Fanatec Unveils Affordable CSL Direct Drive Hub

I’ve been lucky enough to try quite a few Direct Drive wheels over the years, but when it came to my home cockpit I just couldn’t pull the trigger on one at the price hardware manufacturers offered them for. Today, Fanatec decided enough was enough… They finally lowered the price on a DD wheel hub enough to where I’m going to buy one. Until this point I would have always advised a Thrustmaster TS-PC or TS-XW as being the last wheel hub before you would make that financial leap to Direct Drive… Not anymore. Now I just think anyone at that price level should just go straight to DD.

Coming a day after Thrustmaster announced a new Ferrari F1 wheel rim for $350 USD, Fanatec just announced the Fanatec CSL DD wheel hub at exactly the same price. If I’m Thrustmaster? Ouch.

Here is the full text of the press announcement:

Landshut, Germany. – April 21st 2021 – The leading manufacturer for sim racing equipment, Fanatec,
announces the CSL DD, a new wheel base for driving simulation games using direct-drive technology.
Priced at €/$349.95, it is the lowest cost to entry into the direct-drive market, setting a new standard for
driving simulation at home, delivering force feedback detail and performance that is unlike anything else
close to this price point.

newstandardd.fanatec.com

Available Soon
• 349,95 EUR
• 349,95 USD

Torque to the hands.
The 100% custom motor was developed in Germany specifically for sim racing. It delivers sensational
performance thanks to patented FluxBarrier™ technology, communicating the nuances of force
feedback detail to your hands with remarkable clarity.

Direct-Drive superiority.
When the steering wheel is directly mounted to the motor shaft, there’s no belt or gear drive to dilute
the force feedback effects. The clear choice of all professional drivers and enthusiast sim racers is now
available to a broader audience.

Plug and Play.
Our strong relationship with game developers means the CSL DD has broad compatibility and consistent
behaviour across many popular titles. The Standard Tuning Menu has been simplified, allowing
beginners to start quickly without having to worry about settings. The Advanced Tuning Menu remains
for enthusiasts.

Incredible performance.
The efficiency of the CSL DD motor technology means dynamic force-feedback performance is contained
in a small footprint. This is also the first industrial motor to feature a carbon fibre composite motor
shaft, which increases responsiveness and acceleration significantly due to low rotational masses.

Up to 8 Nm of torque.
Standard peak torque is 5 Nm, with the Boost Kit 180 (optional) unlocking the full 8 Nm. This high level
of torque can be sustained without the need for active cooling, with the extruded and CNC-machined
aluminium casing acting as the structural chassis as well as the heatsink.

Upgradable quick release.
The CSL DD uses an automotive-grade, all-aluminium quick release. This component is userexchangeable, ready for the transition to the all-new QR2 system (coming soon).

Automotive-grade quick release system.
The all-aluminium construction and anodised surface ensures strength and durability, providing a robust
connection to Fanatec Steering Wheels.

Ready for the future.
Connected internally to the wheel base via USB-C, the quick release can be upgraded easily to the nextgeneration QR2 system (coming soon). Existing Fanatec wheels with an exchangeable Quick Release can also be upgraded to QR2.

Features
• Direct-Drive system delivers instant, detailed force feedback
• Linear, consistent performance (5 Nm peak torque)
• Optional Boost Kit 180 unlocks maximum strength (8 Nm peak torque)
• Patented, exclusive FluxBarrier™ technology optimises motor efficiency and smoothness
• Full Fanatec SDK support ensures game compatibility out of the box for all major racing games
• Standard Tuning Menu allows beginners to get started quickly without having to worry about
settings
• Advanced Tuning Menu allows enthusiasts to fine-tune the force feedback characteristics to suit
their driving preferences
• High-resolution (contactless) Hall-position-sensor, same as Podium Series
• Steering axis made from carbon fibre-enhanced composite
• Fanless: wheel base housing is made from aluminium (passive heat sink, core structural
component) with composite end caps
• Wireless-QR technology (slip ring system, life-tested 24/7 for thousands of hours) means no
mechanical rotation limiter, provides cable-free delivery of power and data to steering wheels.
• Automotive-grade quick release, exchangeable
• T-nut rail system on sides and bottom for easily adjustable hard-mounting
• Temporary mounting possible with optional table clamp (not included), supports 5 to 60 mm
table thickness
• Ports:
o Power supply
o USB-C to PC / console
o Fanatec DataPort-C
o Shifter 1
o Shifter 2 (Sequential only)
o Pedal
o Handbrake
• Front-mounted threaded inserts for Fanatec accessories (e.g. ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles,
available separately). Not intended for front-mounting the wheel base to a sim racing
chassis/cockpit.

Compatibility
Platforms
• PC: This wheel base is compatible with PC when combined with a Fanatec Steering Wheel. Check
the individual Steering Wheel product pages for Wheel Base compatibility.
• Xbox®: This wheel base becomes compatible with Xbox One® and Xbox Series X|S when used
with any Fanatec Xbox-licensed steering wheel.
• PlayStation®: This product is not compatible with any PlayStation® console and cannot be
upgraded to achieve compatibility.

Peripherals
The CSL DD is compatible with:
• Fanatec Podium Steering Wheels
• Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheels
• Fanatec CSL Steering Wheels
• All Fanatec Pedals (adapter cables might be required on pedals without RJ12 connection)
• Fanatec ClubSport Shifters (including ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles)
• Fanatec ClubSport Handbrake V1 and V1.5
• Fanatec RennSport Cockpits
• ClubSport Table Clamp V2
• CSL DD Table Clamp
• Boost Kit 180
• Podium Mounting Brackets (the CSL DD includes M6 T-nuts for side-mounting; the Podium
Mounting Brackets require the use of M6 bolts and washers)

What’s Included
• CSL DD wheel base
• 90W power supply (regional)
• 4x T-nuts for rail mount system
• USB cable (Type-C to Type-A)
• Quick Guide