We've rounded up our favourite sim racing wheels which are all compatible with F1 2021. Here are the best wheels within a variety of price ranges.
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Read our buyers guide on the best racing wheels for the new F1 24 on Xbox, PS5 and PC.
It seems each year, Codemasters have been improving their Formula 1 racing pedigree by delivering a better F1 game year on year. And this year Codemasters and EA have built upon this success.
With some of the improvements to this year’s game including a more realistic damage model and upgraded tyre physics, F1 2021 is the most sim-orientated F1 game yet.
Racing F1 2021 with a sim racing wheel certainly allows you to appreciate some of the sim-orientated gameplay features. And it gives you as a sim racer a much more immersive Formula 1 experience.
Many sim racers have now had hands on experience with F1 2021, allowing us to feedback on how some racing wheels feel with this years game.
So below I’m going to look at some of the best options including new racing wheels from powerhouses Fanatec and Thrustmaster. And I’ll bring you the ultimate guide to the best racing wheel for F1 2021.
I will run through our top picks for a range of categories including entry-level wheels which don’t cost the earth, through to higher end premium racing wheels. I’ll also provide a pick for both Xbox and PlayStation compatible racing wheels.
Let’s kick off this list with one of the most impressive wheel offerings you can buy, and our pick of the bunch when it comes to premium racing wheels. The Fanatec Podium F1.
The Podium range of products were designed to be the best of the best when it comes to sim racing wheels. They feature the best technology, and are designed to provide the best and most realistic force feedback possible.
Wheel – Fanatec Podium F1
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, PC
Price – €1799.95
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
The Podium F1 is a perfect example of this, as it features one of the best direct drive wheel bases available. It is also fully licensed by Formula 1 and features the F1 logo prominently on the wheel rim. It comes equipped with Fanatec’s best formula-style racing wheel. And the cherry on top is that it is fully plug and play compatible with PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles.
The direct drive technology inside the DD1 wheel base is capable of outputting up to 20Nm of torque. To put this in comparison, the Logitech G923 that also features on this list is only capable of just over 2Nm of torque. In fact 20Nm of torque is strong enough to cause some serious injuries, and should be paired with Fanatec’s emergency off switch for safety!
Direct drive wheels essentially remove any force feedback transfer device such as gears or belts. Instead they connect the drive shaft and in effect the wheel rim directly to a much larger motor.
This approach allows for much less force feedback detail to be lost in translation, giving you much crisper and more detailed force feedback.
The only downside of this bundle is that it doesn’t come with any pedals. Instead you have to purchase the pedals seperately. And for those we would highly recommend the Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3.
The ClubSport Pedals V3 are the best pedals that Fanatec produce, and feature some of the most advanced pedal technology available. There is a 90kg load-cell brake pedal included which produces an extremely realistic braking feel.
Along with the load-cell pedal, there are premium metal pedal plates, upgraded contactless hall-sensors on the throttle and clutch pedals, and completely customisable brake pressure.
All of this, along with the premium pedal construction make for one of the best sim racing pedal sets on the market.
Pedals – Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3
Compatibility – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, PC
Price – €359.95
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
When it comes to mid-range racing wheels, sim racers have recently been treated to a brand new, revolutionary product from Fanatec, the CSL DD Wheel Base.
Wheel Base – Fanatec CSL DD
Compatibility – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Wheel Base Price – From €349.95 (€479.95 with Boost Kit 180)
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
The Fanatec CSL DD is a direct drive wheel base which brings direct drive performance with a much lower price tag.
It is designed to replicate the direct drive setup that is found in the more premium wheel bases such as the Podium F1 above. However it does so in a smaller more compact form factor.
Not many sim racers have got their hands on the Fanatec CSL DD wheel base yet as it has only just become available for pre-order. However, reputable sim racers such as Will from Boosted Media have been able to get their hands on a preview unit, and has given the CSL DD fantastic praise. (Check out Boosted Media’s YouTube channel here. It’s well worth subscribing to as they produce some fantastic sim racing content)
The CSL DD is available in its base form which produces up to 5Nm of torque, or you can purchase an optional boost kit which increases the power up to 8Nm of torque.
In his initial review Will noted that the base unit does offer increased force feedback fidelity when compared to other Fanatec non-direct drive wheel bases. However he praised the boost kit, saying that without it, the base CSL DD unit does lack some dynamic range.
Unlike the Fanatec Podium F1 above, the CSL DD doesn’t come with a wheel rim bundled in. This allows you to choose whichever wheel rim you like the look of. We would highly recommend picking up the new and improved Fanatec Formula V2.5 wheel rim.
Wheel Rim – Fanatec Formula V2.5
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, PC
Wheel Rim Price – €349.95
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
The Formula V2.5 has just been released and is an improved version of Fanatec’s popular Formula V2. These wheel rims are the best formula-style wheel rims that Fanatec offer, and they offer an amazing driving experience with unmatched functionality for this price range.
Just from looking at the Formula V2.5, you know it is a wheel which means business. Coming in at 270mm across, it is perfectly formed, not too large or too small. And it features upto 67 adjustable in-game functions, all accessible via various encoders and buttons.
Read more about the upgrades found on the Formula V2.5 here.
When it comes to pedals, you can’t go wrong by picking up the ClubSport pedals that I spoke about above. However, for a more reasonable price range, you could look at the new CSL pedals.
Pedals – Fanatec CSL Pedals
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Wheel Rim Price – €79.95
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
The CSL Pedals are the newest pedals in the Fanatec lineup, along with the cheapest. Being the latest addition to the pedal product lineup, these pedals feature the latest technology including magnetic sensors and a full steel construction.
In our eyes, when it comes to budget racing wheels, there is still only one winner. The Logitech G923 offers a combination of quality, design, value and performance all in one package.
Wheel Bundle – Logitech G923
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Wheel Rim Price – £279.99
Where to buy – Buy from Amazon
The G923 is a reworked version of Logitech’s original G29 wheel that was released a few years ago. It adds a rotary dial and rev lights to the Xbox version of the wheel, and includes a new function called TrueForce which brings extra vibration and feedback through the wheel rim directly.
The G923 does utilise gear driven force feedback, which is widely regarded as possibly the worst form of force feedback, however the G923 is certainly an improvement over the older Logitech wheels. There is very little gear grinding or jumping, and overall the experience as a whole is good.
When compared to other budget wheels such as those on offer from Thrustmaster. The Logitech G923 wins out in terms of product design and build quality, giving it the upper hand in the budget racing wheel market.
The G923, along with the older G29 and G920 are all compatible with F1 2020 and will be compatible with F1 2021. With this in mind they are a fantastic option if you are looking to dabble in sim racing.
Simply put, there can only be one choice when it comes to the most realistic Formula 1 sim racing wheel. And that is the Thrustmaster Ferrari SF1000 Edition.
Wheel – Thrustmaster Ferrari SF1000 Edition
Compatibility – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, PC
Price – £329.99
Where to buy – Buy from Amazon
The Ferrari SF1000 Edition is a life-sized replica of the racing wheel that Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclrec raced with in the 2020 F1 season. It features a gorgeous 4.3 inch screen which provides realistic displays. It can even replicate the exact display found in the F1 2021 game for added realism.
Along with the mighty screen, there are 25 inputs. These include a variety of push buttons and 7 encoders which allow you to adjust your car on the fly without navigating any menus. Operating these encoders during an F1 2021 race adds so much to your overall immersion.
The wheel itself is constructed from real carbon fibre for rigidity and features similar rubber grip materials to that on the real-world Ferrari racing wheel. There are magnetic shifters as standard, which allow for super crisp and responsive shifts. Along with two extra analogue paddles which can be customised as a clutch among other inputs.
This wheel is a stand-alone add on and is compatible with a variety of Thrustmaster wheel bases. It will connect to and work with all T-Series wheel bases, which includes some of the most popular Thrustmaster wheel bases.
The compatible wheel bases include; TS-PC, T-GT, TS-XW, TX and the T300.
Overall, if you are looking for authenticity, or you already own a Thrustmaster wheel base. The Thrustmaster Ferrari SF1000 Edition has to be the wheel for you to attack F1 2021 with.
When it comes to the best Xbox compatible racing wheel for F1 2021, it has to be the Fanatec CSL DD that I mentioned before. It is plug and play compatible with all current Xbox consoles, and with F1 2021. And one of the best things about the CSL DD is that is serves as a hub for other Fanatec products.
Wheel Base – Fanatec CSL DD
Compatibility – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Wheel Base Price – From €349.95 (€479.95 with Boost Kit 180)
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
You can connect any compatible pedals, shifter, handbrake and wheel rim directly into the CSL DD wheel base, and they will work with your Xbox console.
If you are an Xbox sim racer, you wont be able to follow our full mid-range guide above, as the Formula V2.5 isnt Xbox compatible. You could always pick up the slightly older Formula V2 which offers a lot of the same functionality along with Xbox compatibility.
However, I would recommend looking at the impressive Fanatec McLaren GT3 V2 wheel rim instead.
The McLaren GT3 V2 is an upgraded version of the older McLaren GT3 wheel that was ever popular among sim racers. It delivers a lot of what the pricier Formula V2 does at a much lower price.
Wheel Base – Fanatec McLaren GT3 V2
Compatibility – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Wheel Base Price – €199.95
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
As part of the upgrade from the older wheel to the new V2 spec, elements such as the screen, quick-release and shifter paddles have all been changed. The shifter paddles are the most notable upgrade, as they were the original wheel’s biggest downfall. The new shifters are responsive, accurate and feel great to use.
Overall, the CSL DD and McLaren GT3 V2 is a fantastic combination that’ll help you progress up the grid in F1 2021.
If we were to pick the absolute best PlayStation 5 racing wheel for F1 2021, it would have to be the Fanatec Podium F1 which I mentioned above. Simply put, at the moment there isn’t a better wheel base available for the PS5. Fanatec have stated that a PlayStation version of the CSL DD wheel base is on it’s way, however we don’t currently know how long this will be.
Wheel – Fanatec Podium F1
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, PC
Price – €1799.95
Where to buy – Buy from Fanatec
So for now, if you want the best of the best, and you have a fairly sizeable chunk of spare money burning a whole in your pocket, we would highly recommend the Fanatec Podium F1.
The fantastic thing about the Podium F1 is it is the only plug and play direct drive wheel available for PlayStation. You simply cannot match the force feedback strength and quality if you’re a PlayStation sim racer. And until the CSL DD PS5 edition gets released, this will continue to be the case.
Read our full guide on the best racing wheel for PlayStation 5 here.
You can use the links below to shop for your favourite sim racing products, or for any products that we may have recommended. These links are affiliate links, and will earn us a small commission, with no additional cost for you.
Rich is the founder, F1 car setup creator and content writer for SimRacingSetups. With over a decade of experience as a graphic designer, marketing director, competitive sim racer and avid motorsport fan, Rich founded SimRacingSetup.com to share his passion and knowledge of sim racing and Formula 1 with other sim racers. Regularly writes for sim racing website SimRaceReviews.com
View all articles written by Rich
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