Fanatec Ready2Race CSL DD Bundle Review
- Danny Lee
- May 21
- 12 min read
The aim of any starter kit is to be the pilot episode that tickles your interest and makes you want to leap straight into episode 2. Fanatec’s cheapest bundle, the Ready2Race CSL DD 5Nm, gives you their most basic wheel, base, and pedals for 400 euros (pricing may vary between regions and currencies).
It’s an appealing bundle because it gets you going, but there’s genuine scope to easily upgrade, making it uniquely flexible for a step-one setup. I’ll show you what this bundle includes, general pros and cons, whether there are any accessories that are a must-buy, and what to expect on the road ahead if you’re thinking of getting this to join the fun.
Before we begin, the equipment featured has not been provided by Fanatec, but let’s call a spade a spade: I have an affiliate link below which, if you use it to travel to Fanatec before you buy, supports me at no added cost to you whatsoever. However, please read through the whole article before deciding. All words are my own, and I tell you exactly what I think, good and bad.
Use the link below to travel to Fanatec's webstore and support me. Thank you! Affiliate links contain referrer information which grants me a commission at no added cost to you if you eventually make a purchase.
First up, a summary of the key points
This bundle is mostly ideal for first time sim racers or those making a step up from lower entry level Logitech or Thrustmaster wheels.
It’s an extremely smooth and quiet setup, perfect for sim racers with others in the house, very little clicking and clacking.
The feedback is not very strong or exciting in the 5nm form, but it is agile and responsive enough to be more than useful. Grown adults will want more and should opt for the boost kit add-on, but kids 16 and under should be happy with this for a while.
It’s very easy to upgrade it to much more power and a more serious, capable brake pedal. Not mega cheap, but you won’t have to lose money and time selling your current kit to upgrade to more.
Overall it feels like a decent bundle for the price, you should feel like you’ve gotten what you’ve paid for and it’s a sensible entry point to sim racing.
So, in the bundle we have the Fanatec CSL DD Wheelbase 5Nm, CSL P1 V2 Steering Wheel, and CSL Pedals 2-pedal set. The version you see here is the PC and Xbox compatible version; the PC and PlayStation version is known as the GT DD Pro, so don’t get them mixed up when you browse.
The wheelbase is by far the most interesting and mystical part of the set. It’s a good-looking thing with its stout mechanical format and new stubby-nosed QR2 quick release connector. This is the 5Nm version under review, which is twice as powerful as a Logitech G29 and infinitely smoother, but it can also be upgraded to 8Nm with the optional but highly recommended boost kit. More on that later.
The steering wheel is, to me, a very good starter wheel - lightweight and quite nice to look at with a comfortable rubberised rim. It’s got a high grip feel and a generally understated style, with a carbon effect front plate, a spread of buttons and an electronic display up top. The QR2 lite quick release doesn’t engage in a very satisfying fashion but the connection is more than solid enough for the job it has to do, it’s a big improvement over the old QR1 style connector.
The pedals are quite sparse to look at, but they are nonetheless almost entirely metal with a broad heel plate that doubles up as the mounting plate for the throttle and brake, allowing you to position the pedals closer or farther apart, however you like. The brake is a very simple unit that uses a foam insert to provide some texture and progression to the pedal, but as expected for the price, it is not a load cell brake. That’s very important to know if you’re planning to do serious sim racing with this bundle, as there is an optional load cell upgrade, but more on that later too.
Overall, my impression of this bundle, having paid 400 euros for it, is that it does seem well put together, well designed, and generally gives off that Germanic design factor. I love the CSL DD’s ridged cuboid form, I respect the weightiness and steel content of the pedals, and the steering wheel can only be described as standard issue, but in a flattering way; it’s not off-putting at all. To draw a quick comparison, Moza’s R3 and R5 bundles may contain less plastic overall, but Fanatec’s offering does give a better overall first impression of being finished and refined to a higher quality and design. Like any reviewer, I strive to talk about things in the context of price. At 400 euros, it’s basically perfectly priced; if it was 700 euros, then no, I’d be a lot less impressed, and my overall angle would reflect it. The unboxing process leaves you feeling positive about things considering the price paid, so the next thing to do is get going and mount it up.
Mounting and Setup
I’m going to be attaching the CSL DD Bundle to a GT Omega DD-X Wheelstand. Mounting the wheelbase is mildly unusual just because there are no fixed bolt holes on the bottom of the CSL DD. Instead, you use these sliding T-nuts to adapt it to whatever you’re mounting it to. This is a great way to do it as it allows some back and forth adjustment if you need it. The pedals will comfortably mount to most pedal decks; once again, the DD-X wheelstand is superb for this.
Installation of the software is fairly straightforward, but it has a couple of rough edges. The firmware updater stopped responding after updating the steering wheel. The base light was red, so it wasn’t actively updating and was safe to close, and it was fine afterwards, but little quirks like this make it more likely that customers run into problems. Fanatec’s software has never been the most confidence-inspiring when it comes to updates, but once you’re up and running, you don’t have to regularly worry about it. The whole thing from unbox to pit box should take you about 30 minutes.
So, what’s it like to drive? What am I, and therefore you, capable of with this 400 euro sim racing bundle?
In three words, it’s smooth and quiet, but mild. I’ll explain what that means.
This wheelbase, without the optional boost pack, has 5 Nm of peak torque. That’s about double what the typical Logitech G series wheels can do, and while that’s definitely stronger, it is still quite weak in the grand scale of things, depending on who you ask. However, it’s still strong and agile enough to give you enough information to reliably and consistently work with once you acclimatize to it. It tells you everything you need to know; it just doesn’t do it with much intensity. The wheelbase can quickly communicate grip loss and a loose rear end, and although it does it with a gentle hand on your shoulder rather than a slap in the face, it nonetheless offers good teamwork. I was able to detect and save slides at the rear that I’m sure would have been a lost cause on lower-entry level wheels, able to drive knife-edged cars like the Super Formula and Porsche Cup cars surprisingly well.
The CSL DD is also the quietest direct drive wheelbase I’ve used, full stop. The brand new QR2 system may be plastic based on these lower-end bundles, but believe me when I say that it works very well and seems completely appropriate for this level of equipment; it’s stronger than it looks.
The pedals are very smooth and proportioned well. They have a more grown-up, larger size and longer throw than the pedals you’ll find on things like a Logitech wheel, and although the brake pedal is not a load cell brake, nor would I expect it at this price, I still found it surprisingly OK. I wasn’t locking the wheels up left, right, and center once I found a repeatable sense of the brake levels.
I do prefer these to the starter pedals you find on the Moza R3 or R5; the brake is much easier to drive with, in my opinion, and you can insert something into the foam cutout to make the brake pedal more progressive once you get used to it. I say this all in the context that these are starter pedals—upgrades will certainly be necessary to really enter the realm of high performance—but these are not a bad start. They are smooth, solid, and mostly quiet, though there is still a metallic ping or thud when you press or release the brake and throttle, so not totally silent.
I do quite like the steering wheel, mostly because of the very comfortable and grippy material used. It’s not a hard plastic like the Moza R3, and I am also a fan of how quiet the shifter paddles are. The fewer decibels, the better in that department for me, yet they still pop satisfyingly when shifting. The display and rev indicator at the top of the wheel are a cherry on top, a subtle decoration - the rev indicator’s not very bright at all and easy to miss unless you’re racing in a dark room, but the sharp red light of the menu display is very noticeable in the corner of your eye. It almost serves as an illuminated centering strip.
Force feedback tuning options are available, but I’ll be honest, it’s too weak for tuning options to make much difference. All I advise you to do with this is turn it up fairly high and drive with what you’ve got. Once the power is upped to 8nm, then yes, the tuning options do matter a bit more.
Now for context, I’m testing and reviewing this from the high ground; I'd normally be using a 15-20Nm wheelbase with high-end precision sim racing pedals. It means I have a fairly good idea where the CSL DD bundle sits on the scale. There’s no doubt that I’d be much quicker and more consistent on higher-end kit, of course. There’s no doubt that I’d be much quicker with the CSL DD’s boost kit and load cell brake upgrades even, but what’s here is plenty to get started with.
To best illustrate the difference, I set up a test: iRacing, Porsche Cup, Hungaroring, 12-lap stint. With a high-end VRS wheel and pedal set costing around 1800 euros, my average lap time was a 1:48.1. On the CSL DD Ready2race 5nm bundle costing around 400 euros, my average stint lap time was a 1:48.7. That’s at my best comfortable clean race pace, driving without any big mistakes or brake lockups. It’s 6 tenths per lap slower, sure, that’s quite a way off in terms of competitiveness. That’s the difference between me being 2000 iRating or 4000 iRating, but it’s not a million miles off in a car that arguably reveals the biggest differences in equipment.
This is best viewed as the sim racing equivalent of a 1.6 MX5. It’s not very powerful, it’s not going to be an adrenaline rush, but it’s a decent, reasonable way to get into things for the price, and that price feels quite good for what you get. Consider also that the CSL DD is rated suitable for kids of 6 years and up. If you’re buying this for a kid under 16, then it is going to feel stronger to them whilst not being at risk of snapping their arms in two, whereas full-grown adults will find the feedback to be pretty mild and may yearn for more pretty quickly. This is where the CSL DD’s biggest advantage appears.
Upgrades
Unlike most competitors' entry-level bundles, the Fanatec CSL DD bundle can be upgraded and supplemented, and you have a few options to consider.
First is the boost kit, which is actually nothing more than a higher-rated power supply, but its effect is considerable, boosting your CSL DD from 5nm peak torque to 8nm peak torque. That’s a big extra dose of strength added to the experience, and it really is dramatically different. It makes the CSL DD feel twice as good, easily, if not more. Bought individually, it costs 160 euros, which is pretty eyewatering given the item, but it’s often offered as part of bundles for 100 euros extra. For example, the 5nm CSL DD bundle I’ve got was 400 euros, but it would have been 500 euros with the boost kit, saving 60 euros if I bought it from the get-go. I do nonetheless HIGHLY recommend the boost kit, particularly for adults 16 or over, because it makes such a big difference to the experience; it makes it a lot more mature and exciting. The 5nm CSL DD feels like this, whereas the Boosted 8nm CSL DD feels like this. Yes, it seems cheeky charging that much for a mere power adaptor, but at the end of the day, it turns your CSL DD into something that feels so much more intense and exciting, in-place, no second-hand selling or unbolting to be done afterwards, it couldn’t be much easier. If you wanted to upgrade your Moza R3 to an R5, or an R5 to an R9, you’d have to sell your current wheelbase on eBay and deal with all that jazz, losing more time and money in the process.
The other major upgrade you’ll want to consider is the CSL Pedals Load Cell Kit. This replaces the simple foam brake pedal in favor of a load cell brake. Not to get too technical, but it basically makes the brake a lot more serious, makes you capable of much higher accuracy and consistency, making pedals more suitable for proper sim racing, so of great interest to those buying this bundle with the likes of iRacing and Le Mans Ultimate in mind. This is an upgrade that you should only consider if you have a sturdy wheelstand or cockpit setup with a seat that doesn’t roll backward, because it will make the brake pedal considerably harder to press, at least if you want to use it at its full performance potential. If you’re just starting out in sim racing, then you won’t need this upgrade initially. You’ll probably be gravitating to cars with ABS in the early days anyway, which will save you from the brake pedal’s limitations, but once you’ve got to grips with things and are really getting into it, then the load cell kit will be a solid upgrade to make. Of course, those with some time behind them already in sim racing would benefit from adding the load cell kit from the start if possible, because you’re already inside the sim racing bubble and you’ll probably be able to make good use of it from the start - I, for example, would opt for a load cell brake every single time because they are basically necessary past a certain skill point. Like the boost kit, this is an upgrade that you add to the pedal set you already have, and as a bonus, your brake pedal converts nicely to become a clutch pedal. You may save money if you buy a bundle with the load cell kit already included, so be aware of that if you just want to be as efficient as possible with cost.
And the clutch kit, only buy this if you need a clutch AND have no intention whatsoever of buying the load cell kit. Remember, the load cell brake kit allows you to use the original brake as a clutch, keep that in mind so you don’t end up paying more than you needed to.
What about the Tuning kit? Nah, no way, too expensive, doesn’t really do anything, tuning kit is not the correct name for it, it’s just pedal faces, mate.
Cons
Are there any clear negatives to know about this bundle or Fanatec themselves? Mainly one. Fanatec’s customer service and support times are not renowned for being excellent; it’s pretty much always been this way to my memory. In a nutshell, just be warned that if you’re unlucky enough to have a defective unit, be prepared for a potentially slow and frustrating path to resolution. Not everyone has trouble, but the simple fact is that if you ask any sim racing enthusiast to name companies with amazing customer service, I’d be surprised if Fanatec was among those mentioned.
However, at least shipping times appear to be back to normal after a very turbulent 2023 and 2024 for the company. This all took 4 business days to arrive at my door in the UK, which is a great deal quicker than it was 12-18 months ago.
The Fanatec brand and operations were sold to Corsair in 2024 after hitting insolvency like a brick wall. In plain English, that means that this time last year nobody knew for sure whether Fanatec would still be in business. It was a dramatic period for them, and if this review was being made a year ago, it would have been a major point to keep in mind. But, it all seems to be well behind them now, which I’m glad to see. I remember the reasons I opted for a Fanatec CSL Elite back in 2020, and many of those reasons still apply. Their products have a nice style and design, and they were a name I’d heard of and chose to trust, and I personally had a wonderful time with Fanatec kit for a good few years.
Overall Conclusion
So to round it up, generally speaking, I find the CSL DD bundle to be pretty decent for a square one setup. If this is to be your first rung on the ladder, then you should be satisfied for the price, and the scope to add upgrades without having to sell off your old stuff is a big advantage in Fanatec’s favor here. That fact alone means that this is a fairly smart choice as an upper-entry level setup, and it will carry you comfortably into a mid-level setup.
That’s it. I hope this was fun to read and answered any questions you have. Don’t forget that if you’ve made up your mind and are looking to buy, you’ll find a Fanatec affiliate link below. Using that to travel to Fanatec’s site supports me and keeps these reviews going, and thank you for doing so. Cheers again!
Use the link below to travel to Fanatec's webstore and support me. Thank you! Affiliate links contain referrer information which grants me a commission at no added cost to you if you eventually make a purchase.
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