Fanatec, CEO, Thomas Jackermeier commented: “The community has asked for an affordable direct drive wheel with load cell pedal and we took a lot of efforts to make the impossible come true. The steering wheel was entirely designed in collaboration with Polyphony Digital and we worked closely together to make everything work perfectly with Gran TurismoSport and the upcoming Gran Turismo 7 which is announced for release in 2022. Direct Drive is the new standard in sim racing and every racer who tried it once will never go back to a belt drive wheel.” There is no doubt this is another huge succes sstory for Fanatec after having already agreed rights as the eclusive wheel supplier for both F1 and WRC Esports championships. Gran Tursimo 7 will be a huge title 2022 and Fanatec will benefit hughely from the exposure this brings. We’ll keep an eye out for future updates and you can expect to see our review, should we get a hands-on in the future. Spec, futher details and the official trailer below.

Features
Gran Turismo DD Pro Wheel Base:

The first official Direct Drive Wheel for the Gran Turismo series
Officially licensed for PlayStation®5 consoles and PlayStation®4 consoles
Direct-Drive system delivers instant, detailed force feedback
Linear, consistent performance (5 Nm peak torque)
Optional Boost Kit 180 (sold separately) unlocks maximum strength (8 Nm peak torque)
Patented, exclusive FluxBarrier technology optimises motor efficiency and smoothness
Full Fanatec SDK support ensures game compatibility out of the box for all major racing games
Standard Tuning Menu allows beginners to get started quickly without having to worry about settings
Advanced Tuning Menu allows enthusiasts to fine-tune the force feedback characteristics to suit their driving preferences
High-resolution (contactless) Hall-position-sensor, same as Podium Series
Steering axis made from carbon fibre-enhanced composite
Fanless: wheel base housing is made from aluminium (passive heat sink, core structural component) with composite end caps
Slip ring system (life-tested for thousands of hours) provides cable-free delivery of power and data between steering wheel and wheel base
Automotive-grade quick release, exchangeable
T-nut rail system on sides and bottom for easily adjustable hard-mounting
Table clamp included, supports 5 to 60 mm table thickness
Ports:
Power supply
USB-C to console / PC
Shifter 1
Shifter 2 (Sequential only)
Pedal
Handbrake
Front-mounted threaded inserts for Fanatec accessories (e.g. ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles, available separately). Not intended for front-mounting the wheel base to a sim racing chassis/cockpit.

Steering wheel for Gran Turismo DD Pro:
Designed in collaboration with Polyphony Digital
Tactile rubber grip with blue centre stripe
Compact 280 mm diameter and light weight for crisp response
Diffused RevLED strip (yellow, red, and blue LEDs)
White OLED display for Tuning Menu access and telemetry output (where supported)
5-way directional stick for menu navigation
Four additional 5-way directional sticks
Ergonomic shifter paddles
11 buttons optimised for the PlayStation® console control scheme interface
Fiberglass-reinforced plastic construction
Exchangeable QR1 Lite Wheel-Side quick release system

Pedals for Gran Turismo DD Pro:
Two-pedal set (throttle and brake), upgradeable to three pedals (upgrade kits sold separately)
All-metal construction (excluding pedal faces). Pedals are made from heavy steel, which helps to prevent the set from sliding on the floor (if not hard-mounted to a rig)
Optional anodised aluminium pedal plates (‘CSL Pedals Tuning Kit’, sold separately)
Contactless Hall sensors (12-bit) on both brake and throttle for high precision and durability
Brake pedal spring is stiffer than throttle pedal spring, PU foam damper adds additional resistance for progressive braking feel
Upgrade to a three-pedal configuration with Clutch Kit or Load Cell Kit (sold separately)
CSL Pedals Clutch Kit provides a third pedal for the lowest price
CSL Pedals Load Cell Kit also provides a third pedal, and upgrades the brake and electronics
Pedal position can be adjusted sideways along heel rest
Height-adjustable pedal faces
Modular design means inverted mounting to a rig is possible
Vertical rear plates allow pedals to be easily braced against a wall or other vertical surface
Pearl chrome plating on pedal bases and arms
Black powder coating on heel rest
Pedals connect directly to Gran Turismo DD Pro Wheel Base

Price and availability
EU – 699,95
US – 699,95
AU – 1.229,95
JPN – 92.900,00

Pre-order starts on 26.11.2021 on www.fanatec.com

The post Fanatec reveal the Gran Tursimo DD Pro sim racing wheel appeared first on Team VVV.

The CSL DD is a remarkable piece of hardware, a direct drive wheel at just €/$349.95, mind-blown! Now onto the official details provided by Fanatec,

Available Soon
349,95 EUR
349,95 USD
599,90 AUD
47,900.00 JPY

Now I’ve left a lot of this info direct from Fanatec, it clearly explains the core aspects of the wheel which sounds pretty phenomenal on paper.

The 100% custom motor was developed in Germany specifically for sim racing. It delivers sensational performance thanks to patented FluxBarrier technology, communicating the nuances of force feedback detail to your hands with remarkable clarity. When the steering wheel is directly mounted to the motor shaft, there’s no belt or gear drive to dilute the force feedback effects. The clear choice of all professional drivers and enthusiast sim racers is now available to a broader audience. Our strong relationship with game developers means the CSL DD has broad compatibility and consistent behaviour across many popular titles. The Standard Tuning Menu has been simplified, allowing beginners to start quickly without having to worry about settings. The Advanced Tuning Menu remains for enthusiasts. The efficiency of the CSL DD motor technology means dynamic force-feedback performance is contained in a small footprint. This is also the first industrial motor to feature a carbon fibre composite motor shaft, which increases responsiveness and acceleration significantly due to low rotational masses.

Up to 8 Nm of torque. Standard peak torque is 5 Nm, with the Boost Kit 180 (optional) unlocking the full 8 Nm. This high level of torque can be sustained without the need for active cooling, with the extruded and CNC-machined aluminium casing acting as the structural chassis as well as the heatsink.

Upgradable quick release. The CSL DD uses an automotive-grade, all-aluminium quick release. This component is user-exchangeable, ready for the transition to the all-new QR2 system (coming soon).

Automotive-grade quick release system. The all-aluminium construction and anodised surface ensures strength and durability, providing a robust connection to Fanatec Steering Wheels.

Ready for the future. Connected internally to the wheel base via USB-C, the quick release can be upgraded easily to the next-generation QR2 system (coming soon). Existing Fanatec wheels with an exchangeable Quick Release can also be upgraded to QR2.

Features

Direct-Drive system delivers instant, detailed force feedback

Linear, consistent performance (5 Nm peak torque)

Optional Boost Kit 180 unlocks maximum strength (8 Nm peak torque)

Patented, exclusive FluxBarrier technology optimises motor efficiency and smoothness

Full Fanatec SDK support ensures game compatibility out of the box for all major racing games

Standard Tuning Menu allows beginners to get started quickly without having to worry about settings

Advanced Tuning Menu allows enthusiasts to fine-tune the force feedback characteristics to suit their driving preferences

High-resolution (contactless) Hall-position-sensor, same as Podium Series

Steering axis made from carbon fibre-enhanced composite

Fanless: wheel base housing is made from aluminium (passive heat sink, core structural component) with composite end caps

Wireless-QR technology (slip ring system, life-tested 24/7 for thousands of hours) means no mechanical rotation limiter, provides cable-free delivery of power and data to steering wheels.

Automotive-grade quick release, exchangeable

T-nut rail system on sides and bottom for easily adjustable hard-mounting

Temporary mounting possible with optional table clamp (not included), supports 5 to 60 mm table thickness

Ports:

Power supply

USB-C to PC / console

Fanatec DataPort-C

Shifter 1

Shifter 2 (Sequential only)

Pedal

Handbrake

Front-mounted threaded inserts for Fanatec accessories (e.g. ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles, available separately). Not intended for front-mounting the wheel base to a sim racing chassis/cockpit.

Compatibility Platforms

PC: This wheel base is compatible with PC when combined with a Fanatec Steering Wheel. Check the individual Steering Wheel product pages for Wheel Base compatibility.

Xbox®: This wheel base becomes compatible with Xbox One® and Xbox Series X|S when used with any Fanatec Xbox-licensed steering wheel.

PlayStation®: This product is not compatible with any PlayStation® console and cannot be upgraded to achieve compatibility.

Peripherals

The CSL DD is compatible with:

Fanatec Podium Steering Wheels

Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheels

Fanatec CSL Steering Wheels

All Fanatec Pedals (adapter cables might be required on pedals without RJ12 connection)

Fanatec ClubSport Shifters (including ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles)

Fanatec ClubSport Handbrake V1 and V1.5

Fanatec RennSport Cockpits

ClubSport Table Clamp V2

CSL DD Table Clamp

Boost Kit 180

Podium Mounting Brackets (the CSL DD includes M6 T-nuts for side-mounting; the Podium Mounting Brackets require the use of M6 bolts and washers)

What’s Included

CSL DD wheel base

90W power supply (regional)

4x T-nuts for rail mount system

USB cable (Type-C to Type-A)

The post Fanatec blow the doors off with the CSL DD appeared first on Team VVV.

So, it was an interesting surprise to see Dorna Sports announce a partnership with Moto Trainer, a motorbike simulator that allows riders to train on their own bikes. This is pretty interesting and a potential break through in the simulator market, trailer below. Moto Trainer’s software can allow riders to train on each and every MotoGP circuit across the globe. Suitable for sports bikes of all shapes and sizes, Moto Trainer can either be linked to the official MotoGP videogame, produced by long-standing MotoGP partner and videogame developer Milestone, or riders can follow an OnBoard lap of the track on which they wish to train. This all sounds very interesting, almost too good to be true. Can the MotoGP game physics adapt perfectly? Where are the physics limitations? So many questions, but the potential is exciting.

Going into further details on the play with MotoGP, the system aims to support real-world movement and synchronise that to the digital rendering of their riding on-screen. On-board laps, meanwhile, provide the perfect blueprint for riders to follow – allowing even the most veteran riders to train in seamless synchronicity with their on-screen counterpart. It will be interesting to see the full implementation, is it just a marketing line? Or physical training tool more than a biking one?

Andrea Lombardi, CEO of MotoTrainer: “The software behind Moto Trainer, developed by our engineers, is capable of playing any onboard video, and allows riders to save their efforts on a telemetry master track. This means that you can load any circuit and motorbike you want, with riders replicating the video to the reference telemetry. The software then analyses the rider’s performance by monitoring the accelerator, front and rear brakes, gearbox and trajectories. It’s a platform that allows bikers to train on every circuit in the world at an affordable price.”

Pau Serrancanta, Managing Director at Dorna Sports: “I’m delighted to be able to announce this agreement, adding yet another way in which fans are able to connect with and enjoy their favourite sport. In addition, the fact that it can also be used alongside the MotoGP videogame proves another bolster to Dorna’s eSports project, which continues to go from strength to strength.”

Lots of positivity around an interesting product, I look forward to learning more in the coming months and get rider feedback. In the meantime, check out the trailer and watch this space for more news on MotoTrainer.

The post Use your actual bike as a controller with MotoTrainer appeared first on Team VVV.

The only wheel officially licensed by the World Rally Championship (WRC), the CSL Elite Steering Wheel WRC has been perfected for WRC and will be used exclusively in official WRC Esports competitions. In terms of features and quality, Fanatec reveal the wheel will contain brushed aluminium spokes, genuine Alcantara® grip, and orange stitching. The detachable paddles feature Snapdome activation for a satisfying ‘click’ response. The RevStripe and integrated three-digit LED screen show useful data in compatible games. Also provides Tuning Menu access, allowing tweaks to your settings during gameplay. Basically everything you could want from a wheel of this type and style.

The CSL Elite Steering Wheel WRC features a Rally-inspired design. Sporting a revised internal and external design, tyre tread graphic and bright orange accents on the paddles and stitching. The 300 mm rim diameter is suitable for many vehicle types, and the lightweight construction is ideal for the quick inputs required in rally driving. This is key, comfortable yet responsive. The wheel also features exchangeable components, most notably the new, tool-free Simplified Quick Release Adapter, this is always handy for those switching to different genres of racing disciplines.

Another new addition, no clamping bolt is required. The improved Simplified QRA clamps easily to the steering shaft by hand, without the need for tools. The new design is also removable, and can be replaced with the ClubSport Quick Release Adapter*. *Using the ClubSport Quick Release Adapter with this steering wheel does not enable High Torque Mode on the Podium wheel bases. Removable paddles. This is an interesting aspect, perhaps the quick release is not as strong for the resistance, something we can inquire with Fanatec.

Another aspect to investigate further, the bright orange paddles can be removed, allowing clearance for the optional ClubSport Static Shifter Paddles, which can be more comfortable to use while rally driving. Xbox One and New Generation Xbox compatible. I’m keen to see what this difference is like in operation. As soon as you connect this steering wheel to your compatible wheelbase, the whole system (including attached peripherals such as shifters, pedals, or handbrake) will become Xbox One and New Generation Xbox compatible. Xbox mode is also supported on Windows 10 with Xbox Play Anywhere titles. And of course the Xbox-style button caps are also replaceable with the included Racing-Style caps. You can see the latest trailer for the CSL Elite Steering Wheel WRC below and purchase the new wheel rim directly from Fanatec here.

The post Fanatec reveals official WRC steering wheel appeared first on Team VVV.

In recent years that technology has felt more like a ball and chain, with the G29 and G920 being released and touted as modern wheels when effectively these we just the old wheels with new packaging. Logitech sponsoring McLaren while promoting hardware well over a decade old, it just didn’t work, and we know the top level Esport sims had moved away from Logitech equipment.

The time was right for a new wheel in 2017, and it did appear that we were on the cusp of an announcement, but the years flew past and nothing. Now in mid-2020 we finally see that long awaited reveal. Let’s dive in and take a look at the reveal trailer.

Featuring Fernando Alonso, the trailer doesn’t give much away, the wheel and chassis look so similar to previous iterations, you’d be hard pressed to even notice the difference. While the only key highlight being the introduction of ‘TRUEFORCE’ which sounds like a superpower and potentially could be the element that takes this wheel to a new level. Then again, it could be a buzz word with little substance, we won’t know until there’s an opportunity for a hands-on.

So, after years of waiting the announcement it all felt a bit flat. No detail in terms of tech improvements, no valid resources for the gameplay experience. With that in mind, we’ll just have to watch this space, the Logitech G23 retails for £349.99 and is shipping later this month, additrional specs below.

REQUIREMENTS (XBOX ONE)
Xbox One game system
Game that supports Logitech5force feedback racing wheel.

REQUIREMENTS (PLAYSTATION 4)
PlayStation 4 system
Game that supports Logitech6force feedback racing wheel.

REQUIREMENTS (PC)
Windows® 10, 8, 8.1 & 7
150 MB of available hard disk space
USB 2.0 port
Game that supports Logitech7force feedback racing wheel.

PACKAGE CONTENTS
Steering wheel
Pedals
Power supply
User documentation

WHEEL PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Height: 270 mm
Width: 260 mm
Depth: 278 mm
Weight without cables: 2.25 kg

PEDALS PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Height: 167 mm
Width: 428.5 mm
Depth: 311 mm
Weight without cables: 3.1 kg

WHEEL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rotation: 900 degrees lock-to-lock
Hall-effect steering sensor
Dual-Motor Force Feedback with TRUEFORCE
Overheat safeguard

PEDAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Nonlinear brake pedal
Patented carpet grip system
Textured heel grip
Self-calibrating

MATERIALS
Wheel spokes: Anodized aluminum
Wheel cover Hand-stitched leather
Steering shaft: Steel
Shifter paddles: Brushed stainless steel
Mounting clamps: Glass-filled nylon
Pedal frames and arms: cold rolled steel
Pedal faces: Brushed stainless steel
Pedal piston sleeves: Polyoxymethylene thermoplastic (POM)

PART NUMBER
Black PS4 : 941-000150
Black XB1 : 941-000160

WARRANTY INFORMATION
2-Year Limited Hardware Warranty

The post Logitech reveal the G923 ‘TRUEFORCE’ sim racing wheel appeared first on Team VVV.

The post on the official Playstation blog refers to a wide range of products, with the mention specifically related to wheels “Specialty peripherals, such as officially licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks, will work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games”. Great news all-round, especially given the expected outlay for a new console and supporting SSD could be substantial. You can check out our Hardware section on the website and various sim racing hardware videos below and we’ll be sure to continue our testing across formats when the Playstation 5 releases later this year.

The post Fanatec confirms PS5 compatibility appeared first on Team VVV.

The PlayStation 5 design couldn’t be more different from Microsoft’s Xbox Series X console. Where Microsoft went for a safe and mature look, Sony very much took a risk and have come up with a console that is like no other.

Take a look for yourself below (at 1:24).

The PlayStation 5 console comes in two guises: one with a disc tray and one without, known as the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 digital respectively. Although you’d expect the disc-less version to be cheaper this may not be the case if it actually comes with a higher capacity SSD, we’ll just have to wait and see.

As expected, the console’s colour scheme matches the previously revealed controller, however, we don’t believe anyone expected such a bold design: it certainly screams “Future of Gaming”. Its design also reminds us of the PSVR design and PSVR’s mascot, Astro (from Astro Bot Rescue Mission) and this is definitely no coincidence as every PlayStation 5 console will come pre-loaded with Astro’s latest game Astro’s Playroom – whether this game is available to play on PSVR remains to be confirmed.

The PlayStation reveal shows us what we can only assume to be air vents running the length of the console neatly concealed within its white fins topped off with a cool blue lighting arrangement. The Playstation ”PS’ logo itself is very subtly located on the left side of the console (when stood upright) in the far top corner. We can also see the ‘SONY’ logo situated inside the right fin which itself has a coarse texture on the inside.

The front of the console appears to house one USB and USB-C port alongside a power and eject button (with just a power button for the Digital console). With such a small amount of ports on the front, it looks like we are going to have to plug our hard drives and racing wheels into the back of the console – boo!

Judging by how the PlayStation 5 consoles look next to the controller, it seems as though Sony’s console is a fair bit taller than the Xbox Series X – something that has taken us by surprise. We’re certainly going to need a decently big TV unit to house these beasts if we are to have them standing up where they undoubtedly look at their best.

Sony also took the opportunity to showcase other peripherals such as the Dualsense charging station, HD camera, Pulse 3D wireless headset, and the Media Remote. Of course, one piece of hardware missing from Sony’s ecosystem is the PSVR 2: we expect this to be revealed much later and released within around 12-24 months of the console launch.

No price points were revealed during the stream but we’re sure it won’t be long until pre-orders will open. We expect the consoles will launch with a price point of between £450-£550 but that’s pure speculation on our part.

Let us know your initial reactions to the console reveal and in general what you made of Sony’s stream we’d love to hear from you.

The post The PlayStation 5 console consists of two versions, includes free game appeared first on Team VVV.

Also, noticing the new Fanatec branding and wheel set-ups which looked very nice indeed. Luckily, it all felt very intuitive to operate and despite being up for 15 hours having flown over that day, I managed to keep my head together and put in a solid result with a strong second place to WRC Esports Pro Greekman. The feeling from the game came back to me with every round and the new hardware was perfectly intuitive, aiding a decent result. Flash forward a couple of months and the official announcement has finally arrived as Fanatec unveils the new partnership with WRC Esport and the new WRC licensed Steering Wheel, which is to be expected in Q4 2020.

Fanatec is the official hardware supplier of the 2020 Esports WRC Championship, announcing a multi-year agreement, the exact length of this agreement has not been disclosed. Development of new rally products is underway and will be revealed later in 2020

Thomas Jackermeier, CEO of German-based Endor AG, which owns Fanatec, said: “the company was honoured to join the WRC family and would play its part in allowing sim rally drivers to get as close as possible to the real thing.” He continued, “Rally driving is one of the most intense forms of motorsport and one which is extremely difficult to practise. “Fanatec is developing a range of rally products in close co-operation with WRC, which will be perfectly suited to simulate this exciting sport and to compete in official WRC sim racing competitions”.

WRC Promoter managing director Oliver Ciesla said: “Fanatec’s enthusiastic support of WRC’s virtual rallying would further boost soaring interest in eSports motorsport. We welcome Fanatec to the championship’s growing portfolio of premium partners and it’s great to see the company’s passion and commitment in creating bespoke products for WRC sim racers.”

The challenge is open now to anyone playing WRC 8. “Like all global sports, WRC is currently paused due to Covid-19, but the WRC Weekly Challenge allows sim racers to compete against their rivals on classic roads from famous rallies. It provides our existing fans, and young gamers who are building their interest in the sport, with a means to preserve their WRC ‘fix’ and we’re delighted Fanatec has chosen to support this challenge,” concluded Ciesla.

So, if you enjoy a bit of rally action, get stuck in and we hope to take a closer look at the new Fanatec WRC products later this year.

The post Fanatec announce exclusive multi-year agreement with eSports WRC appeared first on Team VVV.

The Logitech G podcasts called on this experience in covering a wide range of subjects, in which we’ve discussed mental health, climate change, making money as a content creator, esports, in-game marketing and concluding with disability and gaming. In all cases the goal has been to make progress with each subject, providing a positive way forward.

Subjects have been at times both challenging and sensitive to handle. It was a privilege meeting everyone involved, and I hope that those who have listened to the series feel they’ve gotten something back and enjoyed the process. I’ve listed all of the episodes below and it would be great to get your feedback.

Episode 1: ‘How gaming is impacting mental health’
Apple Music -> https://apple.co/3ekUOSM
Spotify -> https://spoti.fi/2K10eV2

Episode 2: ‘Changing the Climate: How do we play for the planet?’
Apple Music -> https://apple.co/3ajmMuY
Spotify -> https://spoti.fi/3bCgaJm

Episode 3: ’Who wants to be a gaming millionaire?’
Apple Music -> https://apple.co/3bLrrr4
Spotify -> https://spoti.fi/2W8S1UB

Episode 4: ‘Are Esports gamers our future Olympians?’
Apple Music -> https://apple.co/3c7zAGi
Spotify -> https://spoti.fi/2W7COnX

Episode 5: ‘Changing the Space’, are brands taking over your games?’
Apple Music -> https://apple.co/3cqUCA2
Spotify -> https://spoti.fi/3fIbSmv

Episode 6: Changing Perceptions: how do we make gaming more accessible to disabled gamers?’
Apple Music -> https://apple.co/2Zg1vjN
Spotify -> https://spoti.fi/36a4f3O

The post Presenting the Logitech G Podcast Series appeared first on Team VVV.

PlayStation system architect Mark Cerny is currently presenting details on Sony’s upcoming console as we write this, however, Digital Foundry has already published the long-awaited specs.

The PlayStation 5 CPU features 8 Zen 2 cores and its GPU clocks in at 10.28 TFLOPS (Xbox Series X has as many as 12 TFLOPS for comparison) using custom RDNA 2 architecture. Sony’s upcoming console features 16 GB GDDR6 memory (the same as the Xbox Series X).

The PlayStation 5 has a fairly disappointing 825 GB SSD – looks like we will all have to purchase additional SSD storage, something that is possible through the NVMe SSD slot. The relatively small-sized SSD was chosen to keep costs down understandably.

You can view the breakdown of PlayStation 5 specs below.

• • CPU 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency)
  • GPU 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency)
  • GPU Architecture Custom RDNA 2
  • Memory/Interface 16GB GDDR6/256-bit
  • Memory Bandwidth 448GB/s
  • Internal Storage Custom 825GB SSD
  • IO Throughput 5.5GB/s (Raw), Typical 8-9GB/s (Compressed)
  • Expandable Storage NVMe SSD Slot
  • External Storage USB HDD Support
  • Optical Drive 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive

Cerny has previously revealed the PlayStation 5 will support 8K graphics with support for up to 120 fps. Elsewhere we know the PlayStation 5 controller will feature haptic feedback which has impressed Sony Interactive Entertainment’s President and CEO Jim Ryan recently.

The console will utilise 100GB optical discs and feature backwards compatibility. The PlayStation 5 is scheduled to release Holiday 2020 although it remains to be seen if this will still be possible given the coronavirus outbreak which is causing worldwide disruption.

The post Here are the PlayStation 5 specs appeared first on Team VVV.