Barry is the BEST guy in this "business", no dramas, no sponsors, he is no fake, always real 100%, the dude doesn't even have to kiss anyone's ass to keep his channel #1, he is that good.
Barry, last night I fell asleep watching this video. Not because it's boring, but your voice is so calming I'd categorize your videos as Bob Ross' "The Joy of Painting" for sim racing nerds. :-)
I had the same thought. The oscillation felt a little weird to me in this review and there is way too much flex, if you compare it to the sc2. It also felt to me that Barry wasn't really happy about the product or expected more of it but didnt want to tell the honest truth, but I might be wrong.
Mine will be here tomorrow too. FWIW I still think both the DD2 and SC2 Pro are good competition for each other and both are good decisions for a buyer depending on priorities. If you are happy with Fanatec wheels then I think the DD2 is very compelling. My issue is that I got wheel lust for the significantly more expensive Precision Sim Engineering wheels. I had upgraded my Fanatec McLaren GT3 wheel with the shifters from SimRacingMachines and they were much better than stock, but also cost nearly as much as the wheel. I added magnetic upgrades to my Porsche 918 rim as well, which are also an improvement though not as dramatic. The buttons and knobs on the Fanatec rims are OK, but not great. So I finally decided I'm getting the wheels I want and a direct drive system that supports them. It may seem backwards, but in the end Fanatec's biggest asset, their huge assortment of rims is what killed the DD2 wheelbase for me. I wasn't going to spend an extra $200 for an adapter on top of the premium wheel cost for each wheel I purchased only to have to run a USB cable anyway and have a wobbly mount point. It just didn't make sense. I've gotten good service out of my Fanatec equipment and have no complaints about their products. BTW I think Fanatec missed a big opportunity. If their $200 adapter allowed for a direct USB connection from 3rd party steering wheels such that they didn't require a coiled cable Fanatec would have made their system an option for the smaller percentage of people who want upscale wheels. I know Fanatec wants people to buy their wheels, but that $200 adapter is only lip service to allowing other rims. They completely threw away their way to add a very big feature by making all of those wheels effectively wireless. Big mistake. Many people would buy a combination of rims but instead they've forced people into an either or situation.
Great review as always buddy. You are the only person that I ever seen that will go as far as opening up a brand new product just for the sake of making an "in-depth" review. Impressive as always.
Thanks for the great and honest review (as usual), Barry. It is an honour that you rated the force feedback quality of the DD2 at the level of the other new generation DDs out there and liked our package. Thank you very much :) Your critisizm on the QR is well noted but I doubt that it has any effect on the ff quality as the flex is not in the rotational direction. And hey, have you ever wondered why we made the QR on the wheel base and even on all our latest steering wheels exchangeable? ;) In case you can't wait you can also use the screw to get rid of any flex as well.
@@seattletyler I did not mention soon ;) And given the history of delayed shipments I should better not announce any date anyway :D Of course we are working on a proper solution which also does not require you to use an external cable like the QR suggested by Barry.
@Thomas Jackermeier Hi. I'm still a little unclear on what the situation is with PS4 compatibility. Is the only option to buy the PS4 specific base with included F1 style rim, do other rims work with the PS4 compatible base and will the PS4 compatible base be made available on its own? I rarely drive open wheel, so it doesn't make sense for me to pay for something I'll barely ever use. Wouldn't it have been more sensible to make a mandatory rim round? A round rim would be more versatile and could be used for any car type. On a separate note: I suspect your answer will be no, but is there any chance of legacy console support via firmware? I realise that I'm in the minority, but I still enjoy games on the Playstation 2 and 3, but keeping old wheels around is a pain and one day they'll die and won't be able to be replaced. I very much doubt Sony would care if you were to add support for consoles they no longer produce and it would be a nice selling point for people that enjoy retro gaming.
@@napalmhardcore yes the only solution for a PS4 compatible Direct Drive is the Podium Racing Wheel F1 which is bundled with the blue ClubSport Formula v2 steering wheel with the Podium Advanced Paddle Module already attached. Fanatec startet several times that there are no plans to sell either the Base or the blue formula wheel separately. And yes, ALL Fanatec steering wheels work on PS4 because the security chip is inside the base which enabled compatibility for all steering wheels.
Hi The PS4 racing wheel is indeed the only option for PS4 and there will be no standalone version. Legacy mode is also not possible as we already asked for that. Not really what you wanted to hear but let me assure you that you have a high chance of selling the blue Formula V2 wheel on eBay for a good price as it is not available standalone. Then you can mount any of our other steering wheels (incl. the Xbox wheels) on the Podium Racing Wheel and it will work fine on PS4.
@@thomasjackermeier3343 That's a shame. There are some really fun games on PS2 and PS3 and as I mentioned, one day my wheels will cease to function and I won't be able to replace them. I'm guessing it's Sony being difficult (which makes no sense as it really doesn't affect them). I'd email them, but I've contacted them in the past and they were extremely unhelpful. As for Podium, I think I'll just have to wait for something to become available where I'm not forced to buy an unneeded and unwanted accessory. I say this partially out of principle (I don't feel I should have to buy an unwanted accessory) but also because I don't want the hassle of setting myself up as a seller on Ebay, trying to recoup my losses and posting it. I live on an island and posting items can be rather expensive. Seeing how the PS5 and new XBOX are going to be released in the not too distant future, I think I'd be better off seeing what is available then. I really don't fancy buying an expensive wheel right at the end of a console generation and potentially not be able to use it when the new consoles arrive. PS: I'm not sure for the reasoning behind it, but having to buy different wheel bases that themselves cost nearly as much as or more than (depending on whether I buy a mid priced or flagship wheel/base) a console just to be able to play across different platforms NEEDS TO STOP! It is far too expensive to buy two consoles and a wheel for each in addition to the games. I shouldn't be forced to choose which platform I buy a wheel for or if I even buy a particular console based on which I think is more important to own a wheel for.
I am big fan of your movies and your ideas of making things better. They helped me out in assembling this and that so big thank you! However I am a happy owner of a Fanatec DD2 and have absolutely zero issues with flex on stock piece of rubber. Cheers.
Really great that you showed the fanalab software. I was searching a long time for a Programm which is able to change the colors of the rev lights after I saw that the leds are rgb leds.
I've had the DD1 now for around a year or so. The first one I got had a connection issue with the wheel (electronics; no wheel would power on when plugged in) and the whole repair process was horrid; I was out of a wheel for around 4 weeks. However once they sent me a new one, it was all good. It's the best wheel I've ever had and it just...feels great lol. It is nice that it works on the PS4/PS5 since I do from time to time play GTSport with friends. However I mainly use it in iRacing and rFactor 2 and it feels so incredible. Hope to god you don't have QC issues and enjoy the product!
I don't have any play in my quick release but im using it bolted directly to the wheel, maybe because it's still really new. Excellent review as usually.
Most excellent review. Fanalab software looks friendly and good file management features. Only thing I would say is for that price, I would refer something other than plastic connectors. Circular, aerospace types with locking rings are the preferred standard.
I thought it might be worth mentioning a couple things that Fanatec got right that SimuCube 2 could improve on. I own a SimuCube 2 Pro and a Fanatec CS 2.5 wheelbase if it matters. 1. Torque key. Every time you start up a SimuCube 2 you have to let the software know that you want full torque. Many people have said they have forgotten to do this and had to complete races where everything felt bad because of it. The torque enabling key Fanatec uses is a great convenience by comparison. Have young kids coming by? Pull the plug and put it somewhere safe. Otherwise leave it in and don't worry about an extra step every single time you want to race. 2. Coiled cables. Fanatec wheels are all external cable free which is a great feature. Fanatec supports both communication AND power. The SimuCube 2's have BT support, but they've already hit limitations with some wheels in terms of buttons/input devices supported and there are a small number of wheels that support this. This module is already slated for replacement/updating so it can support more inputs. And then you get the additional failure point and weight of a battery with additional effort to keep a battery charged and then having to remember to turn your wheel on and off. I chose a coiled cable wheel for my SC2 because I didn't want to deal with any of that. It won't be a terrible hardship, but my point is that the SC2's wireless implementation is not comparable or as good. I'm not suggesting one is better than the other, but just that both have some bragging rights, neither is perfect and both have room to improve.
Unfortunately, Fanatec's implementation restricts you to Fanatec wheels (if you want wireless capability), but maybe they'll soon let wheel vendors by wheelside internal connectors.
@@whaletail935 As I've said many times, if they exposed a real USB connection in their Podium mount they would have created an advantage supporting 3rd party wheels.
I am an early adopter of DD2, I need to say that I have no complains with it. I'd love the quality and the FFB fidelity. I understand perfectly that the Fanatec Podium system is an early stage of development, and I happy with that. The flex in my case in minimum, for not to say that I have no flex at all. And in my opinion it has a quick fix if Fanatec release a more stiff Rubber or a 1mm more thick. I can't compare with a Simecube or similar, because I never got that ones, but what I can talk about the DD2 and like I said, it worked flawless, plug and play in all the games that I tested and for me that it's superb. Barry should mention that, I think that Fanalab is great, but the ability to launch a game, and seconds being driving without headaches is part of the package :).
Fantastic review Barry. The first thing I did after watching was to check for flex on my DD1. I didn't seem to have any, so I thought that is a bit weird. Maybe I was just lucky. Keep up the great work.
Having the best support for this base is a major selling point going forward. Needs some time to mature software-wise and the quick release flex needs to be resolved plus reliability? Will wait a bit longer but I still think it's my best bet imo. Can't beat Barry's reviews.
thank you for making this video, i copied your settings and finally got my DD2 wheel feeling great for iracing....i'm kindly requesting you do a video for Assetto Corsa Competizone & F1 2019 settings......✌
Very interesting review, Berry! About the flex: I agree that it would be super nice to get another option with regards to the quick release. However, since the direction of the flex is 90° to the turning / motor axis I don't think it would make it feel more responsive or anything, i.e., I don't think it's leaving much potential on the road here. But a rock solid QR mount would feel a lot better and I'd love to see it.
Hi Barry, the reason your Dynamic Dampening was less effective is that you've reduced DPR in the Tuning Menu settings. What also helps to make it more effective is to lower the starting point a bit more, for example when it only starts at 100 to increase with speed it won't be very strong at 120 already.
Hi Barry. You need to do another direct drive wheel comparison with or without fellow sim racers with the updated DD systems you have access too please.
The Simucube 2 and Podium in-depth reviews are great and give very useful information on factual points (ergonomics, QR, software, etc). But how do they both compare performance-wise? Does one of them sets itself apart from the other or do they perform so similarly that only technical characteristics matter for a purchase decision?
super easy aftermarket solution to the quick release....Replace the rubber squish ring with a machined tapered conical aluminum piece. The conical tapered piece would self center and lock the wheel tightly as the lobed hand ring was tightened. If needed a thick neoprene washer between the hand ring and the tapered conical adapter to keep them locked in place for vibration resistance..
*_Ace!_* Great to see a pro setting up FFB. Beautiful fit and finish on this unit. Just peek 21:10 ... the indexing tabs in the washer? see how it isn't just a rectangular tab jutting out? it has those two semi-circular divots taken out? in a blade, that's to avoid stress at a 90 degree corner. Here, I'm guessing it's so there's nothing like the hard edge from a sharp 90. That's lovely. Someone put some thought into it. A number of extra operations! ^5 *_/dks_*
p.s. good of you to mention 100% silicon lube. I commented on Boosted Media's review that //possibly// there might be a case where //some// lubricant might be aggressive against the rubber bushing.
Great video as usual, you mentioned that you think Fanatec should have included a spanner. I have 3D printed some so if you need one let me know and I’ll pop one in the post to you.
On that QR, I would suggest to Fanatec maybe replacing the rubber gasket with a conical piece of derlin. That way when you torque the thumb wheel down, it centers and removes all play.
Hi Barry, awesome review, per usual! AC has great FFB, just a very different setup then iRacing. Try Assetto with SPr (Spring Effect) OFF, dPr (Damper Effect) OFF, ndP (Natural Damper) set to 25 or 30 and ndP (Natural Friction) set to 3 or 5 with For (Force Effect) set to 100. You will get way more road feel and detail without much oscillation. This may be a different point for you to tweak from. Then you can add a little SPr 10% to get more fake centering spring/weight in the wheel or a little dPr 10% if you want to deaden the feel/remove remaining osculation a bit... I run neither cause if feels more natural with the new settings, (as their names imply = ). AC has great self aligning torque, probably why so many use it for drifting = ). Also, in game, I do not set any of the effects higher then 16 and my gain at 60%. The cars very from 90% to 120% for individual FFB strength (I know, very subjective = ) as you said, this is all subjective = ). I run my DD1 at 70% FF (Force Feedback). If you happen to give this a try, let me know if it works out for you.
Thanks for the settings. I wasn't playing AC much since I got my DD1, because I couldn't get it to feel right. rF2, ACC, PCars2, RRRE, Automobilista, and iRacing all felt great, but not AC. Your settings have now transformed it for me. It now feels as good as rF2 to me. I was using the recomended settings from the Fanatec website for AC, which are not good. They should put your settings for the recommended ones, because they are a hell of a lot better.
@@Copef1 That is great to hear! Ya, I started with some spring and damper but then removed them cause I read or saw someplace that they were not well or fully supported in AC and my DD1 came to life. 25 (Natural Damper) and 5 (Natural Friction) are from the Fanatec forum but so are the shitty spring and damper settings. I now run 25 and 3 as going 30 or 7 did not feel like the right direction (this is subject to change as I keep farting around = ) Enjoy!
I had been doing my research lately to find best SimRacing setups and I found Fanatec DD wheels the best. However, after having quotation for my full setup from Fanatec; I ended up buying a used Nissan 350Z and I'm happy with my decision. I'll stick with pad gaming and real car. Great video though 👍🏼
You can always get a Thrustmater T150 for like 150€ or maybe a Logitech G29. DD wheels don't make someone faster and honestly I don't find DD a requirement for a simracer these days
Very interesting to watch review, Barry! You set your own standart in Simracing reviews! As the flex become a topic here - Great that Barry shows the flex in every base! I will share my oppinion here and guys, please accept it like subjective oppinion of one person, dont see myself like another final verdict guy! To speak that any flex is bad I will agree if the flex is on the move left and right, on the steering axis. That will be called woble , not flex also. If we speak that any flex in any way is bad - we gotta know that we have human biological sceleton. That sceleton for good is made to have joints with some biological gap in them to make our moves possible. As much as you make the mechanism without any flex - that will move that energy to your joints... we are not robots...for now Also if we speak of real cars, motorbikes etc - in some tolerances we have flex, even free move there , as I said in some factory tolerances....Now already some of you started to say T300 is more sturdy without flex...even if this was true , the comparison will be more if you sit in Ferrari and flex the steering rim and after that sit in russian LADA 2107 and feel absolute hard steering shaft without any move:) As I said this is only my opinion and it is not exactly related to this review. P.S. Also I agree that if the flex if too sensible that will give you feeling that something is not ok and faulty!;) Cheers!
I knew the play on the shaft wouldnt go past you Barry, as it did with other reviewers. I own a DD1, and noticed that play, its a real turn off... Excellent review!
I don't have that flex on my DD1, but anyway this type of flex will not impact driving or force feedback. The flex in my real car is much more. Best wheel on the market.
I was thinking about saving for a Podium, but atm I'll rather stick to my CSW V2.5. Too many problems and small annoyances with those Podium wheelbases at the moment.
Nice, I've been patiently waiting for the software to be available before I buy. I would like to see you include Rally driving when you do your test driving, as there are a lot of aspects with Rally not covered with track driving.
My DD2 broke after 4 months, power button on the killswitch and back of the base failed. I regret selling my simucube 1 so soon as I don't have back up wheel. edit: Don't want my comment taken the wrong way, I thoroughly enjoy the DD2, and I know Fanatec will make it right.
@@marble25 what does warranty have to do with my wheel bring broken? Yes they will repair it, but it's quite odd that it was defective/broken with 4 months of use.
@@tehgusbus2716 my comment regarding my old simucube, was referring to having a backup wheel in case the dd2 had a problem. Now while it's off for repair, I will not have a wheel to use for what I assume will take a few weeks minimum. In terms of feel I liked the DD2 over the simucube v1 I had previously. I have not personally tried a simucube 2.
Barry , thx for making another great video 👍 Btw spring and damper you can “off” , shaking on straight I got other games have the same issue , even on GTSport , but after all off those 2 , everything go fine , just set NDR , NFR and FEI
Hopefully more DD units will come forth into the mainstream in the Future, Thrustmaster could provide some good competition and as we all know competition lowers cost and increases quality.
I bought the DD1 Formula v2 bundle and I was expecting to troubleshoot the play in the quick release, but to my surprise there was zero play. I don't know if they fixed the problem or I just got lucky but my DD1 did not have play in the quick release.
As much as I love your reviews, your talent is being wasted. You need to be working in an R and D department making the best sim equipment on the planet.
No, it is not wasted. He is our source to know what is what and what is the best. We really need his reviews. But come on Mr. Rowland we want a comparison.
There are better ways to control oscillations. In the Simucube 1 and 2 program (or the Granity program if you're using the non-Simucube OSW such as the IoniCube) there is a filter section called "Peaking and notch filter" divided into 3 filters: "Center frequency Hz." "Attenuation dB," and "Q Factor." These settings mean controlling/removing oscillations without having to resort to potentially adding more friction and/or damper than you personally want for regular driving. Those 3 filters also slightly influence others aspects of FFB in good ways from my experience but 90% of their effect is on oscillation removal. Another good thing about those filters is, from my experience, they hardly (if at all) need to be changed when changing game or FFB settings / power. The only time they may need some changing is when there is a firmware update (firmware updates usually change all sorts of motor-settings we users will never see). It would be nice if Fanatec had the same or similar. Those settings are very under-rated settings...even in the Simucube community they aren't given the attention they deserve.
Hello Barry, hope you're all good! I have no illusions, I know I have to be very lucky for you to read my message of this old review. Sometimes I keep coming back enjoy you watching test driving and setting up DD2. I believe you have another base now but I wonder and if I'm lucky again, would you have DD1 FFB setting for Assetoo Corsa Competizione and Assetto Corsa you would be kind to fetch me and I could use from you. I have DD1 and PS5 and I'm struggling to find a setting I could feel car tire grip point and effects of loosing grip. I think I rely more on sound and visuals than car tire feel as I don't have that feel. All other FFB signals, kerbs, grass, resistance on turn, bumps I feel amazing. Your help is valued higly! kris in London
As a bunch of people are mentioning, my DD2 quick release is race car solid!! Not all bases are affected, possibly the rubber bushing is made inconsistently, but the QR is a very good design fundamentally.
I have owned the DD1 for a year now and ive never had any issues with that flex. I dont notice it nor does it seem to cause any problems with my driving.
The proprietary quick release is what really tilted me towards the SC2. It`s just another expensive piece that I don´t want but need to even run a wheel. Stacking two QRs on top of each other is also not very appealing. I mean, just look at the tower Barry stacked together at 1:38:53. I am certain that the accumulated length of all the attachments and the resulting sideways torque does play a big role in how much the Fanatec QR flexes.
@@baj993 This actually is the new podium hub. I asked Fanatec if it would compatible with motorsport hubs and their suggestion was to mount it exactly like Barry did, albeit admitting it would not be very elegant.
Hagedorn Racing the new podium hub doesn’t have a button box attached. It will be released at the end of the month. You can see a picture of it at 1:38:51
@@baj993 My bad, you are totally right. But you`d still end up with a similar long construction with two stacked QRs. The Buttonbox can be dropped, if you are fine with not having any buttons.
@45:52 which one of these cables are going to the rim? I have random rim disconnects and freezes, and I want to make sure the cables to it are tight and fit
Simucube 2 for the win! Fanatec products have waaaay too many "issues". My V3's electronic board broke after just two hours. Yes, they sent me a replacing one, but it just sucks. I've waited 6 (!) days just to reply my my emails...
As an owner of a Podium Wheel (the DD1 compatible to PS4, so to speak) I benefit from this review also. As always, great review and I‘m looking forward to getting the Fanalab Software as I‘ve made my transition from GT Sport to iracing and am now member of the PC world again 😜 Edit: Now that Fanalab is released I found your setup values very helpful in order to find my own settings. Thanks a lot!
Barry is any chance I could grab one of them Z-Ring 1.4s for the DD2 from u my friend I ain’t got a clue where to get one what a great bit of ingenuity. All the best steve
SPR and DPR are not used by iRacing, only NDP and NFR is useful to adjust. SPR is not used in any recent racing game, DPR only in a few and only in standstill.
wow great review! Is it possible to not have the quick release thing and have a fixed wheel? Also why do you need the kill switch, how do you switch off without it?
Brilliant review. Barry, do other DD wheels (especially the Simucube 2) pick up the detail on those kerbs that you commented on? I actually tried the DD2 at the Expo at the weekend and found it only gave feedback on two of the kerbs on the GP Strecke, in AC. But I don't know if that was AC or the wheel itself.
Barry is the BEST guy in this "business", no dramas, no sponsors, he is no fake, always real 100%, the dude doesn't even have to kiss anyone's ass to keep his channel #1, he is that good.
This comment need to be pinned and get a gold award!
Completely agree. He's absolutely the best on UA-cam
Here after utilising the black friday half price on DD2 - Might be late but this wheel base is a tried & tested solid piece of engineering!
Same here! Base just arrived 2 weeks ago now waiting for wheel to ship.
You have no idea how much I've been waiting for your review on this, you make the best sim gear reviews!
Great review, I'll probably get a SimuCUBE though.
agreed, whenever i need a review i always come here
Barry, last night I fell asleep watching this video.
Not because it's boring, but your voice is so calming I'd categorize your videos as Bob Ross' "The Joy of Painting" for sim racing nerds. :-)
„Oh, there‘s bumps there, let’s make those birds!“ 😂
@@Urufu-san "No T1 carnage, just happy little accidents."
I was at least awake enough to order my SimuCUBE 😂
Me too hahaha
Yeah really, the voice is so soft. hahaha
More anticipated than the actual podium release
Fanatec left the chat when Barry mentioned the quick release flex LOL
And they disliked it,. shame on them !
The flex is huge and ridiculous. A no-go on such a high fidelity ffb machine.
Just double checked my DD1 and I have 0 of that play....
@@2Old4Forza Same here, no flex with the F1 2019 and the 918 a much larger diameter.
Got no flex on my dd1, and no bolt being used
Thanks Barry.
My Simucube 2 pro shows up tomorrow. I feel like I made the right choice.
Christiono Rollinetti Batch 3?
I had the same thought. The oscillation felt a little weird to me in this review and there is way too much flex, if you compare it to the sc2. It also felt to me that Barry wasn't really happy about the product or expected more of it but didnt want to tell the honest truth, but I might be wrong.
@@akeem127 Yes from Simracingbay.
Mine arrives tomorrow as well. Cheer!
Mine will be here tomorrow too. FWIW I still think both the DD2 and SC2 Pro are good competition for each other and both are good decisions for a buyer depending on priorities. If you are happy with Fanatec wheels then I think the DD2 is very compelling.
My issue is that I got wheel lust for the significantly more expensive Precision Sim Engineering wheels. I had upgraded my Fanatec McLaren GT3 wheel with the shifters from SimRacingMachines and they were much better than stock, but also cost nearly as much as the wheel. I added magnetic upgrades to my Porsche 918 rim as well, which are also an improvement though not as dramatic. The buttons and knobs on the Fanatec rims are OK, but not great. So I finally decided I'm getting the wheels I want and a direct drive system that supports them. It may seem backwards, but in the end Fanatec's biggest asset, their huge assortment of rims is what killed the DD2 wheelbase for me. I wasn't going to spend an extra $200 for an adapter on top of the premium wheel cost for each wheel I purchased only to have to run a USB cable anyway and have a wobbly mount point. It just didn't make sense. I've gotten good service out of my Fanatec equipment and have no complaints about their products.
BTW I think Fanatec missed a big opportunity. If their $200 adapter allowed for a direct USB connection from 3rd party steering wheels such that they didn't require a coiled cable Fanatec would have made their system an option for the smaller percentage of people who want upscale wheels. I know Fanatec wants people to buy their wheels, but that $200 adapter is only lip service to allowing other rims. They completely threw away their way to add a very big feature by making all of those wheels effectively wireless. Big mistake. Many people would buy a combination of rims but instead they've forced people into an either or situation.
Great review as always buddy. You are the only person that I ever seen that will go as far as opening up a brand new product just for the sake of making an "in-depth" review. Impressive as always.
Ah! Been waiting for this review ever since the DD2 was announced!
Thanks for the great and honest review (as usual), Barry.
It is an honour that you rated the force feedback quality of the DD2 at the level of the other new generation DDs out there and liked our package. Thank you very much :)
Your critisizm on the QR is well noted but I doubt that it has any effect on the ff quality as the flex is not in the rotational direction. And hey, have you ever wondered why we made the QR on the wheel base and even on all our latest steering wheels exchangeable? ;) In case you can't wait you can also use the screw to get rid of any flex as well.
@@seattletyler I did not mention soon ;) And given the history of delayed shipments I should better not announce any date anyway :D
Of course we are working on a proper solution which also does not require you to use an external cable like the QR suggested by Barry.
@Thomas Jackermeier Hi. I'm still a little unclear on what the situation is with PS4 compatibility. Is the only option to buy the PS4 specific base with included F1 style rim, do other rims work with the PS4 compatible base and will the PS4 compatible base be made available on its own? I rarely drive open wheel, so it doesn't make sense for me to pay for something I'll barely ever use. Wouldn't it have been more sensible to make a mandatory rim round? A round rim would be more versatile and could be used for any car type.
On a separate note: I suspect your answer will be no, but is there any chance of legacy console support via firmware? I realise that I'm in the minority, but I still enjoy games on the Playstation 2 and 3, but keeping old wheels around is a pain and one day they'll die and won't be able to be replaced. I very much doubt Sony would care if you were to add support for consoles they no longer produce and it would be a nice selling point for people that enjoy retro gaming.
@@napalmhardcore yes the only solution for a PS4 compatible Direct Drive is the Podium Racing Wheel F1 which is bundled with the blue ClubSport Formula v2 steering wheel with the Podium Advanced Paddle Module already attached. Fanatec startet several times that there are no plans to sell either the Base or the blue formula wheel separately. And yes, ALL Fanatec steering wheels work on PS4 because the security chip is inside the base which enabled compatibility for all steering wheels.
Hi
The PS4 racing wheel is indeed the only option for PS4 and there will be no standalone version. Legacy mode is also not possible as we already asked for that.
Not really what you wanted to hear but let me assure you that you have a high chance of selling the blue Formula V2 wheel on eBay for a good price as it is not available standalone. Then you can mount any of our other steering wheels (incl. the Xbox wheels) on the Podium Racing Wheel and it will work fine on PS4.
@@thomasjackermeier3343 That's a shame. There are some really fun games on PS2 and PS3 and as I mentioned, one day my wheels will cease to function and I won't be able to replace them. I'm guessing it's Sony being difficult (which makes no sense as it really doesn't affect them). I'd email them, but I've contacted them in the past and they were extremely unhelpful.
As for Podium, I think I'll just have to wait for something to become available where I'm not forced to buy an unneeded and unwanted accessory. I say this partially out of principle (I don't feel I should have to buy an unwanted accessory) but also because I don't want the hassle of setting myself up as a seller on Ebay, trying to recoup my losses and posting it. I live on an island and posting items can be rather expensive.
Seeing how the PS5 and new XBOX are going to be released in the not too distant future, I think I'd be better off seeing what is available then. I really don't fancy buying an expensive wheel right at the end of a console generation and potentially not be able to use it when the new consoles arrive.
PS: I'm not sure for the reasoning behind it, but having to buy different wheel bases that themselves cost nearly as much as or more than (depending on whether I buy a mid priced or flagship wheel/base) a console just to be able to play across different platforms NEEDS TO STOP! It is far too expensive to buy two consoles and a wheel for each in addition to the games. I shouldn't be forced to choose which platform I buy a wheel for or if I even buy a particular console based on which I think is more important to own a wheel for.
Still the best sim wheel review on youtube🥰🥰🥰
I am big fan of your movies and your ideas of making things better. They helped me out in assembling this and that so big thank you! However I am a happy owner of a Fanatec DD2 and have absolutely zero issues with flex on stock piece of rubber. Cheers.
Really great that you showed the fanalab software. I was searching a long time for a Programm which is able to change the colors of the rev lights after I saw that the leds are rgb leds.
I've had the DD1 now for around a year or so. The first one I got had a connection issue with the wheel (electronics; no wheel would power on when plugged in) and the whole repair process was horrid; I was out of a wheel for around 4 weeks. However once they sent me a new one, it was all good. It's the best wheel I've ever had and it just...feels great lol. It is nice that it works on the PS4/PS5 since I do from time to time play GTSport with friends. However I mainly use it in iRacing and rFactor 2 and it feels so incredible. Hope to god you don't have QC issues and enjoy the product!
Yeah - I've read way too many horror stories like yours to even think about buying one of these.
Thank you so much! you just saved me 1700 bucks! I was considering replacing my OSW wheel but that wiggle in the quick release gave me nightmares!
I have seen a lot of UA-cam Videos but none compare with the EXCELLENT Presentation that you give! Thanks
I don't have any play in my quick release but im using it bolted directly to the wheel, maybe because it's still really new. Excellent review as usually.
Most excellent review. Fanalab software looks friendly and good file management features. Only thing I would say is for that price, I would refer something other than plastic connectors. Circular, aerospace types with locking rings are the preferred standard.
I thought it might be worth mentioning a couple things that Fanatec got right that SimuCube 2 could improve on. I own a SimuCube 2 Pro and a Fanatec CS 2.5 wheelbase if it matters.
1. Torque key. Every time you start up a SimuCube 2 you have to let the software know that you want full torque. Many people have said they have forgotten to do this and had to complete races where everything felt bad because of it. The torque enabling key Fanatec uses is a great convenience by comparison. Have young kids coming by? Pull the plug and put it somewhere safe. Otherwise leave it in and don't worry about an extra step every single time you want to race.
2. Coiled cables. Fanatec wheels are all external cable free which is a great feature. Fanatec supports both communication AND power. The SimuCube 2's have BT support, but they've already hit limitations with some wheels in terms of buttons/input devices supported and there are a small number of wheels that support this. This module is already slated for replacement/updating so it can support more inputs. And then you get the additional failure point and weight of a battery with additional effort to keep a battery charged and then having to remember to turn your wheel on and off. I chose a coiled cable wheel for my SC2 because I didn't want to deal with any of that. It won't be a terrible hardship, but my point is that the SC2's wireless implementation is not comparable or as good.
I'm not suggesting one is better than the other, but just that both have some bragging rights, neither is perfect and both have room to improve.
Unfortunately, Fanatec's implementation restricts you to Fanatec wheels (if you want wireless capability), but maybe they'll soon let wheel vendors by wheelside internal connectors.
@@whaletail935 As I've said many times, if they exposed a real USB connection in their Podium mount they would have created an advantage supporting 3rd party wheels.
I am an early adopter of DD2, I need to say that I have no complains with it. I'd love the quality and the FFB fidelity. I understand perfectly that the Fanatec Podium system is an early stage of development, and I happy with that. The flex in my case in minimum, for not to say that I have no flex at all. And in my opinion it has a quick fix if Fanatec release a more stiff Rubber or a 1mm more thick. I can't compare with a Simecube or similar, because I never got that ones, but what I can talk about the DD2 and like I said, it worked flawless, plug and play in all the games that I tested and for me that it's superb. Barry should mention that, I think that Fanalab is great, but the ability to launch a game, and seconds being driving without headaches is part of the package :).
Fantastic review Barry. The first thing I did after watching was to check for flex on my DD1. I didn't seem to have any, so I thought that is a bit weird. Maybe I was just lucky. Keep up the great work.
Having the best support for this base is a major selling point going forward. Needs some time to mature software-wise and the quick release flex needs to be resolved plus reliability? Will wait a bit longer but I still think it's my best bet imo. Can't beat Barry's reviews.
ok Frank lol
thank you for making this video, i copied your settings and finally got my DD2 wheel feeling great for iracing....i'm kindly requesting you do a video for Assetto Corsa Competizone & F1 2019 settings......✌
23:30 you had it the wrong way Barry lol. nice way to correct it without saying lol. Great video as always
Very interesting review, Berry! About the flex: I agree that it would be super nice to get another option with regards to the quick release. However, since the direction of the flex is 90° to the turning / motor axis I don't think it would make it feel more responsive or anything, i.e., I don't think it's leaving much potential on the road here. But a rock solid QR mount would feel a lot better and I'd love to see it.
Hi Barry, the reason your Dynamic Dampening was less effective is that you've reduced DPR in the Tuning Menu settings. What also helps to make it more effective is to lower the starting point a bit more, for example when it only starts at 100 to increase with speed it won't be very strong at 120 already.
Appreciating the detail in this review! I wanted one badly, now I want one badly and then some lmao
Finally! Woohoo Ima take a mandatory break to watch this lol
I have zero flex with my f1 wheel and a small amount with my bmw rim (nothing I’m worried about). Great review Barry 👍
Same
Hi Barry. You need to do another direct drive wheel comparison with or without fellow sim racers with the updated DD systems you have access too please.
Love this channel can't wait to get my dd2
Man, I'm totally not in the market for a dd Wheel, I am just watching this because your voice is so soothing...
That intro car sound is epic, you have a professional anchor mans tv voice
Been waiting long time for this. #hitlikethenplay
The review Alien. man always good work
The Simucube 2 and Podium in-depth reviews are great and give very useful information on factual points (ergonomics, QR, software, etc).
But how do they both compare performance-wise? Does one of them sets itself apart from the other or do they perform so similarly that only technical characteristics matter for a purchase decision?
Barry’s a coward when it comes to saying what gear is better for your buck. Doesn’t want to step on companies toes (ie Tommy boy Fanatec).
Thank you, Barry!
super easy aftermarket solution to the quick release....Replace the rubber squish ring with a machined tapered conical aluminum piece. The conical tapered piece would self center and lock the wheel tightly as the lobed hand ring was tightened. If needed a thick neoprene washer between the hand ring and the tapered conical adapter to keep them locked in place for vibration resistance..
A good idea
Very good reveiw Barry
Thank you again
*_Ace!_* Great to see a pro setting up FFB.
Beautiful fit and finish on this unit. Just peek 21:10 ... the indexing tabs in the washer? see how it isn't just a rectangular tab jutting out? it has those two semi-circular divots taken out? in a blade, that's to avoid stress at a 90 degree corner. Here, I'm guessing it's so there's nothing like the hard edge from a sharp 90. That's lovely. Someone put some thought into it. A number of extra operations!
^5
*_/dks_*
p.s. good of you to mention 100% silicon lube. I commented on Boosted Media's review that //possibly// there might be a case where //some// lubricant might be aggressive against the rubber bushing.
Always the BEST!! Thank you.👍
One Hell Of A Review Barry
Barry thank you once again, you make the best vids for all of us 👍 keep the hair long 😉
Just the review i been w8ting for!:) awesome thx!
Thank you Barry.
Great video as usual, you mentioned that you think Fanatec should have included a spanner. I have 3D printed some so if you need one let me know and I’ll pop one in the post to you.
"The shaft itself is solid as a rock - you can see when I did that video."
OMG they should put this at the cinema in IMAX
Fiiiinnaaaallllllyyyyyyy!!!!!! What we've all been waiting for;) #thankyou
On that QR, I would suggest to Fanatec maybe replacing the rubber gasket with a conical piece of derlin. That way when you torque the thumb wheel down, it centers and removes all play.
@ArmchairWarrior, thank you for the Wiki cited correction. Delrin.
Thanks Barry as always, but I will stick with my Augury OSW.
oh my god. his voice is so calming
Barry would luv to know what you think now with current drivers
Here it is! thanks Barry :)
Hi Barry, awesome review, per usual! AC has great FFB, just a very different setup then iRacing. Try Assetto with SPr (Spring Effect) OFF, dPr (Damper Effect) OFF, ndP (Natural Damper) set to 25 or 30 and ndP (Natural Friction) set to 3 or 5 with For (Force Effect) set to 100. You will get way more road feel and detail without much oscillation. This may be a different point for you to tweak from. Then you can add a little SPr 10% to get more fake centering spring/weight in the wheel or a little dPr 10% if you want to deaden the feel/remove remaining osculation a bit... I run neither cause if feels more natural with the new settings, (as their names imply = ). AC has great self aligning torque, probably why so many use it for drifting = ). Also, in game, I do not set any of the effects higher then 16 and my gain at 60%. The cars very from 90% to 120% for individual FFB strength (I know, very subjective = ) as you said, this is all subjective = ). I run my DD1 at 70% FF (Force Feedback). If you happen to give this a try, let me know if it works out for you.
Thanks for the settings. I wasn't playing AC much since I got my DD1, because I couldn't get it to feel right. rF2, ACC, PCars2, RRRE, Automobilista, and iRacing all felt great, but not AC. Your settings have now transformed it for me. It now feels as good as rF2 to me. I was using the recomended settings from the Fanatec website for AC, which are not good. They should put your settings for the recommended ones, because they are a hell of a lot better.
@@Copef1 That is great to hear! Ya, I started with some spring and damper but then removed them cause I read or saw someplace that they were not well or fully supported in AC and my DD1 came to life. 25 (Natural Damper) and 5 (Natural Friction) are from the Fanatec forum but so are the shitty spring and damper settings. I now run 25 and 3 as going 30 or 7 did not feel like the right direction (this is subject to change as I keep farting around = ) Enjoy!
Amazing job as always very objective Ty Barry
awesome stuff as always!
Awesome video btw! love your way of doing these!
I had been doing my research lately to find best SimRacing setups and I found Fanatec DD wheels the best. However, after having quotation for my full setup from Fanatec; I ended up buying a used Nissan 350Z and I'm happy with my decision. I'll stick with pad gaming and real car. Great video though 👍🏼
You can always get a Thrustmater T150 for like 150€ or maybe a Logitech G29. DD wheels don't make someone faster and honestly I don't find DD a requirement for a simracer these days
@@Valenfield98 Agreed! I've had bought Thrustmaster TMX Pro and currently using it. It is a fair deal honestly.
Perfect review, thank you👍
Another amazing review with some very important recommendations to Fanatec. Nonetheless, great wheel, great hardware.
Very interesting to watch review, Barry! You set your own standart in Simracing reviews!
As the flex become a topic here - Great that Barry shows the flex in every base! I will share my oppinion here and guys, please accept it like subjective oppinion of one person, dont see myself like another final verdict guy!
To speak that any flex is bad I will agree if the flex is on the move left and right, on the steering axis. That will be called woble , not flex also. If we speak that any flex in any way is bad - we gotta know that we have human biological sceleton. That sceleton for good is made to have joints with some biological gap in them to make our moves possible. As much as you make the mechanism without any flex - that will move that energy to your joints... we are not robots...for now
Also if we speak of real cars, motorbikes etc - in some tolerances we have flex, even free move there , as I said in some factory tolerances....Now already some of you started to say T300 is more sturdy without flex...even if this was true , the comparison will be more if you sit in Ferrari and flex the steering rim and after that sit in russian LADA 2107 and feel absolute hard steering shaft without any move:)
As I said this is only my opinion and it is not exactly related to this review.
P.S.
Also I agree that if the flex if too sensible that will give you feeling that something is not ok and faulty!;)
Cheers!
Thanks for the review Barry!
For me it’s clear that I will order the Simucube 2 pro instead of the DD2.
I knew the play on the shaft wouldnt go past you Barry, as it did with other reviewers. I own a DD1, and noticed that play, its a real turn off... Excellent review!
There is no play in every unit that's the reason. Mine has zero
1, 2 , 3, 100 wheels is enough to say it’s a bad design and needs to be changed.
@@zaneislandd4650 you are not pushing it enough, its a design flaw. try it with a BMW gt2 rim and it'll be easy to see...
@@WhiteHawk77 did you move it around like Barry did? at 6:27
Just double checked. No play in mine.
immersive review!
I don't have that flex on my DD1, but anyway this type of flex will not impact driving or force feedback. The flex in my real car is much more. Best wheel on the market.
ua-cam.com/video/P-rCt9dIMJ4/v-deo.html& also hardly no flex. So Barry is maybe unlucky with this particular one.
@@joggelweekend hahaha it's not the best wheel base* on the market
I was thinking about saving for a Podium, but atm I'll rather stick to my CSW V2.5. Too many problems and small annoyances with those Podium wheelbases at the moment.
I have had none... love mine and has improved my driving moving from csw v2
No issues whatsoever on mine either.
Nice, I've been patiently waiting for the software to be available before I buy. I would like to see you include Rally driving when you do your test driving, as there are a lot of aspects with Rally not covered with track driving.
My DD2 broke after 4 months, power button on the killswitch and back of the base failed. I regret selling my simucube 1 so soon as I don't have back up wheel. edit: Don't want my comment taken the wrong way, I thoroughly enjoy the DD2, and I know Fanatec will make it right.
@@marble25 what does warranty have to do with my wheel bring broken? Yes they will repair it, but it's quite odd that it was defective/broken with 4 months of use.
marble89 You serious?
@@marble25 cool? I wasn't saying it wasn't, just sharing my bad experience with a fanatec product failing.
So they fix it for free right? And is simcube superior?
@@tehgusbus2716 my comment regarding my old simucube, was referring to having a backup wheel in case the dd2 had a problem. Now while it's off for repair, I will not have a wheel to use for what I assume will take a few weeks minimum. In terms of feel I liked the DD2 over the simucube v1 I had previously. I have not personally tried a simucube 2.
Barry , thx for making another great video 👍
Btw spring and damper you can “off” , shaking on straight I got other games have the same issue , even on GTSport , but after all off those 2 , everything go fine , just set NDR , NFR and FEI
Hopefully more DD units will come forth into the mainstream in the Future, Thrustmaster could provide some good competition and as we all know competition lowers cost and increases quality.
Competition is essential for free market and consumer's sake
What a huge legend
I bought the DD1 Formula v2 bundle and I was expecting to troubleshoot the play in the quick release, but to my surprise there was zero play. I don't know if they fixed the problem or I just got lucky but my DD1 did not have play in the quick release.
Thank you Barry!
Thanks Barry for the review. No flex at all here on my DD1. Tested on both Formula Carbon and Porsche wheels.
1:30:44
Yeah! V8 Supercars nice mate. 😁👍
Love your reviews!
As much as I love your reviews, your talent is being wasted. You need to be working in an R and D department making the best sim equipment on the planet.
No, it is not wasted. He is our source to know what is what and what is the best. We really need his reviews. But come on Mr. Rowland we want a comparison.
You can side and front mount the DD2 in addition to bottom mounting it, so more solid mounting options are available.
you can NOT front-mount the DD2, if you do so, you immediately lose your warranty.
You cannot front mount the Fanatec DD units...The bolts holes on the front are for mounting accessories only.
There are better ways to control oscillations. In the Simucube 1 and 2 program (or the Granity program if you're using the non-Simucube OSW such as the IoniCube) there is a filter section called "Peaking and notch filter" divided into 3 filters: "Center frequency Hz." "Attenuation dB," and "Q Factor." These settings mean controlling/removing oscillations without having to resort to potentially adding more friction and/or damper than you personally want for regular driving. Those 3 filters also slightly influence others aspects of FFB in good ways from my experience but 90% of their effect is on oscillation removal. Another good thing about those filters is, from my experience, they hardly (if at all) need to be changed when changing game or FFB settings / power. The only time they may need some changing is when there is a firmware update (firmware updates usually change all sorts of motor-settings we users will never see). It would be nice if Fanatec had the same or similar. Those settings are very under-rated settings...even in the Simucube community they aren't given the attention they deserve.
Hello Barry, hope you're all good! I have no illusions, I know I have to be very lucky for you to read my message of this old review. Sometimes I keep coming back enjoy you watching test driving and setting up DD2. I believe you have another base now but I wonder and if I'm lucky again, would you have DD1 FFB setting for Assetoo Corsa Competizione and Assetto Corsa you would be kind to fetch me and I could use from you. I have DD1 and PS5 and I'm struggling to find a setting I could feel car tire grip point and effects of loosing grip. I think I rely more on sound and visuals than car tire feel as I don't have that feel. All other FFB signals, kerbs, grass, resistance on turn, bumps I feel amazing. Your help is valued higly! kris in London
@38:00 why aren't the cables snapping off when turning the wheel more than 1080? I can turn mine for an eternity
As a bunch of people are mentioning, my DD2 quick release is race car solid!! Not all bases are affected, possibly the rubber bushing is made inconsistently, but the QR is a very good design fundamentally.
My DD1 has no flex also and feels very solid.
I have owned the DD1 for a year now and ive never had any issues with that flex. I dont notice it nor does it seem to cause any problems with my driving.
It's a tolerance issue - some wheel bases/rims are fine, others aren't. Its practically a lottery when you buy a Fanatec.
The proprietary quick release is what really tilted me towards the SC2. It`s just another expensive piece that I don´t want but need to even run a wheel. Stacking two QRs on top of each other is also not very appealing. I mean, just look at the tower Barry stacked together at 1:38:53. I am certain that the accumulated length of all the attachments and the resulting sideways torque does play a big role in how much the Fanatec QR flexes.
It doesn't look appealing to me
The new podium hub should help reduce the length.
@@baj993 This actually is the new podium hub. I asked Fanatec if it would compatible with motorsport hubs and their suggestion was to mount it exactly like Barry did, albeit admitting it would not be very elegant.
Hagedorn Racing the new podium hub doesn’t have a button box attached. It will be released at the end of the month. You can see a picture of it at 1:38:51
@@baj993 My bad, you are totally right. But you`d still end up with a similar long construction with two stacked QRs. The Buttonbox can be dropped, if you are fine with not having any buttons.
There is No excuse for that play in the quick disconnect at this price point.
They COMPLETELY LOST ME when Barry did that. My q1r qr is SOLID on my accuforce. Without that I cant imagine using a dd wheel
Is it actually a common issue? Mine doesn't have any even without tightening the ring down (mine is an EU unit if that matters)
Mine don't have any flex whatsoever. Not sure why his does.
I don't have this flex on mine. Rock solid.. .
@@J_SAMa Ok thats good to know. Maybe the unit is ok.
@45:52 which one of these cables are going to the rim? I have random rim disconnects and freezes, and I want to make sure the cables to it are tight and fit
Agree with vagueness of AC 😉
The position of your head versus the car's side mirror make you look like a child is driving. :D
Simucube 2 for the win!
Fanatec products have waaaay too many "issues". My V3's electronic board broke after just two hours. Yes, they sent me a replacing one, but it just sucks. I've waited 6 (!) days just to reply my my emails...
Man, that’s a beast of a wheel base! One day I hope to buy that very Fanatec setup. Have you tried or reviewed their F1 Elite Wheel?
As an owner of a Podium Wheel (the DD1 compatible to PS4, so to speak) I benefit from this review also. As always, great review and I‘m looking forward to getting the Fanalab Software as I‘ve made my transition from GT Sport to iracing and am now member of the PC world again 😜 Edit: Now that Fanalab is released I found your setup values very helpful in order to find my own settings. Thanks a lot!
The software app looks well done.
Barry is any chance I could grab one of them Z-Ring 1.4s for the DD2 from u my friend I ain’t got a clue where to get one what a great bit of ingenuity. All the best steve
SPR and DPR are not used by iRacing, only NDP and NFR is useful to adjust. SPR is not used in any recent racing game, DPR only in a few and only in standstill.
wow great review! Is it possible to not have the quick release thing and have a fixed wheel?
Also why do you need the kill switch, how do you switch off without it?
Most of the laserscanned tracks are pretty much smooth as IRL. I can't think of a bumpy track on AC. You could try Mosport maybe
I wanna see that super Moto in the back u got there
SAME! Thats the first thing I saw man, that bike looks clean af. This guy has all the best toys lol
Brilliant review. Barry, do other DD wheels (especially the Simucube 2) pick up the detail on those kerbs that you commented on? I actually tried the DD2 at the Expo at the weekend and found it only gave feedback on two of the kerbs on the GP Strecke, in AC. But I don't know if that was AC or the wheel itself.
This DD2 has more flex than every other base i've seen from fanatec.
I hope this problem is only a issue with Barry's base.