This is your ultimate how to guide for connecting your Fanatec steering wheel to your Xbox One or Xbox Series X. Follow this guide for a quick and easy setup and calibration.
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Connecting a Fanatec racing wheel to an Xbox One or Xbox Series X should be a simple task. However, if you don’t follow the correct procedure you could sometimes be left scratching your head wondering why the wheel isn’t working.
Below we detail the exact method to successfully connect your Fanatec wheel to an Xbox console. This will work 100% of the time, and if for any reason it doesn’t, we’ve included a few common questions at the bottom to help troubleshoot any connection issue.
If you are looking for how to set up a Fanatec wheel with a PS5 or PS4, read our complete Fanatec PS5 and PS4 setup guide here.
Ensure you have an Xbox compatible wheel base and steering wheel. You can check this on Fanatec’s official website. Every wheel and wheel rim has the full compatibility list next to it. Some wheel bases are listed as “Xbox Ready”. This means that as soon as you connect an Xbox compatible wheel rim to the wheel base, it will become fully Xbox compatible.
Alternatively, if you wanted to use any Fanatec wheel rim with your Xbox console, you can purchase a Universal Hub for Xbox One. This is a module that sits between your wheel base and the wheel rim and converts any Fanatec steering wheel to become Xbox compatible.
Our Recommended Fanatec Wheel For Xbox
Ensure you have the latest firmware installed on both your wheel base and your steering wheel. Do this by connecting your wheel base and steering wheel to any PC via a USB cable.
Connect all of your Fanatec peripherals to your wheel base. Both the CSL Elite and ClubSport wheel bases have a range of connection ports at the rear of the base to support pedals and other peripherals. Then connect your steering wheel via the quick release to your wheel base.
Connect your Fanatec wheel base to your Xbox via a USB. This can be connected either in the front or rear USB ports on the console itself.
When you first connect your Fanatec steering wheel to your Xbox console you have to ensure that you have calibrated the wheel center. This is so the wheel isn’t miss-aligned and off center when using it.
Calibrate your Fanatec wheel by pressing the “start” and “A” buttons at the same time. If you are using a Universal Hub for Xbox, you will need to press the “Start” and “X” buttons at the same time.
By default your Fanatec wheel base will start-up in PC mode. As soon as you connect an Xbox One compatible steering wheel to your wheel base your wheel base should change to Xbox mode. You will know that your wheel base is in Xbox mode by the green ring of light around the start button.
If you don’t see a green ring of light on the wheel base, you may have to manually switch to Xbox mode. Do this by pressing both the “Select” button and the “Y” button together. This should change to the Xbox mode. Only do this if you don’t see the green ring. Every time you press this button combination together it will switch the wheel base between Xbox mode and PC mode. For reference, PC Mode is indicated by a red ring.
After you have completed the above steps your Fanatec wheel should be fully working and you will be able to control your Xbox console with the face buttons on your steering wheel or Universal Hub.
Should your Fanatec wheel not be controlling your Xbox for any reason, please view some of the Fanatec wheel troubleshooting guides below.
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Ensure your USB cable is connected properly to your console and all connections between pedals and peripherals are connected correctly. Ensure the steering wheel rim is connected correctly with the quick release system.
After every firmware update, you should re-calibrate your Fanatec wheel base and steering wheel. Follow the points above detailed in step 5 to correctly calibrate your wheel.
Ensure your firmware is up to date on both the wheel base and steering wheel, and then connect to your Xbox again.
Your Fanatec wheel base will automatically turn off if it starts to overheat. Let the wheel base cool down for a while before playing again.
Ensure you have switched your wheel base to Xbox mode. Do this by following our instructions in step 6 above.
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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