Simucube Savu Pro Review

Watch our Simucube Savu Pro video review

Below is our complete video review of the Simucube Savu Pro, where I discuss everything in this written review, and bring you gameplay of this Steering Wheel.

Simucube has primarily been known for their outstanding high-end wheel bases. However, over the past few years, we’ve seen sim racing pedals, accessories and steering wheels. The Savu Pro is the latest first-party Simucube steering wheel, and it has been designed from the ground up with the new generation of Simucube 3 wheel bases in mind.

Simucube has sent across the Savu Pro, and I’ve been using for a few months to really put it through its paces. Here is our review of this GT-style steering wheel.

What is the Savu Pro steering wheel?

Simucube’s Savu Pro is a high-end sim racing steering wheel, designed to be a cross-over between a traditional GT and formula-style wheel, leaning more towards GT racing.

With a premium full-metal construction, built in Lightbridge connectivity, and a huge number of inputs. On paper this is the perfect premium steering wheel to pair with the Simucube 3 wheel base.

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Price of the Simucube Savu Pro

But lets take a look at the price before we delve too far. The Simucube Savu comes in two formats. There is a Sport model and a Pro model, with the Pro version having far more inputs.

The Savu Sport costs €940 without the Link Hub required to connect it. But don’t forget, the Link Hub can be spec’d into the Simucube 3 wheel base, and you only need one.

The Savu Pro comes in at a scarier €1316 without the Link Hub. Now, that does seem expensive, but this price does include VAT, bringing the cost of the Savu Pro down to €1049 excl VAT.

Region	Price inc Link Hub	Price Excl Link Hub	Buy
Savu Pro	£1282.36 $1399.00 €1418.15	£1199 $1299 €1316	Buy Savu Pro

In comparison, other premium wheel brands are coming in very comparably priced. Cube Controls have their Phoenix wheel, costing €1170 inc VAT for the Ultimate version. And GSI have wheels such as the €770 GXL V2 and €1150 Hyper SL, both excluding VAT.

So while the Savu Pro does carry a super premium price point, compared to its biggest rivals, its pretty competitively priced. However, does this flagship wheel justify this high price?

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The design of the Simucube Savu Pro

Lets start with the design and more importantly the build quality. Right out of the box, this Savu Pro feels incredibly high-end. I’m used to steering wheels having a plastic chassis with a layer of carbon on top. Not the Savu.

Design and build quality

This steering wheel comes in at 295mm across and has a completely metal body, with all other inputs minus the buttons being metal as well. Having metal encoders and switches genuinely elevates this wheel as these are the parts of the wheel you’re physically going to be interacting with the most.

This is how a flagship product should feel. While Simucube’s website claims a lightweight construction, the wheel does feel pretty heavy. But that is a pretty good thing in this scenario, as I want to feel those high-quality materials.

The rubber handgrips feel soft and expensive, while being one of the nicest ergonomical grips I’ve felt. They bulge in the center to fit into your palm, which is something new. Most steering wheels are flat across the front, but this distinct bulge thickens the grips in the perfect place.

Inputs

With the Pro version of the Savu, there is a lot going on. You have all of your expected inputs, laid out in a very accessible way. All 12 push buttons are reachable without removing your hand from the wheel and grouped into clusters of three.

The button caps are LED backlit, with the colours completely customisable. They’re also printed caps so there are no stickers in sight which I’m glad of. You can swap the button caps around or replace them altogether for added personalisation.

Across the top cluster of buttons, you also have raised shrouding around the center button. This allows you to feel which of the three your pressing, which is handy if you like to race in VR.

Next to your thumb are two encoders on either side. One built into the frame and rotating horizontally, and another rotating vertically and protruding out from the chassis.

All of these thumb encoders have a pretty heavy weight to them which I appreciate, allowing for precise car setup changes. Although the vertical encoder has grooves that are spaced further apart compared to the horizontal encoder, and I did find my thumb slipping occassionally across the surface.

Across the front, there are another five encoders and switches. Again, all constructed from metal, and all with the same weighty activation as the thumb encoders. The three rotary encoders, plus the thumb encoders do all have a push functionality allowing for five extra in-game inputs.

Then there are two funky switches or joysticks. Again, metal. And with rotation, multi-direction input and push inputs.

This is a pretty perfect combination of inputs along with a well thought out positional design, aimed solely at making each input easy to access mid race.

Rev lights

Across the top of the wheel are a cluster of rev lights, all individually lit, and six flag lights. These are awkwardly missing on the Sport model, making it look a bit bare.

But on the Pro wheel, these are incredibly bright and clear, with all of the customisation you’d expect in terms of colours, timing and profiles.

Shifters

The rear of the wheel has a pre-installed quick release which is using Simucube’s new QR design, and works well.

Then there are four pre-installed paddles. Two shifter paddles with really a really nice activation weight, which seems to be a trend across the whole wheel. And two clutch paddles. There are also two additional blanked spots where an additional two paddles can be added.

The paddles are perfectly positioned with a distance offset between the shifters and clutch paddles. But if you aren’t a fan of the pre-installed position, there isn’t too much you can change, as there is no baked in positional adjustment available.

Under the shifters is a USB-C hardwiring port, and up above the quick release is a physical on/off button.

Installation

Installation is super simple if you are pairing this Savu with a Simucube 3 wheel base as intended. Simply mount it with the QR and away you go. Simucube’s new Lightbridge technology handles both power and data transfer, so there is nothing that can go wrong.

There is of course QR adapters sold by Simucube, or the option to remove the quick release altogether if you do want to use the Savu with another branded wheel base.

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Software setup

When you do get the wheel connected, you can control every part of the wheel via Simucube’s excellent Tuner software.

In the app you can change how the rev and flag lights operate, changing timings and effects for how they react under certain scenarios. You can change the entire button mapping, and colours of every RGB LED element.

And everything can be saved to custom profiles. In reality, there isn’t much else I’d want from the software side of things.

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Performance while sim racing

Now onto the performance and essentially the enjoyment of sim racing with this Savu Pro. And I have to say things felt really nice, and natural. I’ve sim raced with a lot of wheels and the feeling of “being at home” with a wheel is an instant feeling.

Generally, I either clash with a wheel and have to “learn” to race with it, or a wheel can feel effortless. And the Savu Pro definitely fell into that second category.

From the minute I loaded up iRacing or ACC, I felt at ease. In my hands, the wheel felt extremely comfortable thanks to the ergonomic grips and the extra thick moulding.

When on track, changing my brake bias, or traction control ahead of each corner felt so easy. All inputs were exactly where I’d want them to be. There are enough encoders and buttons to control every key area of my car, from the ignition, the wipers and headlights in a GT3 car, or the DRS, differential and ERS modes in an F1 car.

One big ommission from this wheel is an in-built dash. And this is a pretty hot topic. So many sim racers want a display in their steering wheel, and at this stage, with pretty much every brand having a wheel with a display, its almost expected.

However, there is something really refreshing about not having an in-built display. Yes, I have a pretty large dashboard in the Sim-Lab Porsche DDU which is far superior to a smaller in-built wheel display. But I have to say I did not miss having a display in the wheel itself. And doing so could easily make the inputs less natural in their placement. But overall, this feature does come down to personal preference.

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Final thoughts

And that brings me onto my final thoughts. In this instance, the question isn’t really “is the Simucube Savu Pro a good wheel?” Because, the answer is an outstanding yes. It nails almost every aspect of what makes a sim racing wheel good.

The build quality is excellent, the ergonomics and comfort are top tier, and the overall enjoyment when using this wheel are great. However, for me, the more pressing question really comes about the price and the value on offer.

This steering wheel is priced incredibly high, and while it does justify a lot of its value with everything I’ve just mentioned. It remains a rather niche product. If you are outside of the Simucube ecosystem, there are better options.

However, if you have a Simucube 3, and want to buy into the new architecture and make the most of Lightbridge with Simucube’s flagship steering wheel. Then the Savu Pro is a wheel that will not disappoint.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Pros & Cons of the Simucube Savu Pro

Pros

• Incredibly high build quality
• Excellent hand grips and ergonomics
• All inputs are well placed and feel great
• Lots of customisation using Tuner software
• Utilises Simucube’s new Lightbridge

Cons

• Very expensive
• Not practical to use with other brands wheel bases
• Lacks premium features such as a display
• Heavy and requires a powerful wheel base

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