Fanatec has surprisingly reduced the cost of its express air freight package for the new Gran Turismo DD Pro wheel by $100/€100, meaning players can get hold of the direct drive wheel before Gran Turismo 7 launches for just $50/€50 extra.
- Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Pro (USA) – $749.95
- Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Pro (Europe) – €749.95
- Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Pro (Australia) – $1,316.95
The GT DD Pro is the first wheel peripheral to come out of the new collaboration between Polyphony Digital and Fanatec, announced earlier this year. Fanatec will, as of Gran Turismo 7, replace Thrustmaster as the official wheel of Gran Turismo.
In addition to that, the GT DD Pro represents another first for the series. It will be the first direct drive wheel specifically made for Gran Turismo.
Whereas previous items have used a wheel shaft slaved to the force feedback motor by gears (Logitech) or belts (Thrustmaster), direct drive means that the wheel shaft itself is also the motor shaft. Any forces the player applies to the wheel are directly applied to the motor, and vice versa.
The GT DD Pro wheelbase appears largely identical to the Xbox-compatible CSL DD wheel announced in mid-2021. However it also comes bundled with pedals and a special wheel rim designed by Polyphony Digital itself in order to get the most out of GT7. That includes four colored dials for directly selecting in-game settings on the multi-function display, like traction control, brake balance, and fuel mapping.
As well as this basic bundle, you can also pick up a couple of upgrades.
Firstly there’s a load cell pedal kit, which allows you to swap in a brake pedal with a load cell which mimics real-life braking more closely — and the spare can be converted into a clutch pedal. In addition you can also buy a higher-output transformer which unlocks the wheel’s maximum 8Nm force capability rather than the standard 5Nm.
Officially, these GT DD Pro bundles all launch on March 14, ten days after Gran Turismo 7 hits the shelves. However, players can pay extra for the “express” bundle, which consists of the basic wheel rim/base/pedal set with guaranteed air freight to arrive before GT7 launches. In fact these were first announced last year at the full $150/€150 cost and the first units landed before Christmas.
With just over six weeks to go until GT7 arrives, you can now guarantee you’ll have the official wheel in time for $50/€50.
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