Generally speaking, console-compatible steering wheels are nothing new. You could connect this kind of hardware to the original PlayStation, although its maximum rotation angle was more reminiscent of a go-kart's steering, and features such as force feedback or an H-pattern shifter with a clutch were nothing more than a pipe dream.
Over time, similar innovations made their way into console gamers' homes, and today it's easy to get a decent steering wheel compatible with PlayStation or Xbox. However, it took a while for console players to be admitted to the exclusive direct-drive club. Popular manufacturers such as Fanatec introduced this type of hardware several years ago, but the selection was limited, and initially these products fell well short of the torque output offered by machines from PC-focused brands such as Simagic and Simucube. In fact, they still lag behind, although the gap has narrowed.
Another factor was the lack of demand for bazillions of newton-metres of torque on consoles, given the limited selection of simracing games discussed above… as well as the lack of interest from leading figures in the console world. Take Kazunori Yamauchi, the father of Gran Turismo, who recently stated that he would indeed like GT7 to offer native support for a wider range of steering wheels, but sees little point in providing the same freedom of configuration available on PC. According to him, everything should be simple, convenient, and intuitive—in other words, accessible to casual players. But we're talking about a game where force feedback is adjusted using just two sliders, so you get the idea…
Nevertheless, the direct-drive wheel boom has been spreading to consoles with increasing intensity in recent months, and even Yamauchi-san won't be able to hold it back. A potential turning point came with the recent announcement from MOZA, which plans to enter PlayStation 5 territory in the foreseeable future with two bundles: the R5S and R16S. This hasn't been confirmed yet, but these wheelbases will most likely deliver 5.5 Nm and 16 Nm, respectively, just like their PC counterparts, the R5 and R16. They appear to be a direct response to Fanatec's offerings, as Fanatec also sells two models for the "blue team" (PS5 and PS4): the less powerful DD Pro (5 Nm) and the more powerful DD Extreme (18 Nm).
As for Xbox consoles (One and Series X/S), MOZA has been part of the "green team" for several years already. And although it offers only one complete bundle for these consoles—the R3 Bundle, featuring a wheelbase with a rather unimpressive 3.9 Nm of torque—you can actually use pretty much any other wheelbase with Microsoft's consoles without any trouble. All you need to do is pair it with the MOZA ESX steering wheel, which provides console compatibility. The same principle applies to Fanatec and other manufacturers. Unfortunately, PlayStation doesn't offer the same degree of flexibility.
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