Fanatec DD - full racing setup
Fanatec announced and released the Fanatec DD to revolutionize the direct drive market. The entry level direct drive wheel, the Fanatec DD, is a dream for sim racing enthusiasts that want to experience direct drive without selling a kidney. The price may seem tempting at first but there is more to a sim racing setup than a direct drive wheel base. This product review should help you decide if you should pull the trigger and purchase a Fanatec system or if you might be better off sticking with another product.
Overview
This product review covers the Fanatec equipment only. Other additional costs will likely apply when buying a full sim racing setup as mentioned later.
| Date purchased | January 2022 |
| Price paid | €615.12 £515.13 |
| Price paid after taxes and fees | £630.28 |
| Repeat My Shop rating | 9/10 |
Basket
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| CSL DD (8 Nm) | €403.32 |
| CSL Steering Wheel BMW | €117.61 |
| CSL Pedals | €67.18 |
| Shipping costs | €27.01 |
Pros
No other competitor has yet to build a direct drive system that comes close to the same price to performance. The Fanatec DD is surely the best entry level direct drive system on the market.
All Fanatec products come well packaged and also include stickers and setup instructions. I managed to get things setup quite quickly.
As a company that has claimed the throne of the mainstream sim driving market, Fanatec has a great ecosystem and user base.
Direct drive is the best way to get the best feedback from your racing games. Geared or belt driven systems don’t have quite as much power or fidelity.
Cons
As a UK based consumer, you need to make sure you are aware of the VAT and import duties that are applied once your Fanatec products land in the UK. My Fanatec delivery was completed by UPS. I was made to pay £115.15 to UPS over the phone by the delivery driver. I have heard that some/all other delivery companies will contact you ahead of time and ask for payment before attempting delivery.
Fanatec’s entry level system is still quite expensive. You can decide to go with the 5NM version and upgrade to the boost kit at a later date but I decided that it made sense to “take the plunge” and buy the boost kit from the start. Other cheaper products exist such as the Logitech G920 or Thrustmaster T300 RS GT however you do then miss out on direct drive.
Direct drive systems need suitable mounting. The Fanatec DD does have the optional desk mount (sold separately) but I would not recommend going down this route unless you are really lacking space or have a super bolted down desk at the perfect height. A driving “rig” can be used to mount your Fanatec hardware. A rig is not cheap and will cost you upwards of £300 for the most basic. I am currently using the TrackRacer RS6 for its attractive and easy to access design.
Should you attempt to use a desk for your sim racing setup, you should also think about what chair you will be using. Anything with wheels will not work if you plan to use pedals. You can buy some castor cups for your desk chair.
You need to think about what monitor you will be using, where it will be going and how you will get it there. A monitor mount screwed into a wall? A monitor stand that sits directly on the floor?