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Fanatec make some of the best, if not the best sim racing wheels available for PC, Xbox One and PS4. The German company offer a range of products, varying in price, quality and compatibility. However even the lowest cost CSL Elite product range is one of the better wheels you can buy.
When purchasing your Fanatec racing wheel, just ensure you buy a wheel base and steering wheel with the correct compatibility for the console you will be using it with. When buying a Fanatec racing wheel for PC, every single Fanatec wheel base and steering wheel is compatible.
Despite most Fanatec wheel bases, steering wheels and peripherals being plug and play, there are still a plethora of configuration options you can tweak to maximise your experience with the wheel.
In the guide below we will run through the complete setup process for a Fanatec wheel for PC, Xbox & PS4.
We’ll show you how to connect the wheel to your PC, how to install the up to date firmware, and how to configure the force feedback options.
When it comes to connecting your Fanatec wheel to a PC, Xbox or PS4, the initial setup is reasonably simple. You will have to decide how you are planning on mounting your wheel. This can be done using the built in mount to attach the wheel base to your desk, or via the hard mounting screws on the bottom of the wheel base.
Once you have decided how you are going to mount your Fanatec wheel, you can start connecting it up. This part is as easy as plugging in your pedals and any other peripheral to your wheel base using the slots on the rear of the wheel base. Connect up the power supply, and then plug your wheel base in to the USB slot of your PC, Xbox or PS4.
You can now move on to connecting your steering wheel to your wheel base. There are two alternative ways you can connect a steering wheel to the CSL Elite wheel base, and they depend on the wheel rim you have. The ClubSport wheel rims can be used with the CSL Elite wheel base, and they feature a quick release system. Whereas the CSL Elite wheel rims don’t feature this quick release so take a little longer to connect.
Connecting a steering wheel with a quick release
Remove the storage pin on the steering wheel quick release system.
Align the CSL Elite Wheel Base so the groove is at top center.
Pull in the quick release mechanism towards the steering wheel.
Slide the steering wheel all the way on to the wheel base axle. Apply a little force as you near the end.
Then release the quick release mechanism and you are ready to race.
Connecting a CSL Elite steering wheel without a quick release
Start by aligning the CSL Elite Wheel Base so the groove is at top center.
Then slide your CSL Elite Steering Wheel onto wheel base axle.
Once it is on, turn the steering wheel 180 degrees, so the bottom of the wheel is facing the top.
Then push the wheel on to the wheel base until the screw hole matches with hole on steering wheel axle.
Finally, use the allen key provided with the wheel to insert and turn the screw provided.
Once tight, your steering wheel is ready to use.
That’s the first initial connection setup done. Now grab yourself a beer before we move on to the technical part of the setup guide.
How to install Fanatec drivers
When you first connect your Fanatec wheel base to your PC, you will require the correct drivers for the PC to run the wheel. You should also check to ensure you have the latest firmware installed too, as these often fix any bugs and connectivity issues.
Start by installing the correct drivers for your wheel base.
Go to www.fanatec.com/downloads
Choose your product.
Click to download your correct and latest drivers.
Once downloaded, open the driver download to start the install process.
Restart your PC.
Fanatec how to update firmware.
When you restart your PC, you will find a new icon on your desktop called “Fanatec wheel property page”. Open this to view the wheel that you have connected. You can then complete a firmware update by doing the following;
Click on your wheel within the menu.
Then click properties.
You should then be prompted with a window asking you to update your wheel’s firmware.
Click yes, then click “Start firmware updater”.
This will run you through the process of updating your firmware.
How to calibrate Fanatec wheel
The final step in your setup is to calibrate your Fanatec wheel. You should calibrate the wheel center first, then enter the tuning menu to update your wheel settings.
How to center fanatec wheel
To calibrate the Fanatec wheel center after a firmware update, do the following;
Enter the tuning menu by pressing the button with a wrench on it.
Next, turn the wheel to its center position.
Then press both the menu and A (Xbox One Wheel) or X (PS4 Wheel) button.
Your wheel center has been calibrated.
You can check that all peripherals are working correcting by going into the Fanatec wheel property page, and clicking properties on your wheel. From there you can do a brake, throttle and force feedback test to ensure everything is connected and working correctly.
To view a video of all of this watch the official Fanatec how to video below.
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Fanatec wheel settings explained
Once you have done all of the above your Fanatec wheel will be useable. You can boot up any supported game and start racing right away. You may however find some things not to your liking. The force feedback may be off, or the wheel not as responsive as you had wanted. Don’t worry all of this can be changed in the Fanatec wheel settings.
To access the tuning menu on the CSL Elite steering wheel, simply press the tuning button. This will flash up a number on the steering wheel which relates to the currently selected option.
You can scroll through the tuning options using the directional stick on the left of the CSL Elite steering wheel.
When you first press the tuning button you will see the display says S_1. This dictates the saved setup you have. You can have up to 5 different setup defaults saved to the wheel. This allows you to quickly access different setups for different games or cars.
Below are all of the different tuning options and how they affect the wheel.
Sensitivity – SEN (default = 900)
The sensitivity angle is the degree of rotation of the wheel. This can be changed from 90° through to 1080° on some wheel rims. You can also set this atuo mode which will allow the game to dictate the degree of rotation. Games such as Project Cars have an option to dynamically change the degree of rotation based on which car you drive.
Force Feedback – FF (default = 100)
This dictates the maximum strength of the Force Feedback. This can be adjusted from 0% – 100%.
Shock – SHO (default = 100)
This setting adjusts the strength of the shock motors inside the wheel rim. This can be adjusted from 0% – 100%.
Anti-Lock Braking System – ABS (default = OFF)
The ABS setting changes the amount of feedback you receive whilst applying braking force through the pedals. For example, if you set this to 100, then the wheel would start to vibrate when you applied 10% braking pressure.
Drift Mode – DRI (default = OFF)
Drift mode reduces the resistance of the steering wheel allowing you to complete full rotations of the wheel much easier. In some ways it replicated power steering in a real car, making the steering wheel very light.
Force – FOR (default = 100)
The force modifier changes the strength of force that is applied to the wheel in a special direction.
Spring – SPR (Default = 100)
Spring adjusts how hard the steering wheel will be pulled back to center when you let go of the steering wheel.
Damper – DPR (default = 100)
The damper setting creates friction when you turn the wheel making the wheel feel much heavier as you increase this setting.
All of the tuning settings can be reset back to default by doing the following;
Open the tuning menu
Press and hold the tuning menu button for 10 seconds.
The wheel will show “rSt” when the settings are reset.
You can watch the below video for an in depth guide to how to tune your Fanatec CSL wheel.
Disclaimer: The links above are our affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission from any sales used via these links. Buying after clicking one of our links will never affect the price you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the latest Fanatec drivers?
You can find Fanatec drivers on the downloads section of the Fanatec website.
How often do I need to calibrate a Fanatec wheel?
You should calibrate your Fanatec wheel every time you update the drivers or firmware. You can also calibrate when you change your steering wheel.
How do I update the tuning options?
Read our how to guide for a full run down for how to update all of the tuning options on your Fanatec wheel, or watch the how to video.
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1 thought on “How To Setup & Calibrate Fanatec Steering Wheel – Xbox, PC & PS4”
tonni
you are very vague when it comes to the variations of settings and handling types on ps4 like drift mode and antilock braking, i dont recall any options that affect the wheel on ps4. There are no FANATEC software updates for ps4 & ps5. So what happens if there is a system update on the console?
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you are very vague when it comes to the variations of settings and handling types on ps4 like drift mode and antilock braking, i dont recall any options that affect the wheel on ps4. There are no FANATEC software updates for ps4 & ps5. So what happens if there is a system update on the console?