A new challenger has appeared in the war on Direct Drive steering wheels for tight budgets! Moza Racing, the Chinese simracing brand launching in September 2021, has come up with a new weapon. It’s the Moza Racing R9 Direct Drive. But will this new product convince simracers the world over?
To put things into context: the release of the Fanatec CSL DD paved the way for a whole new category of simracing steering wheels. Until a few months ago, the choice was between paying a lot of money for a Direct Drive or paying less for a belt or gear base. Obviously, the “low-budget” models clearly lagged behind in terms of feel and precision.
But everything changed with the arrival of the CSL DD, closely followed by the Simagic Alpha Mini and now the Moza R9 DD. Three Direct Drive models at affordable prices! Today, I’d like to take a closer look at the Moza R9 DD. Let’s see whether or not it can compete with the Fanatec and Simagic models 😉
The Moza Racing R9 DD from a technical point of view
- Compatibility: PC
- Dimensions: 24 x 15.7 x 12.4 cm
- Motor: Direct Drive – Stepper
- Torque: 9Nm
- Turning range: Infinite
- Connections: 1 power supply, 1 data output, 1 Kill switch (emergency stop), 1 USB output to PC, 1 output to dashboard
- Wheel attachment: NRG-type Quick Release
Moza Racing R9 Direct Drive in brief
Design and ergonomics
As soon as you open the box, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The finish of the base is just perfect. The base body and front panel are aluminum. Plastic for the back. The X-shaped base adds a design touch not found on the competition. Even the steering shaft and Quick Release are attractive.
In short, it’s very pretty, better finished than the CSL DD and more visually appealing than the Simagic Alpha Mini (well, that’s subjective, isn’t it?). Another good idea from Moza Racing: the base is available in white or black , depending on your taste. I don’t know if the white bases will be a commercial success, but you can’t say you didn’t have a choice!
In terms of ergonomics, we’re talking about the equivalent of the CSL DD: the base is very compact and will be almost invisible behind your steering wheel.
Mounting the Moza Racing R9 Direct Drive
We can now move straight on to fitting my cockpit. There’s no choice here: you have to use the 4 M6 screws on the underside of the base. However, Moza Racing has been clever enough to position its screw threads precisely like the Fanatec bases. The advantage? Almost all cockpits are compatible with the Moza R9 from the outset.
My only regret is that there’s no way to attach the base from the sides. It’s a mounting option often reserved for more powerful products, but an interesting one nonetheless.
Once the Moza R9 base has been assembled, it’s time for the connections. I just plugged in the USB output and the power supply. One small regret is thatyou can’t connect the pedalboard directly to the base. That’s one more USB port to use on the PC to connect the pedals. The advantage here lies with the CSL DD, to which you can plug EVERYTHING and have just one USB output.
On to the settings in the Moza Pit House
OK, so once everything’s plugged in, we move on to the settings on the Moza Software: the Moza Pit House. I go to the Moza website in the downloads section and install the software. Five minutes later, the software is up and running. The Moza Pit House is not available in French, but the English terms won’t make you feel out of place if you’ve had a steering wheel in the past.
A quick update on the software (EDIT November 9, 2022)
The PitHouse has undergone several updates since my first tests. While in terms of feel, the FFB has made a quantum leap, the same can’t be said for its reliability!
Over the last 8 months, my Moza R9 has FACTUALLY worked 1 time out of 3.
- Connection problems between base and steering wheel
- FFB not engaging
- Missed shifts due to software crashes
- Force feedback suddenly stops in mid-stroke
- Base reboot repeatedly
- Etc.
So be aware that, as a Moza owner, you’ll have to put up with the brand’s rookie mistakes. Now that you know that, let’s get back to the initial test!
More on the PitHouse
In concrete terms, the Pit House is well designed and easy to use. On the home page, you find your Moza gear connected and can instantly make adjustments to wheel rotation angle, force feedback power and pedals.
One click and I can make sure all my drivers are up to date. Simple and efficient once again.
Going to the menu, I switch to the“Basic” base settings. Here Moza has created several settings. There are GT, Performance, Formula, Kart, Drift and Rally modes. These settings are all modifiable, and will serve as a working basis for finding exactly the sensations you’re looking for in racing. In fact, that’s probably the first thing you’ll do, since these basic settings are, in the opinion of the vast majority of players: bad.
By going to the“Advanced” settings, you can go even further in customizing your sensations. I’m not going to touch these settings today, as they’ll be useful after a few hours’ riding, but not as a starting point. I already want to understand what the Moza Racing R9 DD is all about 😉
Last but not least, the“FFB Effect Equalizer” setting allows you to go even further in setting your sensations. It’s all about fine-tuning. If you want to feel the vibrations of the ABS a little more or a little less, you can adjust it here. If you want to modify the feel of the grass, the road, the gravel, the vibrators… It’s a rather different way of looking at settings than what we’re used to seeing.
I’m pleasantly surprised. The Moza Pit House exceeds my expectations in terms of ergonomics.
Comfort and feel
Come on, it’s time to see what the Moza Racing R9 DD base has in store!
I always do the same for testing. I start with Assetto Corsa, then move on to Assetto Corsa Competizione and rFactor2.
Everything is configured and ready to hit the road. I’d like to take this opportunity to give you a quick review of the Moza Quick Release. This is probably the best QR I’ve tested to date. It’s identical to the Simagic model, for simracers who know what I’m talking about. No play, no approximation of the steering wheel position. No noise or creaking when running. It’s just magnificent.
Once on the track, you quickly find your bearings. Being used to the CSL DD’s 8Nm of torque, the difference in force with the Moza’s 9Nm is quite remarkable! It’s on the feel side, however, that I had a little more trouble.
Starting with the factory GT settings, the track feel is just incredible. It’s fluid, powerful and precise. But I have a problem: I don’t feel my car’s suspension and I don’t have any information to let me know when I’m losing the rear suspension. As a result, I have quite a few frustrating spin-outs that I can’t catch.
So I spent the rest of my day… And the weekend fine-tuning my settings until I found a good compromise that satisfied me. You really have to test every option, every fine-tuning, to find exactly the feel you need to perform well on the track. A good return of force, then, but worth spending time on if you want to get the most out of it.
Neither the base nor the QR produce the slightest parasitic sound. And even after a good 5 hours of riding and testing settings, the base temperature remained tepid. IMPRESSIVE. Bravo Moza Racing!
The Moza Racing ecosystem
Well, now that I’ve had my kicks on the track, it’s time to talk about the nitty-gritty, isn’t it? Moza Racing entered the simracing market in September 2021, and their ecosystem is still very limited.
At present, there are several steering wheels to choose from. The Moza GS Steering Wheel, the FSR and the Moza RS Steering Wheel. They’re all very attractive wheels, and can even be customized in a number of ways.
Moza GS Steering Wheel
Moza also offers the option of purchasing Quick Release wheels independently of the steering wheels. This will enable you to install other brands of steering wheels on the chainstay.
As for pedals, they currently only offer the Moza CRP Pedals. A mid-range model equipped with a Load Cell brake. And finally, a Dashboard that connects directly to the chainstay.
The creation of a new product range?
It’s still very limited, as you can see, but rumors are already circulating about new steering wheels and pedals that should be arriving any day now.
This inevitably raises questions about the Chinese team’s objectives. The arrival of a product at this price certainly means that the brand is preparing steering wheels that are more accessible to the wallet. We’ll keep you posted, so you don’t miss out on any future developments.
The Moza R9 DD versus its competitors
To make sure you make the right choice from this new Direct Drive range, here’s a quick rundown of the current models.
| Caractéristique | Fanatec CSL DD | Moza Racing R9 | Simagic Alpha Mini |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compatibilité | PC, Xbox (et PS pour le GT DD Pro) | PC | PC |
| Dimensions | 16 x 16 x 14,5cm | 24 x 15,7 x 12,4cm | 11 x 11 x 16,67cm |
| Moteur | Direct Drive | Direct Drive | Direct Drive |
| Ventilateur | Non | Non | Non |
| Puissance | 5 à 8Nm selon l'option choisie | 9Nm | 10Nm |
| Prix | à partir de 199,95€ avec les Bundles Ready2Race | 459€ | 620€ |
My verdict on the Moza Racing R9 Direct Drive
Moza has succeeded in designing a good value Direct Drive.
Its power feedback gets better and better with each update.
Let’s hope Moza gets around to stabilizing its software, which is the biggest drawback of their ecosystem to date.
- Successful design and perfect finish
- Very little heating
- No noise
- Best Torque/Price ratio on the market
- Easy-to-use adjustment software
- Quick Release at the top
- No pedal/shifter connection on the base
- The power button behind the base, I find that a bit of a shame.
- No cockpit fixings on the sides of the base
- Delivery delay
- Force feedback less precise in details than what can be found at Fanatec for example
- The software and its updates are VERY FRUSTRATING when they completely crash the base…
