The Fanatec CSWv2 review by HoiHman
I was very excited when I got an email from Fanatec with the invite to beta test a new product.
At that time I did not know what it was yet. I still had to wait a very long 3 weeks until I finally got an email that a ClubSport Wheel Base V2 was shipped and it was a very nice surprise
So I expected a half finished beta product in a unmarked box, which probably needed a lot production adjustments before the final release.
To my great surprise the UPS guy showed up at my doorstep with the "standard Fanatec shipping box" and on the side of the box I could clearly read what was inside.
When I opened the box, I quickly learned there was no "beta packaging". This "beta" unit was packed like the full retail CSWv1 I received 4 weeks earlier : A full colored box, base covered in dustbag in foam. A quick guide was even included
The box is a bit bigger, which immediately gives the impression that this wheelbase has more to offer. Which it does
A quick inspection learned that the mounting points and the dimensions were exactly the same as the CSWv1. This is a very big pro for all current CSW/CSR-E owners. This means you can install your new base in no time, without having to adjust anything to your rig, besides exchanging the power supply to feed the bigger brushless servo motor.
The obvious big optical changes to the CSWv1 are:
Dark cover on the top and a polished edge on the front plate
The fan on the back of the wheel
The rubber ring on the quick release hub
Even though my wheelbase is officially labeled as beta. It looks and feels like a full retail product.
The quick release has been improved by adding an extra rubber ring which reduces play significantly. Although the necessity to use the bolt all the time has been decreased, I still prefer using the special bolt to firmly secure the wheel to the base.
Because fanatec want to keep compatibility of all add-on rims with the new ClubSport Wheel Base V2, this is the best solution possible.
So yes, you can use all your CSWv1 rims on the CSWv2. On the Fanatec website there is a long list of rims directly available for the ClubSport Wheelbase V2.
Undoubtedly there will be a lot reviews covering all the various technical aspects of the CSWv2 (benchmarks, internals ect)
The full specs can be found here:
http://www.fanatec.com/forum/discus...eel-base-v2-servo-power-and-multi-platform/p1
My review will focus on the important aspect:
How does it drive?
At the release the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 is for PC and PS3. Next gen console support will be added at a later stage through additional rims.
I have only tested the CSWv2 on the PC. The current 2.0 driver and the latest Fanaleds release already support the CSWv2
First Impression : OMG
The wheel is fast, very powerful. Effects are more crisp, clear and direct. There is no cogging, the wheel is super precise and smooth and i have to mention it again : It's POWERFUL
So I tested the wheel with various sims (Asetto Corsa, Iracing, PCARS, Rfactor2) and the simcade codemasters games (F1 2013, Grid Autosport & Dirt 2 )
The wheelbase is secured very firm to my rig, which is as solid as a rock. Driving the CSWv2 with no flex in the base or the rims feels great. All Fanatec rims are high quality wheels and they all feel real and authentic. No plastic feel like of some their competitors.
In all sims the wheelbase feels very smooth and has very little resistance of the internals. The powerful brushless servo motor is very fast and ensures that there is no cogging at all.
You clearly feel the bumps, curbs and dips in the track and even the camber of the wheels through the steering wheel. (depending on the sim)
All effects are delivered faster, more direct and clearer than ever experienced before. Because the base has so much power is much easier to distinguish different loads on the front wheels during braking of when the wheels are losing grip.
The CSWv1 was already a very precise wheel, but with 2 sensors the CSWv2 is much better. The Club sport Wheel base V2 has 4096 Pulses per Revolution. This means with a 280mm steering wheel a 0.22mm movement at the edge of rim will be picked up by the internal sensors.
This precise movement is noticeable in all sims and it contributes to better control of the car. I could clearly notice the difference in all sims and for example in F1 2013 and did not have to revert to in game linearity settings to get a good feeling around the center.
So how powerful is it?
Driving with the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 can feel like a real workout especially when one of the smaller rims is mounted (like the Flat1 / Round1 of Formula rim)
When driving on the straight at full speed, the downforce pushes the tires on the road with full downforce and I literally have to use a lot strength to turn left or right.
As soon I start to brake and the speed goes down, it becomes easier to turn in the wheel. I can clearly feel the difference in resistance between high speed and low speed corners.
When the front tires are loosing grip, the wheel becomes light.
When driving with high Forcefeedback levels, it's the experience that makes you sweat and your hands start to hurt. It gives you an impression of the great physique a real race driver must have to do this in real life.
The first timeafter 15 minutes you feel like taking a break.
Also the bigger porsche 918 RSR wheel feels just perfect when mounted to the ClubSport Wheel Base V2. I do not own a BMW GT2 rim anymore, but i think there is more than enough power available to handle it without any drawbacks.
The tuning menu offers various options to customise the wheelperformance to your liking. Settings like rotation, shock, ABS, linearity, spring, damper and deadzone can be changed in realtime by pressing the tuning menu on the steering wheel.
The force settings allow you to overclock the FFB effects from the sim to a maximum of 150%.
In all my testing the wheelbase never became hot, nor did i experience any forcefeedback drop-off during long racing sessions. The brushless servo motor and the bigger ball bearings give me the confidence that this is a real reliable wheelbase.
When I used the wheel for the first time after not using it for a couple days, I found myself more than one time checking the force settings in the tuning menu. Every time i was thinking it was set way above the standard 100% from a previous session, but it wasn't.
On Iracing Thomas Jackmeier (CEO of Fanatec) wrote that the wheel is so powerful that 95% of all simracers do not need a more powerful wheel. I totally agree with him. This is about how powerful you can get, without needing an emergency stop button.
At this moment I do not believe I will ever need a more powerful wheel.
I was very satisfied with the CSWv2 from day one, but the announcement of next gen compatibility through additional rims is a genius concept.
This means I can use my Clubsport Pedals, Handbrake and Shifter together with the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 on the Xbox One and the PS4 in the future. It doesn't get any better than that.
Judging from the response from fellow Beta testers, they all feel pretty much the same. At the price of 599,- this is the wheel with the best price performance ratio on the market.
To prevent long pre-order and waiting periods Fanatec implemented the "by invitation" order procedure giving Fanatec customers the first option to buy the new wheelbase.
There is simply no way that their supply can keep up with demand at the launch or the next couple of months.
I was very excited when I got an email from Fanatec with the invite to beta test a new product.
At that time I did not know what it was yet. I still had to wait a very long 3 weeks until I finally got an email that a ClubSport Wheel Base V2 was shipped and it was a very nice surprise
So I expected a half finished beta product in a unmarked box, which probably needed a lot production adjustments before the final release.
To my great surprise the UPS guy showed up at my doorstep with the "standard Fanatec shipping box" and on the side of the box I could clearly read what was inside.
When I opened the box, I quickly learned there was no "beta packaging". This "beta" unit was packed like the full retail CSWv1 I received 4 weeks earlier : A full colored box, base covered in dustbag in foam. A quick guide was even included
The box is a bit bigger, which immediately gives the impression that this wheelbase has more to offer. Which it does
A quick inspection learned that the mounting points and the dimensions were exactly the same as the CSWv1. This is a very big pro for all current CSW/CSR-E owners. This means you can install your new base in no time, without having to adjust anything to your rig, besides exchanging the power supply to feed the bigger brushless servo motor.
The obvious big optical changes to the CSWv1 are:
Dark cover on the top and a polished edge on the front plate
The fan on the back of the wheel
The rubber ring on the quick release hub
Even though my wheelbase is officially labeled as beta. It looks and feels like a full retail product.
The quick release has been improved by adding an extra rubber ring which reduces play significantly. Although the necessity to use the bolt all the time has been decreased, I still prefer using the special bolt to firmly secure the wheel to the base.
Because fanatec want to keep compatibility of all add-on rims with the new ClubSport Wheel Base V2, this is the best solution possible.
So yes, you can use all your CSWv1 rims on the CSWv2. On the Fanatec website there is a long list of rims directly available for the ClubSport Wheelbase V2.
Undoubtedly there will be a lot reviews covering all the various technical aspects of the CSWv2 (benchmarks, internals ect)
The full specs can be found here:
http://www.fanatec.com/forum/discus...eel-base-v2-servo-power-and-multi-platform/p1
My review will focus on the important aspect:
How does it drive?
At the release the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 is for PC and PS3. Next gen console support will be added at a later stage through additional rims.
I have only tested the CSWv2 on the PC. The current 2.0 driver and the latest Fanaleds release already support the CSWv2
First Impression : OMG
The wheel is fast, very powerful. Effects are more crisp, clear and direct. There is no cogging, the wheel is super precise and smooth and i have to mention it again : It's POWERFUL
So I tested the wheel with various sims (Asetto Corsa, Iracing, PCARS, Rfactor2) and the simcade codemasters games (F1 2013, Grid Autosport & Dirt 2 )
The wheelbase is secured very firm to my rig, which is as solid as a rock. Driving the CSWv2 with no flex in the base or the rims feels great. All Fanatec rims are high quality wheels and they all feel real and authentic. No plastic feel like of some their competitors.
In all sims the wheelbase feels very smooth and has very little resistance of the internals. The powerful brushless servo motor is very fast and ensures that there is no cogging at all.
You clearly feel the bumps, curbs and dips in the track and even the camber of the wheels through the steering wheel. (depending on the sim)
All effects are delivered faster, more direct and clearer than ever experienced before. Because the base has so much power is much easier to distinguish different loads on the front wheels during braking of when the wheels are losing grip.
The CSWv1 was already a very precise wheel, but with 2 sensors the CSWv2 is much better. The Club sport Wheel base V2 has 4096 Pulses per Revolution. This means with a 280mm steering wheel a 0.22mm movement at the edge of rim will be picked up by the internal sensors.
This precise movement is noticeable in all sims and it contributes to better control of the car. I could clearly notice the difference in all sims and for example in F1 2013 and did not have to revert to in game linearity settings to get a good feeling around the center.
So how powerful is it?
Driving with the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 can feel like a real workout especially when one of the smaller rims is mounted (like the Flat1 / Round1 of Formula rim)
When driving on the straight at full speed, the downforce pushes the tires on the road with full downforce and I literally have to use a lot strength to turn left or right.
As soon I start to brake and the speed goes down, it becomes easier to turn in the wheel. I can clearly feel the difference in resistance between high speed and low speed corners.
When the front tires are loosing grip, the wheel becomes light.
When driving with high Forcefeedback levels, it's the experience that makes you sweat and your hands start to hurt. It gives you an impression of the great physique a real race driver must have to do this in real life.
The first timeafter 15 minutes you feel like taking a break.
Also the bigger porsche 918 RSR wheel feels just perfect when mounted to the ClubSport Wheel Base V2. I do not own a BMW GT2 rim anymore, but i think there is more than enough power available to handle it without any drawbacks.
The tuning menu offers various options to customise the wheelperformance to your liking. Settings like rotation, shock, ABS, linearity, spring, damper and deadzone can be changed in realtime by pressing the tuning menu on the steering wheel.
The force settings allow you to overclock the FFB effects from the sim to a maximum of 150%.
In all my testing the wheelbase never became hot, nor did i experience any forcefeedback drop-off during long racing sessions. The brushless servo motor and the bigger ball bearings give me the confidence that this is a real reliable wheelbase.
When I used the wheel for the first time after not using it for a couple days, I found myself more than one time checking the force settings in the tuning menu. Every time i was thinking it was set way above the standard 100% from a previous session, but it wasn't.
On Iracing Thomas Jackmeier (CEO of Fanatec) wrote that the wheel is so powerful that 95% of all simracers do not need a more powerful wheel. I totally agree with him. This is about how powerful you can get, without needing an emergency stop button.
At this moment I do not believe I will ever need a more powerful wheel.
I was very satisfied with the CSWv2 from day one, but the announcement of next gen compatibility through additional rims is a genius concept.
This means I can use my Clubsport Pedals, Handbrake and Shifter together with the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 on the Xbox One and the PS4 in the future. It doesn't get any better than that.
Judging from the response from fellow Beta testers, they all feel pretty much the same. At the price of 599,- this is the wheel with the best price performance ratio on the market.
To prevent long pre-order and waiting periods Fanatec implemented the "by invitation" order procedure giving Fanatec customers the first option to buy the new wheelbase.
There is simply no way that their supply can keep up with demand at the launch or the next couple of months.
