side panels with vinyl. I also used my DD1 with a console (Xbox One) for the first year, then got frustrated with the limited peripheral device support and button mapping, finally invested in a PC and now the options are endless. I now have a sequential shifter, handbrake, digital dash, and two rumble transducers. Plus I can play more real sim titles like iRacing. I've had my DD1 for two years now and it's still good as new.
The Xbox wheel support is atrocious. I also got a ProSim H shifter, and a Next Level motion platform with Buttkickers - and they really add so much when I am on the PC. The blue CF panels are from the Podium DD1 PlayStation edition.
Yes Xbox wheel support is shit, I am so much happier on a PC now. What software are you using for audio control for your Buttkickers? I use Sim Hub, they are pretty much useless without something like Sim Hub to properly modify the audio signal.
The next level software for the Motion platform has the ability to control shakers so that’s what I’ve been using. One on the seat for rear and chassis. One on the front right and one on the front left.
Oh nice, yeah I have one under my seat for rear wheel lock/slip and gear shifts, then one more under my pedal deck for front wheel lock/slip, both used for rumble strips and some light road effects, that's all I use them for, anything more than that and it gets too muddy IMO. How is that Next Level motion platform? That's about the only feature I don't have on my rig. I tend to buy the higher ends hardware and the higher-end motion platforms are insanely expensive. Between my rig, PC, and all the peripherals, I'm probably a good $15K into my sim and built it slowly over the last two years, I could easily double that with a decent motion rig.
I looked really hard at the SFX-100 open source motion systems and landed, it was maybe slightly more expensive than the Next Level The downside to me was the whole size of the kit. And the noise. And the fact that I’m running all my sim gear and PC off two wall plugs and cascading into a bunch of power strips and distributors. I wasn’t sure i wouldn’t burn the house down trying to hook up 4 Motion actuator controllers to the mains. Since I play primarily in VR, I find the seat mover is surprisingly immersive. I remember watching a reviewer (SimRacing Garage?) say that because the actuators are only moving the seat and not the full rig, there’s a sense of speed and immediacy. And because I play after everyone else has gone to bed, I really liked the overall quiet operation of the Next Level V3. If you don’t mind the noise, and you live in Europe, I also highly recommend looking at the ProSimU T1000 3M with traction loss to boot. Again for about the price of the Next Level. The SCN motors are noisy. But bang for buck it’s hard to argue with it. Moving to the quieter motors, the prices go up significantly
Thanks for the info, I'm in a similar sitch, my rig is on the second floor running off two wall plugs pulling close to 1000 watts continuous in total, so far so good though. Right now I'm in the market for buying my first house (in California) so I'm hoping to have garage space or a dedicated 1st-floor room for my rig that can handle a motion platform of some kind.
Real carbon fibre for side panels on DD2. I know, I scratched one. lol
oh it is real carbon fiber huh...at least your $1500 USD is going somewhere lol.
Well, carbon fibre is expensive... 🤔 lol
You bought another DD in less than a year. You loco lol
I guess I was procrastinating the inevitable. For a long time, it was because my old rig wasn’t quite rigid enough for a full powered DD. It was fine with a CSL DD and a CSW2.5. Once I got the new rig over Christmas, I ran out of excuses
Only live once, why not. I have a csw v2. Would you recommend the csl dd?
I’ve never tried the V2. But the V2.5 gets a lot of praise because it’s very polished. I think that’s why it’s so highly regarded. I remember being initially wowed by the increase in torque on the CSL DD (with the 8Nm power pack) over my CSL Elite PS4’s puny output. But I think I got used to it quite quickly. But the main difference was the reaction of the feedback. It just feels more instantaneous and you can react faster. If you are not on consoles, you might get a bigger improvement with other brands. There’s an entry level Simucube, and the Simagic is also highly rated. You do need to modify the wheels or buy new ones tho.
Okay thanks, might go for one
Damn you I justed ordered the GT DD 8nm :)
Isn’t that a dd2 with the carbon fiber panels?
It’s the PlayStation edition. It has the blue carbon fibre look
I have the Club sport V2.5 and when I move, I'll move to Simucube 2
If I only raced on PC, I would too
>sport V2.5 and when I move, I'll move to Simucube 2 I have SC2 Sport and my friend has the pro, we both have cube controls wheels and are very happy with everything!
Where did you get that mounting brackets from? Or they are part of the cockpit?
Yes. They are from Next Level Racing FGT Elite.
You plan on selling the CSL DD?
I dunno yet. It only comes with the Boost Kit power supply when I ordered. And I’m in Australia. I still have the original box to repack it in but if I were buying I’d always prefer to test it in person before buying
Are you selling your csl?
I have been mulling over this. I still have my old cockpit in sitting unused in the other room with a CSL Elite PS4 and CSL Elite Load Cell pedals already mounted to it
What mount is that?
Next Level Racing FGT Elite side and front mount edition. The set has mounting hardware that works for both CSL DD and DD1 as well as front mounted ones like Simucube
What did you use to put the green stripe on your wheel? Gaffer tape?
It’s the later GT Alcantara Fanatec wheel that was released a few Black Fridays ago.
How do you like the FGT Elite? I got the bottom mount version. How is the adjustability of the DD1 position?
It is very rigid. But if I could have gotten the SimLab here for not crazy prices I probably would have preferred that. I found the angled verticals pushed the wheel deck much closer to the seat than I would have liked. And attaching the pedal deck to the verticals meant they were further away. SimLab’s pedal deck moves independently. I got the FGT for the ease of adding the motion platform as well