Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel & Pedals Review

The VelocityOne Race KD3 racing instrumentality and pedals acceptable is the astir caller bundle of driving sim cogwheel from Turtle Beach, and each portion of it is an all-new portion of kit for the company’s small-but-growing racing ecosystem. The KD3 wheelbase itself is little potent than the archetypal VelocityOne Race, but it’s besides markedly cheaper. Overall, successful presumption of torque, it’s really a much level rival to the similarly-specced Moza R3 bundle (the archetypal Velocity One, for reference, has much than treble the unit feedback powerfulness of the KD3).

With a 3.2Nm wheelbase, a swappable, 300mm/11.77’’ rim, and a two-pedal accelerator and brake assembly, the KD3 is simply a competent, ready-to-race bundle that acold eclipses similarly-powered gear- and belt-driven alternatives (that are becoming progressively outmoded arsenic the prices of starter nonstop thrust wheels inclination lower) successful presumption of driving consciousness and performance. However, the caveat is that the upgrade situation for Turtle Beach racing instrumentality is obscurity adjacent arsenic extended arsenic it is with Moza close present so, portion there’s a batch I similar astir the KD3, it can’t correspond my archetypal proposal astatine this time.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel & Pedals – Design and Features

The VelocityOne Race KD3 racing instrumentality and pedals acceptable is a complete, plug-and-play racing strategy that’s acceptable to rock, close retired of the container – and each the cogwheel wrong is caller to the Turtle Beach racing line-up. The bundle comes with the caller 3.2Nm KD3 wheelbase, a round, 300mm Xbox-compatible steering instrumentality that’s precise antithetic from the 1 that comes with the archetypal VelocityOne Race, and a caller pedal acceptable with a throttle and brake (two pedals, truthful nary clutch). A array clamp is besides included for those without dedicated racing rigs to bolt it each into.

The plan of the wheelbase itself is simply a batch sleeker than the archetypal VelocityOne. The integrative ammunition astir Turtle Beach’s archetypal wheelbase was admittedly pulling aggregate duties (housing the integrated display, disguising the built-in array clamps, and adjacent providing a retention cubby for the multitool it ships with to enactment it each together). However, that’s a bulkier portion that resembles older (and larger) gear- and belt-driven bases, adjacent though it’s really conscionable a integrative ammunition lodging a direct-drive system. The KD3 is tiny and compact successful examination (185mm x 133mm x 291mm/7.28” x 5.24” x 11.46”, 3.3kg/7.28lbs), and its cylindrical plan is modern and effective.

The basal and abstracted array clamp are metallic and consciousness bully and sturdy. The clamp does not bolt to the KD3’s base, and alternatively holds it down by pinching it against the aboveground of your array oregon desk. This was really a small fiddly to initially descent in, arsenic it won’t beryllium jimmied successful portion the KD3 is astatine 0° elevation (the instructions could’ve been a small clearer astir that), and the adjustable knob utilized to tilt the portion backmost wasn’t wholly cooperating retired of the container (it didn’t privation to budge).

However, aft loosening the adjuster it’s each rather straightforward to install. The space accommodation has 3 preset slots astatine 0°, 10°, and 20°. It’s bully to beryllium capable to tally the instrumentality astatine 0° erstwhile I clipped connected the caller Turtle Beach FR-X Formula Wheel (which is simply a abstracted add-on) to contention GT cars successful Assetto Corsa Competizione, but tilt it backmost a small erstwhile driving much accepted accumulation cars successful thing similar Forza Horizon 5. For comparison, the Moza R3 has a precise bully (and highly strong) array clamp, but it does person a fixed, 15° thin connected it.

The wheelbase features 5 USB-C ports connected the rear (for the pedals, positive different accessories you whitethorn get separately), an exigency halt connected top, and a airy ringing and tiny display. The show tin diagnostic telemetry for supported games (which is mostly a PC happening alternatively than Xbox, wherever unrecorded telemetry is mostly unsupported). I personally don’t truly find this benignant of happening massively utile due to the fact that realistically I conscionable look astatine my dash and/or HUD show connected surface and not astatine the instrumentality itself portion driving. However, the surface means you tin entree and alteration definite settings without going into the Turtle Beach VelocityOne tuning app, truthful there’s surely nary harm successful it.

The instrumentality that comes with the KD3 is 300mm (11.77’’) wide, which is really a large size (and a fraction bigger than the Moza rim that comes with the R3. It’s besides round, alternatively than D-shaped, similar the instrumentality with the archetypal VelocityOne (it’s not perfectly round and determination is simply a slight flat spot connected the bottommost of the wheel, but it’s very, precise close). This makes it mode much suitable for rallying and drifting.

It does consciousness beauteous cheap, though, and there’s a batch of hollow integrative that’s screwed unneurotic from the rear. I don’t emotion the noticeable screw holes; thankfully determination aren’t immoderate straight down wherever my hands people beryllium astatine 9 and 3 o’clock, but I person a wont of uncovering the holes close supra my forefingers erstwhile rotating, and they consciousness unusual being there. That said, it doesn’t consciousness flimsy oregon creak successful the hands, which is evidently important. The level buttons connected the look of the instrumentality are each beauteous adjacent together, truthful I needed to beryllium deliberate with my thumb presses to not mash aggregate ones accidentally. The displacement paddles are a large size, and they person a brushed but suitably clicky action.

The pedal container is bully and ample (it’s a small implicit 400mm/16’’ long) and comes with an accelerator and brake. It’s a bespoke, two-pedal framework successful a integrative ammunition and determination would beryllium nary scope to adhd a 3rd pedal to this container for a clutch. The brake pedal tin beryllium shifted laterally slightly, and the absorption connected some pedals comes from a brace of springs (rather than a much costly load compartment similar connected the archetypal VelocityOne Race). These springs are adjustable; I near some connected however they came retired of the box, but if you privation much absorption you tin tweak it.

You tin power retired these pedals connected the KD3, but the three-pedal Turtle Beach acceptable with the load compartment brake is lone disposable successful the archetypal VelocityOne Race bundle close now.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel & Pedals – Performance

3.2Nm of torque is admittedly astir arsenic mild arsenic you’ll get from a nonstop thrust wheelbase, but it is an introduction level product. It different sits astir the level of aged gear- and belt-driven wheels similar the Logitech G29 and G923, and the Thrustmaster T128 and T248. The Moza R3 (which is besides a nonstop thrust wheelbase) has 3.9Nm.

The feedback quality, however, is beauteous bully for this level of terms and power. Curbs buzz, bumps consciousness decent, and there’s capable absorption to pass capable cornering unit to get by. I’d emotion it to bash amended astatine translating the beforehand extremity scrubbing and clawing done corners, though I don’t ever cognize whether that’s thing I tin dial successful amended astatine a mounting level, whether successful the instrumentality itself oregon successful my sims.

Above everything, however, the feedback is soundless (and instant). At the hazard of repeating myself, this is the monolithic payment of nonstop drive, and wherefore I find it precise hard to spell backmost to gear- oregon belt-driven alternatives.

As mentioned, the 300mm/11.77’’ rim is simply a large size, and astir apt a small bigger than I mightiness person expected fixed the debased torque KD3 wheelbase. However, it is very airy (1.21kg/2.67lbs) truthful we’re not losing feedback done a dense rim. The rim snaps connected with the same, shot bearing-style speedy merchandise collar that’s bespoke to Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne gear, and there’s minimal wiggle.

The Hall Effect pedals don’t necessitate a ton of unit to activate, but astatine this terms constituent that’s truly to beryllium expected. I bash similar the size of the pedal box, arsenic it’s easy large capable to get some heels on. This prevented it tipping up nether either hard acceleration oregon braking, and I had nary problems utilizing the pedals wholly unattached to the level of my sim spot (which conscionable has a obstruction astatine the beforehand to halt them sliding forward). The pedals are connected to the wheelbase from a larboard connected the broadside of the pedal box, truthful you won’t person to interest astir smooshing that connector against a partition if you were to usage this set-up nether your desk.