And there it is! A new challenger in the consumer Direct Drive steering wheel market has entered the fray. The new Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race has just been announced by the American brand, and it’s likely to cause a stir in the entry-level market. The reason? It’s a steering wheel-base-pedalboard bundle with integrated Dashboard and button box for the “modest sum” of €699. Oh, yes, I forgot! It’s PC and XBox compatible! But what’s it worth in practical terms? That’s what we’re going to find out together, as we take a look at the available information!
The Turtle Beach steering wheel at a glance
All images credited @Turtle beach
What does the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race look like in technical terms?
| Compatibility | PC, X Box |
| Dimensions – Weight | Base: 30.3 x 31 x 23.46cm – 5.62Kg Steering wheel : 30cm diameter – 1.36Kg Pedals : 41.5 x 33 x 22.34 cm – 4Kg Button Box: 10.75 x 13.23 x 8.33cm – 0.24Kg |
| Motor | Direct Drive – K Drive |
| Torque | Peak : Not communicated Constant : Not communicated Slew Rate : Not communicated |
| Encoder | Not communicated |
| Turning amplitude | Unknown – Adjustable via software |
| Connections | 4 USB-C for Turtle Beach ecosystem 1 power supply 1 USB for connection to PC or Xbox |
| Wheel attachment | The wheel features a Quick Release system that resembles an NRG model (Simagic/Moza) with fewer retaining balls (like the Logitech) |
At first glance, I have to admit that the Turtle Beach wheel raises quite a few eyebrows! What a powerful offering! A Direct Drive PC/XBox base equipped with a large dashboard, a pedalboard equipped with a Load Cell sensor brake and a button box. All for less than 700 tickets. What simracer could pass up such an opportunity?
But as soon as you dig a little deeper, you realize that while pre-orders are already active, with deliveries scheduled for February 26, 2024, communication is still very much focused on “blue dick”. Because when it comes to the purely technical side of things, there’s nothing to say. A black hole, even! We know nothing about the model we’re putting in our basket. Basically, we don’t know its torque, encoder or reactivity. Well, for the last two, it’s no surprise, but still, knowing the torque of the base you’re buying is the bare minimum… No ??
As for the pedalset, we don’t know what capacity the Load Cell will be able to handle. Nor is there any information on the Dashboard’s resolution or dimensions.
But I’m hopeful!
Despite this comm campaign, which obviously doesn’t want to dwell on the technical aspects, I’m still interested in this model. The reason behind that? Turtle Beach aren’t newcomers to the video game controller market. They’ve been making flight simulation hardware for a very long time, their company has been running since 1985 and is listed on NASDAC. They’re not some local hobbyist who cobbled together a steering wheel in the garage. And with the addition of console compatibility (Xbox only to date), they’ve got a lot going for them if the product is any good!
So let’s take a look at the Turtle Beach steering wheel components.
The VelocityOne Race motor base
As far as the base is concerned, we find ourselves with a rather bulky model that looks a bit like a Logitech G-Pro. But what really catches the eye is the screen. It looks very large, but let me remind you, we don’t yet know its size.
It will serve as a Dashboard for in-game telemetry , as well as for all base settings on the dedicated software. Compatibility with the various simus has yet to be determined, and there’s no word on possible compatibility with SimHub (but I personally don’t have much faith in it).
The base shell seems to be made of plastic, covered in places by black brushed aluminum plates. Two of these plates, those on the sides of the base, can be lifted up to use the dabs to secure the base to a table or desk. While we’re on the subject of installation, the base also features screw threads for mounting on a fixed chassis. But there’s no word yet on the center-to-center distance or compatible chassis.
What I was able to spot on the few images available, is also on the front panel, 3 option buttons and an Xbox button that may be used as a power button. At the rear, we find the power socket and 2 USB-C ports for the brand’s ecosystem, starting with the pedalboard of course.
But that’s not all! On the right and left sides, there are USB-C ports for the button box. And on the right-hand side, only a headphone jack and 2 buttons with functions yet to be determined.
Two rumors about the power of this base
Rumor 1: Although no figures have been officially announced, there is a rumor, started by Historic Sim Studio(a team modding vintage vehicles on AC). So of course it’s just a rumor, take it for what it’s worth. An HSS member commented on a RaceDepartment article that the motor would have a peak capacity of 12Nm. But that Turtle Beach would have chosen to restrict the base to 9Nm to maintain a constant torque without fail.
Rumor 2: At the exact opposite of the first rumor, a number of clues suggest that the base’s torque is more likely to be around 3Nm. What are these clues? First of all, the flywheel compliance reports indicate that its power supply is 120W. By way of comparison, a CSL DD 8Nm has a 180W power supply and no screen or wifi protocol to run. And the other clue is an indiscretion from a rival brand, which behind the scenes has hinted that the motor is indeed a 3Nm.
If the second rumor proves to be true (and the hints are multiplying…) how can we justify the price on the one hand, but also the choice of a rather heavy steering wheel??!!! In short, “wait and see”, but let’s not rush to place an order. Another interesting fact is that I’ve seen the Turtle Beach packaging, and there’s absolutely no mention of the Load Cell’s power or capacity.
Turtle Beach Audio Tuning
One point that particularly surprised me about this base is the appearance of a headphone jack. And yet, when you look at Turtle Beach’s history, you realize that they have many years of experience in sound management. The Audio tuning mode lets you choose from 5 audio presets, which you can then adjust to personalize your sound experience using the on-board software and smartphone application.
The D-shaped steering wheel
What about the steering wheel? In this case, the brand has chosen a D-shaped model. It’s not necessarily the simplest choice, given that it’s going to handicap drift or rally enthusiasts from the outset. But here too, Turtle Beach seems to have thought its model through.
First of all, there are 2 magnetic paddles, adjustable if you please! Underneath, two analog paddles that can be used for dual clutch, clutch/handbrake combo or accelerator-brake, if precision is required. Functionality includes 8 configurable buttons, 1 directional cross (4 inputs), 4 rotary encoders, all backlit.
According to the datasheet, the diameter is 30cm and it weighs almost 1.4Kg– that’s pretty heavy! And that would support the rumour that the base is close to 10Nm of torque. Because a big, heavy steering wheel means pronounced clipping on asthmatic engines.
The hoop appears to be made of leather or imitation leather, perforated on the sides. A grey ring marks the top of the flywheel, which may be made of aluminum or plastic. The inside of the hoop also features yellow stitching.
Adjustable Load Cell pedalset
Let’s move on to the pedalset, a crucial point for any self-respecting simracer (and one that respects its lap times). The design reminds me of a cross between Thrustmaster’s T-LCM and the Logitech G-Pro pedalset. No information on throttle or clutch sensors or resolution. All bets are off. As for the brake, it’s a Load Cell sensor, but what about its capacity, mystery!
What we do know, however, is that the gas pedal and clutch are equipped with a pre-load adjustment knob. This will allow us to change the hardness of the pedal attack. We should also easily be able to change the springs on these two pedals, given the screwless design of the “arm/axle” joint.
The brake pedal can be moved from right to left. A very welcome option for those wishing to remove the clutch pedal. Clutch pedal “flattens” simply by disengaging the pedal arm axle. At the rear I noticed an LED and a “Mode” button. Perhaps an option to position it in reverse? Or simply a mode to signal to the base whether the clutch is active or not.
Where I’m a little more skeptical is on the general settings of the pedalboard. There doesn’t seem to be anything to modulate pedal travel or tilt (the vital settings). But then again, in a €700 bundle, I can’t be too picky.
The Button Box
It’s not huge (13 x 10cm), but it’s a very relevant addition to this bundle! Especially after the lack of functionality on the steering wheel itself.
Here we have a button box that can be placed on either the left or right side of the motor. This is made possible by a metal insert that discreetly fits into the sides of the base and button box.
Features include
- 1 switch under safety cap
- 4 switches (probably 2 positions, but this remains to be defined)
- 4 configurable buttons
- 3 rotary encoders
- 1 large “Engine Start” button
- 1 torque cut button
So, in terms of functionality, this Turtle Beach steering wheel is pretty well served! Of course, it remains to be seen how well this box is made, and how long it will last. But having a button box included in the bundle, topped off with a torque cut button to avoid death when flying through the woods, is still a royal achievement at this price.
Software and dedicated application
Shall we get down to business? The Turtle Beach steering wheel has its own software accessible directly from the base’s Dashboard. I’m crossing my fingers that they’ve had the good idea of inserting full force feedback settings, but I’m not counting on it too much, given the target audience. And for those who don’t want to go through the dash, there’s also a mobile app to make your modifications on the fly directly from your smartphone.
The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race steering wheel versus its direct competitors
When it comes to PC and X Box-compatible Direct Drive models, the choice is admittedly very limited. The Fanatec CSL DD has dominated the market since 2021, with its aggressive pricing and Fanatec ecosystem that remains one of the most complete to date. Moza is struggling to make an impact, with its R3 still unavailable and frankly not very attractive in terms of price/power. Logitech is there, but with a base that has no ecosystem whatsoever and a poorly positioned price… In short, the VelocityOne Race could be a real mid-range alternative IF (and that’s a big if) the quality is there.
Extremely large ecosystem.
Easy to find used and resell.
A very good engine but no ecosystem, limited settings and a poorly calibrated price.
My expectations of this Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race steering wheel
The more I read about this model, the more intriguing and interesting I found it. I’ll let you know what you think in the comments, but personally, I think it deserves to be tested at home. For the 700€ price tag, my expectations are of a well-finished model, functional with all simus, even if I’m under no illusions about the telemetry, which will hardly be complete on all games.
Above all, I hope we’ll have a real competitor to Fanatec on the XBox market, which could well be the case if the manufacturing quality is up to scratch. We’ll be happy to talk about it together in the comments, so see you soon!
