Finally, the Moza R3 is officially available! At just $400, it’s the cheapest direct drive sim-racing bundle officially licensed for Xbox. I reviewed the bundle back in August of 2023, but due to licensing delays with Microsoft, it wasn’t available to the mass market until today. But have my thoughts on it changed since the review? Be sure to hit the video below to check out the latest.
Overview
If you’re unfamiliar with the Moza R3 bundle, it is the most affordable complete sim racing setup that Moza offers. It includes the R3 wheelbase, an Xbox-compatible wheel, two pedals, and a table clamp for mounting at a desk.
With consoles, the wheel determines whether a bundle is compatible. So, the ES for Xbox wheel that comes in the R3 bundle will work with other Moza wheelbases that have a port for the pedals on the back like the R5 and R12.
Moza is also officially saying that the wheel will be available separately from the bundle, and they also plan on making more Xbox-compatible wheels.
Moza R3: Video
Like all of Moza’s wheelbases, the R3 is a direct drive, which means that the motor is directly connected to the wheel – unlike the popular Logitech G923 and Thrustmaster T300, which use belts and gears to drive the force feedback felt in a wheel. Direct drive systems are typically more powerful, quieter, and faster than entry-level systems.
At just 3.9Nm of torque, the R3 isn’t crazy powerful, but it is fast, quiet, and smooth.
Two pedals is enough for most of the racing that I do. But, Moza also sells an additional pedal and the performance kit which adds more progressive resistance to the brake pedal. But, a wheel stand or sim rig would be ideal here as the added brake pressure can cause the pedals to move around more on carpet and hard floors.
If you haven’t yet, check out my full setup and review video of the Moza R3.
What’s the competition like?
Entry-level wheels like the Logitech G923 can be found on sale for around $300 new but can often be picked up for less when they’re bought second-hand. These can be a great way to try out racing on a wheel if you’ve never experienced it before, but often, if you find you enjoy using a wheel, you’ll want to upgrade rather quickly.
Turtle Beach has also entered the market for direct-drive wheels on Xbox. In my review, I thought that, on the one hand, the $650 VelocityOne Race is a comprehensive all-in-one direct-drive system right out of the box. Still, it also feels inflated with unnecessary bells and whistles and is unrefined when it comes to the force feedback experience.
I’m excited to see more from Turtle Beach, though. It’s great to have another big-name company dipping into the sim-racing world. I think there is huge potential here from them.
Fanatec has also been a popular choice with ready-to-race bundles starting at $480 that are compatible with Xbox. Recently, though, it hasn’t been having issues and leaving plenty of customers extremely frustrated. It’s also been reported that the company is bankrupt and perhaps Corsair is buying them. While I thing the products are still some of the best in the market, I’d be skeptical to jump into the Fanatec ecosystem at this point.
So, should you buy the Moza R3?
If you’ve never spent time on a wheel, I still recommend trying to find a used G923 to see if you like it or trying a friend’s setup. When you’re used to playing on a controller, the transition to a wheel can take some getting used to and it can get very expensive. I’ve seen plenty of stories of people buying a wheel but never using it and just using the controller instead.
But if you’ve already spent time on a wheel and are ready to commit to direct-drive wheelbases, the Moza R3 bundle is a great entry point. Moza doesn’t seem to be slowing down regarding new releases, either. So you can expect to find more Xbox-compatible wheels in the future and also can switch out the wheelbase and pedals, and add more add-ons like an H-pattern shifter or sequential shifter.
I’ve have the Logitech Pro Wheel and pedals and the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race, but I’ve always come back to using Moza in my sim rig.
Buy Moza R3 Bundle
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