Fanatec To Release New Wheel (Rim)

[VBR]

I think that once $ony & Dogitech have extracted as much cash from their customers wallets as humanly possible, Fanatec will become compatible with more games, & maybe even get full PS4 compatibility along with most other manufacturers wheels.

 

[ron24]

Because it's not actually that simple.
Fanatec has no official PS4 license. Instead, it has written PS4 compatible drivers, but they have to be embedded into games by the game vendor themselves.

As of now, the only games on PS4 which have these embedded drivers are Project CARS and Codemasters F1 2015.
http://www.projectcarsgame.com/home/fanatec-wheel-support-comes-to-consoles
http://blog.codemasters.com/f1/06/f1-2015-supported-wheels-and-controllers/
Games like The Crew, Driveclub and WRC 5 do not support Fanatec wheels.

The fact that Driveclub doesn't support Fanatec at the moment gives us all pause for concern, since Driveclub is first party Sony. Gran Turismo, being also first party Sony, may or may not be willing to embed Fanatec drivers. Only time will tell.

The Crew does support the fanatec wheels. I used my CSW base v2 and my CSR wheel with it. Its just sony games that don't support sadly. I sold my Clubsport base set up. Hoping This CSL will be more affordable.

 

[ron24]

I just want a ps4 rim (for the worst case scenario to be sure that it will work)

CSWv2 is awesome and for me full rim support (f1,bmw etc) is preferred, but official rim would just reassure worst case scenario.

Sure for new users mid range wheelbase is an awesome thing.

To my understanding PS4/Sony gives developers the ability to enable custom drivers in game (some indie games have option to use ps3 gamepads) so it is possible that F1,pCars and the crew (after the patch I think) are just using PC drivers (they work in PC mode after all)

I just want a ps4 rim. Same here.

 

[Mr Latte]

I think that once $ony & Dogitech have extracted as much cash from their customers wallets as humanly possible, Fanatec will become compatible with more games, & maybe even get full PS4 compatibility along with most other manufacturers wheels.

I think your missing the whole situation and circumstances involved.

I too would like an official Fanatec response regards upcoming PS4 Exclusive titles.
Basically people want more than emulation and possible/partial compatibility but true compatibility.

Xbox Some
Who would buy this new Xbox rim if it did not work with Forza/Horizon but only with other 3rd party multi-platform racing games?

The Past Is The Past?
For GT SPORT/GT7 it will more than likely have specific drivers for G29/T500/T300 (all licensed products).
The situation however is not like before were G25/G27 had support in Prologue/GT5 etc. Using PC drivers within the game to make them operate.

Yes the G25 was a PC wheel but back then PS3 did not have ANY "Official Products" with a shifter/clutch. Logitech, also have had the longest serving partnership with GT having several past "GT Official Wheel Licences". Clearly it was a solution at the time that served both parties involved.

Enter Thrustmaster
It was only with the T500RS to my knowledge that it became the first non Logitech wheel to hold an "Official GT Wheel" licence. Clearly as we know now Logitech back then was facing harder financial times, making structural changes and were not developing another wheel at that time.

Things Are Different Now
If the new GT games, now have specific drivers for the PS4 "Official Licensed Wheels" Most of which, now do have shifter/clutch using the PS4 drivers. How then does Fanatec get its product to work? Sorry but you cant just get huge corporation to add in drivers for your unofficial product and especially when other competitors actually do pay the license fees to produce official products.

PS4 Rim Would Do Nicely
Either Fanatec have to find a way of emulating again a supported official product or they finally have a wheel base or new PS4 based rim. It also makes more sense for Fanatec to do a PS4 "Official Product Rim" as then like this newest Xbox Rim, it would be compatible across all of their wheel basses.

Thrustmaster Future?
Another factor could well be that their will be a new product coming for the GT franchise again. Perhaps Fanatec are in a challenging position regards the PS4 support? Possibly and this is only assumption only but companies already with license agreements could hold the upper hand for what wheels are supported in the next GT franchises.

 

[VBR]

I think your missing the whole situation and circumstances involved.

And I think you missed the entire point of my post. I think the reason that Fanatec wheels don't work in Driveclub at the moment is that Sony are trying to earn as much money from the G29 license in the first year of sales. If $ony allow Fanatec wheels to work in DC, then Dogitech will obviously sell less G29's, & they'll both lose money.

I agree that it would be nice if older wheels had full PS4 compatibility, but I can't see that ever happening.

 

[12thgear]

I received my CSL P1 wheel rim today. Won't have a chance to turn a few laps until tonight, but here are my initial thoughts:

• The CSL P1 is indeed very light. I expect it to feel very responsive and undamped.
• The spokes are aluminum but most of the housing is plastic. Hollow, yet seems sturdy enough.
• The rim looks like it is plastic wrapped in thick, firm rubber. It feels good for the price.
  
• The CSL P1 rim feels much sturdier than the CSR Elite rim. Much less flex.
  
• Fanatec uses Torx screws on the wheel face now. These should resist stripping better than the old Allen screws.
• You have to push the CSL P1 farther than you think onto a CSW hub to line up the screw hole.
• The new clamp is solid, but the aluminum links feel cheap. Don't over tighten the locking screw.
• Mounting is a bit fussy, but still fairly quick.
• The plastic on the CSL P1 hub seems nice and thick.
• As noted by K1LLD0z3R the CSL P1 does have an alignment spine.
• Annoyingly, you need 2 tools to swap between a ClubSport (4mm Allen head) and CSL P1 (5mm).
• The paddle shifters are sturdy metal, but the action isn't quite as nice as the CSR Elite or ClubSport paddles.
• Seriously, this thing is light.

I can't wait to try it out tonight. I think it could be a great rim for Forza Horizon 2, and for driving production road cars in general.

 

[Mr Latte]

And I think you missed the entire point of my post. I think the reason that Fanatec wheels don't work in Driveclub at the moment is that Sony are trying to earn as much money from the G29 license in the first year of sales. If $ony allow Fanatec wheels to work in DC, then Dogitech will obviously sell less G29's, & they'll both lose money.

I agree that it would be nice if older wheels had full PS4 compatibility, but I can't see that ever happening.

I thought that is was very evident if you do not have a license for your product then it will not be supported by first party Sony owned developer/studios.

Oh silly me, clearly you have uncovered a conspiracy between Logitech & Sony so okay you are right and we will totally ignore Thrustmaster wheels working. Even though they too also potentially, you would think by your mindset also lose Logitech G29 sales and them with Sony both losing money.

The Game was released over 6 months before the G29 was released so again by your reckoning I am bemused how it was blocking Fanatec wheels from being supported. Yet the fact remains that "Licensed Products" WORK.

No need to take this any further, it all makes sense now.

 

[VBR]

@Mr Latte

 

[12thgear]

I had a little time last night to try out my CSL P1 wheel with my CSW V2 base so I thought I'd share additional thoughts:

• The Rev Stripe doesn't do anything on Xbox One. Expected, but disappointing.
• The Rev Stripe uses an RGB LED, so it can produce lots of colors (see video below). Cool!
• The display and Rev Stripe are going to be awesome when Fanaleds is updated.
• The Rev Stripe covers about 180º, so it does reflect off of displays. 👎
• The buttons on the steering wheel feel a little mushy.
• The joystick is similar to the CSR/CSR Elite joystick, but less wobbly.
• The wheel plate is held in place by the top screw and two bottom screws. The other two are decorative.
• I can confirm that beyond the aluminum wheel plate the CSL P1 is mostly plastic and rubber. It is thick where it needs to be, and there are lots of structural ribs.

I messed around a bit with Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Horizon 2, so I haven't seen the Rev Stripe in action yet. The wheel feels pretty nice in the hand. The rubber is dense and there's very little flex. It's probably how the CSR and CSR Elite wheel rims should have been constructed. The rubber has a little less give than I remember from demoing a T500RS. I liked the feel of the T500RS rim a bit more. While it feels like it's still built to meet a budget, I think Fanatec made sensible tradeoffs. The clamping system, while basic, is definitely effective. There's no play at all.

In use, I didn't notice a dramatic difference in performance compared to the much heavier Universal Hub with the 330mm GT Rim. It needs a little less force feedback power and maybe a tad more drift mode power for counter steering due to the lack of inertia. Perhaps that's due to the strength of the CSW V2 motor. It seems to handle heavier loads effortlessly. I think the CSL P1 could be great with a CSW V1 though, where power to weight is a bigger concern. For CSW V2 users the main reason to get the CSL P1 is it's by far the cheapest option for Xbox One compatibility, and it's versatile enough to be your only wheel for a while. It's also sort of the poor man's Porsche 918 RSR wheel rim.

Embedded below is a very short video of the Rev Stripe, display, and force feedback tests.

 

[Mr Latte]

Thanks @12thgear for the overview.

So it's not expensive, kinda feels a little bit cheap and the fancy lights actually do not work for the device the rim is mainly made for. (I am not sure T10 will bother to support this feature but it would be nice if Forza worked with it)

Does Forza produce a FFB in detail worthy of the V2?
Like several people I want an Xbox one solution for the future so it seems potentially the TX with the beautiful 599XX rim or the new upcoming wheel base with this what seems average quality rim. Gonna be interesting to see how the new base competes with the TX but for CSW owners at least they have an affordable XB1 solution now.

 

[12thgear]

So it's not expensive, kinda feels a little bit cheap and the fancy lights actually do not work for the device the rim is mainly made for. (I am not sure T10 will bother to support this feature but it would be nice if Forza worked with it)

It does seem odd the Rev Stripe debuted in an Xbox branded wheel. And I'd be surprised if that feature and dynamic updates to the display were ever supported in an Xbox One game. I'd love to be proven wrong. That said, perhaps this is the way forward for future Fanatec products, where multi-platform products have Xbox One support included. For example, the Universal Hub for Xbox One replaces the original Universal Hub, which is now on clearance.

Does Forza produce a FFB in detail worthy of the V2?
Like several people I want an Xbox one solution for the future so it seems potentially the TX with the beautiful 599XX rim or the new upcoming wheel base with this what seems average quality rim. Gonna be interesting to see how the new base competes with the TX but for CSW owners at least they have an affordable XB1 solution now.

I find the FFB good enough for my enjoyment. It definitely is not as sophisticated as what you'd get out of a PC sim like Assetto Corsa or iRacing, which really do feel like another level completely. On the other hand, I haven't found a game quite like Forza Horizon 2 for PC either.

I REALLY like the Forza series and I do think the CSW V2 gives you the best FFB experience on Xbox One. I think the speed, power, and smooth/quiet FFB of the CSW V2 make up for a lot. But I also think the CSW V2 is a hard sell for primarily Xbox One play unless you're someone of means. Folks seem pretty happy with the Thrustmaster TX, and they've really expanded into a moderately priced ecosystem. And no question that 599XX rim is quite nice. Certainly a step up from the CSL P1 rim.

 

[jughead]

Jumping in on the Black Friday Deal! I've been looking to replace my G27 wheel and this looks to be the cheapest entry point for the CSWv2. I'm now trying to figure out whether purchasing pedals at the same time is a good idea. Yikes- really gonna have to hide this from the wife. I'll pick up the formula wheel around tax season.

 

[seth francis]

Jumping in on the Black Friday Deal! I've been looking to replace my G27 wheel and this looks to be the cheapest entry point for the CSWv2. I'm now trying to figure out whether purchasing pedals at the same time is a good idea. Yikes- really gonna have to hide this from the wife. I'll pick up the formula wheel around tax season.

There is a black Friday deal on the CSW v2? Are you in the US?

 

[jughead]

There is a black Friday deal on the CSW v2? Are you in the US?

$649.95 for the CSL Wheel and CSWv2. That is a savings of ~$90 (13% off); not to mention $350 cheaper than the next available, working Xbox One bundle (CSWv2, XO Hub and Wheel); The announcement is on the blog, in the community section tab, on the Fanatec retail site.

 

[seth francis]

Oh, cool. I didn't know that. Thanks for the info