In the world of simracing, there’s one counter-intuitive fact that has been widely confirmed over the years. It’s not your steering wheel that makes you go faster. It’s your pedals! And especially your brake pedal. The Fanatec Clubsport V3 pedalset has the reputation of being the best Load Cell-equipped pedalset available to the general public for under €400.
So, is this just a marketing stunt, a rumor, or a factual reality? I myself spent over two years with this pedalboard. And in this no-compromise review of the Fanatec Clubsport V3, we’re going to take a closer look at this model, which has a lot going for it, but also a few areas for improvement!
The Fanatec Clubsport V3 from a technical point of view
- Compatibility: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series
- Pedals : 3
- Sensors: Magnetic, max. resolution 12Bits (4096 values per pedal)
- Load Cell: Yes, max. pressure 90Kg, 12-bit resolution
- Vibrations: Yes, on brake and gas pedal pedals
- Connections: 1 RJ12 output to Fanatec base OR 1 USB output to PC 1 handbrake connector.
- Weight: 8 kg
Design and ergonomics
When I opened the box and took the pedalboard out of its case, the first thing I thought was “Wow! It’s a fine piece of equipment, there’s no denying it.
The finish is very meticulous, and the choice of materials directly inspires confidence. This is aluminum with a lightly brushed finish. The structural bars are in steel… In short, we know it’s not going to move a muscle!
Fanatec has become accustomed to high-quality materials, and this pedalset is no exception. And I can’t wait to attach it to my cockpit!
In the box you’ll find :
- The Clubsport V3 pedalset and its 3 GT-type aluminum pedal plates
- Protective cover
- A set of 3 F1-type plastic pedal plates
- 3 pedal extension arms for adjusting pedal pad inclination
- 1 hard replacement spring for gas pedal pedal
- 1 hard replacement spring for clutch pedal
- 1m50 RJ12 cable to connect the pedalboard to a Fanatec base unit
- 1m80 USB cable to connect the pedalset to a PC
- Bottle of Lithium grease for maintenance of moving parts
The Fanatec Clubsport V3 is a fairly heavy 8Kg. And its 4 rubber pads will let you enjoy it even if you don’t have a fixed cockpit at home.
On the pedals, you’ll find a“degressive” pressure on the clutch pedal. This means that the foot pressure is “hard” and then “light” to simulate a real clutch. The brake pedal, on the other hand, has a progressive pressure and is equipped with a Load Cell sensor. The accelerator pedal is originally quite light, but if required you can simply replace the spring with the hard black one supplied in the box.
The Load Cell
A quick reminder for the uninitiated:
The Load Cell is a technology that enables the brake pedal to sense the pressure exerted on the pedal rather than the pedal position. It’s the kind of technology that can save you a few hundredths per lap.
And why is that? Because as humans, our muscle memory is more powerful than our position memory. With a Load Cell, you’ll be able to brake harder, later and more precisely for faster corner exits.
Installing Fanatec Clubsport V3
Without further ado, I’m off to my cockpit to install the beast! Installation is very straightforward: just attach it to the cockpit using the 4 M6 screw threads. The two front screw threads are easy to access, but the two rear ones fall under the footplate.
You therefore have two choices: either remove the plate by simply unscrewing the 3 red screws holding it in place, fit your M6s and replace the plate. Or simply screw in the M6s from underneath and use nuts (they have plenty of room to pass between the plate and the screw threads) so you don’t have to dismantle the plate.
But don’t do what I did! In my haste, I forgot to connect the RJ12 cable to the pedal board before screwing it in. Once installed, you won’t have access to the connection. So I had to reassemble everything, plug in the cable and then reassemble the pedalboard… It’s a quick job, but it’s annoying at the time!
Connections
Speaking of connectors! Under the pedalboard you’ll find :
- USB or RJ12 outgoing to your steering wheel base or PC
- Connector for Clubsport Handbrake
In short, it’s very simple: plug it in, it works… Voilà 🙂
On to the settings!
For those who wish, you can use the 3 plastic pedal pads and extension arms to adjust the angle of your pedals. Personally, I haven’t had any use for them, but I’ll share with you Fanatec’s video on how to install the arms.
Clearly, you’ll be able to adjust your Fanatec Clubsport V3 to the millimeter to suit your tastes. As far as pedal pressure is concerned, you can adjust each pedal independently.
The gas pedal and clutch are fitted with “soft” springs as standard, but you can quickly change them for the hard springs supplied.
The brake pedal is even simpler! You can adjust pedal pressure and travel by turning a simple knob by hand. The Clubsport V3’s Load Cell delivers up to 90Kg of pressure at maximum setting, enough for the vast majority of simracers. If you want to push the envelope a little further, simply buy the performance kit we’ll talk about below.
Don’t forget to calibrate your pedalboard using the Fanatec driver. Without this simple action, you run the risk of having some braking percentages permanently applied when you turn up the Load Cell’s “force” to maximum.
Console compatibility
Console compatibility depends on your flywheel base. However, you can’t plug them directly into a console via USB. This option is reserved for PCs.
Comfort and feel
The pleasure and precision of a good pedalboard changes everything. From an immersion point of view, finding a sliding clutch and a Load Cell brake is much, much more realistic than simple springs and potentiometers.
The only downside is the vibration of the gas pedal and brake pedals. In the end, very few games take them into account, and that’s a shame. I was able to take advantage of it a little on Project Cars 2, which vibrated the accelerator pedal when the wheels spun, and I really appreciated this feedback to help me manage my acceleration more precisely!
As for the brake, it vibrates when the ABS engages to simulate the jolts felt on the pedal in real-life conditions. Here again, too few games take this function into account, which is just a shame.
In any case, I got a real kick out of this pedalset, which I think will stay in my cockpit for a few years!
Upgrade your pedalset for more fun!
For those who want to push the screw, you can add one or two Damper Kits to your Clubsport V3. A Damper Kit is a hydraulic piston that adds realism to the feel of the gas pedal and/or brake pedals.
Finally, for those who’d like to make their brake pedal even harder, you can opt for the Performance Kit. In this kit you’ll find rubber of different hardnesses to add even more precision to your braking feel.
My verdict on the Fanatec Clubsport V3
