Just got a VRS DFP with a GSI GXL wheel and LOVE the combo. I started around 7ish nm, eventually went to 8nm, the last two days out of curiosity have been using 10nm in ACC and absolutely love it. It takes the extra work that comes across from what you're seeing on the screen in the sim and I feel like I'm more connected to what I'm seeing on the screen. I haven't tried iRacing yet, but I'll be doing that soon. Just been having way too much fun in ACC.
Thanks again Barry for all the research and effort you put in to review all the bits of kit available. It really helps people sort out where to spend their hard earned money.
Thanks Barry, you helped to sell a system for VRS. Mine arrived yesterday. Modeling a motor control tray to fasten to T-Slot extrusion away from home (work) and needed basic dimensions and view of underside for ventilation hole placement......this video helped me again! Thanks again!
@@atrain132 Sorry mate, not compatible with any consoles, windows PC compatible only. I doubt it will have any compatibility with consoles anytime soon either looking at the controller and software needed to run it.
@@eurisko84 all right, thank you for the response. I have the accuforce v2 for pc, and a gimx adapter so I can play on consoles, but it's kind of a pain. I just went back to using the t300 RS for consoles. Looking for a nom Fanatec direct drive wheel base for consoles as well as PC.
This will be it, this will be my upgrade from my TSPC It's served me well for years, but it's time for a step up. Thanks for the review Barry, immaculate as always!
Same here! I'm almost at the end of the waiting queue but I'm still in doubts. Is the SC2 Pro almost 500€ better?? I could get a preatty decent rim with that difference... :/ And also might not feel the details, I believe
@@koopzz hey! I found a retailer and got the VRS for the same price plus shipping, and I'm pretty happy with it, yeah! At the beginning the change wasn't as big as I was expecting, mostly because my hype was way too big probably... But now I know I won't regret it. I've find my fine configuration and I love it.
@@Pusman Thanks for the reply, i just sold my accuforce with a plan to get vrs, but while im waiting for the reservation i started to explore sc2 aswell. Ill wait for my spot and stick to getting a vrs!
I’ve had it a week now, I’m blown away by just how good it is compared to how my dd2 was, the quality and the feeling it gives, I don’t think I’ve adjusted the setting lately at all, it feels perfect straight out of its box
The thing with VRS. Is that it was DESIGNED and tested by pro sim racers, Not a mass production company like every other company. Thats why it took so long, Is simple, but extremely effective and almost dead perfect out of the box
With all of the annoying comments about how 'everyone' wanted this or that I just thought I'd say thanks for the review, I appreciate all the time and effort you put in to these. And I hope all the dissatisfied people are aware they can file for a full refund with Google whenever a video doesn't meet their demands and expectations.
Agreed ! I was thinking maybe they should buy the two they want to compare and do their own video. how rude people can be. Its like people saying negative stuff about someones insta pics . If you don't like it , don't follow . It would be cool to have time up your sleeve to make reviews like these. They take hours to make. Hats off Barry. 👍
Thank you Barry for your review. I´ve bought myself a VRS wheel base kit recently and have it installed into my TrakRacer TR8 rig. This will have to change to a more stiff&sturdy pcs of rig made of aloy profiles soon! So one thing comes with the other… I can confirm, that the feeling with this unit is great out of the box. Now I started to tweak around to find my sweet spot on the cars I used to drive in iRacing. Last Saturday I was at mates place who owns a SC2 Pro installed in a rig build like a "tank"… Nevvr seen such massive alloy profiles in a sim rig. So - no freaking flex anywhere. The SC2 Pro and its TrueDrive interface were exciting to me due to my servo engineering background. But as you mentioned - this could overwhelm people and lead to probably horrible adjustments as long the users are not confident with what they are doing and understanding the working principle of servo systems and FFB. Even I still learn a lot by the moment! So in the end the SC2 pro tweaked to my mates "gusto" was very detailed and sharp by beeing smooth at the same time. What I found spectacular was the feeling of understeering where the force signal in iRacing - when loosing front end grip - drops off by 0,1-0,3 and the wheel becomes light. This is by the moment an effect I´m "missing" in the VRS - but I will continue to tweak around with the settings - didn´t got to far with it by now. I keep communicating in with the guys from VRS and the VRS community to exchange my impressions and gain more knowledge from other users. If I would "have" to decide today for which system I would go next - I would stay with the VRS from a price-point-value. The SC2 Sport has 3Nm less torque and offers a vast "hell" of possibilities to tweak out almost every personal preferred detail - but this is something that takes a lot of time without racing and why pay more and getting "less"?! So KISS - keep it simple & stupid - it works without "thousands" of parameters for me and will work for other users too. And - hell - YES! Shielding on cables is essential when it comes to AC servo motors!!! Servo motors with 20Nm peak torque are far away from "Toys"... ;-)
@@jj81Studios sorry mate - nope... I quit SimRacing several weeks after this post for different frustrating reasons. Now my son stepped into this hobby and started with a wheelstand from TR. Equipped with the new CSL DD from Fanatec and CSL Elite pedals. I used to borrow it for some track time having fun again in SimRacing. The CSL DD with 5Nm gives me almost the same feeling as the SC2 wheelbase but at a lower torque range. Nevertheless it feels great and I'm able to feel the understeer even better than with the Direct Force Pro back in the days I was driving on a daily base.
VRS just updated their firmware recently you should give it an updated review if ya still got it or can get them lend you another one. They (and I might be using these words incorrectly) either got rid of or smoothed out a lot of high frequencies a lot and a crap ton of different special smoothing options from Legacy (classic), Responsive, Optimal, and Soft the detail is nice.
EXCELLENT video Barry. I'm seriously looking at the VRS Directforce Pro as my first (and only) wheel base. I hate the thought of buying something less, becoming dissatisfied, then being forced to sell it to upgrade is against my nature. Seems to me that the VRS is the best value in the current market and would make a great once-in-a-lifetime sim wheel base... especially considering my age (75). Your video was absolutely superb and, as a subscriber, I look forward to your next video on the VRS pedals and wheel. The only word in your amalysis that scares me was "graininess". That was the very first time I've ever heard anyone comment about any Mige base system with the word grainy. What components do you have in your everyday driving setup? My second concern is my limited number of USB attachment points in my PC. I have a very powerful laptop with a Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-10855M CPU @ 2.80GHz with 32GB RAM, 6 cores, 12 threads, and a NIVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max Q and 8GB dedicated RAM. I've been told this is very sufficient to support sim racing on most any single monitor (no triples). Problem is that my PC only has 2 USB ports, so an integrated solution (where all the peripherals are plugged into the wheel base and only ONE USB then connects to the PC seems like a good fit for me (for ex: Fanatec). As a retired IBM engineer, I can quickly adapt to most technical things, but the cost of getting started into a quality sim setup has me concerned. Any thoughts and suggestions you have for me are greatly appreciated. Robert
According to Boosted media, The software has come a long way since the time this video was posted. I have a VRS DFP coming in on monday because the Simucube warranty process has been a little brutal. A usb hub will solve your usb hub problem. You wont regret it.
@@diovalremonde2468 Yes, I love it. If I compare it to my simucube I actually like it a bit better with the settings I stole from this video. I'm not a big tweaker of settings I like to setup and go so take it with a grain of salt because the sc2 pro is fantastic and I'm sure my issue is one off. Microcenter has a replacement on their way out to me. VRS : simple software. Unit is solid. Control box is also high level(construction wise). I have not mounted yet and just have on the desk which I can see as a minor annoyance compared to the all in one unit. As far as software the VRS software doesn't have a whole lot of tweaks which I personally like. I feel like with the settings in boosteds video work great. Clean feedback and gives me a lot of confidence to catch slides and try to push to the edge(of my ability). SC2 software has a million settings. I could see how this is great if your into getting the perfect feeling but to me it's a little much. I'm sure I could search for better settings but the ffb seems to be a little violent if that makes sense. I think I was using dan Suzukis settings turned down. The cables the vrs come with are hefty. I also got their quick release and put it on my fpro. I really like how the QR works. Only goes on one way, high quality tight tolerances but comes of easily. I do think maybe some silicone grease would make it super smooth going on and off, or maybe the ptfe dry spray. Attaching it to the motor Shaft It was relatively easy to get on the base if you have any mechanical ability. I don't mind the SC2 QR but the pin is tight and can be a little tough to get out due to the tight tolerances and I enjoy the race car feel of the vrs. I'm not a pro and just use the sim to escape life and feel fast so take it with a grain of salt. I think with whatever option you go with you'll be happy but for the nearly half the cost of the SC2 pro. I got mine from microcenter on a sale so in my experience it was a few hundred more. If I could of done it all again from the start I would go with the VRS because the main difference is the software. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions
@@jconsc2 If you were to compare how close the sc2pro to the vrs what would you say? Im on the fence building my first rig between vrs and sc2pro. Any update or info id appreciate!
I watch Barry's video's even if I have no intent on buying the product. He could talk about mowing the lawn and I'd watch. Are you even a sim racer if you aren't subscribed, I'm shocked there's only 62.6k sim racers out there I guess haha
Great review as always Barry, been waiting on this one for a few months now, seems like a winner to me! You left us hanging on what your "daily driver" DD wheel is...come on, spill the beans! 😁 From what I've heard from users of both the SC2 Pro and the VRS, it's very close and definitely has the potential to be as good, if not better than the SC2 Pro, who has had a good 5 years to fine-tune their wheel to perfection vs. 1 year of beta testing the VRS, so I'm gonna take the plunge and buy the VRS. Equal to or slightly below SC2 Pro performance at a lower price point? Using a reliable motor and encoder combo? Seems like a no-brainer to me. I'm quite sure they'll fine-tune this to perfection in no time. Oh, If that wasn't a jab at Fanatec at 7:30 I don't know what is...Barry's getting savage 🤣...but he's speaking the truth; that's their M.O. sorry to say. My load cell in my V3 inverted pedals died after a little over 1 year of use...and not excessive use either. They did send a replacement Load Cell and PCBA because they weren't sure which one went bad. My Fanatec shifter...I'm tired of how often that thing miss-shifts...I've done every fix, the electrical tape and the "connect your rig to ground" methods and it still acts up. Between that and several steering wheels that have malfunctioned over the 2 years, I'm done. Converting my Fanatec wheels for DD (If I keep them at all) and getting a VRS and either Heusinkvelds or the Meca Cup1 for pedals, will need to find a more reliable shifter that feels as good or better than the Fanatec (the Pro Sim Quaife shifter is endgame; I'll get there eventually LOL)
@@simracinggarage3026 How does the VRS compare to the Simucube 2 Pro/Ultimate and Bodnar SS2 54? I would love to see a video on this. I'm looking to get into the higher end market but it is hard to get a good read on $ vs quality/performance/most accurate feel. It's been 2 years, I'm sure there is a much bigger data pool to pull from now? Thanks
What was your experience with the VRS, did you get it, do you like it, what do you not like about it? Did you move on to the SC2 pro/ultimate? Very curious as I'm looking to get into the higher end market now. Thanks
Good to see another competitor in the DD market, and a modestly priced one and obviously capable one at that. Hopefully breaking the trend of uptrending prices for DDs „because people pay whatever we ask...“.
Been waiting for this but very disappointed that there wasn't at least some mention of how it stacks up against the SC2 Pro. Reckon most are looking at one or the other (including myself) so would have been nice.
This is my only concern really... was hoping for that too. SC2 Pro vs VRS DF compared is needed. If the differences are small or non-existent, that’s a savings of ~$700.
@@ghendigooogle278 Exactly. At this point I'm probably just gonna go for the SC2. Think the software is maybe more mature, more force and price wise for me the difference isnt huge (or maybe non existent) given for the VRS I'd need the hub, wheelside quick release and the stop button when it's released (which honestly should have been free for early adopters IMO). Disappointing overall
Well that does it.....this is the base for me. Ive watched probably 10 or 15 wheelbase reviews on this channel and when you put it all together, this wheelbase for the price really looks like the best combination of capability, FFB strength, smoothness and affordability. The only issue it presents is that you still need a usb cable connected wheel. Tradeoffs are just a fact though, unless you have huge money available. All said i can handle using a usb connected wheel if I get this motor at this price.
Only been sim racing for a few months using a fanatec clubsport ready to step up to dd not sire which 1 to get. Love all your videos really informative. Still up in thr air. Lol
Not really competitors, this uses a mige servo motor which is in another league compared to the Accuforce stepper motor. The Accuforce's closest competitor would be the Simagic M10.
@@jordan8538 Another league seems to be overstating it. The simagic has nothing like the proven reliability of the accuforce. It's less powerful, has no track record and has no price advantage to speak of.
@@joby602The difference between a stepper and servo motor is substantial. The only other DD unit using a hybrid stepper is Simagic. You are right about them not being proven, but that doesn't mean the hardware is not comparable. And pricing varies on where you live in the world. Oh and 3nm less power is completely negligible.
@@jordan8538 In theory yes, big difference between motor types, but there's a major lack in valid comparisons between the wheels in the real world - the only one I'm aware of was set up by Fanatek. Try and find any dissatisfied actual Accuforce owners out there - not easy. 3nm difference is 30% of the simagic total output - how is that negligible? I typically run my accuforce at 70% of max torque and it's enough for me - that would be near to 100% of the simagic, and be clip city. Anyway, I don't want to cause an argument in the comments - more choice is good for all of us at the end of the day and i'm happy to see more options coming out all the time.
I mean the video is great about telling what the wheel looks like and all the 'features' it got. But I have no idea how it compares to any other DD system on the market, which is what I am kinda missing in your videos Barry.
What made you decide on it vs say that accuforce? How’s the software for it and friendly approach to tuning foe games/cars? I know the simexperience software is almost impossible to beat in that regard
@@ggNotSuree price, availability (I'm in Australia and it only took 5 days), design, performance, iRacing focus (I don't use any other sims), simplicity of tuning in the app (just select the car you're driving and ready to go.)
Hello. Thanks for review. Got my VRS Pro wheelbase a couple of days ago. But sticker on the engine says it has a torque of 10 Nm, not 20. I wrote to the support. They replied that 20 Nm is the maximum power, and 10 is standard. I think is cheating. Have you taken apart many wheelbases such as Simucube Pro or Simagic Alfa U. Did you also see about 10 Nm motors in them? Have you ever measured this parameter? Thank you.
Will you be reviewing their Pedals too? Unfortunately there are no detailed reviews out there. It would be nice seeing you sharing a more detailed and professional review on the VRS Pedals. Thanks in advance
Hey, Nice detailed review. Can you tell me the part numbers on the FET and Diodes on the motor control part of the board? At 16:41 they are the six squares on the left just above the large Cap. Thanks
easy. Simucube 2 is a customized, sim-racing optimized next-gen motor with next-gen electronics design where as VRS is last-gen motor with simple software and probably less advanced servo drive algorithms.
Thank you Barry! Just to decide between this and the Simagic M10 for my new rig. When will you have XL shirts back in your store? Love watching your videos, super helpful.
Another great informative video, I tried to buy one but not shipping to Australians 😕 just one little thing too Barry, wire guage determines current capability, insulation determines what voltage you can run up to at about the 8 Min mark but no big deal, someone may have already picked up on this 🙂
from my studies I remember that ferrite choke are cheaper but less effective then proper shielding on cables and can't be used on very high frequency signals
No, ferrite chokes are useful even at very high frequencies ( e.g. > 100MHz) and, depending on signal paths, highly beneficial with shielded cables, including radio antenna cables. So long as ALL signal conductors go thru the ferrite beads, signal attenuation is not an issue.
Hello Sir, I would like to ask What's your favorite system? And what would you suggest is the best value for money? Thx for making all those very informative videos. Cheers from Greece
@@david_haas_ I'll second this. Their $50 QR is actually very clever, and very simple to operate, and their wheels are well priced at around ~$400 w/QR. I have the GT wheel, and while it's not as nice as Cube Controls or PSE, it has magnetic shifters, clicky buttons and two rotary encoders. You should check out Penguin RC. They probably offer the lowest priced, high quality wheels that I've seen, and the owner (Brian Sohn) has forgotten more about DD technology than most of will ever know.
Would be interesting to see if the usb cables have shielding on them. Some of the cheaper and even some of the more expensive ones don't have shielding despite it being a requirement for usb 2.0 cables... Although I'd imagine it is not possible to test it without getting a usb cable tester unless barry is willing to rip the cables open and pretty much destroy the cables in the process.
Hi, thx for awesome review. Do You plan to make a review on Simplicity SW20 V3 DD wheel ? I read a lot of possitive opinions but there are not many reviews on this type of DD. Thx a lot. Wish You all the best.
It's not untested in other software, but they're still working on software updates that work better with other sims (heard an owner say they got a software version from VRS that works better with ACC's refresh rate), so contrary to popular belief, it won't be an iRacing only wheel (that would be pretty silly from a business standpoint)...but if it's developed by an iRacing coaching/setup company, and beta tested by VRS employees who have extremely high iRatings and/or won world championships in iRacing, then of course they're gonna perfect it for iRacing first since that's their bread and butter. They'll get there, just give them time...it JUST came out.
@@JoeValla True, but I found that out by being in the VRS discord group (or was it a VRS owners group on FB...can't remember which)...maybe Barry didn't know about that at the time.
@SimRacingGarage....Hey Barry..I have a question on an older vid....When you mounted your Sparco fixed back seat to the Next Level GTTrack, did you use their sliders or the Sparco sliders?
Same here, I just retired from the Air Force and worked on B52, C5s and C130s. Also, I find it funny when someone says something is military grade as if that is a good thing lol
Barry, great review! thank you very much for your work. Can You tell what settings are you using in fanatec DD wheels? Im looking for best immersion and I really like Your experience.
yeah me too. I thought my DD1 was setup well, but I have my iRacing FFB strength at 40-60 - if I put it down to 7.5 it would be CRAZY strong ??? what is going on ?
Hope the DD has standard Direct Input support. So it does work on all Games with Direct Input directly? And also hopefully they work close together with the other Sims like R3E, AC(C), rFactor, Autobomilista also.
Doesn't. I mean I love my DD2 But these bases are much better. They also are more expensive and don't have the same level of eco system. Basically just the rim for a system like this will cost as much as the whole Fanatec bundle.
@@TheSubieFan I bought an SRC GT wheel/wheel plate for ~$400 with their one piece QR, and while it's nothing special, it certainly gets the job done. Magnetic shifters, nice clicky buttons, and two rotary encoders for a good price. You can probably find an even cheaper wheel at Penguin RC if that's too pricy.
I like the Simagic cuz of the wireless ecosystem , I bought their Simagic Alpha Mini and am waiting for them to ship out, came to $1150.00 with the GT4 wheel with dual clutches , pretty good value.
@@DavidGarcia-oi5nt Considering the Alpaha Mini as well but I worry about only 10Nm vs 20Nm of VRS. Can't lie though, it is a very attractive option considering you can get the base and a nice wheel for that price. Wish there were more reviews out for the mini already.
@@JCrowe86 If you haven't gotten the Alpha Mini yet, considering looking at the Cammus DD. It has 15Nm & comes with a few buttons on the wheelbase, if that's your thing
Which wheels can I connect to this and what do I need? The adapters and quickrelease market is so crowded, that I do not know which wheel to order with this VRS DFP DD.
Pretty much any usb wheel will work with this. If you’re looking for more budget oriented wheels I suggest sim racing coach or if you want the best of the best cube controls or ascher racing. As for quick release, sim racing coach sells one that directly clamps to the shaft of the mige motor and uses a bicycle seat style clamp as the quick release. Another thing you could do is get the clamp straight from vrs and bold the hrs xero play quick release to it, but that’ll be pretty expensive.
How stands the Bodnar vs simcube2 vs Fanatec DD2 vs VRS that comparison i am curious about You said it yourself about your daily driver the Bodnar can that old system hold against the simcube pro and fanatic?
@@TheBallisticSerb Thank you for the reply I guess Fanatec is the most likely to have the desk clamp ability or I am wrong does it have to be custom made .
This seems to compare favorably to the Accuforce 2 base. Similar cost with a more powerful motor. If I was starting with a new base today, I'd get this (if it was available in the US). You can start with a low cost wheel and upgrade to something more expensive down the road.
Im waiting to order for sc2 pro for about 4 months, still out of stock everywhere and still the same trash talking from simucube site.... i mean cmon 1,5 million worth brand produces 90 units for 4 months and they all gone in 15 min? Its a joke for me. I think i will go for vrs dd, so sad there is not sc1 available
Just got a VRS DFP with a GSI GXL wheel and LOVE the combo. I started around 7ish nm, eventually went to 8nm, the last two days out of curiosity have been using 10nm in ACC and absolutely love it. It takes the extra work that comes across from what you're seeing on the screen in the sim and I feel like I'm more connected to what I'm seeing on the screen. I haven't tried iRacing yet, but I'll be doing that soon. Just been having way too much fun in ACC.
Thanks again Barry for all the research and effort you put in to review all the bits of kit available. It really helps people sort out where to spend their hard earned money.
Thanks Barry, you helped to sell a system for VRS. Mine arrived yesterday. Modeling a motor control tray to fasten to T-Slot extrusion away from home (work) and needed basic dimensions and view of underside for ventilation hole placement......this video helped me again! Thanks again!
what was the screw size of the 4 screw points under there? I have a 2 pc mount plate being printed for 40/40....need to get the screws
Love my VRS wheel. So happy I went with these guys. Very professional and fast shipping.
What about now after at least one year ?*
@@xavierdulas4607 it's still going strong. No issues. Love it. Just hit 6k iRating with it too
@@Woopass90 Happy for you man, congrat, keep racing hard
@@Woopass90 Thats good to hear, how was it software wise? Any trouble to setup or tweak?
@@matteobuda2940 easy just plug in and play
Bought mine and just installed it. Your review was 100% spot on. Great stuff Barry and much love from Australia!
Would you know if you can use this wheel with a PS4 / PS5 as well as PC?
@@atrain132 Sorry mate, not compatible with any consoles, windows PC compatible only. I doubt it will have any compatibility with consoles anytime soon either looking at the controller and software needed to run it.
@@eurisko84 all right, thank you for the response. I have the accuforce v2 for pc, and a gimx adapter so I can play on consoles, but it's kind of a pain. I just went back to using the t300 RS for consoles. Looking for a nom Fanatec direct drive wheel base for consoles as well as PC.
@@atrain132 If I am not mistaken, I *think* Simagic might have a DD like that in some time
This will be it, this will be my upgrade from my TSPC
It's served me well for years, but it's time for a step up.
Thanks for the review Barry, immaculate as always!
Hi I'm also looking to upgrade my TS-PC how did you go?
Same here! I'm almost at the end of the waiting queue but I'm still in doubts. Is the SC2 Pro almost 500€ better?? I could get a preatty decent rim with that difference... :/ And also might not feel the details, I believe
@@Pusman what did u end up with?
@@koopzz hey! I found a retailer and got the VRS for the same price plus shipping, and I'm pretty happy with it, yeah! At the beginning the change wasn't as big as I was expecting, mostly because my hype was way too big probably... But now I know I won't regret it. I've find my fine configuration and I love it.
@@Pusman Thanks for the reply, i just sold my accuforce with a plan to get vrs, but while im waiting for the reservation i started to explore sc2 aswell. Ill wait for my spot and stick to getting a vrs!
Looking forward to pt actuators part 3!
I agree with Benjamin, stop teasing us Barry. Surely you have given the rig all your due diligence by now !
I’ve had it a week now, I’m blown away by just how good it is compared to how my dd2 was, the quality and the feeling it gives, I don’t think I’ve adjusted the setting lately at all, it feels perfect straight out of its box
great to know! Mine is on the way :-)
Typically I come to Barry's channel to check out on his hair complexion, but this time I came to check out the VRS DD review! So much anticipation!
Looking pretty dang nice. Not gonna Lie. Those cables 🙌
Thanks for not lying
Didn't expect to see Mr Steele here!
The thing with VRS. Is that it was DESIGNED and tested by pro sim racers, Not a mass production company like every other company. Thats why it took so long, Is simple, but extremely effective and almost dead perfect out of the box
With all of the annoying comments about how 'everyone' wanted this or that I just thought I'd say thanks for the review, I appreciate all the time and effort you put in to these. And I hope all the dissatisfied people are aware they can file for a full refund with Google whenever a video doesn't meet their demands and expectations.
Agreed ! I was thinking maybe they should buy the two they want to compare and do their own video. how rude people can be. Its like people saying negative stuff about someones insta pics . If you don't like it , don't follow . It would be cool to have time up your sleeve to make reviews like these. They take hours to make. Hats off Barry. 👍
Thank you Barry for your review. I´ve bought myself a VRS wheel base kit recently and have it installed into my TrakRacer TR8 rig. This will have to change to a more stiff&sturdy pcs of rig made of aloy profiles soon! So one thing comes with the other…
I can confirm, that the feeling with this unit is great out of the box. Now I started to tweak around to find my sweet spot on the cars I used to drive in iRacing.
Last Saturday I was at mates place who owns a SC2 Pro installed in a rig build like a "tank"… Nevvr seen such massive alloy profiles in a sim rig. So - no freaking flex anywhere.
The SC2 Pro and its TrueDrive interface were exciting to me due to my servo engineering background. But as you mentioned - this could overwhelm people and lead to probably horrible adjustments as long the users are not confident with what they are doing and understanding the working principle of servo systems and FFB. Even I still learn a lot by the moment!
So in the end the SC2 pro tweaked to my mates "gusto" was very detailed and sharp by beeing smooth at the same time.
What I found spectacular was the feeling of understeering where the force signal in iRacing - when loosing front end grip - drops off by 0,1-0,3 and the wheel becomes light.
This is by the moment an effect I´m "missing" in the VRS - but I will continue to tweak around with the settings - didn´t got to far with it by now.
I keep communicating in with the guys from VRS and the VRS community to exchange my impressions and gain more knowledge from other users.
If I would "have" to decide today for which system I would go next - I would stay with the VRS from a price-point-value. The SC2 Sport has 3Nm less torque and offers a vast "hell" of possibilities to tweak out almost every personal preferred detail - but this is something that takes a lot of time without racing and why pay more and getting "less"?!
So KISS - keep it simple & stupid - it works without "thousands" of parameters for me and will work for other users too.
And - hell - YES! Shielding on cables is essential when it comes to AC servo motors!!! Servo motors with 20Nm peak torque are far away from "Toys"... ;-)
Great post, 2 years later, what are your thoughts on the VRS and have you jumped back into your mate's rig to compare again the SC2 pro?
@@jj81Studios sorry mate - nope... I quit SimRacing several weeks after this post for different frustrating reasons.
Now my son stepped into this hobby and started with a wheelstand from TR. Equipped with the new CSL DD from Fanatec and CSL Elite pedals. I used to borrow it for some track time having fun again in SimRacing.
The CSL DD with 5Nm gives me almost the same feeling as the SC2 wheelbase but at a lower torque range. Nevertheless it feels great and I'm able to feel the understeer even better than with the Direct Force Pro back in the days I was driving on a daily base.
Another great video Barry, Thank you ans hope all are well your side
VRS just updated their firmware recently you should give it an updated review if ya still got it or can get them lend you another one. They (and I might be using these words incorrectly) either got rid of or smoothed out a lot of high frequencies a lot and a crap ton of different special smoothing options from Legacy (classic), Responsive, Optimal, and Soft the detail is nice.
👏👏👏
EXCELLENT video Barry. I'm seriously looking at the VRS Directforce Pro as my first (and only) wheel base. I hate the thought of buying something less, becoming dissatisfied, then being forced to sell it to upgrade is against my nature. Seems to me that the VRS is the best value in the current market and would make a great once-in-a-lifetime sim wheel base... especially considering my age (75). Your video was absolutely superb and, as a subscriber, I look forward to your next video on the VRS pedals and wheel. The only word in your amalysis that scares me was "graininess". That was the very first time I've ever heard anyone comment about any Mige base system with the word grainy. What components do you have in your everyday driving setup? My second concern is my limited number of USB attachment points in my PC. I have a very powerful laptop with a Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-10855M CPU @ 2.80GHz with 32GB RAM, 6 cores, 12 threads, and a NIVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max Q and 8GB dedicated RAM. I've been told this is very sufficient to support sim racing on most any single monitor (no triples). Problem is that my PC only has 2 USB ports, so an integrated solution (where all the peripherals are plugged into the wheel base and only ONE USB then connects to the PC seems like a good fit for me (for ex: Fanatec). As a retired IBM engineer, I can quickly adapt to most technical things, but the cost of getting started into a quality sim setup has me concerned. Any thoughts and suggestions you have for me are greatly appreciated. Robert
According to Boosted media, The software has come a long way since the time this video was posted. I have a VRS DFP coming in on monday because the Simucube warranty process has been a little brutal. A usb hub will solve your usb hub problem. You wont regret it.
@@jconsc2any comments on your experience with the base thus far?
@@diovalremonde2468
Yes, I love it. If I compare it to my simucube I actually like it a bit better with the settings I stole from this video. I'm not a big tweaker of settings I like to setup and go so take it with a grain of salt because the sc2 pro is fantastic and I'm sure my issue is one off. Microcenter has a replacement on their way out to me.
VRS : simple software. Unit is solid. Control box is also high level(construction wise). I have not mounted yet and just have on the desk which I can see as a minor annoyance compared to the all in one unit.
As far as software the VRS software doesn't have a whole lot of tweaks which I personally like. I feel like with the settings in boosteds video work great. Clean feedback and gives me a lot of confidence to catch slides and try to push to the edge(of my ability).
SC2 software has a million settings. I could see how this is great if your into getting the perfect feeling but to me it's a little much. I'm sure I could search for better settings but the ffb seems to be a little violent if that makes sense. I think I was using dan Suzukis settings turned down.
The cables the vrs come with are hefty. I also got their quick release and put it on my fpro. I really like how the QR works. Only goes on one way, high quality tight tolerances but comes of easily. I do think maybe some silicone grease would make it super smooth going on and off, or maybe the ptfe dry spray. Attaching it to the motor Shaft It was relatively easy to get on the base if you have any mechanical ability. I don't mind the SC2 QR but the pin is tight and can be a little tough to get out due to the tight tolerances and I enjoy the race car feel of the vrs.
I'm not a pro and just use the sim to escape life and feel fast so take it with a grain of salt.
I think with whatever option you go with you'll be happy but for the nearly half the cost of the SC2 pro. I got mine from microcenter on a sale so in my experience it was a few hundred more. If I could of done it all again from the start I would go with the VRS because the main difference is the software.
Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions
@@jconsc2 If you were to compare how close the sc2pro to the vrs what would you say? Im on the fence building my first rig between vrs and sc2pro. Any update or info id appreciate!
I watch Barry's video's even if I have no intent on buying the product. He could talk about mowing the lawn and I'd watch. Are you even a sim racer if you aren't subscribed, I'm shocked there's only 62.6k sim racers out there I guess haha
I've been waiting for this one :)
Definitely want this in the future I like the look of it,and the pricing seems fair,maybe a Xmas gift incoming
The King of sim Hardware reviews giving us what we need.
Literally looked up info in this yesterday. This couldn't have come at a better time.
Great review as always Barry, been waiting on this one for a few months now, seems like a winner to me! You left us hanging on what your "daily driver" DD wheel is...come on, spill the beans! 😁
From what I've heard from users of both the SC2 Pro and the VRS, it's very close and definitely has the potential to be as good, if not better than the SC2 Pro, who has had a good 5 years to fine-tune their wheel to perfection vs. 1 year of beta testing the VRS, so I'm gonna take the plunge and buy the VRS. Equal to or slightly below SC2 Pro performance at a lower price point? Using a reliable motor and encoder combo? Seems like a no-brainer to me. I'm quite sure they'll fine-tune this to perfection in no time.
Oh, If that wasn't a jab at Fanatec at 7:30 I don't know what is...Barry's getting savage 🤣...but he's speaking the truth; that's their M.O. sorry to say.
My load cell in my V3 inverted pedals died after a little over 1 year of use...and not excessive use either. They did send a replacement Load Cell and PCBA because they weren't sure which one went bad. My Fanatec shifter...I'm tired of how often that thing miss-shifts...I've done every fix, the electrical tape and the "connect your rig to ground" methods and it still acts up. Between that and several steering wheels that have malfunctioned over the 2 years, I'm done. Converting my Fanatec wheels for DD (If I keep them at all) and getting a VRS and either Heusinkvelds or the Meca Cup1 for pedals, will need to find a more reliable shifter that feels as good or better than the Fanatec (the Pro Sim Quaife shifter is endgame; I'll get there eventually LOL)
Bodnar SS2/Kollmorgen 54G.
Knew it, lol!!😅😅😉😉
@@simracinggarage3026 How does the VRS compare to the Simucube 2 Pro/Ultimate and Bodnar SS2 54? I would love to see a video on this. I'm looking to get into the higher end market but it is hard to get a good read on $ vs quality/performance/most accurate feel. It's been 2 years, I'm sure there is a much bigger data pool to pull from now? Thanks
What was your experience with the VRS, did you get it, do you like it, what do you not like about it? Did you move on to the SC2 pro/ultimate? Very curious as I'm looking to get into the higher end market now. Thanks
If I wasn't clear earlier I think this was a great review. That is a nice base and kit. I think I might try one of these. I'm using dd2. Right now
Thanks again for an excellent review!
Good to see another competitor in the DD market, and a modestly priced one and obviously capable one at that. Hopefully breaking the trend of uptrending prices for DDs „because people pay whatever we ask...“.
Been waiting for this but very disappointed that there wasn't at least some mention of how it stacks up against the SC2 Pro. Reckon most are looking at one or the other (including myself) so would have been nice.
This is my only concern really... was hoping for that too. SC2 Pro vs VRS DF compared is needed. If the differences are small or non-existent, that’s a savings of ~$700.
@@ghendigooogle278 Exactly. At this point I'm probably just gonna go for the SC2. Think the software is maybe more mature, more force and price wise for me the difference isnt huge (or maybe non existent) given for the VRS I'd need the hub, wheelside quick release and the stop button when it's released (which honestly should have been free for early adopters IMO). Disappointing overall
Mattinho Got Game I’m leaning towards that exact same decision... :/
Barry never does comparisons sadly.
@@AttilaTheHun333333 I'm literally on his page watching a comparison video with bodnar, osw, and accuforce. he can easily do it and he has before :)
Well that does it.....this is the base for me. Ive watched probably 10 or 15 wheelbase reviews on this channel and when you put it all together, this wheelbase for the price really looks like the best combination of capability, FFB strength, smoothness and affordability. The only issue it presents is that you still need a usb cable connected wheel. Tradeoffs are just a fact though, unless you have huge money available. All said i can handle using a usb connected wheel if I get this motor at this price.
Only been sim racing for a few months using a fanatec clubsport ready to step up to dd not sire which 1 to get. Love all your videos really informative. Still up in thr air. Lol
This and the accuforce V2 seem very close competitors - would be interesting to see a comparison.
Not really competitors, this uses a mige servo motor which is in another league compared to the Accuforce stepper motor.
The Accuforce's closest competitor would be the Simagic M10.
@@jordan8538 Another league seems to be overstating it. The simagic has nothing like the proven reliability of the accuforce. It's less powerful, has no track record and has no price advantage to speak of.
@@joby602The difference between a stepper and servo motor is substantial. The only other DD unit using a hybrid stepper is Simagic. You are right about them not being proven, but that doesn't mean the hardware is not comparable. And pricing varies on where you live in the world. Oh and 3nm less power is completely negligible.
Such a nice review once again.. Thanks a lot
@@jordan8538 In theory yes, big difference between motor types, but there's a major lack in valid comparisons between the wheels in the real world - the only one I'm aware of was set up by Fanatek. Try and find any dissatisfied actual Accuforce owners out there - not easy.
3nm difference is 30% of the simagic total output - how is that negligible? I typically run my accuforce at 70% of max torque and it's enough for me - that would be near to 100% of the simagic, and be clip city. Anyway, I don't want to cause an argument in the comments - more choice is good for all of us at the end of the day and i'm happy to see more options coming out all the time.
I mean the video is great about telling what the wheel looks like and all the 'features' it got. But I have no idea how it compares to any other DD system on the market, which is what I am kinda missing in your videos Barry.
Barry, I'm just wodering if you tried using your old Small Mige with the VRS controller box
I literally crack up every time he says "lets get to it". By far the best channel about sim racing
Oooohhh this could be the one for me!
That looks amazing, god damn
I’m waiting patiently for mine to arrive, Ive ditched my dd2 for it
Did you receive it yet? How is it compared to the dd2?
@@MohamedBouallegue88 bloody brilliant👍👍 so much easier to setup and just great out of the box on iracing, acc, raceroom and even Ets2
@@olliebob8370 Bloody brilliant is spot on. Great base, even better with the latest firmware.
@@kevinleiter yes I’m still in love with it
is it smooth or grany comparing to DD2? is it improved after final update ?
I try to say "let's get to it" at the same time as Barry.
Me too and I try to make the same face too
Please review the VRS pedals!!
Great review, I have a chance at picking one up used on my local facebook market place for a steal... I may jump on it.
YOUR A DAMN LEGEND BARRY..Craig from New Zealand
Waiting for the Simagic M10 review from you Barry!
thank you! Just bought one and love it. Great content.
What made you decide on it vs say that accuforce? How’s the software for it and friendly approach to tuning foe games/cars?
I know the simexperience software is almost impossible to beat in that regard
@@ggNotSuree price, availability (I'm in Australia and it only took 5 days), design, performance, iRacing focus (I don't use any other sims), simplicity of tuning in the app (just select the car you're driving and ready to go.)
44:29 ok Barry
I got the DD2 first and now the direct force pro.... Bye Bye fanatec 🙂🙂🙂
Good price and it doesnt get much better. 🥰🥰🥰
Quality videos!
Hello. Thanks for review. Got my VRS Pro wheelbase a couple of days ago. But sticker on the engine says it has a torque of 10 Nm, not 20.
I wrote to the support. They replied that 20 Nm is the maximum power, and 10 is standard. I think is cheating.
Have you taken apart many wheelbases such as Simucube Pro or Simagic Alfa U. Did you also see about 10 Nm motors in them? Have you ever measured this parameter?
Thank you.
How are liking your vrs today are you happy with it
@@trevz1048 Yes, it is a great and i use max 80% of power
Will you be reviewing their Pedals too? Unfortunately there are no detailed reviews out there. It would be nice seeing you sharing a more detailed and professional review on the VRS Pedals. Thanks in advance
Hi!
May I ask, have you made or considered making a review of the VRS pedal kit?
Hey, Nice detailed review. Can you tell me the part numbers on the FET and Diodes on the motor control part of the board? At 16:41 they are the six squares on the left just above the large Cap. Thanks
NEED A SIMUCUBE 2 PRO COMPARISON!!
easy. Simucube 2 is a customized, sim-racing optimized next-gen motor with next-gen electronics design where as VRS is last-gen motor with simple software and probably less advanced servo drive algorithms.
@@tataa51 no, not at all.
hardly any difference just 5 watts of detail/power
Thank you
How does this compare to the simagic alpha mini?
Barry what brand of gloves are you using when racing? They look nice and light and cooler for warmer climates
Mine will be here on Monday!
How is it so far?
@@ihababbas9863 absolutely amazing.
Hi, Barry, compare with simagic alpha, which one is better?
Thank you Barry! Just to decide between this and the Simagic M10 for my new rig. When will you have XL shirts back in your store? Love watching your videos, super helpful.
Another great informative video, I tried to buy one but not shipping to Australians 😕 just one little thing too Barry, wire guage determines current capability, insulation determines what voltage you can run up to at about the 8 Min mark but no big deal, someone may have already picked up on this 🙂
What's your daily driver dd motor that you referenced?
Bodnar SS2/Kollmorgen 54G.
$3265 www.pro-sim.co.uk/shop/simsteering2-ffb-system-54/#tab-description
This or the new simagic Alpha?? Cant decide
Barry Allen will never outrun this Barry, never.
Holy shit I came so fast!!! posted 30 seconds ago. lucky timing.
from my studies I remember that ferrite choke are cheaper but less effective then proper shielding on cables and can't be used on very high frequency signals
No, ferrite chokes are useful even at very high frequencies ( e.g. > 100MHz) and, depending on signal paths, highly beneficial with shielded cables, including radio antenna cables. So long as ALL signal conductors go thru the ferrite beads, signal attenuation is not an issue.
I would love to see a comparison between this, a Fanatec DD1 and something like a Leo Bodnar.
More like DD2 VRS ans SC2
Hello Sir, I would like to ask What's your favorite system? And what would you suggest is the best value for money? Thx for making all those very informative videos. Cheers from Greece
hi! VRs or Sim cube 2 pro? hice reviews
Price/quality definietly VRS
@@simholic4504 quality would be simucube duh. VRS is new and using old ass motors and setup. Simucube will always will over VRS, accuforce, fanatec
Any suggestions on website for where to buy a reasonably priced wheel for this?
simracingcoach.com has a few very good options. If you also get the quick release they offer (separately) you don't need the VRS hub adapter.
@@david_haas_ I'll second this.
Their $50 QR is actually very clever, and very simple to operate, and their wheels are well priced at around ~$400 w/QR.
I have the GT wheel, and while it's not as nice as Cube Controls or PSE, it has magnetic shifters, clicky buttons and two rotary encoders.
You should check out Penguin RC. They probably offer the lowest priced, high quality wheels that I've seen, and the owner (Brian Sohn) has forgotten more about DD technology than most of will ever know.
Would be interesting to see if the usb cables have shielding on them. Some of the cheaper and even some of the more expensive ones don't have shielding despite it being a requirement for usb 2.0 cables... Although I'd imagine it is not possible to test it without getting a usb cable tester unless barry is willing to rip the cables open and pretty much destroy the cables in the process.
In VRS sites refer a 2 meter long double-shielded USB cables
Hi, thx for awesome review. Do You plan to make a review on Simplicity SW20 V3 DD wheel ? I read a lot of possitive opinions but there are not many reviews on this type of DD.
Thx a lot. Wish You all the best.
I think you accidentally discovered a new channel feature: Barry doing donuts.
nice review, tbh I would like to see it tested in more titles, or is DD wheels only made to be used in one title?
I feel like most of the customers of this wheel will mostly just be in Iracing, the reason behind this is that VRS exists because of Iracing...
@@AlejandroVales I would call that an ignorant statement, but wìth it untested in other titles, probably selfulfilling
It's not untested in other software, but they're still working on software updates that work better with other sims (heard an owner say they got a software version from VRS that works better with ACC's refresh rate), so contrary to popular belief, it won't be an iRacing only wheel (that would be pretty silly from a business standpoint)...but if it's developed by an iRacing coaching/setup company, and beta tested by VRS employees who have extremely high iRatings and/or won world championships in iRacing, then of course they're gonna perfect it for iRacing first since that's their bread and butter. They'll get there, just give them time...it JUST came out.
@@johndough247 Fair point, but I would say a mention of that would be usefull in a review
@@JoeValla True, but I found that out by being in the VRS discord group (or was it a VRS owners group on FB...can't remember which)...maybe Barry didn't know about that at the time.
I have a old obutto ozone, the Mounting Bracket is great solution. whats the weight of the MiGE Motor?
@SimRacingGarage....Hey Barry..I have a question on an older vid....When you mounted your Sparco fixed back seat to the Next Level GTTrack, did you use their sliders or the Sparco sliders?
ok, what wheel is that and how the buttons are working? Wireless?
That's a turn racing wheel, their only model rn I think and it's plugged in through USB
I used to work on aircraft. We called those kinds of connectors "cannon plugs"
Same here, I just retired from the Air Force and worked on B52, C5s and C130s. Also, I find it funny when someone says something is military grade as if that is a good thing lol
Barry, great review! thank you very much for your work. Can You tell what settings are you using in fanatec DD wheels? Im looking for best immersion and I really like Your experience.
yeah me too. I thought my DD1 was setup well, but I have my iRacing FFB strength at 40-60 - if I put it down to 7.5 it would be CRAZY strong ??? what is going on ?
What will be a good entry level GT/open wheel rim with buttons for this?
Polsimer
Hope the DD has standard Direct Input support. So it does work on all Games with Direct Input directly?
And also hopefully they work close together with the other Sims like R3E, AC(C), rFactor, Autobomilista also.
Nice review Barry
What are the specs for the encoder? I couldn’t find anything online as the data sheet is in Chinese.
22bit, 4.1 million CPR.
Barry, is that sequential shifter the SimWorx v8 Supercar shifter ?
Yes indeed.
I am wondering how this stacks up against the DD2 with fanalabs 1.24.
Doesn't. I mean I love my DD2 But these bases are much better. They also are more expensive and don't have the same level of eco system. Basically just the rim for a system like this will cost as much as the whole Fanatec bundle.
@@TheSubieFan I bought an SRC GT wheel/wheel plate for ~$400 with their one piece QR, and while it's nothing special, it certainly gets the job done. Magnetic shifters, nice clicky buttons, and two rotary encoders for a good price.
You can probably find an even cheaper wheel at Penguin RC if that's too pricy.
My wallet after this review and the one of the ALL4SIM pedals:
Gone reduced to atoms.
All that for a drop of blood?
I had to make the reference.
@@DeclanCunningham What did it cost?
@@IntrepidRacer13 Everything
The ALL4SIM pedals are on my radar after my Fanatec V3i's die......No sign of that happening thou and I have been running them since 2017.
Put in my reservation in January. Can't wait to get the invoice & tracking number!!
Hi, what wheel would you recommend? VRS DirectForce Pro , accuforce v2, or the simagic?
I like the Simagic cuz of the wireless ecosystem , I bought their Simagic Alpha Mini and am waiting for them to ship out, came to $1150.00 with the GT4 wheel with dual clutches , pretty good value.
@@DavidGarcia-oi5nt Considering the Alpaha Mini as well but I worry about only 10Nm vs 20Nm of VRS. Can't lie though, it is a very attractive option considering you can get the base and a nice wheel for that price. Wish there were more reviews out for the mini already.
@@JCrowe86 If you haven't gotten the Alpha Mini yet, considering looking at the Cammus DD. It has 15Nm & comes with a few buttons on the wheelbase, if that's your thing
The james may of sim racing
I guess this does not come with a wheel rim? What kinds of wheel rims can you buy that have the button boxes and connect to USB?
Did i hear a shot at fanatec? 7:30
Does anyone know what to search for the shaft clamp he was talking about from eBay?
Hi Barry, I was wondering if you could maybe review the Next Level Gtultimate v2 Cockpit.
I've run one for 4 years, what would you like to know about it?
What kind of quick release is being used in this mount?
How about ACC? Is it out of the box compatible?
Yes! Though we're doing some more work to improve the FFB with ACC
I think I will buy the AccuForce Pro rather even if it's 13nmt only. Barry please review the simagic m10.
Which wheels can I connect to this and what do I need? The adapters and quickrelease market is so crowded, that I do not know which wheel to order with this VRS DFP DD.
Pretty much any usb wheel will work with this. If you’re looking for more budget oriented wheels I suggest sim racing coach or if you want the best of the best cube controls or ascher racing. As for quick release, sim racing coach sells one that directly clamps to the shaft of the mige motor and uses a bicycle seat style clamp as the quick release. Another thing you could do is get the clamp straight from vrs and bold the hrs xero play quick release to it, but that’ll be pretty expensive.
So where should I spend my money VRS or Fanatec DD1 please help, I want couple of wheels as well F1 and GT wheels.
How's this vs. the Accuforce v2 and simucube offerings? This may knock me off the plans of buying the v2
How stands the Bodnar vs simcube2 vs Fanatec DD2 vs VRS that comparison i am curious about
You said it yourself about your daily driver the Bodnar can that old system hold against the simcube pro and fanatic?
Can any direct drive bases/ systems, be mounted to a sturdy computer desk by a clamp type system .
It can but not recommended at all.
@@TheBallisticSerb Thank you for the reply I guess Fanatec is the most likely to have the desk clamp ability or I am wrong does it have to be custom made .
How is it compared to Leo's simsteering?
This seems to compare favorably to the Accuforce 2 base. Similar cost with a more powerful motor. If I was starting with a new base today, I'd get this (if it was available in the US). You can start with a low cost wheel and upgrade to something more expensive down the road.
Not comparable .... level above
Is it only 900 degrees rotation? I didn't get it.
How do u plug the pedals into the wheel control box then into the computer
where i can ger the other hub adaptor ?
hmm im lost.. should i go with vrs pro or simcube 2 pro ? ( not about money ) i just wanna know who is the best to future proof 🤔🤔🤔
Im waiting to order for sc2 pro for about 4 months, still out of stock everywhere and still the same trash talking from simucube site.... i mean cmon 1,5 million worth brand produces 90 units for 4 months and they all gone in 15 min? Its a joke for me. I think i will go for vrs dd, so sad there is not sc1 available
@@skylebovski obviously sold out for a reason then idiot 😂 and called pandemic. People are so stupid.