Fanatec has revealed its new PlayStation-compatible direct drive wheel, which is also set to become the official steering wheel peripheral of the Gran Turismo series. It confirms information that sneaked out back in July, when boxes showing the wheel appeared on social media.
The wheel is officially known as the Gran Turismo DD Pro and, in a departure from usual Fanatec offerings, is available only as a complete bundle. Generally Fanatec offers mix and match products that allows players to build a setup that suits them, but the GT DD Pro includes the wheel base, wheel rim, and pedals all in one — for now at least.
As expected, the wheel is based around the same direct drive technology as the previously announced, and Xbox-compatible, CSL DD. In essence, a direct drive wheel transmits and receives force directly from the input shaft to which the wheel mounts, rather than a secondary shaft or motor which connects by gears or belts (or both).
That allows for more precise inputs and more detailed force feedback than other technologies, and direct drive has been long considered the gold standard for steering wheel peripherals. However it’s also been pretty expensive, until Fanatec created a new motor in developing the CSL DD.
As with the CSL DD, the GT DD Pro can deliver a peak torque of 5Nm, with the option of up to 8Nm if you pick up the additional Boost Kit 180 power supply.
In addition to the wheel base, the GT DD Pro comes with a dedicated wheel rim, designed in collaboration with Polyphony Digital, specifically for Gran Turismo.
The 280mm (11-inch) wheel is a fibreglass/plastic composite, which features all of the buttons you’ll need for not only navigating through PlayStation menus. It also sports the additional control buttons Gran Turismo players will recognize for controlling the multi-function display and quick access to traction control, brake balance, center differential settings and fuel maps.
There’s also a large LED strip atop the wheel, signifying engine speed, and a white OLED display which contains tuning information and vehicle telemetry.
Finally, the bundle comes with a two-pedal set, featuring an all-metal construction. Both brake and throttle pedals come with 12-bit Hall sensors for detecting pedal position.
Players can dig into the Fanatec ecosystem to upgrade the pedal kit if necessary. It’s compatible with the CSL Pedals, so you can pick up the Clutch Kit if you want a third pedal, or the Load Cell Kit if you want to swap out the brake for a load cell (which works on pressure rather than pedal travel) — which would also allow you to move the original brake pedal to become a clutch.
Although the Gran Turismo DD Pro is specifically intended to be the official wheel of Gran Turismo 7, it will also support Gran Turismo Sport, and any other PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 driving game. It is, of course, also fully PC-compatible too.
Pricing for the GT DD Pro kit, before options, starts at $699.95/€699.95 (A$1,229.95/¥92,900), and pre-orders will start on Friday November 26 — Black Friday.
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