Is anyone impressed by this guys ability to record such long, unscripted takes without using fillers like “umm”, “uh”, etc? He’s got flow like Marshall Mathers.
@@boostedmedia BRo I'm not a native and am learning English (speaking part) and you are my hero literally. You have better articulation and enunciation than most of the natives themselves. Very well spoken. Thank you for your reviews
Cheers for the shout out :) it’s funny that the experience is so subjective but I can’t disagree with the lack of road feel on iRacing. I find iracing ffb nowhere near as good as many other sims though so I kind of treated that as being part of the iracing experience. I had a similar experience with both the sc2 pro and the simplicity sw20. Great review, super detail, pardon the pun. For the price, I still chose the alpha over the SC2 pro.
Thanks again Will. These technical videos are easily your best content. I enjoy the racing and all that, but the level of detail and knowledge you have on the hardware is fantastic.
Hey Will. Since the alpha mini has been released and you've used the both the alpha and csl dd, which do you prefer between the two? Of course the mini is weaker in terms of power but I reckon the feeling it gives is the same as the Alpha. Thanks!!
The two are quite similar as far as FFB goes. Depending on the type of sims you use one can be better than the other. For drifting, for example, the Alpha mini is IMO better than the CLS DD, however in other instances (as in ACC or iRacing) the CLS DD has more subtle details definition while having lesser force (and, as Will says in this video, Fanatec drivers are some of the most consistent ones between different sim titles). In short: if you use rally/drifting the Alpha is a better choice, if you prefer road racing they are very similar with the CLS DD being arguably a little better for small texture details. For materials/construction the Alpha mini is surely better but it costs more so such a thing is to be expected. The combo CLS DD/McLaren V2 as far as price/quality goes for road racing is a very difficult combo to beat, but if you have some more money and especially if you prefer Rally racing or you care more about the quality of the materials/construction then the Alpha mini is a better choice.
So I was thinking about getting this, but youre saying you dont feel the texture as much as fanatec. Has this gotten better after 3 years with the alpha? Or would the clubsport dd be a better option right now?
I came from CSW v2.5 to the Alpha. Cant agree with the lack of feel. The alpha is a brilliant piece of kit. Might just be in the tuning side. Im loving it!
Great review. Honest and pretty similar to my experience with the M10 and Alpha when I had them a few months ago. I love how you compare to other products this is why I watch your videos compared to others. The real test for me was doing races online for a few weeks and this is where my consistency with the alpha and M10 came into play. Especially in the Porsche cup car. Once the tyres start going off you just don’t have the confidence with the base as you don’t feel as connected to the car like there is a delay compared to a VRS or Simucube. Driving around testing is a bit hard to compare IMO. You need to actually do a weeks worth of racing. Once I changed to a Simucube I was able to push the cup car much harder and engage more slip angle lap after lap even when the tyres were going off through out the whole race so at the end I was much quicker over a race distance.
@@FordEntertainmentGroupFEG few months to the western world. But in China it’s been out for quite a while since last year October ish. A lot of people bought them in from China direct them selves at the time. People who had a Taobao account could buy them off that and the supplier would ship it to where ever you wanted. I have a friend in China who got this for me and shipped it over. He talked direct to the guys at the factory.
@@FordEntertainmentGroupFEG while I am curious about that because it don't reflect my experience I have an alpha for something like 6 months ago, bought in China.
This one might be overpriced but the simagic alpha mini + a wheel for around 1k is a hell of a deal and I'm definitely going with that over a CSL DD like I was previously going to
@@jonfrderick but if you’re buying now or soon, the DD 12+ doesn’t exist so it’s not a consideration. Also, if more people are buying fanatec, and they have similar rates of reselling (eg. 5% of owners sell their devices), then there would be more DD on the second hand market which would drive prices down, so you would possibly lose more reselling fanatec. Regardless, in the current market your two arguments are not relevant IMO.
@@jonfrderick This ended well.. Still haven't released 12nm or whatever it is going to be. Even in higher price like Simagic Alpha and ultimate, its still better than the Podium 1 and 2, , the FFB is more textured, it is just the better wheelbase , tested alpha U and podium, and went for the Alpha U, it's just superb.
Considering how in New Zealand we can't get Fanatec products and Simucube (with third party wheels like Cube Controls) are significantly more expensive, its either Logitech, Thrustmaster or Simagic for our choices haha. While yes VRS is an option and I can order in products from overseas im very concerned with warranty and product support in case something goes wrong since im paying so much for it so id rather purchase from a retailer within the country.
a year later, may be able to go with moza? not sure if they ship there but their gear is considered competitive on almost every level they have, the screens are disappointing due to lack of customizability but that's all i've heard really bad about it
nice review will, its nice to see such an in depth review again, great that you directly compare the product to its competitors on the market, as a DD1 user im always jealous to see just about any other quick release, i recently discovered the best way to remove the play was to ''overtighten'' the gold ring, it bothers me immensely so i always had it in the back of my mind every time i drove and then i read the description of how it is suppose to be done and they use the wording compress the rubber, so i thought well lets compress it, tightened the gold ring by hand until i couldn't anymore effectively compressing the rubber enough it fills out the gap between QR and hub and suddenly all my play was gone but i mean this thing was done up tight tight, put in the securing screw to bolster that and your golden with it but its just not the way it is suppose to be used im sure, fanatec really need to drop that BMW gt4 rim and get that new QR on the market hopefully sold seperately. as for the grain, yep for sure it is there and what pisses me off frankly is fanatec recommend you not to calibrate the motor currently and actually erase calibration, they need to fiddle with this and get it done, they should be able to tune out the majority of that cogging no matter how minor it is because its by far the biggest immersion breaker it don't matter if you only feel it sat still you do feel it. whats funny about the grain and cogginess is the CSW 2.5 is smoother, and that's quite a surprise, i had the same issue with a thrustmaster TGT, it was a lot more coggy compared to its cheaper sibling the t300 aswell and i dont understand why that isnt a top priority for manufacturers, the more expensive gear has to be the smoothest product when it comes to wheels because any cogging just does not feel lifelike. ive tried to talk myself into buying a simucube over and over again because reselling a fanatec is so easy at the moment but i cant pull myself away from the brand they have me quite excited for everything from the upcoming wheel and QR to the improvements in software however slow they seem to come and the customer service in my case has been just incredible. anyway thankyou for the review
I've heard that u don't deal with simagic anymore, could u elaborate a little please. I just ordered one then seen that you won't deal with then anymore because of some issues dealing with them
VRS will be a bigger jump in performance. Going from m10 to alpha when I did this didn’t feel like a huge improvement. But going from M10 to Simucube/VRS it’s a world of difference.
I ordered directly from VRS. Just took 2days to deliver from UK to Hong Kong. So impressed. Had considered VRS and Alpha, but seems that VRS FFB is a bit better from you and Lawrence's comment
@W Richardson I love my dd1 and couldn't be more satisfied with it, but I'll be damned if that quick release on the simmagic systems isn't a work of art. I love their wheels and qr.
Ive tried the VRS, DD1 and DD2 and the SC2 PRO and i feel very little difference between the Alpha and any of those. SC2 Pro is the best overall. If money is not an issue, SC2 Pro......otherwise, the Alpha is a good choice over the others. Simagic is also building their ecosystem and their development is much faster than the others. All the DD wheels are good though. Depending on where you buy the Simagic Alpha, it is cheaper than all those other options still when factoring in a QUALITY wireless wheel. VRS with quick adapter and mounting solution is 1050.00 shipped, factor in a good wireless wheel and your over the Simagic Price. The others are higher priced than the VRS and Simagic. THese are US pricing. Love the detailed reviews however, even if i dont agree with all of them. Keep up the good work Will.
I wonder what their opinion would be after they were being sold for $905 AUS or $589 USD, on 2024 BF sales? Update: I purchased an Alpha for $531 USD on a BF sale. Works excellent.
In Canada, the simagic is 1300, the vrs is 1200, the dd1 is 2000 and the sc2 sport 2400. So here the alpha is a great value I think (all price are in Canadian dollars)
@@boostedmedia what made me choose simagic over vrs is the form factor. It's so small and it doesn't have an external "computer" it's all built in except for the power supply
Did the accent give that away. But yeah, everything is expensive here in Straya. Most of the extra costs are taxes used to control the Drop Bear population.
Any updates on the FFB / Software over the past year? I'm wondering if they have addressed any of the negative points you identified with the software, feel, consistency between titles, etc.
So I bought one and have been using it a lot. I'm quite happy with it. When using any of the canned effects or dampening on iracing its kinda numb but if I let 100 go through from iracing and turn it to full power and half wheel speed I can then adjust in iracing and a lot more seems to come through on my alpha.
I bought one 2 weeks ago the software is new. In fact i had problem with it working and they helped me out. Basically I had the old and new software installed and they were conflicting each other so I had to uninstall the old software now everything works good. I really like the base.
Just finished setting mine up yesterday, great kit but if you're having difficulty with the wheel connecting wirelessly, make sure to plug in the usb and set it to channel 60. Then restart the pc and the wheelbase and you're golden
Do you guys mind doing an update on the Simagic ecosystem with all the new updates that has been. Also the Alpha U just got released and the value seems amaizng. Also I can't really agree on the comments, maybe 1 year ago price point was different but comparing to the VRS and especially the SC2 sport/pro the price difference is enormous adding up the expensive wheels as well. (Same goes for Fanatec.) Idk Simagic and Moza feels like way better price/performance ration. I'll Agree SC2 is on another level but money as well lol
I would love to see a review of the alpha u if possible Will. According to other reviewers it’s very comparable to the simucube 2 pro but I would love to hear your expert opinion on it if possible!
@@boostedmedia Yeah I know just kidding. I went with SC2 Pro last week. Prices and availability on the Alpha are a bit hit and miss at the moment in the UK.
Hey boosted media good vid but do you mind doing another review on the alpha mini thou or the one in this vid covering the software & firmware updates & how it feels in 2023
Will, I think you set up the filtering incorrectly in AlphaManager leading to the muddy FFB on kerbs. According to the help doc, a lower value is more filtering and higher value is less filtering. Hit the "?" in AlphaManager.
We experimented with the full range of adjustment snd the settings shown were where we landed after trying the settings suggested in simagics discord and sent to us from our distributor. As I said in the video, reducing filtering brought out more detail but at the cost of robotic feeling.
Will, any update on the ffb on kurbing? Is this something that has been addressed in the software or is it still an issue that you are aware of? Looking at this or the asetek forte wheelbase. Thoughts?
I've heard people say that the wheel base lacks fidelity for ffb effects, but the alternative you talk about like a simucube ultimate (or pro) and a rim costs so much more money than a simagic base and wheel bundle. I'm coming from an entry level TM (people told me don't get a belt, save up for DD so I did) so I'm going to be more than happy anyway. But going back to lacking road textures, that's something I've noticed disappeared in my TM, I don't know if iRacing changed something themselves. My fix has been a buttkicker and turned up the road effects, so even though I can get them somewhat through the wheel's ffb, I'm going to be depending on the bass shaker (have a second coming in fact) to tell me the difference in road surfaces. I want to be able to feel all of that through the seat, wheel and even pedals equally. So to me, it's more important that I finally have a wheel where I can catch spins, etc. But if they already fixed the ffb since this video, well that's a plus.
Alpha plus dual clutch GT4 wheel bundle is roughly 1900 AUD in China. If Simagic can better sort out distributions and shipping, it should be more competitive in prices... BTW, Simagic's hydraulic pedals are coming very soon...look amazing according to some pre-release testing/review videos in Bilibili...
Hey love your content! Would be really cool to see a series where you have something like a top ten super cars hot lap of the nordschleife or spa ect. Just watched your La Ferrari video on AC and its memorizing! Would be cool to see you hotlap that vs a mclaren P1 vs a Porsche Spyder vs Senna Vs koenigsegg so on and so forth! Then at the end of the vid show your top ten cars and their respective times! Saw Jimmy Broadbent do this and seeing from your setup's perspective would be really fun to watch! Very time consuming stuff for sure though.. Cheers!
Im not sure if I should sell my csl dd and buy this alpha mini 🤔 can anyone help me of it is worth it ? For me the reason is the QR... And how is the ffb detail compared to the csl DD ?
Love your work! I probably will wait until alpha have a software update to fix the issue or buy a dd1 next year. Please update if you found alpha has a fix in futures. Appreciate a lot!
Will what on earth is a 4000 hurt refresh rate? It sounds like a lot of pain 4000 Hz or 4Khz to be exact , is Hertz , kilohertz ,Gigahertz, etc.same with what you were saying about the Moza wheel's induction coil whine or whatever , you say it sounds like it was shorting out , I don't know what that supposedly sounds like in your mind ( I think you meant arcing which does make a sound )but if there was a short there would be no noise there would be no power coming out of the wheel ,as you saw with multimeter, was not the case ! Ball bearings are not ball detents (which are bearing balls or bb's on a spring into a hole, etc) . Ball bearings are races of bearing balls either caged or inside inner and outer races ! Nearly everyone gets this wrong , I love your videos, as they're very informative . I thought you'd want to get things correct , as you go to great lengths for accuracy . Interpolation is inter polation, not in terpolation too !
Thanks for this video, really cool! I saw in China they have another 23Nm alpha U (presimably ultra?) version, are you going to be able to get your hands on that at all?
They indeed have fixed the vague feeling when dipping into the grass, the wheel is now more responsive and the recently released "SimProManager" pushed me to buy the Alpha over the VRS
The price quoted seems to be the price with a wheel yet it was treated and compared as a base only(Whereas Fanatec pricing seems imaginary)? Also it would be good to see updates of all the wheels reviewed with current firmware every 6 months or so.
@@boostedmedia Thanks for the reply. The firmware upgrades are supposed have brought it much closer the the Simucube. My comment was referring to hardware reviews in general. eg The same goes for Fanatec. Your reviews are now old and don't give any indication of the current state of those products. There seems to be a real void left by all reviewers accessing a product early in the hardwares life and the same item today may be massively different if revisited.
Agreed!! We actually plan to revisit the DD1/2 and VRS soon. We did an update on the Fanatec experience about a year ago with the 380 drivers which was the biggest performance jump.
Hi Will, thank you very much for the in depth review, I have a question what's the total length of wheel base including the quick release and the steering wheel
Which quick release are they using? It kind of looks like the NRG ones... Which is what I wanted to use on my rig so it would match my car. Are you able to shed any light on that?
You are my last hope for this issue) Did you ever manage to make the Simagic Alpha work in Project cars 2 or Automobilista 2? It never works for me. Very difficult to even assign and calibrate, have to reduce the rotation to tiny angles. But even after that, in game there is 0 movement from the wheel. All the buttons are recognized, even axis of the paddles, but not the rotational axis. Tried with all settings I could on the Simagic software and in game, same result in both of those games.
What’s the max nm force I could use on the alpha mini? It’s 10nm max but I’d like to use it at 7 or 8 nm, just want to make sure so I’m not overpowering it
For updating, you can't have your wheel on your base when upgrading either one. The wheel has to be plugged directly via USB to the computer, and the base has to be w/o the wheel attached.
The base should be possible to update with the wheel, the problem is that new units often come with firmware a lot more recent than public ones, it took 3 to 4 months for me to be able to update because of that , the wheel however is impossible to update when plugged. Now the main issue is the lack of software polishing, it is better now with Alpha being sold internationally but far from perfect.
@@MrTemplarious It is a matter of settings when you really increase what they call "suspension" and remove all filtering you can get such an effect when not driving but is is really easy to remove it.
@@boostedmedia Can you elaborate on this "past experience"? Just be honest, we all care about these things and our purchases should be affected by everything a company does
@@boostedmedia Damn. I would be keen to hear your thoughts on the alpha mini. It seems like a good unit but I have reservations about the maturity of the company and potential for poor after sales support. I am also curious about your unpleasant dealings with them.
I just looked at NR2003's apparently raw data calibration for my Alpha and it shows the 65k number no matter what rotation I go into the game with (420 vs 720, for instance). In any case, perhaps you can you confirm the 4 million ppr for the Simucube in iRacing?
Made in China but not locally sold in Hong Kong is a deal breaker for me. Will wait till then. Unless border eases back on Covid might buy direct in Shenzhen. Do these last?
You mention a link or file to do with setting up the FFB for Dirt 2.0 but I can't see anything specific for this. Am I missing something? Just need help trying to get my Alpha FFB sorted for Dirt 2.0. Managed to get the rat of it sorted but have zero FFB and not sure where to start.
go to wherever your steam library is located then SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/dirt rally 2.0/input/devices. Right click on "device defines" and click "edit". Go down to the list of devices and add the following to the list and save. Paste it at the top of the devices list, after the -->
Hi will I appreciate all your help and contribution to the sim community , could you please consider shortening your vids and focus more on the point that way you will possibly see your viewership rise and your workload lessen, food for thought , I personally don’t have that amount of free time to watch your lengthy vids 👍👍
hi Will i would like to know your thoughts on which way you would go between the csl dd @$830 with boost kit and a avg wheel being $700ish so $1530 +post and the alpha mini coming in at $1600 which one would think cheers
@@boostedmedia i watched your clip on the alpha you said not a lot of detail apparently there is new software out now to fix that problem just thought i let you know thx anyway keep up the vids mate awesome detail stuff your my 1st go to lol cheers
Hmmmm. At $1500 AUS these days, the Alpha has to be considered an outstanding buy right? But have the software bugs been rectified now we are in late 2022?
I have to say, the fact that they don’t support the product if it’s purchased someplace else and the censoring of Facebook group content is a deal breaker for me. I stopped watching this review and took them off my list right at that point.
dont buy a moza, its far more robotic detail and less response then simagic.. the mini is great.. but going higher up the chain, u get faster response.. more sensation..
@@ArvidjeTried both, they're ok. Not sure which Simagic wheels are good, as the GTS is the worst of those I've tried (Moza GS, CS, generic OMP). Grips are hard (you can feel the metal inside) and quite thin, and rough in texture. Wonder if the GT1 or wheel that goes with the GT Pro Hub is good and thicker.
@@waterboxer So if I buy the ultimate I shouldn't worry about it feeling numb and lacking textures? Shaun Cole from the simpit liked the ultimate and Barry from sim racing garage didn't have much bad things to say about the mini. This review goes against all other reviews I've seen.
@@KinGzeDK My experience with the Simagic Alpha has been excellent. Most reviews of the SM A Ultimate are excellent. I love Will's reviews but he is just one of many reviewers and his review of the Alpha was a long time ago now, a lot of updates have been made since then.
Is recalibrating the angle of the wheel relative to the first game you calibrated to (iracing), i.e if you calibrated ACC first you would think that iracing has the angle calibration problem.
No. If you calibrate to 0 and then open acc for example, the wheel sits about 12 degrees to the right. You have calibrate the wheel so it thinks 0 is about 12 degrees to the left in alpha manager to get it straight in the game.
Strange for the alignment, I have an alpha for several months and never had that as much as my max angle degrees in alpha manager and in game are the same and my center is well set in Alpha manager, I played AC, ACC, Dirt 2.0, AMS2 and RF2. but I agree, software is not yet at hardware level.
Awesome review Will as always, I only wish that these bases could be used with Forza 7 cause thats actually my fav driving game ! Either way, im sure the Alpha would be a totally massive step up from the g920, which im using at the moment
I wish you'd try the alpha mini, it being a lot cheaper should change the perspective, I've tried neither but I'm seriously thinking ablut getting the alpha mini as my first DD.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Is anyone impressed by this guys ability to record such long, unscripted takes without using fillers like “umm”, “uh”, etc? He’s got flow like Marshall Mathers.
Lol! Trust me there’s a lot of editing ;)
Errrrm, I can't say that uhhhhh, I noticed. Check out Tom MacDonald if you like driving eight miles of flowing lyrical bends and blends.
I noticed quite often that Will actually really looks like nowadays Eminem with his cap on and beard in the recent videos.
@@boostedmedia BRo I'm not a native and am learning English (speaking part) and you are my hero literally. You have better articulation and enunciation than most of the natives themselves. Very well spoken. Thank you for your reviews
He’s the real Sim Shady
I’ve been saying to my friends that he needs to have a sim tv show… he’s a rock star and clearly knows his stuff. Way to go Will, keep it up
Would love to get an updated review on the Alpha.
Cheers for the shout out :) it’s funny that the experience is so subjective but I can’t disagree with the lack of road feel on iRacing. I find iracing ffb nowhere near as good as many other sims though so I kind of treated that as being part of the iracing experience. I had a similar experience with both the sc2 pro and the simplicity sw20.
Great review, super detail, pardon the pun. For the price, I still chose the alpha over the SC2 pro.
coz there's a huge price gap awa
Thanks again Will. These technical videos are easily your best content. I enjoy the racing and all that, but the level of detail and knowledge you have on the hardware is fantastic.
Had my VRS DF PRO for 6 months now, paired with a Cube Controls OMP GT Pro. I can’t imagine needing anything more than this combo 👍🏻
Interested to know if some of the software weaknesses of this system have been addressed now, 3 years after your initial review?
Hey Will. Since the alpha mini has been released and you've used the both the alpha and csl dd, which do you prefer between the two? Of course the mini is weaker in terms of power but I reckon the feeling it gives is the same as the Alpha. Thanks!!
Simagic Alpha Mini better anyway. If you have money on Simagic Alpha Mini don't think it, buy it.
Don't listen to anyone saying "don't think, just buy." Vote with your money...
The two are quite similar as far as FFB goes. Depending on the type of sims you use one can be better than the other. For drifting, for example, the Alpha mini is IMO better than the CLS DD, however in other instances (as in ACC or iRacing) the CLS DD has more subtle details definition while having lesser force (and, as Will says in this video, Fanatec drivers are some of the most consistent ones between different sim titles). In short: if you use rally/drifting the Alpha is a better choice, if you prefer road racing they are very similar with the CLS DD being arguably a little better for small texture details. For materials/construction the Alpha mini is surely better but it costs more so such a thing is to be expected. The combo CLS DD/McLaren V2 as far as price/quality goes for road racing is a very difficult combo to beat, but if you have some more money and especially if you prefer Rally racing or you care more about the quality of the materials/construction then the Alpha mini is a better choice.
@@lavir74 good way to put it but CLS DD??
@Ez Pz wdym max output that we can use is only 10nm not 13
From some angles, it really does look like you're in a real car, would love to see a guide on how to perfect POV etc on other size triples!
3 years later what do you think of the updates to software for alpha?
Is it better?
Great video Will, as always!
That connector (the power to wheelbase one) is called a DIN connector by the way. :)
Finally ! the review i've been waiting for. Thank you ! :)
Thanks. I think this solidifies my decision to go with the VRS offering
So I was thinking about getting this, but youre saying you dont feel the texture as much as fanatec.
Has this gotten better after 3 years with the alpha? Or would the clubsport dd be a better option right now?
I came from CSW v2.5 to the Alpha. Cant agree with the lack of feel. The alpha is a brilliant piece of kit. Might just be in the tuning side. Im loving it!
Thank you for testing it with a lot of the top sims and also for comparing directly to other wheels. This is very important!
Yeah, this is my wheel! An absolute great machine.
Great review. Honest and pretty similar to my experience with the M10 and Alpha when I had them a few months ago. I love how you compare to other products this is why I watch your videos compared to others.
The real test for me was doing races online for a few weeks and this is where my consistency with the alpha and M10 came into play. Especially in the Porsche cup car. Once the tyres start going off you just don’t have the confidence with the base as you don’t feel as connected to the car like there is a delay compared to a VRS or Simucube. Driving around testing is a bit hard to compare IMO. You need to actually do a weeks worth of racing. Once I changed to a Simucube I was able to push the cup car much harder and engage more slip angle lap after lap even when the tyres were going off through out the whole race so at the end I was much quicker over a race distance.
Except the Alpha hasnt been out for a few months. Interesting how you had a similiar experience "a few months" ago.
@@FordEntertainmentGroupFEG few months to the western world. But in China it’s been out for quite a while since last year October ish. A lot of people bought them in from China direct them selves at the time. People who had a Taobao account could buy them off that and the supplier would ship it to where ever you wanted.
I have a friend in China who got this for me and shipped it over. He talked direct to the guys at the factory.
Yep the Alpha has been out in the wild for a year now.
@@FordEntertainmentGroupFEG while I am curious about that because it don't reflect my experience I have an alpha for something like 6 months ago, bought in China.
This one might be overpriced but the simagic alpha mini + a wheel for around 1k is a hell of a deal and I'm definitely going with that over a CSL DD like I was previously going to
yes but whos buying this when clubsport DD 12nm+ comes out for less
imagine how much youd loose of you were too sell it. DD sell like wildfire.
@@jonfrderick but if you’re buying now or soon, the DD 12+ doesn’t exist so it’s not a consideration.
Also, if more people are buying fanatec, and they have similar rates of reselling (eg. 5% of owners sell their devices), then there would be more DD on the second hand market which would drive prices down, so you would possibly lose more reselling fanatec.
Regardless, in the current market your two arguments are not relevant IMO.
@@jonfrderick still no new dd from fanatec
@@jonfrderick This ended well.. Still haven't released 12nm or whatever it is going to be. Even in higher price like Simagic Alpha and ultimate, its still better than the Podium 1 and 2, , the FFB is more textured, it is just the better wheelbase , tested alpha U and podium, and went for the Alpha U, it's just superb.
Considering how in New Zealand we can't get Fanatec products and Simucube (with third party wheels like Cube Controls) are significantly more expensive, its either Logitech, Thrustmaster or Simagic for our choices haha.
While yes VRS is an option and I can order in products from overseas im very concerned with warranty and product support in case something goes wrong since im paying so much for it so id rather purchase from a retailer within the country.
I'm from New Zealand I feel ya the options are slim....
a year later, may be able to go with moza? not sure if they ship there but their gear is considered competitive on almost every level they have, the screens are disappointing due to lack of customizability but that's all i've heard really bad about it
I have had mine for about 2 weeks. LOVE IT.
is this their top of line DD? Or is there one higher?
This is simagics top offering currently.
nice review will, its nice to see such an in depth review again, great that you directly compare the product to its competitors on the market, as a DD1 user im always jealous to see just about any other quick release, i recently discovered the best way to remove the play was to ''overtighten'' the gold ring, it bothers me immensely so i always had it in the back of my mind every time i drove and then i read the description of how it is suppose to be done and they use the wording compress the rubber, so i thought well lets compress it, tightened the gold ring by hand until i couldn't anymore effectively compressing the rubber enough it fills out the gap between QR and hub and suddenly all my play was gone but i mean this thing was done up tight tight, put in the securing screw to bolster that and your golden with it but its just not the way it is suppose to be used im sure, fanatec really need to drop that BMW gt4 rim and get that new QR on the market hopefully sold seperately.
as for the grain, yep for sure it is there and what pisses me off frankly is fanatec recommend you not to calibrate the motor currently and actually erase calibration, they need to fiddle with this and get it done, they should be able to tune out the majority of that cogging no matter how minor it is because its by far the biggest immersion breaker it don't matter if you only feel it sat still you do feel it. whats funny about the grain and cogginess is the CSW 2.5 is smoother, and that's quite a surprise, i had the same issue with a thrustmaster TGT, it was a lot more coggy compared to its cheaper sibling the t300 aswell and i dont understand why that isnt a top priority for manufacturers, the more expensive gear has to be the smoothest product when it comes to wheels because any cogging just does not feel lifelike.
ive tried to talk myself into buying a simucube over and over again because reselling a fanatec is so easy at the moment but i cant pull myself away from the brand they have me quite excited for everything from the upcoming wheel and QR to the improvements in software however slow they seem to come and the customer service in my case has been just incredible.
anyway thankyou for the review
I've heard that u don't deal with simagic anymore, could u elaborate a little please. I just ordered one then seen that you won't deal with then anymore because of some issues dealing with them
Here for the comment volume and to support. Great review. Currently have an M10. Deciding between Alpha and VRS DFP.
VRS will be a bigger jump in performance. Going from m10 to alpha when I did this didn’t feel like a huge improvement. But going from M10 to Simucube/VRS it’s a world of difference.
Hey guys “Wheel Ear”. Love it every intro.
I'm new here and I think it's so cool that you have those shield things to hide the border between monitors.
You can literally bought it off the shelf.
@@radityaindera3442 I'm fully aware that they're a fully accessible product, however I still think they're really cool
8:10 Just Thank You for Going over These little Bit's Needed to know it was Not some kind of Weird Proprietary mount pattern
bought VRS DFP two weeks ago. I can have a good sleep tonight. lol
It’s a great choice provided you got it at a good price. We were really impressed.
I ordered directly from VRS. Just took 2days to deliver from UK to Hong Kong. So impressed. Had considered VRS and Alpha, but seems that VRS FFB is a bit better from you and Lawrence's comment
@@bennya4 VRS is by far better in usability, wheel options and feedback. other than the alpha being a compact unit it is subpar to VRS
@W Richardson I love my dd1 and couldn't be more satisfied with it, but I'll be damned if that quick release on the simmagic systems isn't a work of art. I love their wheels and qr.
Ive tried the VRS, DD1 and DD2 and the SC2 PRO and i feel very little difference between the Alpha and any of those. SC2 Pro is the best overall. If money is not an issue, SC2 Pro......otherwise, the Alpha is a good choice over the others. Simagic is also building their ecosystem and their development is much faster than the others. All the DD wheels are good though. Depending on where you buy the Simagic Alpha, it is cheaper than all those other options still when factoring in a QUALITY wireless wheel. VRS with quick adapter and mounting solution is 1050.00 shipped, factor in a good wireless wheel and your over the Simagic Price. The others are higher priced than the VRS and Simagic. THese are US pricing. Love the detailed reviews however, even if i dont agree with all of them. Keep up the good work Will.
Could it be possible you don't agree with all his comments cause you sell Simagic products.
@@maxdigiacomo7641 I am not a fanboy of any company or product. I agree with many comments Will has made...... just not all of them.
For road feeling try turning up min force in IRacing settings brings up the road feeling a lot
I wonder what their opinion would be after they were being sold for $905 AUS or $589 USD, on 2024 BF sales? Update: I purchased an Alpha for $531 USD on a BF sale. Works excellent.
In Canada, the simagic is 1300, the vrs is 1200, the dd1 is 2000 and the sc2 sport 2400. So here the alpha is a great value I think (all price are in Canadian dollars)
Yep it’s definitely a very good option for you if you prefer it to the VRS.
@@boostedmedia and considering it comes with wheel and buttons/shifters for that price
whats best place in Canada to get it from?
@@joei4ever simracingpros for simagic, but for all those motors at this prices do not come with the wheel
@@boostedmedia what made me choose simagic over vrs is the form factor. It's so small and it doesn't have an external "computer" it's all built in except for the power supply
I just about spit my drink out when I saw 1,999 for just the base in the link in description, until I remembered he is in australia.
Did the accent give that away. But yeah, everything is expensive here in Straya. Most of the extra costs are taxes used to control the Drop Bear population.
Think about if I can get it cheaper from Ali express
Any updates on the FFB / Software over the past year? I'm wondering if they have addressed any of the negative points you identified with the software, feel, consistency between titles, etc.
So I bought one and have been using it a lot. I'm quite happy with it. When using any of the canned effects or dampening on iracing its kinda numb but if I let 100 go through from iracing and turn it to full power and half wheel speed I can then adjust in iracing and a lot more seems to come through on my alpha.
I bought one 2 weeks ago the software is new. In fact i had problem with it working and they helped me out. Basically I had the old and new software installed and they were conflicting each other so I had to uninstall the old software now everything works good. I really like the base.
Talk about blind test. It would be good content to have a blind test between different bases with your mates!
Just finished setting mine up yesterday, great kit but if you're having difficulty with the wheel connecting wirelessly, make sure to plug in the usb and set it to channel 60. Then restart the pc and the wheelbase and you're golden
Very informative. The only double d’s I’m likely to get my hands on are the misso’s lol.
Maybe one day. The G920 will do for now.
Do you guys mind doing an update on the Simagic ecosystem with all the new updates that has been.
Also the Alpha U just got released and the value seems amaizng.
Also I can't really agree on the comments, maybe 1 year ago price point was different but comparing to the VRS and especially the SC2 sport/pro the price difference is enormous adding up the expensive wheels as well. (Same goes for Fanatec.)
Idk Simagic and Moza feels like way better price/performance ration.
I'll Agree SC2 is on another level but money as well lol
Finally a DD wheelbase that is not the size of a cinder block!
Simucube 2 sport looks exactly the same!
Accuforce also no bigger than this.
I just bought an alpha, is it better now than it was when you did make this video?
I would love to see a review of the alpha u if possible Will. According to other reviewers it’s very comparable to the simucube 2 pro but I would love to hear your expert opinion on it if possible!
At last. Took your bloody time :-)
LOL. Believe it or not, these things take time. ;)
@@boostedmedia Yeah I know just kidding. I went with SC2 Pro last week. Prices and availability on the Alpha are a bit hit and miss at the moment in the UK.
Hey boosted media good vid but do you mind doing another review on the alpha mini thou or the one in this vid covering the software & firmware updates & how it feels in 2023
No. We don’t cover Simagic on this channel anymore after how we were treated and saw other reviewers treated by them.
@@boostedmedia Wow sounds like they full of themselves, but thanks for the feedback keep up the good work 🫡
Will, I think you set up the filtering incorrectly in AlphaManager leading to the muddy FFB on kerbs. According to the help doc, a lower value is more filtering and higher value is less filtering. Hit the "?" in AlphaManager.
We experimented with the full range of adjustment snd the settings shown were where we landed after trying the settings suggested in simagics discord and sent to us from our distributor. As I said in the video, reducing filtering brought out more detail but at the cost of robotic feeling.
Will, any update on the ffb on kurbing? Is this something that has been addressed in the software or is it still an issue that you are aware of? Looking at this or the asetek forte wheelbase. Thoughts?
Be interesting to know if simagic has made any improvements. Sounds to me like the 'detail' in FF can be resolved with software updates...
Unfortunately we don’t cover Simagic stuff anymore after past experiences dealing with them and seeing how they have treated other reviewers.
How does this compare with the Logitech pro wheel?
goooo Will! Tell me what to buy!
YoU cOuLd jUsT BuY a ReAl cAr!
I've heard people say that the wheel base lacks fidelity for ffb effects, but the alternative you talk about like a simucube ultimate (or pro) and a rim costs so much more money than a simagic base and wheel bundle. I'm coming from an entry level TM (people told me don't get a belt, save up for DD so I did) so I'm going to be more than happy anyway. But going back to lacking road textures, that's something I've noticed disappeared in my TM, I don't know if iRacing changed something themselves. My fix has been a buttkicker and turned up the road effects, so even though I can get them somewhat through the wheel's ffb, I'm going to be depending on the bass shaker (have a second coming in fact) to tell me the difference in road surfaces. I want to be able to feel all of that through the seat, wheel and even pedals equally. So to me, it's more important that I finally have a wheel where I can catch spins, etc. But if they already fixed the ffb since this video, well that's a plus.
First thirty seconds: "I want to keep this as short and sweet as I can."
An hour and a half later...
Just messing with ya mate. Love your work!
Haha yep. There ended up being a lot to cover!
Alpha plus dual clutch GT4 wheel bundle is roughly 1900 AUD in China. If Simagic can better sort out distributions and shipping, it should be more competitive in prices...
BTW, Simagic's hydraulic pedals are coming very soon...look amazing according to some pre-release testing/review videos in Bilibili...
Hey love your content! Would be really cool to see a series where you have something like a top ten super cars hot lap of the nordschleife or spa ect. Just watched your La Ferrari video on AC and its memorizing! Would be cool to see you hotlap that vs a mclaren P1 vs a Porsche Spyder vs Senna Vs koenigsegg so on and so forth! Then at the end of the vid show your top ten cars and their respective times! Saw Jimmy Broadbent do this and seeing from your setup's perspective would be really fun to watch! Very time consuming stuff for sure though.. Cheers!
Looks awesome 👏 A bit out of my price range though. Cool review.
Thanks for sharing
👍🏻👍🏻🙃🙃
Im not sure if I should sell my csl dd and buy this alpha mini 🤔 can anyone help me of it is worth it ? For me the reason is the QR...
And how is the ffb detail compared to the csl DD ?
Love your work! I probably will wait until alpha have a software update to fix the issue or buy a dd1 next year. Please update if you found alpha has a fix in futures. Appreciate a lot!
As of right now can you give an update on the Alpha base, I am assuming there have been improvements through firmware updates?
Will what on earth is a 4000 hurt refresh rate? It sounds like a lot of pain 4000 Hz or 4Khz to be exact , is Hertz , kilohertz ,Gigahertz, etc.same with what you were saying about the Moza wheel's induction coil whine or whatever , you say it sounds like it was shorting out , I don't know what that supposedly sounds like in your mind ( I think you meant arcing which does make a sound )but if there was a short there would be no noise there would be no power coming out of the wheel ,as you saw with multimeter, was not the case ! Ball bearings are not ball detents (which are bearing balls or bb's on a spring into a hole, etc) . Ball bearings are races of bearing balls either caged or inside inner and outer races ! Nearly everyone gets this wrong , I love your videos, as they're very informative . I thought you'd want to get things correct , as you go to great lengths for accuracy . Interpolation is inter polation, not in terpolation too !
Thanks for this video, really cool! I saw in China they have another 23Nm alpha U (presimably ultra?) version, are you going to be able to get your hands on that at all?
Hi Will, is the software better now? Has it been updated? Thanks and great videos BTW
Not sure sorry. We don’t review Simagic anymore after past experiences dealing with them.
Do you know if simmagic have improved their firmware in the last year since this vid?
They indeed have fixed the vague feeling when dipping into the grass, the wheel is now more responsive and the recently released "SimProManager" pushed me to buy the Alpha over the VRS
The price quoted seems to be the price with a wheel yet it was treated and compared as a base only(Whereas Fanatec pricing seems imaginary)? Also it would be good to see updates of all the wheels reviewed with current firmware every 6 months or so.
We would love to do update videos but we don’t have access to Simagic hardware anymore.
@@boostedmedia Thanks for the reply. The firmware upgrades are supposed have brought it much closer the the Simucube.
My comment was referring to hardware reviews in general. eg The same goes for Fanatec. Your reviews are now old and don't give any indication of the current state of those products. There seems to be a real void left by all reviewers accessing a product early in the hardwares life and the same item today may be massively different if revisited.
Agreed!! We actually plan to revisit the DD1/2 and VRS soon. We did an update on the Fanatec experience about a year ago with the 380 drivers which was the biggest performance jump.
@@davidfrisken1617 that’s the same with all reviews of any hardware that gets updated firmware and software in future. It’s only a snapshot in time.
Can I use this wheel base with the F-GT? I ask this because they added a reinforcement kit so would it be able to hold this wheel base?
Hi Will, thank you very much for the in depth review, I have a question what's the total length of wheel base including the quick release and the steering wheel
No idea sorry. We don’t have it here anymore
Which quick release are they using? It kind of looks like the NRG ones... Which is what I wanted to use on my rig so it would match my car. Are you able to shed any light on that?
Ah, I see later in the video you call it a D1 spec. I'll have to look that up.
@@khawajadotd D1 spec and NRG QRs are fully compatible with each other.
@@zsjdddfw Thanks! I was struggling to find information on that.
You are my last hope for this issue) Did you ever manage to make the Simagic Alpha work in Project cars 2 or Automobilista 2? It never works for me. Very difficult to even assign and calibrate, have to reduce the rotation to tiny angles. But even after that, in game there is 0 movement from the wheel. All the buttons are recognized, even axis of the paddles, but not the rotational axis. Tried with all settings I could on the Simagic software and in game, same result in both of those games.
Hit like as soon as I saw the oopsie around 8:30. (I woulda hit like anyway, great video so far, as usual)
What’s the max nm force I could use on the alpha mini? It’s 10nm max but I’d like to use it at 7 or 8 nm, just want to make sure so I’m not overpowering it
the vrs df pro is over 250 euros more expensive than the simagic alpha mini, what kind of price shannenigens happen in Australia?
Still rockin my G25.
These DD wheels are way too expensive for little old me.
i'm stuck between the moza r9 and simagic alpha mini
I too. Don´t know what to buy.
Alpha mini is the far better choice.
So found this alpha with the wheel included for 1100 euros. !!!!
Works out to be 1800 aus dollers.
Nice I same price as in China.
I'm thinking about the TRAC RACER alpine TRX, Heunsfeldt sprint, but can't determine which wheel based and wheel. MOZA, FANATEC, SIMMAGIC or ASSETEK.
For updating, you can't have your wheel on your base when upgrading either one. The wheel has to be plugged directly via USB to the computer, and the base has to be w/o the wheel attached.
Ahh that would make sense. Thanks.
The base should be possible to update with the wheel, the problem is that new units often come with firmware a lot more recent than public ones, it took 3 to 4 months for me to be able to update because of that , the wheel however is impossible to update when plugged. Now the main issue is the lack of software polishing, it is better now with Alpha being sold internationally but far from perfect.
@@gillesfleury2619 so, that robotic feeling got better?
@@MrTemplarious It is a matter of settings when you really increase what they call "suspension" and remove all filtering you can get such an effect when not driving but is is really easy to remove it.
Hey Will , Are you planning on doing an update on this wheel again since it has had quite some software updates now ? maybe it's better for iracing?
Unlikely. I don’t have the equipment anymore and will not deal with Simagic after past experiences.
@@boostedmedia Can you elaborate on this "past experience"?
Just be honest, we all care about these things and our purchases should be affected by everything a company does
@@boostedmedia Damn. I would be keen to hear your thoughts on the alpha mini. It seems like a good unit but I have reservations about the maturity of the company and potential for poor after sales support. I am also curious about your unpleasant dealings with them.
Say, isn't there a way to confirm resolution (16bit vs 18bit) using the raw input data in iRacing?
Didn’t think of that but yes. We could have take. Note of the raw data. Will remember that for next time!
I just looked at NR2003's apparently raw data calibration for my Alpha and it shows the 65k number no matter what rotation I go into the game with (420 vs 720, for instance). In any case, perhaps you can you confirm the 4 million ppr for the Simucube in iRacing?
Has fanatec updated their quick release to lose the play on it? realy thorn between the DD1, SIMUCUBE 2 pro and simagic Alpha
No word on when their new quick release will be released yet.
Made in China but not locally sold in Hong Kong is a deal breaker for me. Will wait till then. Unless border eases back on Covid might buy direct in Shenzhen. Do these last?
You mention a link or file to do with setting up the FFB for Dirt 2.0 but I can't see anything specific for this. Am I missing something? Just need help trying to get my Alpha FFB sorted for Dirt 2.0. Managed to get the rat of it sorted but have zero FFB and not sure where to start.
go to wherever your steam library is located then SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/dirt rally 2.0/input/devices. Right click on "device defines" and click "edit". Go down to the list of devices and add the following to the list and save. Paste it at the top of the devices list, after the -->
Hi will I appreciate all your help and contribution to the sim community , could you please consider shortening your vids and focus more on the point that way you will possibly see your viewership rise and your workload lessen, food for thought , I personally don’t have that amount of free time to watch your lengthy vids 👍👍
hi Will i would like to know your thoughts on which way you would go between the csl dd @$830 with boost kit and a avg wheel being $700ish so $1530 +post and the alpha mini coming in at $1600 which one would think cheers
I haven’t tried the alpha mini so can’t comment on it, sorry.
@@boostedmedia i watched your clip on the alpha you said not a lot of detail apparently there is new software out now to fix that problem just thought i let you know thx anyway keep up the vids mate awesome detail stuff your my 1st go to lol cheers
Yep I’m aware. I don’t have access to Simagic products currently. All reviewers now need to be approved by simagic.
@@boostedmedia bummer anyway i think its the way im gonna go didnt see any bad reviews but see what happens cheers will thx
@@boostedmedia Is that because you mentioned the facebook thing with deleting comments? Did they actually say that to you?
Can u review the simxeperince accwaforce v2 pro
seriously we really need him to review it.
Hmmmm. At $1500 AUS these days, the Alpha has to be considered an outstanding buy right? But have the software bugs been rectified now we are in late 2022?
The new software and firmware is awesome, you can download and try it without the wheel hooked up
I have to say, the fact that they don’t support the product if it’s purchased someplace else and the censoring of Facebook group content is a deal breaker for me. I stopped watching this review and took them off my list right at that point.
Will you be doing a review on the simagic p2000 pedal or simagic Q1 sequential shifter?
Unlikely. We won’t work with Simagic after past experiences.
@@boostedmedia understood thank you!
I was considering getting one of these in the future but I do like the Fanatec has console (ps5) support.
Are you planning to also take a look at the Alpha Mini to compare it to the CSL DD as it is close in the same price range.?
We won’t deal with Simagic after past experiences. Trying to get one through a reseller.
@@boostedmedia That doesn't sound too trustworthy towards Simagic.
Fanatec with their grainy motors and ridiculous quick release is indeed a better option. Got it.
How'd the Alpha compare to the Mini and Moza R9 (in terms of details, rather than strength)?
dont buy a moza, its far more robotic detail and less response then simagic.. the mini is great.. but going higher up the chain, u get faster response.. more sensation..
@@ArvidjeTried both, they're ok. Not sure which Simagic wheels are good, as the GTS is the worst of those I've tried (Moza GS, CS, generic OMP). Grips are hard (you can feel the metal inside) and quite thin, and rough in texture. Wonder if the GT1 or wheel that goes with the GT Pro Hub is good and thicker.
@@Arvidje Can you clarify what you mean by 'robotic detail' and 'less response'?
@@Arvidje 'response then simagic'.
*response than simagic.
Basic grammar.
Regarding the front mount threads, what is the length between each thread? would appreciate your help
9cm
2024 now, so how is the Alpha experience now with all of the software/firmware updates?
love to know this too
Please could you review the Accuforce Pro V2
Have there been any firmware/software updates that have improved the overall experience?
Yes
@@waterboxer So if I buy the ultimate I shouldn't worry about it feeling numb and lacking textures? Shaun Cole from the simpit liked the ultimate and Barry from sim racing garage didn't have much bad things to say about the mini. This review goes against all other reviews I've seen.
@@KinGzeDK My experience with the Simagic Alpha has been excellent. Most reviews of the SM A Ultimate are excellent. I love Will's reviews but he is just one of many reviewers and his review of the Alpha was a long time ago now, a lot of updates have been made since then.
@@waterboxer and it's basically half the price of simucube including wheels. Almost seems too good to be true.
is there any QC concern that makes boosted media stop reviewing simagic product?
is there a simple way to use the simagic wheels on the fanatec dd bases?
You would need to use either a podium hub or SRM adaptor and then plug them in via USB
Do the wheels need charge or powered by the wheel base?
Powered by the base or by USB. They don’t have a battery.
@@boostedmedia sweet was wondering about having cables which I hate.
Is recalibrating the angle of the wheel relative to the first game you calibrated to (iracing), i.e if you calibrated ACC first you would think that iracing has the angle calibration problem.
No. If you calibrate to 0 and then open acc for example, the wheel sits about 12 degrees to the right. You have calibrate the wheel so it thinks 0 is about 12 degrees to the left in alpha manager to get it straight in the game.
@@boostedmedia thanks!
Strange for the alignment, I have an alpha for several months and never had that as much as my max angle degrees in alpha manager and in game are the same and my center is well set in Alpha manager, I played AC, ACC, Dirt 2.0, AMS2 and RF2. but I agree, software is not yet at hardware level.
Whats the best direct drive wheel under 1000,-
^
Awesome review Will as always, I only wish that these bases could be used with Forza 7 cause thats actually my fav driving game !
Either way, im sure the Alpha would be a totally massive step up from the g920, which im using at the moment
I wish you'd try the alpha mini, it being a lot cheaper should change the perspective, I've tried neither but I'm seriously thinking ablut getting the alpha mini as my first DD.
We won’t deal with Simagic after past experiences.
@@boostedmedia Oh that's unfortunate, thank you anyway, love your videos!