Custom PC - UK (2020-07)

F

anatec’sCSLElitestarterkitis
significantlycheaperthanthe
Thrustmasterkitwe’relookingatin
thisLabs,butit’sstillbasedonthehigh-end
ClubSporttechnologyusedinpricier
Fanatecproducts.
Ontheinside,thatmeansa single-belt
brushlessservomotorwith6nmoftorque.
Thattranslatestosuperbperformancewith
theCSLEliteofferingprogressive,powerful
force-feedbackalongsidesmoothandaccurate
motion.TheThrustmasterprovides6.4nm
oftorque,andit feelsmoreaggressivebut
lesssmooth.Bothwheelsareverygoodand
incrediblypowerfulthough– thevastmajority
ofplayerswon’tneedtomaxoutthemotors.
TheFanatec’sservomotorconnectstoa
970gwheelwitha 300mmdiameter– soit’s
easilybigenoughtoreplicaterealracing.The
wheelis a littlesmallerandlighter thanthe
Thrustmaster’sSparcounit,andit sitsfurther
forwardandata moreverticalangle.Most
peoplewon’tbebothered,butthemarginal

FANATEC CSL ELITE

PS4 STARTER KIT

/£502incVAT(priceconvertedfromEuros)

SUPPLIER fanatec.com

position changes mayaltercomfortlevels

depending on your driving position.

The wheel’s combined leather and suede

coating is comfortable and grippy, and it has

more buttons than the Thrustmaster. They’re

more tactile, and Fanatec even includes

replacement caps.

The Fanatec wheel has a rev counter and the

top of the wheel has a versatile LED display that

can show in-game data, change wheel settings

and switch between profiles on the fly, so you

don’t have to leave your game. Behind the

wheel are superb shifter paddles. They’re less

clicky and require a little more force than the

Thrustmaster’s adjustable shifters but they feel

far more robust.

The wheel mechanism is contained in a

smart, subtly designed shell. It’s smaller and

lighter than the Thrustmaster, and its plastic

exterior doesn’t hinder build quality. At the rear

it has ports for two shifters and a handbrake,

while the Thrustmaster unit only has a single

shifter port.

Fanatec’s CSL Elite pedal kit only includes

two pedals, but they’re versatile – their position,

strength and sensitivity can all be tweaked,

and the set includes interchangeable plates

to alter their texture. The pedals are made

from aluminium, and they’re stronger than

the Thrustmaster pedals, with a smoother,

weightier movement.

The pedals aren't infallible. If they’re not

mounted to anything, they’re liable to tip

forwards. And, when it comes to mounting,

some drilling may be required – not something

you’ll need to do with the Thrustmaster.

There’s also no clutch pedal. If you do want

a third pedal, you’ll have to buy Fanatec’s Load

Cell kit. This includes an upgraded brake pedal

with stronger, more realistic resistance, which

means you can use the original brake pedal as

the clutch. However, the kit costs £123, which

puts the Fanatec’s overall price of £625 virtually

level with the £630 Thrustmaster. Then again,

Fanatec offers a more versatile ecosystem. The

CSL wheel base can be used with dozens of

wheels, improved pedals and a huge range of

shifters and handbrakes.

Conclusion

Fanatec is a key player when it comes to

high-end sim-racing gear, and that quality

and experience has bled down to this

relatively affordable bundle. The CSL Elite

base and wheel are fantastic, offering smooth,

consistent and powerful force feedback, with

a touch that’s lighter than the Thrustmaster

TS-XW. Fanatec’s kit also has more features

and a better ecosystem, and the pedals are

very good. This is an excellent upgrade from

cheaper wheels, for those seeking their first

step into truly high-end racing wheels.

SPEC

Force feedback Brushless single-

belt servomotor, 6nm torque

Rotation 90-1,080 degrees

Pedals Brake, accelerator

Materials Aluminium, plastic, leather, suede

Wheel diameter 300mm

Wheel weight 970g

Base & wheel weight 4.82kg

Base & wheel dimensions 300 x 350 x 300mm

Pedal dimensions 380 x 370 x 224mm

Pedal weight 3.2kg

Extras Table clamp, Allen keys,

wrench, button caps

Warranty Two years return to base

VERDICT

A fantastic higher-end racing wheel kit that

offers superb performance and features for

serious racers.

ELITE

+ Smooth, powerful

driving and feedback

+ Loads of useful

features

+ Robust,

versatile pedals

ELITIST

• An expensive kit
  and ecosystem


• Building can be fiddly


• Only includes
  two pedals

DESIGN

34 / 40

FEATURES

34 / 35

VALUE

21 / 25

OVERALLSCORE

89 %

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