IMPORTANT NOTES: Firstly a few small errors in the video...... 1. I said 100Hz sample rate when I was looking right at my cheat sheet that said 1000Hz. DERP!! 2. The angle bracket is 20 degrees, not 45 degrees as stated. 3. Elsewhere on the Fanatec site the motor strength for the CSW 2.5 is listed as 8NM, although not in the main specs. Lastly, at the time of review, I was not able to set drift mode to a negative value despite having the latest drivers and firmware installed (or so I thought). I did more testing today and discovered the updated 336 beta driver had installed, but for some reason when I flashed the firmware updates it took the files from the previous 328 driver rather than the newer ones. I can confirm with the 336 beta driver and associated firmware installed, the wheelbase allows you to select negative drift mode values. AWESOME! Thanks to everyone who commented and let me know! Always appreciated :)
It still doesn’t feel as good but it’s definitely a bit closer. I’m still glad I bought the CSW but the CSL is definitely better value for money assuming it lasts.
Thanks for the video, this really helped a lot as I'm tossing up whether to buy a CSW or the elite, for the amount of usage I will put it through, the price to performance proposition, and the fact that the saving will allow me to invest in better pedals with a load cell and maybe a better wheel, I think it's going to be the elite for me right now.
My CSW came this week...I ordered it by mistake, meant to order a CSL. I was annoyed at first in the price difference but honestly, not a waste. The CSW is incredible.
@@reviewforthetube6485 so I have been trolling commentaries of this video who have/had the elite from 2 years and guess what? It's basically the same and still sturdy and reliable as far as performance (one guy had both). I have an elite on the way (starting out) with better brakes. I am not knocking the author for being biased for his csw nothing wrong for that.
You want as much signal as possible always going from the game into the wheel. It's always better to adjust the ffb in game to the point of where the signal barely clips and leave it. Adjust your wheel to taste after that...
@@84stretch Have you ever played music so loud through a stereo that the speakers begin to distort? Maximizing volume on any stereo amp is finding the loudest point before the amp/speakers begin to distort/clip and backing it off until the audio is nice an clear while retaining volume. It's the same principal with FFB. Clipping the FFB signal exceeds it's scale of measurement. When this happens you begin to lose detail in the FFB. Set it to low and you'll lose detail. The idea is to maximize the signal going to your wheel from the game before clipping so you get the maximum amount of feel/detail available to you. If you find it too strong it's better to adjust the wheel to suit and all of the detail will still be in the signal and fed to the wheel. Sorry, I'm no the greatest at explaining these things.
Spent a couple of weeks uhming and ahhing about an upgrade to Fanatec and finally pulled the trigger today. Your videos helped a lot so used your link for the purchase, hopefully you get something for it! Cheers from the UK!
Your review really helped me choose. Coming from a G27 I now am set on the CSL Elite 1.1. Thank you so much for clearing this up for me! :) Great videos, very much appreciated. I'll be sure to use your affiliate link when I'm buying one. Thanks!
You get it yet? I have had my csl elite base over 2 years huge upgrade from g27. I do recommend v3 pedals the elite pedal have issue with the plastic gears wearing on the sensors..
@@kdcustoms1272 with the CSL Elite, do you have to have a PC to get the wheel set up to your liking? Or if you have a Xbox one console can you set up the wheel in the game settings that way? I know that my sound dumb to some, but I'm new to this. Thanks
the wheel has settings on the wheel, so i would assume you can adjust with the wheel on a console.. just make sure you buy the version for your console.
@@kdcustoms1272 I really appreciate you taking time to reply to my comment. Picked out the CSL Elite 1.1 base, the WRC wheel, I believe that's the right initials. And the basic fanatic brake and accelerator foot pads, for now. I was just wondering if I could set it all up without a PC. Me and my wife do own two laptops. So I guess push comes to shove I could use that, for setting up everything. So I'm going to place the order, so once again thanks a lot.
Love your work mate. I’ve learnt much from your channel over the last few weeks and as a sign of gratitude I’ve used your affiliate link to purchase a csw v2.5 Xbox bundle. So hopefully that goes far enough to help with the channel. Will purchase wheels in the future using your affiliate link too. Keep up the top work mate.
Good video! Always wondered if I shouldn't have bought a 2.5, but now I'm more than happy with my CSL wheelbase. This in combination with a Clubsport GT wheel, CSL Loadcell brake and a sturdy seat. Came from Logitech, never ever going back! Thx again for the direct comparison, best one I've seen so far. 👍
Just ordered a CSL base and Clubsport GT wheel, coming from a Thrustmaster TMX (which I found to perform decent, but lacked strength and reaction speed). Really looking forward to getting a proper setup with good feel and load cell brake. This review was very insightful, thanks for putting it out there.
I have just made that upgrade - night and day for sure! I can feel so much more detail and my consistency has increased a lot! I also purchased the CSR Elite load cell pedals. Again, a massive jump up in quality over the G920 pedals.
@@lebojay It's been a massive upgrade over the logitech, definitely worth the money. Though I wish I'd gone for the load cell, and they don't have them in stock last I checked so I'll have to wait
@Mytube6138 Have you tried the CSW? I’m really curious about the difference between the elite and the CSW 2.5 and it’s hard to get satisfactory answers from UA-cam reviewers.
Hey mate, your videos are really fantastic. So informative, well produced, well paced and slickly produced (I'm a video producer myself). I'm in the long process of researching my dream rig setup for the day I finally move into a larger place and your videos are providing excellent foundation knowledge in basically every key area - wheel bases, wheels, pedals, etc. Love that you're an Aussie too because it helps with quick price comparisons! Keep up the great work mate and I hope you're getting some decent play time in in addition to all the video production work you're doing (I know how much time is needed to shoot, edit and develop motion graphics). Thanks for your efforts!
Absolutely phenomenal video mate. I found the Club wheel base on sale for not much more than the Elite which was down to luck and I pressed the trigger quickly. When I saw the top I was sold, It looks like something out of a Porsche engine and I love design and aesthetics of the wheel base.
I have just bought the CSW 2.5 bundle with the shifter, xbox wheel, wheel, and pedals... after 10 years changing my G25... I have really high expectations...can´t wait!!!
@J K Im out of home on vacation, I will be back soon and install it. Give me 1 more week and I will let you know. For what I saw: awesome quality, everything is made of metal, wheel and buttons are perfect, the shifter shifts beautiful!!! About a week more I will be back to tell you... for now.. awesome... worth the money...mmmm still dont know
@J K I have to consider that I have also a new computer... but... 1) build construction perfect. I have to take out some parts to transport them...all build well not any screw lose. 2) The force feedback of the 2.5 is amazing... the G25 is a toy.. this is way much stronger, progresive and fast 3) Pedals..same quality, the brake is much beter and the feeling of the gas and clutch is much more real...the "less" real is the brake.. I have to adjust..everyone saysthe upgrade worth it. 4) shifter... same as comment #1.. the other is a toy.. this feels nice... you can change them fast and stronger it can hold a lot... I have to get used to the gearing...was erratic at the begining. 5) setup...uffff..I have spend a lot of time here... and will keep like that for a while. Every change is a huge one. 6) First setup (was easy for me.. already have the seat and long time ago I make the changes to receive this).. it was plug and play.. bur trustme..o each sim search for the setup.. is plenty on the internet.. follow the most common ones. Worth what they ask??? For me..is a LOT of money and if this holds more than what I have use the G25 (+10 years) yes... Hope it helps If you want a more detailed opinion... give me until next sunday
When I bought my CSW V2 four years ago it was compatible with the ps4, nowadays it's not compatible any longer, thank you Sony. After that I switched to the pc and this summer I bought the DD2. What a difference :) it's absolutely worth it
I actually ordered the CSL Elite (PS4 version) due to budget reasons, and your review actually gave me the push to do it, considering you told that if the minus setting on the drift part would be addessed, that's the only thing you would miss. I know this can now be set to -5, so with that in mind I am now awaiting my Fanatec delivery and hope to be online racing again soon (returned my earlier ordered T300 since that did not feel as too much of an upgrade from my old TMX FF for the costs).
Wait what? the only reason I was going to go for the clubsport over the elite was the mention of the negative setting in this video. If the elite can do that now.. I'll just go back to my original plan
Thomas smith I can confirm in the meantime it is indeed added and working on the PS4 version of the CSL Elite. Got it yesterday and of course tinkered with it and it does indeed function very well. No regrets, and loving it already!
Came back to this as it ended up in my “up next” feed and briefly gotten hands on time with a CSW 2.5 recently; that was a radically different experience to what I’m used to with Logitech gear, mostly in strength as I could feel my arms having to work lol! Given the advent of DD wheels I still think a CSLE wheelbase would be the wise step up, unless there’s something like a CSW 2.0 selling used when the time comes
Will , its been told that if you set your CSWv2.5 below 100% on base you create a dead zone and you should always use the FFB settings in game to adjust it down not the wheel !
@@boostedmedia Try clipping it on your left and a few inches down as you tend to talk more to your left, otherwise I find it picks your voice up much better
After spending a month of so with my CSL Elite and really enjoying it over my Thrustmaster, I eventually decided I needed just a little more power for my fairly heavy universal hub, and Fanatec agreed to an RMA. I re-watched this video again this morning just to confirm that I wanted to make the jump to the CSW, and went ahead and purchased it with your referral link (forgot to do so when purchasing the rest of my stuff). Hope it helps you continue making the excellent content, Will! Now I'm just hoping this will hold me over for a few years before going all in on a direct drive...
@@samuellp1146 I've since stuck with the full CSW 2.5 setup although I will probably make the jump to DD within the year. No complaints about the CSW whatsoever though, it's really an excellent base.
Another good vid Will :) Having admired Fanatec Clubsport gear from afar for some time now, a CSL Elite wheelbase is likely going to be what I shoot for when I reinvest into sim gear, especially given the emergence of DD wheel bases establishing a new level of high-end! As much as a G920 was alright, the weak strength of the FFB (like 3nm max or maybe less) and the need to turn it down to avoid clipping meant the wheel certainly felt like a toy, but never the less I still felt I was going fast (and pardon blowing my own horn here but my times on the Raceroom leaderboards in the ID.R challenge or Bathurst in various cars seemed good - track knowledge/self-confidence and car setup make so much more of a difference than pricey hardware :p) Some things from your content I wanted to mention: 1. Re: FFB strength @ 7:10 - having done some digging on Fanatec's site there is a comparison table (under the "comparison" tab on the CSW v2.5 product page) between the v2.5, the v2 and the CSL-E (v1), which says that FFB strength is ">8nm" on the axis (vs ">6nm" for the CSL-E), so the 25-30% of FFB feel seems to match the numbers :) 1a. Speaking of FFB, does cranking FFB to 100% get close to introducing FFB clipping? I did find a FFB meter you can put on screen in Raceroom to check that out 2. The lapel mic is nice and discrete but I think with your use of your hands to point to objects and animate yourself introduces some rub on the mic but I'm noticing that because I have earphones in tonight, so probably not too much of a big deal
I didn't notice any clipping but will check out the gauge you mentioned. The noise on the new mic was interference. it's wireless. first time I'd used it. need to fiddle with the channel settings.
Daniel are you still on your rig or did you upgrade to CSL DD Wheelbase (5Nm/8Nm)? Has the CSL Elite wheelbase held up well since you wrote this comment? Thanks.
@@zbubzbub5557 the elite is pretty much almost the same in performance, the author's complaint about negative drift setting on elite was found not true by csl elite owners.
Very helpful! I've been looking to step away from Thrustmaster and get into a Fanatec Xbox One setup... I think the CSL is the way to go for me! Thanks!
Very nice review 👍 i have the csl elite ps4 wheelbase and after 2hour of hard racing the single fan is blowing for a bit and after its cooled the fan is off. I always left the wheelbase on if the fan is on and shut it after the fan is off.
No Tech Drama doesn't seem like it from Fanatecs website. I think the only thing that's different is the Sony safety chip. You might be confusing the CSL Elite 1.1 with the XBONE CSL Elite.That one indeed jad different innards.
@@slatanek www.fanatec.com/eu-en/support/faq/details&id=101 At the time the CSW V2 (and original CSL Elite Wheel Base) was developed it was not possible to create a dynamic/variable motor damper into the motor driver. To develop this features we had to design a completely new motor electronics which is driven by a logical processor and has its own firmware which is programmable/updateable.
You can add negative CSL elite. I was able to do so on mine,but it's temperamental based on steering wheel is being used. I had to set the Drift mode on the p1 ps4 wheel and then swap over to my gt2 or f1 wheel. Sometimes it would work without having to swap
CSW is 8nm CSL 6nm and both run at 1000Hz (not a 100). The CSL does have a fan on top of the case. Also negative Drift setting is available on the CSL after firmware update I believe. Anyway, thanks for the review/comparison, very informative. You've got yourself another subscriber. Keep it up mate!
I've shot an email off to Fanatec to clarify the Drift setting. I updated the driver and firmware 3 days ago so unless something has changed since then, I'm guessing there must be a difference between the PC/Xbox Elite v1.1 and the PS4 version. Will report back once I have an answer.
@@boostedmedia Would be nice to hear about the CSL Elite 1.1 specifically since that's what I'm aiming for as my next upgrade. Maybe it's something to do with upgrading both the base firmware and the wheel rim firmware? Anyways let us know what you've found out from Fanatec themselves.
Prices in Oz seem a bit high. Here in the EU the CSL is only 100 euro cheaper so i think the CSW is a better choice here. Thank you for such an informative review.
I just noticed one thing : both you and chris haye are guitarists simracers, and me too :) I'm starting to think there is some connection between guitars, or music in general, and simracing...
Pretty Interesting, I was on the verge of buying a CSL Elite, but just in time i cancelled my order and went for a CSW 2.5 a few reasons, and i can buy with no VAT since i own a company - In NL the CSL elite costs 440 no VAT - The CSW costs 470 no VAT - The almost complete metal build and tight ffb pulled me over the line - I was able to get an old xbox p1 (the rubber one yeah.. whatever i guess it works) for 40 Euros. The makes the CSW 2.5 in my case just 70 Euro's more expensive. Few visits to the maccas and you've spend that. - Im planning to buy the new mclaren rim but its on pre-order right now Its still a good comparison, but i think with the prices it completely changes the view. Also interesting, if the CSL elite is 500 AUD that would convert to 361 euro's, now a Thrustmaster T300 Alcantara is 400 euro's THATS MORE. The CSL elite in your warm lovely country is priced extremely well! EDIT: i was curious so i visited Fanatec AU store, no bundle with the p1 rim, base costs 600 au converted to euro that's 380 euro, 20 less then just the base over here. It was to good to be true
NOTE: A few of you are telling me you're able to select negative values for the Drift setting on the PS4 version. I made absolutely sure I had the latest drivers and firmware installed on everything and tested multiple wheels as well to make absolutely sure because I figured I must be missing something. If anyone here has a CSL Elite V1.1 and is able to select negative Drift values, please let me know! I have emailed my contact at Fanatec for clarification but it would appear there is a difference between how this setting operates on the PC/Xbox v1.1 (which this review is based on) and the PS4 version. I will update this comment once I hear back.
Thanks for the info guys. I absolutely have the latest firmware and drivers so it can’t be what’s suggested in that race department thread. The Fanatec FAQ makes it sound like it only works on the PS4 version. Anyhow I’ve written to my contact at Fanatec to get clarification and will update the pinned comment when I hear back.
i use a CSW 2.5 and ill be 100% honest with you guys, if you ask me on reddit ill say i never said this. but i liked my thustmaster TS-PC racer better than my clubsport. i had the TM wheel on v3 pedals and a clubsport shifter and it was amazing. all i play is assetto corsa mind you, but the 2.5 just doesnt feel as natural as the TS-PC. my thrustmaster broke so i panic bought this clubsport so ide still have a wheel. i got it brand new shipped to my door in 2 days. well i picked it up actually but still. ive messed with the FFB settings and it IS fantastic, but the TS-PC racer was just better imo. in terms of FFB strictly. it had cogging and some other stuff but i didn't notice it. every car just felt correct with that wheelbase. maybe i gotta get used to the fanatec product some more. i only had it 3 days
@@radyon955 I meant the original writer of the post, whether he changed his opinion based on using the 2.5 more, or he still thinks that TS PC was better
Great review: When you did the DD1 and DD2 review, you mention peak torque vs holding torque. Have there been any news on peak and holding torques for these two units, the CSL 1.1 and CSW 2.5?
Nice video as always. But you can most definitely set a negative value to the drift setting on the CSL Elite. Currently have mine set as -2 and resists as expected. So maybe firmware update needed?
Regarding the cost of licensing fees, how do the wheel rims themselves factor into it? Because it’s the wheel base that’s licensed for use on the PS4, while the wheel rims are licensed on the Xbox side of things. This means you can buy a PS4-compatible wheel base, and if you attach an Xbox-compatible wheel rim to it, it then becomes usable on both consoles. So I’m thinking that the PS4 wheel base might be more expensive, but the Xbox rims might also be sucking up more of your cash for licensing than you realise.
@@boostedmedia All of my knowledge on the subject is contained in this 2014 article from Eurogamer: www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-05-whats-the-deal-with-ps4-and-xbox-one-steering-wheels Thankfully, fees or no fees, we're well past the situation we had five years ago, at least on the console side.
Liked your review and I was considering a CSL Elite but the wheels are $500 up to $1000 each! , more than the base its self, that point there may have broken the deal for me, now looking at a T300.
Hi, your video is very informative and super useful to me, so thanks very much for that! If I can make a suggestion it would be for you to write a script, or at least some bullet points to follow during your review because, and sorry for that, you repeat the same information A LOT, and it makes you hard to follow. Thanks again for the great content! All the best!
Nice vid, thanks for the share. What are your in game settings for RR using the CsL Elite? I had a peek at your other vids and didn’t see anything on it...maybe do a vid on the on game and wheel settings you’re using.
I need a new wheel, my old Logitech G25 has seen better days. With all this gear you have now will you be looking to sell any older stuff anytime soon?
Shoot me a PM over on Facebook mate. Most of the stuff I'll be looking to sell is already spoken for, and I need to hold on to a few things for longer term testing. But I might be able to help you out in a few weeks.
I think you need to add some detail in here about the PS4 csl elite. It’s pretty well known now that the internals of the PS4 csl elite are different to the Xbox version. It borrows parts from the CSW and is seen as the higher quality version. That’s why it’s $100 extra.
All week I delayed buying the CSL Elite base+, basic elite pedals with load cell add on, and The F1 carbon V2 wheel. I finally decide to go through with the purchase and yeah.. the the CSL base+,F1 carbon V2 wheel, load celladd on were ALL sold out 😳 (US site). Anyway I panicked..lol and ended up spending a lot more. Bought the $550 USD Club Sport base V2.5 $370 USD Elite pedals V3 $250 USD F1 eSports wheel $120 USD Extra cost of shipping due to heavier parts (total shipping costs to my country were 190 USD.. Or only $25 USD within the US, huge difference but we can't drive through the US border right now so my options were limited. Anyway, long winded post is that the club sport base 2.5 and elite pedals v3 costs an extra $400 USD or $600+ after currency conversion and taxes. I'm told it will be worth it. 😏
I'm aware that this is somewhat old review and I have question rather than the comment but still: in setup with PC and Fanatec wheel base and Fanatec pedals what is your recommendation how to connect peddals? To plug them into wheel base or directly into PC? I know that first option provides capability of controling and setting pedals using whee but is there any noticable difference between this two connection scenarios while actualy driving and using pedals and wheel?
Not really any difference when driving. Connecting to the wheelbase has 2 advantages. 1. You can adjust brake pressure sensitivity and the vibration motors directly from the wheel without needing to open the drivers. 2. It frees up a USB port which is important in some titles that can’t detect more than a few USB devices.
Probably not much difference in perceived performance but I thought plugging in with USB offered higher resolution w/ some of the pedals, possibly to get the full 16bit res on the CSL load cell upgrade? I could be confusing this w/ the new Thrustmaster load cell brakes so disregard in that case.
My CSL Elite PS4 lasted 1 yr and 8 months running a FFB level that felt like my Camry in real life. Last night it let out a belch of smoke and now it's done. I have many hours of league racing though, averaging 3 days a week. If you have the CSL Elite, I strongly recommend lighter FFB settings. I was running 70% in Raceroom when mine cooked. It is a smooth wheel and has a great feel when it works. The odd thing was I just ranked #17 with the FRX17 @Imola 5 minutes before it cooked.
I guess they updated the firmware since then. My csl elite on my pc goes to dri -5. Which Im fairly certain dri is the drift setting you mention. It defaults to it in some games an gives a stiffer feel in game. I enjoy it.
Cool, I am getting a csl elite for my pc before I go higher and do upgrades, has your csl elite held up well and are you upgrading to CSL DD Wheelbase or deciding to stay with this?
Hi, can you please let me know how do you monitor and also record the upper right part of your screen showins pedal use, timing, gearing etc.? Thanks and keep on postin! :)
Hi i just got a ClubSport Wheel Base 2.5 and gone to get the drivers from FANATEC site but there showing two version for the wheel base and seeing as you own one and doing this review the version for me here in the UK are 64bit v311 or 64bit v328 would i be right in thinking the v328 drivers are the new ones as i dont want to down load the wrong ones
I think he looked at the specs for the original CSL Xbox One base. The CSL Elite for PS4 was upgraded to have the same motor, sensors, and some other things as the Club Sport. This is another reason why it is more exoensive than the Xbox One setup.
They use one sensor (a Hall effect one) on the motor shaft for motor control purposes, and another sensor on the steering axis to sense steering angle - on the CSL Elites (all of them) that sensor is an optical wheel (as used in 30+ year old computer mice) which is quite sensitive to dust. On the CSW both sensors are of the Hall effect type.
PS4 version isn’t exactly the same as the original elite. You can put the Xbox rim on the newer version as the chips in the wheel. Therefore it works on all platforms. It also has improvements internally making almost identical to the csw Elite is much better bang for buck.
The original Elite was 1.0. Then came Elite PS4 which had CSW internals (most of them) and finally Elite 1.1 which is identical to PS4 (apart from the compatability).
I'm new to this sim driving with a wheel and paddle set up. CSL Elite 1.1 for a Xbox one, do you need a PC to adjust the settings for the wheel base and wheel the way you want them, or can you do all that from the in game settings on the Xbox one console? I know that my sound dumb to some, but I'm new to this and just trying to get some help. Before I made a purchase, thanks
Fanatec 100%. TM is total garbage. With TM, you are paying for a cheaply made kit that does not last long. TM kit only focuses on FFB, and nothing else. You are essentially getting a plastic toy that is belt-driven, which is why they break down all the time. Logitech is 1000000x better in many regards to TM, even though logi wheels are weaker.
@@sqlevolicious Break down all the time? Take a look online and it's evident that it's Fanatec who has reliability issues, especially with the CSL Elite and its failure prone optical wheel sensor. And if a Thrustmaster develops issues you just return it and get a new one - with Fanatec you have to ship it to them and wait up to several months before getting it back.
I'm sure this is kind of a silly question, but coming from something like the T150 with the hybrid belt/pulley & gear internals, will the CSL Elite pretty much blow the pants off of it? Edit: I have one now and yes it does.
Could you do a bit of a follow up? Coming from a t300, hoping to upgrade soon. Exactly how smooth is the FFB? I'm very sensitive to smoothness, notchiness really throws me off, does the CSL feel exactly like a car?
Jenson damn man, that’s awesome! I’ve never tried out any fanatec wheels so I just can’t wrap my head around the concept of smooth ffb. Alright time to start saving up!
Jenson Can’t wait too! I’m gonna have to buy a used rim though, I really want the P1 PS4 version because it has those leatherette grips and I have really sweaty hands and the alcantara would get really dirty after a while. I had to wash my alcantara rim every two weeks on my t300. I can’t stress this enough I really am incapable of even thinking that a wheel can be as smooth as a car. The t300 has those little notches every few degrees and I can’t wrap my head around how there could be none of that on the csw:)
I have the ps4 csl elite with the ps4 p1 rim and mclaren gt3 rim. My dri ranges from -5 to +5 and I run mine at -3, I don't know why your not able to do the same.
And more critical in some situations, the center position of the CSL wheel is too much sensitive, and can you go in troubles to make corrections on the car if you go with old tires for example, i have this massive problem in iRacing .
Great vid guys! I’m after a little support if possible. I’ve just purchased a CSL Elite wheelbase to be able to play on my PS4, but when turning on it starts to calibrate, with the wheel turning clockwise, then anti clockwise. But then stops, with the led’s only lighting up halfway. I’m guessing it needs to be updated on PC? Problem is I don’t yet have, or know the name of the cable I need to go from wheelbase to PS4/PC? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi, you mentioned that you had to turn down a setting on the CSL elite to reduce the rattling/knocking noise. This is something that would bother me and was wondering if the Clubsport v2.5 had the same problem?
@@MarkShawMedia ah that's a shame, it will soon come, if you message me in a few days I'll let you know what it's like, I had a t300rs before, so I'm hoping it will be a significant upgrade.
What do you think of buying the CSW with a CSL Elite P1, vs a CSL Elite with a more expensive wheel? When you add in the load-cell pedal, both options cost roughly $1,000 USD. Seems to me that buying a more expensive base is a better investment, as a second wheel can always be purchased down the road; however replacing the whole base would be significantly more costly. Very useful vid BTW... good job.
Im confused now, should i get CLS elite 1.1 or jump to Simracing 😭 Please make a comparison in mind that our max cost will be 1000$ for base+wheel+ pedals.I want to enter in Simracing.
Same, thinking of getting the clubsport 2 5 package with the v3 pedals and the sequential shifter for 1400 usd, seems like a great deal, all I need is the fanatec handbrake. Might need a better pc but idk :( fx 8350 cpu and a msi Rx570 Gpu.
@@samuraimedi4061 You ever pull the trigger on the CSW 2.5 & v3? If so how long did it take to ship? I think I'm finally about to crack & order that setup w/ brake inserts mod + Formula V2 wheel after staring at my $1300 Fanatec shopping cart & credit card for two weeks... Kind of afraid it'll end up being sold out like their CSL loadcell pedals & all kinds of other sim gear lately w/ the huge shift into sim racing due to the virus.
@@trg_domes2623 The overall feel of the wheel it’s a completely different experience to the G 29 so smooth and you can instantly feel the additional power through your arms
@@samuellp1146 actually had to sell it which was hurting but had too make room for other house stuff. The wheel itself was excellent and would definitely get it again if i had the luxury of a games room
Hoping for your input on this... sim racing equipment decision... If I go 'expensive', my choice down to two: (1) SimXperience Accuforce V2, with rim, & Fanatec CSL LC pedals, tot= @ $1,300.?) or, (2) Fanatec ClubSport 2.5, CSL Elite wheel, and CSL Elite LC pedals tot=(@ $950.) Thanks for any ideas....
In general, Accuforce being dd should be much better. It also has very good reviews and customer support. It's the go to option for 1000$, if you live in America, and are not too attracted to fancy wheels
@@abhishekab1 I've changed my mind 4-5 times since that post. I'm leaning now to the Simucube 2/Sport with Fanatec ClubSport 3 pedals, and not sure of rim.
@@brianboucher4248 If you re spending that much on Wheel, trust me Heusinkveld for Pedals. There is no other way i would have it. Everyone says, pedals before wheels. Go for Sprints, if not Ultimates.
Oh and Will how long does your kick back last for? Im looking to buy a whole lot of Fanatec stuff around the end of the year so hopefully i can use your links to do so :)
Hey silly question, but could you do a video of how you set up different pedals and shifters from other rigs with usb inputs like mixing and matching components from different racing rigs
What if you already have a PS4 CSL Elite? Would upgrading to a V2.5 be worth it? Or not necessarily dramatic enough to justify the switch? Otherwise, I may get some V3 pedals and a new rim.
In my opinion not worth updating from CSL Elite to CSW. But i am a CSW owner, never used a CSL Elite. Curious why i answer then? Because i can say better pedals make a huge difference. I updated 2 weeks ago.
I really like the BMW gt2 wheel and would like to eventually upgrade to DD1/2 in the future...But do the DD systems use the same mounting system for wheels?.
Thanks for the review. Debating if I want to get into the Sim racing. Nothing crazy but different than a controller. Do u have a link for buying in Canada or is the US the closest I'm gonna get?
Have you used any of your equipment for other driving sims? I don't seem to find many videos/reviews other than ones associated with racing. Looking at building my own sim rig using a real truck dash to use and stream while I truck in my trucking sims. Just curious what setup would be best to use. Currently have a logitech g920 with shifter so I'm definitely in the market for a premium setup from something fanatec to hopefully get the most realistic experience. Something just shy of buying a whole cab from a salvage yard and making it work for pc haha. That is still a option in my mind 😎.
Dude I wish I could find this trucking sim emthusiast's custom Peterbilt trucking sim rig this guy was selling last week on eBay & Craigs. Was like a decent 55" LED w/ CSW 2.5, the inverted V3 pedals, real Pete dash, real Pete steering wheel, real Pete air brake push buttons, real Pete upholstery, basically replicated mostly everything to a T. Clearly sparred no expense and wanted like $6-$8k for the full turn key setup. But it's easily the most hardcore truck sim setup I've seen and probably spent double that making it.
@@IconicCypher ya I've looked at salvage yards....1k+ for complete dashes....4-7k for a complete cab that's not including any pedals,etc....I'd def like to find that post!
I have to find this thing cause that's exactly what you're wanting to do and it'd be good inspiration w/ the clever ideas in it. If you're East Coast let me know if you need help finding any parts or dashes etc... have a truck repair shop & open access to a yard w/ mainly HD, commercial & class 8 trucks n such. Good luck!
@@IconicCypher thanks man....naw I live south of nashville but I'm gonna get it figured out soon hopefully lol.....when I do hoping to make some videos. There's a guy in tx that made an arcade style freightliner rig but im wanting to use a real dash and so forth!
now they've just deleted the Xbox version and only offer the PS licensed version at $599 here in Australia, thanks Fanatec for sticking it to us Xbox users!!
Thank you very much man! I want to upgrade from a logitech G920 tot a Fanatec, and can't seem to make up my mind what i want. For a tighter budget de CSL elite sounds amazing, but how will it be 1 year down the road. Because than it's money wasted
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Firstly a few small errors in the video......
1. I said 100Hz sample rate when I was looking right at my cheat sheet that said 1000Hz. DERP!!
2. The angle bracket is 20 degrees, not 45 degrees as stated.
3. Elsewhere on the Fanatec site the motor strength for the CSW 2.5 is listed as 8NM, although not in the main specs.
Lastly, at the time of review, I was not able to set drift mode to a negative value despite having the latest drivers and firmware installed (or so I thought). I did more testing today and discovered the updated 336 beta driver had installed, but for some reason when I flashed the firmware updates it took the files from the previous 328 driver rather than the newer ones. I can confirm with the 336 beta driver and associated firmware installed, the wheelbase allows you to select negative drift mode values. AWESOME!
Thanks to everyone who commented and let me know! Always appreciated :)
Does the CSL feel better now compared to the CSW after adjusting the drift mode? Can you get it to feel like you wanted?
It still doesn’t feel as good but it’s definitely a bit closer. I’m still glad I bought the CSW but the CSL is definitely better value for money assuming it lasts.
@@boostedmedia THX, now patiently awaiting the SimuCube2 Ultimate review. That'll surely be a treat!
Boosted Media you’re so engaging and calm at the same time, thanks for not wasting our time and gave us information on a great pace!
Thanks Trevor.
I always wondered how the CSL compared to the CSW, and I needed more than the one or two sentence synopsis. Thanks!
Happy to help :)
ye I am thinking on saving up for a csl elite f1 bundle so thx for the vid
Thanks for the video, this really helped a lot as I'm tossing up whether to buy a CSW or the elite, for the amount of usage I will put it through, the price to performance proposition, and the fact that the saving will allow me to invest in better pedals with a load cell and maybe a better wheel, I think it's going to be the elite for me right now.
My CSW came this week...I ordered it by mistake, meant to order a CSL. I was annoyed at first in the price difference but honestly, not a waste. The CSW is incredible.
Clubsport is 8nm. It's on the comparison link on the product page. CSL Elite also has single fan cooling vs double fan in the CSW.
@@reviewforthetube6485 That 6nm is not bad, heck the CSL DD Wheelbase has one going for 5Nm instead of 6 which I don't get.
@@reviewforthetube6485 so I have been trolling commentaries of this video who have/had the elite from 2 years and guess what? It's basically
the same and still sturdy and reliable as far as performance (one guy had both). I have an elite on the way (starting out) with better brakes.
I am not knocking the author for being biased for his csw nothing wrong for that.
I would always recommend the base ffb is set at 100, then adjust ffb strength in game, much better to do that and I think it's recommended by Fanatec.
Yeah i always start with the fanatec recomended settings. Its spot on!
It depends of the game, on iRacing the recommended settings doesn't work good.
You want as much signal as possible always going from the game into the wheel. It's always better to adjust the ffb in game to the point of where the signal barely clips and leave it. Adjust your wheel to taste after that...
@@ehss192 what is ffb clipping?
@@84stretch Have you ever played music so loud through a stereo that the speakers begin to distort? Maximizing volume on any stereo amp is finding the loudest point before the amp/speakers begin to distort/clip and backing it off until the audio is nice an clear while retaining volume.
It's the same principal with FFB. Clipping the FFB signal exceeds it's scale of measurement. When this happens you begin to lose detail in the FFB. Set it to low and you'll lose detail. The idea is to maximize the signal going to your wheel from the game before clipping so you get the maximum amount of feel/detail available to you. If you find it too strong it's better to adjust the wheel to suit and all of the detail will still be in the signal and fed to the wheel.
Sorry, I'm no the greatest at explaining these things.
Thanks for your work.
The DATA-Port is for LED-Displays
Spent a couple of weeks uhming and ahhing about an upgrade to Fanatec and finally pulled the trigger today. Your videos helped a lot so used your link for the purchase, hopefully you get something for it!
Cheers from the UK!
SAME! lol... pulled trigger last sunday on csw 2.5 and clubsport v3 pedals. They arrive this Monday!
@@SK_727 oh nice mate I’m just lost in a world of wheels right now , I don’t and can’t spend 2k on wheels so want good value for money any help ??
Your review really helped me choose. Coming from a G27 I now am set on the CSL Elite 1.1. Thank you so much for clearing this up for me! :) Great videos, very much appreciated. I'll be sure to use your affiliate link when I'm buying one. Thanks!
You get it yet? I have had my csl elite base over 2 years huge upgrade from g27. I do recommend v3 pedals the elite pedal have issue with the plastic gears wearing on the sensors..
@@kdcustoms1272 with the CSL Elite, do you have to have a PC to get the wheel set up to your liking? Or if you have a Xbox one console can you set up the wheel in the game settings that way? I know that my sound dumb to some, but I'm new to this. Thanks
@@Super804boy don't sound dumb at all buddy, but I have no idea. I only used it on PC, haven't been on a console since 2014..
the wheel has settings on the wheel, so i would assume you can adjust with the wheel on a console.. just make sure you buy the version for your console.
@@kdcustoms1272 I really appreciate you taking time to reply to my comment. Picked out the CSL Elite 1.1 base, the WRC wheel, I believe that's the right initials. And the basic fanatic brake and accelerator foot pads, for now. I was just wondering if I could set it all up without a PC. Me and my wife do own two laptops. So I guess push comes to shove I could use that, for setting up everything. So I'm going to place the order, so once again thanks a lot.
Love your work mate. I’ve learnt much from your channel over the last few weeks and as a sign of gratitude I’ve used your affiliate link to purchase a csw v2.5 Xbox bundle. So hopefully that goes far enough to help with the channel. Will purchase wheels in the future using your affiliate link too. Keep up the top work mate.
Thanks so much for the support :)
How have you found the csw 2.5 xbox bundle? Thinking of buying 1 myself.
Good video! Always wondered if I shouldn't have bought a 2.5, but now I'm more than happy with my CSL wheelbase.
This in combination with a Clubsport GT wheel, CSL Loadcell brake and a sturdy seat.
Came from Logitech, never ever going back!
Thx again for the direct comparison, best one I've seen so far. 👍
Just ordered a CSL base and Clubsport GT wheel, coming from a Thrustmaster TMX (which I found to perform decent, but lacked strength and reaction speed). Really looking forward to getting a proper setup with good feel and load cell brake. This review was very insightful, thanks for putting it out there.
how has it been?
Hoping to upgrade to the CSL Elite sometime soon from a G920. This is one of the best videos Ive seen on both the CSW and CSL compared~
I have just made that upgrade - night and day for sure! I can feel so much more detail and my consistency has increased a lot! I also purchased the CSR Elite load cell pedals. Again, a massive jump up in quality over the G920 pedals.
Did you ever end up doing it? I've gone the same route and it should be arriving tomorrow
@Mytube6138 update?
@@lebojay It's been a massive upgrade over the logitech, definitely worth the money. Though I wish I'd gone for the load cell, and they don't have them in stock last I checked so I'll have to wait
@Mytube6138 Have you tried the CSW? I’m really curious about the difference between the elite and the CSW 2.5 and it’s hard to get satisfactory answers from UA-cam reviewers.
Great video Will. I always wondered about the differences between the two.
Which one is better?
Hey mate, your videos are really fantastic. So informative, well produced, well paced and slickly produced (I'm a video producer myself). I'm in the long process of researching my dream rig setup for the day I finally move into a larger place and your videos are providing excellent foundation knowledge in basically every key area - wheel bases, wheels, pedals, etc. Love that you're an Aussie too because it helps with quick price comparisons! Keep up the great work mate and I hope you're getting some decent play time in in addition to all the video production work you're doing (I know how much time is needed to shoot, edit and develop motion graphics). Thanks for your efforts!
Thanks a lot Luke. Glad the videos are helping.
Absolutely phenomenal video mate. I found the Club wheel base on sale for not much more than the Elite which was down to luck and I pressed the trigger quickly. When I saw the top I was sold, It looks like something out of a Porsche engine and I love design and aesthetics of the wheel base.
Thanks for the info, BM! Very helpful.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
I have just bought the CSW 2.5 bundle with the shifter, xbox wheel, wheel, and pedals... after 10 years changing my G25...
I have really high expectations...can´t wait!!!
@J K Im out of home on vacation, I will be back soon and install it. Give me 1 more week and I will let you know. For what I saw: awesome quality, everything is made of metal, wheel and buttons are perfect, the shifter shifts beautiful!!!
About a week more I will be back to tell you... for now.. awesome... worth the money...mmmm still dont know
@J K I have to consider that I have also a new computer... but... 1) build construction perfect. I have to take out some parts to transport them...all build well not any screw lose.
2) The force feedback of the 2.5 is amazing... the G25 is a toy.. this is way much stronger, progresive and fast
3) Pedals..same quality, the brake is much beter and the feeling of the gas and clutch is much more real...the "less" real is the brake.. I have to adjust..everyone saysthe upgrade worth it.
4) shifter... same as comment #1.. the other is a toy.. this feels nice... you can change them fast and stronger it can hold a lot... I have to get used to the gearing...was erratic at the begining.
5) setup...uffff..I have spend a lot of time here... and will keep like that for a while. Every change is a huge one.
6) First setup (was easy for me.. already have the seat and long time ago I make the changes to receive this).. it was plug and play.. bur trustme..o each sim search for the setup.. is plenty on the internet.. follow the most common ones.
Worth what they ask??? For me..is a LOT of money and if this holds more than what I have use the G25 (+10 years) yes...
Hope it helps
If you want a more detailed opinion... give me until next sunday
@J K did you upgrade yet and if so what do you think? Are you happy with the product you upgraded to?
When I bought my CSW V2 four years ago it was compatible with the ps4, nowadays it's not compatible any longer, thank you Sony. After that I switched to the pc and this summer I bought the DD2. What a difference :) it's absolutely worth it
I actually ordered the CSL Elite (PS4 version) due to budget reasons, and your review actually gave me the push to do it, considering you told that if the minus setting on the drift part would be addessed, that's the only thing you would miss. I know this can now be set to -5, so with that in mind I am now awaiting my Fanatec delivery and hope to be online racing again soon (returned my earlier ordered T300 since that did not feel as too much of an upgrade from my old TMX FF for the costs).
Wait what? the only reason I was going to go for the clubsport over the elite was the mention of the negative setting in this video. If the elite can do that now.. I'll just go back to my original plan
Thomas smith I can confirm in the meantime it is indeed added and working on the PS4 version of the CSL Elite. Got it yesterday and of course tinkered with it and it does indeed function very well. No regrets, and loving it already!
@@Djuroen That is great news :)
@@@thomassmith4999 Saves you a couple bucks for a set of LC pedals ;-)
@@Djuroen I'm just waiting a little to get some more info on the playstation 5 as I want to use it on both ps5 and pc
Came back to this as it ended up in my “up next” feed and briefly gotten hands on time with a CSW 2.5 recently; that was a radically different experience to what I’m used to with Logitech gear, mostly in strength as I could feel my arms having to work lol! Given the advent of DD wheels I still think a CSLE wheelbase would be the wise step up, unless there’s something like a CSW 2.0 selling used when the time comes
Will , its been told that if you set your CSWv2.5 below 100% on base you create a dead zone and you should always use the FFB settings in game to adjust it down not the wheel !
Then I guess the question would be, why give me the choice if it leads to s worse experience?
Thanks, nice watch! Can't wait to see the DD wheel videos already! :)
Mate just got the csl elite f1 package upgrading from lowest end logitec. REALLLY looking forward to it.
Enjoy!!
@@boostedmedia I just got it... and oh my god. I can feel and drive on the limit now. good sim racing is on another level.
@@IhsanMujdeci That's awesome man. What logi did you have?
@@michaelwingender9717 I had a logitech momo steering wheel. www.gamesmen.com.au/cont-pc-momo-force-steering-wheel
got the same. so much better than the cheap logicrap i had. your gonna love it.
Mic is much better suited for you considering how much you move around. Nice job on this review thank you
Thanks mate. Took your advice :) Just need to fiddle with the channels as there was some interference towards the end of the video.
@@boostedmedia Try clipping it on your left and a few inches down as you tend to talk more to your left, otherwise I find it picks your voice up much better
After spending a month of so with my CSL Elite and really enjoying it over my Thrustmaster, I eventually decided I needed just a little more power for my fairly heavy universal hub, and Fanatec agreed to an RMA. I re-watched this video again this morning just to confirm that I wanted to make the jump to the CSW, and went ahead and purchased it with your referral link (forgot to do so when purchasing the rest of my stuff). Hope it helps you continue making the excellent content, Will! Now I'm just hoping this will hold me over for a few years before going all in on a direct drive...
Are you still with that wheelbase or did you upgrade to a higher CSL DD Wheelbase ?
@@samuellp1146 I've since stuck with the full CSW 2.5 setup although I will probably make the jump to DD within the year. No complaints about the CSW whatsoever though, it's really an excellent base.
Thx for the content. I really enjoy your videos
I have the PS4 Csl elite and i have minus Drift mode up to -5, maybe you need an update, thanks for the review
PS4 version has always had drift mode -5 to +5.
I was about to make the same comment
Man he was too biased towards the CSW and in all fairness he's not too sure about the elite because he's been on the other base most of the time.
just ordered my full clubsport bundle after watching this video... cannot wait for it to come in!
Enjoy it mate :) you’ll love it.
@@boostedmedia just need to wait like a month for shipping now :p sucks living in canada and sim racing
@@Rob.Brown13 how much did shipping cost man ?
@@hakkaydin7758 $250... It's alot but there isn't anywhere cheaper in Ontario. Simulation1 was $300-$400 more then fanatec even after shipping..
How is your experience with this setup after 3 months? :D
Looking to upgrade soon from my old G27. Debating between the Fanatec and Thrustmaster gear. Very helpful vid.
Another good vid Will :) Having admired Fanatec Clubsport gear from afar for some time now, a CSL Elite wheelbase is likely going to be what I shoot for when I reinvest into sim gear, especially given the emergence of DD wheel bases establishing a new level of high-end! As much as a G920 was alright, the weak strength of the FFB (like 3nm max or maybe less) and the need to turn it down to avoid clipping meant the wheel certainly felt like a toy, but never the less I still felt I was going fast (and pardon blowing my own horn here but my times on the Raceroom leaderboards in the ID.R challenge or Bathurst in various cars seemed good - track knowledge/self-confidence and car setup make so much more of a difference than pricey hardware :p)
Some things from your content I wanted to mention:
1. Re: FFB strength @ 7:10 - having done some digging on Fanatec's site there is a comparison table (under the "comparison" tab on the CSW v2.5 product page) between the v2.5, the v2 and the CSL-E (v1), which says that FFB strength is ">8nm" on the axis (vs ">6nm" for the CSL-E), so the 25-30% of FFB feel seems to match the numbers :)
1a. Speaking of FFB, does cranking FFB to 100% get close to introducing FFB clipping? I did find a FFB meter you can put on screen in Raceroom to check that out
2. The lapel mic is nice and discrete but I think with your use of your hands to point to objects and animate yourself introduces some rub on the mic but I'm noticing that because I have earphones in tonight, so probably not too much of a big deal
I didn't notice any clipping but will check out the gauge you mentioned.
The noise on the new mic was interference. it's wireless. first time I'd used it. need to fiddle with the channel settings.
I think you’re supposed to always set ffb to 100% in the wheel and lower it so much in the game that it doesn’t clip.
Daniel are you still on your rig or did you upgrade to CSL DD Wheelbase (5Nm/8Nm)? Has the CSL Elite wheelbase held up well since you wrote this comment? Thanks.
Just ordered a CSL Elite with formula v2 wheel. Thanks for the video!
TAZRR TAZRR why?
@@zbubzbub5557 the elite is pretty much almost the same in performance, the author's complaint about negative drift setting on elite was found not true by csl elite owners.
Very helpful! I've been looking to step away from Thrustmaster and get into a Fanatec Xbox One setup... I think the CSL is the way to go for me! Thanks!
Very nice review 👍 i have the csl elite ps4 wheelbase and after 2hour of hard racing the single fan is blowing for a bit and after its cooled the fan is off. I always left the wheelbase on if the fan is on and shut it after the fan is off.
Thanks for the review mate 👍
The PS4 version is also different at an hardware level and use more components form the CSW, cost is not only due to PS4 licensing.
No Tech Drama doesn't seem like it from Fanatecs website. I think the only thing that's different is the Sony safety chip. You might be confusing the CSL Elite 1.1 with the XBONE CSL Elite.That one indeed jad different innards.
BadFlounder Security chip I meant to say.
@@slatanek www.fanatec.com/eu-en/support/faq/details&id=101
At the time the CSW V2 (and original CSL Elite Wheel Base) was developed it was not possible to create a dynamic/variable motor damper into the motor driver. To develop this features we had to design a completely new motor electronics which is driven by a logical processor and has its own firmware which is programmable/updateable.
Nice review brother, im going up from a thrustmaster Servo base with the spaco wheel hand brake combo, this help a lot.
Nice review! They both have a 1000 Hz USB update rate ....you forgot the last 0 ;-)
Oh derp!! I was even looking right at it on my cheat sheet when I said 100. Thanks for pointing that out :)
very very good Video. You saved me a lot of money hehe thanks!
You can add negative CSL elite. I was able to do so on mine,but it's temperamental based on steering wheel is being used. I had to set the Drift mode on the p1 ps4 wheel and then swap over to my gt2 or f1 wheel. Sometimes it would work without having to swap
Nice vid mate. The V2.5 states it has 8nm feedback and the bracket is 20 degrees not 45. This is on the specs on Fanatic website
CSW is 8nm CSL 6nm and both run at 1000Hz (not a 100). The CSL does have a fan on top of the case. Also negative Drift setting is available on the CSL after firmware update I believe. Anyway, thanks for the review/comparison, very informative. You've got yourself another subscriber. Keep it up mate!
I've shot an email off to Fanatec to clarify the Drift setting. I updated the driver and firmware 3 days ago so unless something has changed since then, I'm guessing there must be a difference between the PC/Xbox Elite v1.1 and the PS4 version. Will report back once I have an answer.
@@boostedmedia Would be nice to hear about the CSL Elite 1.1 specifically since that's what I'm aiming for as my next upgrade. Maybe it's something to do with upgrading both the base firmware and the wheel rim firmware? Anyways let us know what you've found out from Fanatec themselves.
@@slatanek I get my 1.1 last week, also with a mclaren gt3 wheel. Drift mode goes from -5 to +5 .
Rafael Placce thanks man. Nice to hear that. Have fun!
Prices in Oz seem a bit high. Here in the EU the CSL is only 100 euro cheaper so i think the CSW is a better choice here. Thank you for such an informative review.
I just noticed one thing : both you and chris haye are guitarists simracers, and me too :) I'm starting to think there is some connection between guitars, or music in general, and simracing...
I think there is definitely a similarity in the personality types that are attracted to musical instruments, cars and tech in general.
I'm a guitarist simracer too
My brain works in the same way when I play solo or drive a rally stage.
im hoping that fanatec announces the csw is under $700 aud for black friday deals.
Do they usually have sales on black friday?
No they’ve only done some bundles in the last few years.
Pretty Interesting, I was on the verge of buying a CSL Elite, but just in time i cancelled my order and went for a CSW 2.5 a few reasons, and i can buy with no VAT since i own a company
- In NL the CSL elite costs 440 no VAT
- The CSW costs 470 no VAT
- The almost complete metal build and tight ffb pulled me over the line
- I was able to get an old xbox p1 (the rubber one yeah.. whatever i guess it works) for 40 Euros. The makes the CSW 2.5 in my case just 70 Euro's more expensive. Few visits to the maccas and you've spend that.
- Im planning to buy the new mclaren rim but its on pre-order right now
Its still a good comparison, but i think with the prices it completely changes the view. Also interesting, if the CSL elite is 500 AUD that would convert to 361 euro's, now a Thrustmaster T300 Alcantara is 400 euro's THATS MORE. The CSL elite in your warm lovely country is priced extremely well!
EDIT: i was curious so i visited Fanatec AU store, no bundle with the p1 rim, base costs 600 au converted to euro that's 380 euro, 20 less then just the base over here. It was to good to be true
NOTE: A few of you are telling me you're able to select negative values for the Drift setting on the PS4 version. I made absolutely sure I had the latest drivers and firmware installed on everything and tested multiple wheels as well to make absolutely sure because I figured I must be missing something. If anyone here has a CSL Elite V1.1 and is able to select negative Drift values, please let me know! I have emailed my contact at Fanatec for clarification but it would appear there is a difference between how this setting operates on the PC/Xbox v1.1 (which this review is based on) and the PS4 version.
I will update this comment once I hear back.
Read this topic:
www.racedepartment.com/threads/csl-elite-wheel-base-wobbles-back-and-forth-when-oversteering.170470/#post-3001652
Thanks for the info guys. I absolutely have the latest firmware and drivers so it can’t be what’s suggested in that race department thread.
The Fanatec FAQ makes it sound like it only works on the PS4 version.
Anyhow I’ve written to my contact at Fanatec to get clarification and will update the pinned comment when I hear back.
I got my 1.1 last week, also with a mclaren gt3 wheel. Drift mode goes from -5 to +5 . Maybe its region thing? Mine is from USA.
@@rafaelplacce Thanks for letting me know Rafael. I can't imagine it would be a regional thing. Are you running the 336 Beta driver or 328?
@@boostedmediaAll my version numbers > PC driver 336, Wheel base firmware 656, Wheel base motor firmware 22, Steering wheel firmware 30
i use a CSW 2.5 and ill be 100% honest with you guys, if you ask me on reddit ill say i never said this. but i liked my thustmaster TS-PC racer better than my clubsport. i had the TM wheel on v3 pedals and a clubsport shifter and it was amazing. all i play is assetto corsa mind you, but the 2.5 just doesnt feel as natural as the TS-PC. my thrustmaster broke so i panic bought this clubsport so ide still have a wheel. i got it brand new shipped to my door in 2 days. well i picked it up actually but still. ive messed with the FFB settings and it IS fantastic, but the TS-PC racer was just better imo. in terms of FFB strictly. it had cogging and some other stuff but i didn't notice it. every car just felt correct with that wheelbase. maybe i gotta get used to the fanatec product some more. i only had it 3 days
Of course you need a couple days or maybe a few weeks and you will love it.
So is there a revised opinion you have mate?
Abhishek Bhandari hey English isn’t my first language so i don’t know what do you mean by revised opinion could you explain?😅sorry
@@radyon955 I meant the original writer of the post, whether he changed his opinion based on using the 2.5 more, or he still thinks that TS PC was better
Abhishek Bhandari i don’t know but he probably enjoys the v2.5
Great review: When you did the DD1 and DD2 review, you mention peak torque vs holding torque. Have there been any news on peak and holding torques for these two units, the CSL 1.1 and CSW 2.5?
Nice video as always. But you can most definitely set a negative value to the drift setting on the CSL Elite. Currently have mine set as -2 and resists as expected. So maybe firmware update needed?
Is yours the PC v1.1 or PS4 version?
@@boostedmedia hey man, yeah I should have said it's the Ps4 version
I ordered a CSL just now but with the V3 pedals, im sure it will be better than my G29 even though the G29 did a great job for the price.
Regarding the cost of licensing fees, how do the wheel rims themselves factor into it? Because it’s the wheel base that’s licensed for use on the PS4, while the wheel rims are licensed on the Xbox side of things. This means you can buy a PS4-compatible wheel base, and if you attach an Xbox-compatible wheel rim to it, it then becomes usable on both consoles.
So I’m thinking that the PS4 wheel base might be more expensive, but the Xbox rims might also be sucking up more of your cash for licensing than you realise.
Can’t comment on Xbox licensing fees as I don’t have any knowledge in that area. You could well be right.
Very good question!
@@boostedmedia All of my knowledge on the subject is contained in this 2014 article from Eurogamer:
www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-05-whats-the-deal-with-ps4-and-xbox-one-steering-wheels
Thankfully, fees or no fees, we're well past the situation we had five years ago, at least on the console side.
Liked your review and I was considering a CSL Elite but the wheels are $500 up to $1000 each! , more than the base its self, that point there may have broken the deal for me, now looking at a T300.
Yeah, T300 and G29 are entry level, value for money, but decent. Then there s fanatec, then dd and so on.
@@abhishekab1 T150 and G29 are entry level - T300 is mid-level, I'd say.
Hi, your video is very informative and super useful to me, so thanks very much for that! If I can make a suggestion it would be for you to write a script, or at least some bullet points to follow during your review because, and sorry for that, you repeat the same information A LOT, and it makes you hard to follow. Thanks again for the great content! All the best!
Nice vid, thanks for the share. What are your in game settings for RR using the CsL Elite? I had a peek at your other vids and didn’t see anything on it...maybe do a vid on the on game and wheel settings you’re using.
On the CSL side I was running everything at 100% and drift mode off. In game I was running the same as I had for my CSW but didn’t write them down.
Cool comparison. As now March 2021 you can not get the Xbox version of CSL Elite & that’s disappointing.
Thanks for sharing
👍🏻👍🏻🙃🙃
I need a new wheel, my old Logitech G25 has seen better days. With all this gear you have now will you be looking to sell any older stuff anytime soon?
Shoot me a PM over on Facebook mate. Most of the stuff I'll be looking to sell is already spoken for, and I need to hold on to a few things for longer term testing. But I might be able to help you out in a few weeks.
Ya, I hear ya man. Looking to upgrade my Logitech MOMO sometime as well, but boy has it brought some great times!!
I think you need to add some detail in here about the PS4 csl elite. It’s pretty well known now that the internals of the PS4 csl elite are different to the Xbox version. It borrows parts from the CSW and is seen as the higher quality version. That’s why it’s $100 extra.
All week I delayed buying the CSL Elite base+, basic elite pedals with load cell add on, and The F1 carbon V2 wheel. I finally decide to go through with the purchase and yeah.. the the CSL base+,F1 carbon V2 wheel, load celladd on were ALL sold out 😳 (US site). Anyway I panicked..lol and ended up spending a lot more. Bought the
$550 USD Club Sport base V2.5
$370 USD Elite pedals V3
$250 USD F1 eSports wheel
$120 USD Extra cost of shipping due to heavier parts (total shipping costs to my country were 190 USD.. Or only $25 USD within the US, huge difference but we can't drive through the US border right now so my options were limited. Anyway, long winded post is that the club sport base 2.5 and elite pedals v3 costs an extra $400 USD or $600+ after currency conversion and taxes. I'm told it will be worth it. 😏
I'm aware that this is somewhat old review and I have question rather than the comment but still: in setup with PC and Fanatec wheel base and Fanatec pedals what is your recommendation how to connect peddals? To plug them into wheel base or directly into PC? I know that first option provides capability of controling and setting pedals using whee but is there any noticable difference between this two connection scenarios while actualy driving and using pedals and wheel?
Not really any difference when driving. Connecting to the wheelbase has 2 advantages. 1. You can adjust brake pressure sensitivity and the vibration motors directly from the wheel without needing to open the drivers. 2. It frees up a USB port which is important in some titles that can’t detect more than a few USB devices.
Probably not much difference in perceived performance but I thought plugging in with USB offered higher resolution w/ some of the pedals, possibly to get the full 16bit res on the CSL load cell upgrade? I could be confusing this w/ the new Thrustmaster load cell brakes so disregard in that case.
Any Base just need a Compatible rim connected and it become compatible with any platform the Rim is, that's the magic of the Fanatec.
Correct Michael
the csl elite has active cooling in the top ;)
the value can't be done with a few days of comparing because the value is in how long the wheel base lasts and I know the CSW2.5 is preety robust
As i said in the video, I can't comment on longevity of the CSL yet, but my CSW has been going strong for 10 months now.
I'm still on a V1, lol
My CSL Elite PS4 lasted 1 yr and 8 months running a FFB level that felt like my Camry in real life. Last night it let out a belch of smoke and now it's done. I have many hours of league racing though, averaging 3 days a week. If you have the CSL Elite, I strongly recommend lighter FFB settings. I was running 70% in Raceroom when mine cooked. It is a smooth wheel and has a great feel when it works. The odd thing was I just ranked #17 with the FRX17 @Imola 5 minutes before it cooked.
@@eddieellis677 you are hard core driver my man.
I guess they updated the firmware since then. My csl elite on my pc goes to dri -5. Which Im fairly certain dri is the drift setting you mention. It defaults to it in some games an gives a stiffer feel in game. I enjoy it.
Cool, I am getting a csl elite for my pc before I go higher and do upgrades, has your csl elite held up well and are you upgrading to CSL DD Wheelbase or deciding to stay with this?
Hi, can you please let me know how do you monitor and also record the upper right part of your screen showins pedal use, timing, gearing etc.? Thanks and keep on postin! :)
His Tomas, I did a video a few weeks about how I record my races. That explains everything :)
@@boostedmedia Will take a look.thanks mate!
Hi i just got a ClubSport Wheel Base 2.5 and gone to get the drivers from FANATEC site but there showing two version for the wheel base and seeing as you own one and doing this review the version for me here in the UK are 64bit v311 or 64bit v328 would i be right in thinking the v328 drivers are the new ones as i dont want to down load the wrong ones
@@BC-cp5vr Thanks for that B C you spend £1600 on a set up and FANATEC cant even reply back to you your a star
@@BC-cp5vrThanks for that i did see that about update and flashing the items just was not sure which driver to download :)
Yep download 328 64bit
@@boostedmedia thanks for all the info just waiting on my next level gt stand tomorrow got the lot but the stand
Black Country Blitz Pc Gaming should’ve bought an gt omega Apex stand. I have two and they’re amazing
the new update on the csl elite has minus drift mode
Correct.
The CSL Elite has two sensors. One on the motor shaft and one on the steering hub. Disassemble the CSL and you will see the two sensors.
I think he looked at the specs for the original CSL Xbox One base. The CSL Elite for PS4 was upgraded to have the same motor, sensors, and some other things as the Club Sport. This is another reason why it is more exoensive than the Xbox One setup.
They use one sensor (a Hall effect one) on the motor shaft for motor control purposes, and another sensor on the steering axis to sense steering angle - on the CSL Elites (all of them) that sensor is an optical wheel (as used in 30+ year old computer mice) which is quite sensitive to dust. On the CSW both sensors are of the Hall effect type.
Hi, do you think Fanatec will release the DS 2.5 for the PS??
Wondering this same thing I just got the csl elite but want the csw but it doesn’t supposrt ps. I’m playing on pc and ps5
PS4 version isn’t exactly the same as the original elite. You can put the Xbox rim on the newer version as the chips in the wheel. Therefore it works on all platforms. It also has improvements internally making almost identical to the csw
Elite is much better bang for buck.
The original Elite was 1.0. Then came Elite PS4 which had CSW internals (most of them) and finally Elite 1.1 which is identical to PS4 (apart from the compatability).
clubsport v2.5 is great - cant wait for upgrading to Podium series
I'm new to this sim driving with a wheel and paddle set up. CSL Elite 1.1 for a Xbox one, do you need a PC to adjust the settings for the wheel base and wheel the way you want them, or can you do all that from the in game settings on the Xbox one console? I know that my sound dumb to some, but I'm new to this and just trying to get some help. Before I made a purchase, thanks
What would you recommend between a Thrustmaster TS XW or a fanatec csl elite?
Fanatec 100%. TM is total garbage. With TM, you are paying for a cheaply made kit that does not last long. TM kit only focuses on FFB, and nothing else. You are essentially getting a plastic toy that is belt-driven, which is why they break down all the time. Logitech is 1000000x better in many regards to TM, even though logi wheels are weaker.
@@sqlevolicious Break down all the time? Take a look online and it's evident that it's Fanatec who has reliability issues, especially with the CSL Elite and its failure prone optical wheel sensor. And if a Thrustmaster develops issues you just return it and get a new one - with Fanatec you have to ship it to them and wait up to several months before getting it back.
I'm sure this is kind of a silly question, but coming from something like the T150 with the hybrid belt/pulley & gear internals, will the CSL Elite pretty much blow the pants off of it?
Edit: I have one now and yes it does.
Could you do a bit of a follow up? Coming from a t300, hoping to upgrade soon. Exactly how smooth is the FFB? I'm very sensitive to smoothness, notchiness really throws me off, does the CSL feel exactly like a car?
Jenson damn man, that’s awesome! I’ve never tried out any fanatec wheels so I just can’t wrap my head around the concept of smooth ffb. Alright time to start saving up!
Jenson Can’t wait too! I’m gonna have to buy a used rim though, I really want the P1 PS4 version because it has those leatherette grips and I have really sweaty hands and the alcantara would get really dirty after a while. I had to wash my alcantara rim every two weeks on my t300. I can’t stress this enough I really am incapable of even thinking that a wheel can be as smooth as a car. The t300 has those little notches every few degrees and I can’t wrap my head around how there could be none of that on the csw:)
Because csl elite ffb is slightly deducted because of that belt tensioner while csw doesn’t have it
I have the ps4 csl elite with the ps4 p1 rim and mclaren gt3 rim. My dri ranges from -5 to +5 and I run mine at -3, I don't know why your not able to do the same.
I don't think he was on that wheelbase long enough because his opinion was biased for the other wheel base.
i find the drift mode distort the real feeling. Drift mode always on 0 even when drifting. Feels so much cleaner
And more critical in some situations, the center position of the CSL wheel is too much sensitive, and can you go in troubles to make corrections on the car if you go with old tires for example, i have this massive problem in iRacing .
I really appreciate your hard work and the brilliant quality of the videos. But honestly, can you edit some shorter videos?
Great vid guys! I’m after a little support if possible. I’ve just purchased a CSL Elite wheelbase to be able to play on my PS4, but when turning on it starts to calibrate, with the wheel turning clockwise, then anti clockwise. But then stops, with the led’s only lighting up halfway. I’m guessing it needs to be updated on PC? Problem is I don’t yet have, or know the name of the cable I need to go from wheelbase to PS4/PC? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
did you get the support on this?
Hi, you mentioned that you had to turn down a setting on the CSL elite to reduce the rattling/knocking noise. This is something that would bother me and was wondering if the Clubsport v2.5 had the same problem?
Have you found out ?😅
@@ICTenjoyer😀 it's fine on ACC✌🏼
Where does the Elite mount? Forgive me if it's a stupid question but I don't see a mechanism to mount it to my cockpit
Csw for me. I value that "direct drive feel" above all else.
Mine is coming tomorrow!! Cant wait
@@Cagefighter I gotta wait til Jul 12th since the pedals won't be in stock til then...ug.
@@MarkShawMedia ah that's a shame, it will soon come, if you message me in a few days I'll let you know what it's like, I had a t300rs before, so I'm hoping it will be a significant upgrade.
@@Cagefighter Yeah cool, let me know. From what I'm seeing it's not gonna have any ffb deadzone or rattling whatsoever. My G27 is junk in the center.
What do you think of buying the CSW with a CSL Elite P1, vs a CSL Elite with a more expensive wheel? When you add in the load-cell pedal, both options cost roughly $1,000 USD. Seems to me that buying a more expensive base is a better investment, as a second wheel can always be purchased down the road; however replacing the whole base would be significantly more costly. Very useful vid BTW... good job.
Yeah I’d agree with you. Spend more on the base and less on the wheel as an initial investment.
Im confused now, should i get CLS elite 1.1 or jump to Simracing 😭 Please make a comparison in mind that our max cost will be 1000$ for base+wheel+ pedals.I want to enter in Simracing.
Same, thinking of getting the clubsport 2 5 package with the v3 pedals and the sequential shifter for 1400 usd, seems like a great deal, all I need is the fanatec handbrake. Might need a better pc but idk :( fx 8350 cpu and a msi Rx570 Gpu.
@@samuraimedi4061 You ever pull the trigger on the CSW 2.5 & v3? If so how long did it take to ship? I think I'm finally about to crack & order that setup w/ brake inserts mod + Formula V2 wheel after staring at my $1300 Fanatec shopping cart & credit card for two weeks... Kind of afraid it'll end up being sold out like their CSL loadcell pedals & all kinds of other sim gear lately w/ the huge shift into sim racing due to the virus.
The price difference seems to be weird across countries. Here in Germany the CSW is 549€ whereas the CSL is 399€, so much less of a difference..
I love the elite had it nearly a week for my ps5. Coming from a G 29 the difference is huge
How much did the stronger motors make a difference because I’m considering upgrading
@@trg_domes2623 The overall feel of the wheel it’s a completely different experience to the G 29 so smooth and you can instantly feel the additional power through your arms
@@gb_uk2308 How's it holding up now assuming you are still using the sim? Getting mine to start up in racing and it's barely used.
@@samuellp1146 actually had to sell it which was hurting but had too make room for other house stuff. The wheel itself was excellent and would definitely get it again if i had the luxury of a games room
@@gb_uk2308 that's life, you'll more than likely get another go around thanks and have a great 2022🏁
Hoping for your input on this... sim racing equipment decision...
If I go 'expensive', my choice down to two: (1) SimXperience Accuforce V2, with rim, & Fanatec CSL LC pedals, tot= @ $1,300.?) or, (2) Fanatec ClubSport 2.5, CSL Elite wheel, and CSL Elite LC pedals tot=(@ $950.)
Thanks for any ideas....
I haven’t personally used an accuforce so I can’t really advise here. Sorry.
In general, Accuforce being dd should be much better. It also has very good reviews and customer support. It's the go to option for 1000$, if you live in America, and are not too attracted to fancy wheels
And btw at 200$ more and go for Heusenkveld pedals instead of v3 if you re going Accuforce. They are the best 🙂
@@abhishekab1 I've changed my mind 4-5 times since that post. I'm leaning now to the Simucube 2/Sport with Fanatec ClubSport 3 pedals, and not sure of rim.
@@brianboucher4248 If you re spending that much on Wheel, trust me Heusinkveld for Pedals. There is no other way i would have it. Everyone says, pedals before wheels. Go for Sprints, if not Ultimates.
Hey, I wanna ask what you think that is better. Fanatec V1.1 or Thrustmaster TS-PC?
I haven’t used a thrustmaster wheel
Oh and Will how long does your kick back last for? Im looking to buy a whole lot of Fanatec stuff around the end of the year so hopefully i can use your links to do so :)
No time limit :)
Hey silly question, but could you do a video of how you set up different pedals and shifters from other rigs with usb inputs like mixing and matching components from different racing rigs
You seriously need a video on how to plug a usb adaptor in ? 😂😂😂😂😂
@@danielkerr4100 software set ups ect . Litterally why I said setting them up 🤨 not how to plug in a usb
What if you already have a PS4 CSL Elite? Would upgrading to a V2.5 be worth it? Or not necessarily dramatic enough to justify the switch? Otherwise, I may get some V3 pedals and a new rim.
In my opinion not worth updating from CSL Elite to CSW. But i am a CSW owner, never used a CSL Elite. Curious why i answer then?
Because i can say better pedals make a huge difference. I updated 2 weeks ago.
@@Plutoflight Thank you for being unbiased , I just upgraded my pedals.
@@samuellp1146 Enjoy your pedals Samuel. Simracing is a kind of black hole for our money.
@@Plutoflight agreed, thank you sir have a great week and rest of 2022🏁
Something weird's going on. From 232 Km/h, your throttle pedal decreases ever more.
Are the thrustmasters steering wheels compatible with the fanatec cls elite 1.1v?
I really like the BMW gt2 wheel and would like to eventually upgrade to DD1/2 in the future...But do the DD systems use the same mounting system for wheels?.
yes
Thanks for the review. Debating if I want to get into the Sim racing. Nothing crazy but different than a controller.
Do u have a link for buying in Canada or is the US the closest I'm gonna get?
US is the closest mate. Links are in the description.
Have you used any of your equipment for other driving sims? I don't seem to find many videos/reviews other than ones associated with racing. Looking at building my own sim rig using a real truck dash to use and stream while I truck in my trucking sims. Just curious what setup would be best to use. Currently have a logitech g920 with shifter so I'm definitely in the market for a premium setup from something fanatec to hopefully get the most realistic experience. Something just shy of buying a whole cab from a salvage yard and making it work for pc haha. That is still a option in my mind 😎.
Dude I wish I could find this trucking sim emthusiast's custom Peterbilt trucking sim rig this guy was selling last week on eBay & Craigs. Was like a decent 55" LED w/ CSW 2.5, the inverted V3 pedals, real Pete dash, real Pete steering wheel, real Pete air brake push buttons, real Pete upholstery, basically replicated mostly everything to a T. Clearly sparred no expense and wanted like $6-$8k for the full turn key setup. But it's easily the most hardcore truck sim setup I've seen and probably spent double that making it.
@@IconicCypher ya I've looked at salvage yards....1k+ for complete dashes....4-7k for a complete cab that's not including any pedals,etc....I'd def like to find that post!
I have to find this thing cause that's exactly what you're wanting to do and it'd be good inspiration w/ the clever ideas in it. If you're East Coast let me know if you need help finding any parts or dashes etc... have a truck repair shop & open access to a yard w/ mainly HD, commercial & class 8 trucks n such. Good luck!
@@IconicCypher thanks man....naw I live south of nashville but I'm gonna get it figured out soon hopefully lol.....when I do hoping to make some videos. There's a guy in tx that made an arcade style freightliner rig but im wanting to use a real dash and so forth!
now they've just deleted the Xbox version and only offer the PS licensed version at $599 here in Australia, thanks Fanatec for sticking it to us Xbox users!!
why whats it worth i got a new one must be my year i also got a 3080
It's very strange seeing the words "value" and "Fanatec" in the same video title.
Lol
i would love to know what the software running in the top right is during the driving
Thank you very much man! I want to upgrade from a logitech G920 tot a Fanatec, and can't seem to make up my mind what i want. For a tighter budget de CSL elite sounds amazing, but how will it be 1 year down the road. Because than it's money wasted
did you pull the trigger and but the elite?