iRacing is one of the most realistic racing sims around, and it is made even better by a good racing wheel. In this guide, we'll look at the best racing wheels for iRacing in 2023.
iRacing is an extremely competitive sim racing platform. And unlike many racing titles, iRacing is one that almost exclusively requires you to use a racing wheel. While you can race with a controller in iRacing, using a wheel will almost certainly give you an advantage on the track.
It’s important to find the right racing wheel for both iRacing and for your own scenario. Wheels come in a huge number of shapes, sizes and strength across a wide range of budgets. With so many racing wheels to choose from, it can be hard to find the best option within your own criteria.
In this guide, I’ll look at the best racing wheels for iRacing across a range of budgets. Many of the wheels and wheel bases in this guide feature detachable steering wheels allowing you to mix and match products to create your ultimate setup. So I’ll also show you our recommendations for the best steering wheels for iRacing.
Before I jump into the best racing wheels for iRacing, I wanted to give a quick overview of what iRacing is and how it works. iRacing is a hardcore racing simulation featuring real world cars and tracks. It utilises a subscription model giving sim racers access to compete in hundreds of online races each day.
With iRacing being such a realistic sim racing title, it means that there is a lot of data that is fed from the game physics to a racing wheel. A sim racing wheel with good force feedback can use this data to accurately portray how your car is reacting to the track surface, giving you the information you need to push your car to its limits and put in the best lap times.
Below is a quick look at the 4 best racing wheels for iRacing in 2023. Each of these racing wheels has been picked for a different reason to give you a range of options across different price ranges. Continue reading below for more detail on why we chose these 4 racing wheels for iRacing, and to see which other wheels we have chosen.
| Racing Wheel | Price | Strength | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fanatec CSL DD Best mid-range racing wheel | €499.95 | 8Nm | View on Fanatec |
| Logitech G923 Great budget racing wheel | £349.99 | 2.3Nm | View on Logitech |
| Fanatec DD1 Best high-end racing wheel | €1199.95 | 20Nm | View on Fanatec |
| Simucube 2 Ultimate Best extreme-performance wheel | €2,599.00 | 32Nm | View Simucube 2 |
When you look at purchasing higher-end racing wheels, generally you will be able to mix and match steering wheels with the wheel bases. All of the racing wheels in the recommendations above, apart from the Logitech G923, feature interchangeable steering wheels. This allows you to combine steering wheels from other brands to create a truly unique sim racing setup for iRacing. Below are our top 4 picks for the very best steering wheels for iRacing.
| Steering Wheel | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Fanatec Formula V2.5X Best mid-range formula wheel | €399.95 | View on Fanatec |
| MOZA RS V2 Great mid-range wheel | £449.00 | View on MOZA |
| Cube Controls GT Pro Brilliant high-end GT wheel | €689.00 | View GT Pro |
| GSI Formula Pro Elite Best high-end formula wheel | £1,290 | View GSI Wheel |
iRacing features a wide range of different racing disciplines, meaning there are hundreds of cars to race with. This would lead us to suggest a racing wheel that is versatile. However, if you know what you like, and tend to race solely NASCAR, or just GT cars, then you can look to find a specialised sim racing wheel for that discipline.
Regardless of whether you look for a racing wheel that is versatile or specialised, there are a few key points that remain the same when shopping around. These points should always be considered when buying a racing wheel for any sim racing title, including iRacing.
iRacing is a sim racing platform that is enjoyed by sim racers with a variety of experience. And the first racing wheel I’m going to recommend for iRacing is a wheel that is perfect for new and experienced sim racers.
The Fanatec CSL DD is an incredibly versatile wheel which comes in two strength varieties, a 5Nm version and a more powerful 8Nm version. It also features some of the most impressively detailed force feedback from any wheel in 2023.
The CSL DD is a small form factor direct drive wheel base. And upon its release a few years ago was one of the smallest direct drive wheels available. It utilises a lot of new technology to create incredibly detailed and powerful force feedback from a relatively small footprint.
Being so small, this wheel base can be mounted across a wide variety of sim rigs, wheel stands and even desks or tables. There is a table clamp available allowing you to quickly mount and remove this wheel base to and from your desk. This is ideal in scenarios where there isn’t space for a full sim rig.
It also utilises heat sink technology to allow its exterior casing to dissipate heat during use. This means that there are no internal cooling fans allowing the CSL DD to remain incredibly quiet during use.
The Fanatec CSL DD is the perfect wheel base for iRacing due to its versatility, and it’s also incredibly affordable. It is currently £/$100 cheaper than the almost identical Fanatec GT DD Pro, and that is due to its lack of PlayStation compatibility which isn’t required when racing iRacing on PC.
No matter whether you are trying iRacing for the first time, or you are a seasoned sim racer, the CSL DD in both 5Nm and 8Nm forms is an incredibly impressive racing wheel for iRacing.
Racing Wheel – Fanatec CSL DD
Compatibility – PC, Xbox Series X|S
Price – From €/$499.95
Where to buy –
Buy from Fanatec EU /
Buy from Fanatec US
Next, I’m going to focus on the best budget racing wheel for iRacing. And the racing wheel I’m going to recommend is the Logitech G923. This wheel has been around for many years, but remains one of the very best budget racing wheels you can buy, especially for iRacing.
The G923 is an evolution of the slightly older Logitech G29, and was the first wheel to introduce Trueforce technology. That is the term given to the G923’s vibration technology which no other racing wheel utilises.
Essentially, Trueforce picks up on in-game audio cues to send different vibrations to your steering wheel. As you rev your engine or drive over kerbs, Trueforce will vibrate your steering wheel to add to the immersion.
This wheel itself is very capable, allowing you to feel how your car is interacting with the track surface and increases both immersion and control when compared to racing with a controller.
The force feedback is relatively low at around 2.3Nm of peak torque, but that is the norm within this price category. Where the G923 is different is in its force feedback technology.
The G923 is one of the only sim racing wheels to utilise gear-driven force feedback. This allows for more of the fine force feedback details to be portrayed when compared to belt-driven racing wheels, where some fine details can often be lost.
The downside of gears though is the fact that you will occasionally feel the gears interacting with each other resulting in some sensations of clunkiness.
The fact that the Trueforce feature is integrated so nicely into iRacing is a nice touch, allowing you to make full use of this wheels party trick. Check out our guide on how to change the secret Trueforce settings in iRacing for the best force feedback.
Racing Wheel – Logitech G923
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
Price – £379/$399
Where to buy –
Buy from Logitech UK/EU /
Buy from Logitech US
Moving on from budget racing wheels for iRacing, I next want to show you our recommendation for one of the best high-end, yet affordable racing wheels. In this category, I’m going to recommend the Fanatec DD1.
The Fanatec DD1 has been one of the most popular high-powered wheel bases for many years. It combines years of sim racing knowledge and advancement to produce some of the very best force feedback.
The DD1 is capable of creating up to 20Nm of peak torque which is right around the sweet spot. If you’re after stronger force feedback, there is the more powerful Fanatec DD2 which can produce up to 25Nm of torque.
Fanatec released the DD1 wheel base many years ago, but to this day, it remains one of the most popular. It is compatible with both PC and Xbox consoles, making it perfect for sim racers who are after a versatile racing wheel. You can be racing Forza on your Xbox Series X one day, then switch over to competing online in iRacing the next.
Creating up to 20Nm of torque is more than most sim racers would look to utilise on a daily basis. We always detune the DD1 down to around 15-16Nm of torque when sim racing, as at 20Nm it can be hard to sustain consistency across longer race distances.
This is why I think that a 20Nm wheel base is right in the sweet spot. You can turn the settings up to maximum to give yourself a raw and visceral experience and then turn it back down to your perfect strength preference when competing in online races or endurance sessions.
While a powerful wheel base such as the Fanatec DD1 won’t necessarily find you lap time right away in iRacing. Being able to have full control over the strength of your wheel, combined with the precise and detailed force feedback can certainly help you improve in iRacing over the long run.
Racing Wheel – Fanatec DD1
Compatibility – PC, Xbox Series X|S
Price – From €/$499.95
Where to buy –
Buy from Fanatec EU /
Buy from Fanatec US
If you think the Fanatec DD1 or even the DD2 is just too tame, then there is a wheel base that offers an insane amount of force feedback strength, but it comes at a price. The Simucube 2 Ultimate is without a doubt one of the very best racing wheel bases you can buy in 2023.
I’m going to start by talking about its insane force feedback capabilities. The Simucube 2 Ultimate can produce up to 32Nm of maximum torque. Now, that is more than almost every sim racer will ever use on a consistent basis.
But having that much power at your disposal allows you to really tinker with how the force feedback is conveyed, giving you maximum control over your force feedback experience. With the help of the included software, called True Drive, you can decide how each part of your force feedback feels and just how strong every sensation is.
These insane levels of force feedback do come with a large price tag, at least €2,599 depending on where you buy the Simucube 2 Ultimate. That is over double the price of any other wheel base we’ve recommended, and in fact, you could buy all three other wheel bases above and you still wouldn’t have spent that much money.
But if you are after the very best, the strongest, and most immersive racing wheel you can get your hands on to enjoy iRacing with, then not many will beat the Simucube 2 Ultimate.
Racing Wheel – Simucube 2 Ultimate
Compatibility – PC
Price – €2599
Where to buy –
Buy from Digital Motorsports
Next, I want to touch on the best sim racing steering wheels for iRacing. All of the wheel bases above, apart from the Logitech G923, do not include steering wheels. This allows you additional customisation when it comes to choosing the specific steering wheel you like the most. But it does add another decision into the process of buying a racing wheel for iRacing.
The first steering wheel I’m going to look at is the Fanatec Formula V2.5X. This formula-style steering wheel has seen numerous iterations over the years, but the core concept remains. This is an incredibly well-designed steering wheel, giving you a lot of different inputs to control your car in iRacing.
The Formula V2.5X is fully compatible with both Fanatec wheel bases above, the CSL DD and the DD1, as well as the Simucube 2 Ultimate, although you’ll require an additional adapter for that.
You’ll see from initially looking at the Fanatec Formula V2.5X that it means business. There are a wide variety of push buttons, rotary encoders, thumb encoders, a Funky switch, joysticks and more.
These inputs can all be mapped within iRacing to control a variety of settings in game. We like to use the rotary encoders to adjust traction control, differential and ABS settings in game. Then utilise the push buttons for commands such as headlights and accessing the iRacing menus.
The build quality is fantastic utilising real carbon fibre across the faceplate, and motorsport-grade Alcantata for the hand grips. And the dimension of 280mm is perfect for formula or GT style racing within iRacing.
Overall, this is one of our favourite sim racing steering wheels we have, and when we race using Fanatec hardware, this is our go-to choice, as it makes for an almost perfect sim racing wheel for iRacing.
Steering Wheel – Fanatec Formula V2.5X
Compatibility – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
Price – €/$349.95
Where to buy –
Buy from Fanatec EU /
Buy from Fanatec US
MOZA Racing has some of the nicest designed sim racing steering wheels of any brand in 2023. Their range of circular and formula-style wheel rims all look the part, and include a good variety of inputs. The next wheel I’m going to recommend for iRacing is the circular MOZA RS V2 steering wheel.
The MOZA RS V2 is an evolution of the original RS steering wheel, which missed the mark in our opinion. However, this second iteration fixes all issues from the previous steering wheel, which results in a sim racing wheel that both looks fantastic and allows for a good amount of customisation and in-race control.
There is a good amount of forged carbon fibre across the wheel, including the face plate and the magnetic shifters and dual clutch paddles. The hand grips are covered entirely in genuine leather, which isn’t commonplace among sim racing wheels. But is very appreciated as it gives the hand grips a soft and plush feel.
There are a range of push buttons, all featuring customisable backlit LED lights, and a couple of rotary encoders for more intricate changes while on track in iRacing. Continuing the trend of customisation, there are also a series of customisable LED shift lights across the top of the wheel.
If you are looking for a circular wheel rim that can be used with a variety of cars in iRacing, this MOZA RS V2 is a very good choice.
Steering Wheel – MOZA RS V2 Wheel
Compatibility – PC
Price – £449/$449
Where to buy –
Buy from MOZA
The Cube Controls GT Pro steering wheel is an incredibly well put together wheel rim. It features an Alcantara finish across the entirety of the handgrips, along with a carbon fibre faceplate and all metal construction (other than the carbon parts)
It comes built-in with a range of different inputs allowing you complete control on track. There are a selection of push buttons, two front-facing encoders and two side-mounted encoders.
One of the better features of a Cube Controls wheel is that you can choose your connection method. Most wheels will pick one or the other and you don’t have a choice. But with this Cube Controls GT Pro, you can opt for either a wireless or a wired USB connection. This gives you versatility and choice in how you set up your sim racing wheel.
Another really nice feature of this Cube Controls GT Pro wheel, is that it features raised profiles around each push button. This allows you to sim race in VR (which iRacing fully supports) and easily know where the buttons are on the steering wheel.
You can also choose a variety of wheel rim styles to suit your racing style. There are D-shaped, Sparco-style and F1-style wheel rims to choose from.
Racing Wheel – Cube Controls GT Pro
Compatibility – PC
Price – €689.00
Where to buy – Check Price
The Gomez Sim Industries Formula Pro Elite really leads the way with one of the most realistic sim racing steering wheels. It wouldn’t look out of place in a real-world Formula 1 racing car in part to its carbon fibre design, perfectly positioned inputs and large high-resolution screen.
Across the front of the carbon fibre face plate are a series of inputs. These include 10 push buttons, 5 rotary encoders, a funky switch, individual rev lights, and an impressive display. The USBD480 screen is compatible with a range of software, allowing you to show an incredible amount of live telemetry and data while you’re on track.
The wheel itself comes in at 310mm in diameter, which is actually a little larger than a lot of other formula-style wheels which generally stick around 280mm. However, the increased size makes this wheel feel more like a real-world steering wheel.
The compatibility with this steering wheel is great. It is fully compatible with the most popular wheel bases from brands such as Simucube, Simagic, Accuforce and Fanatec. This means whichever wheel base you choose to race iRacing with, this GSI Formula Pro Elite wheel will work flawlessly.
Racing Wheel – Gomez Sim Industries Formula Pro Elite
Compatibility – PC
Price – £1,290
Where to buy – Check Price
Hopefully, this guide has helped you choose a racing wheel for iRacing. We’ve highlighted some of the very best racing wheels available in 2023, and will leave the tough decision in your hands. Whichever wheel you choose, iRacing is a fantastic racing simulation and will be even more immersive with any of the picks above.
For more information on iRacing, why not check out our iRacing car setups, or an iRacing setup subscription to give you the benefit on track. Or read our guides on how much iRacing costs and how to start iRacing on a budget.
Below are a range of questions that we get asked often when we talk about racing wheels.
You don’t need a racing wheel for iRacing, as you can race with a controller. However, a racing wheel will be incredibly beneficial for iRacing, as you’ll have much higher levels of control, and feel how your car is reacting to the track surface thanks to force feedback.
iRacing’s wheel support is incredibly good with almost all modern racing wheels being supported. Wheels from brands such as Logitech, Fanatec, MOZA, Thrustmaster, Simucube and more are all supported in iRacing.
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.
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