Fanatec CSL DD Now Comes With QR2, New Products & Software In The Works

Fanatec-CSL-DD-QR2.jpg
Images: Fanatec
Despite Endor AG filing for insolvency, the company promised that Fanatec would continue operating without restrictions. A new housekeeping update highlights the CSL DD wheel base now featuring the QR2 out of the box, among other things.

It was the news bombshell of the previous week: Endor AG with its sim racing hardware brand Fanatec has filed for insolvency, the plan to stabilize the company via the StaRUG proceeding having been unsuccessful. Despite this, the company assured sim racers that it would continue operating "without restrictions" - effectively, nothing should change for sim racers.

If you want to catch up on the entire Fanatec saga thus far, check out our summary, starting with Black Friday 2023.

After the announcement of the insolvency filing, Endor's Chief Marketing Officer Belma Nadarevic took to the Fanatec blog to deliver another housekeeping update. The post mentions a new service partner that is supposed to have "a positive impact on our response time and we're expecting an even bigger impact every week."

Additionally, Nadarevic also mentions that Fanatec also intends to keep trying to move forward, as "R&D continues to develop new products, and we are excited to talk about some new releases soon." Could the Bentley wheel finally be around the corner? Time will tell - meanwhile, MOZA Racing has already released the Vision GS Steering Wheel that features a similar central screen. An "all-new Fanatec software package" is supposedly also being worked on.

Fanatec-CSL-DD-QR2-2.jpg


CSL DD Now With Base-side QR2 (Lite?)​

Meanwhile, both versions of the Fanatec CSL DD now come with a base-side QR2 pre-installed for customers in the EU and US regions - but it is not the one that you can order to manually upgrade your wheel base. Instead, it appears to be a "Lite" version of the base-side QR2 Type-C.

The standalone version of this QR2 is made from "diecast aluminium with CNC-machined finish" according to Fanatec, whereas the pre-installed version of the CSL DD is listed as being made from "carbon fibre-reinforced polyamide" - so the same material used for the wheel-side QR2 Lite.

Fanatec QR2 Review: To upgrade or not to upgrade?
Click to expand...

While it is good to see that sim racers do not need to buy an upgrade kit for the CSL DD anymore to convert it to the QR2 system, the steering wheels themselves that are available still only come with a free wheel-side QR1. The wheel-side QR2 is only available at additional cost.

Fanatec-CSL-DD-QR2-BMW-Wheel.jpg


If you are planning on buying this product and you like what we do here at OverTake, please consider using our affiliate link to www.fanatec.com. We make a small commission on each sale made using this link, without any extra costs for you. And with that, you support your favorite sim racing community, so that we can keep hosting all the downloads you need and post all the news, reviews, features and more.

What are your thoughts on the latest update from Fanatec and the QR2 on the CSL DD? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
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Reactions: OZ67, Wilko Jones, Durge Driven and 2 others
About author
Yannik Haustein
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

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Comments

Duydo
NLMichel said:
I have the Moza R9 v2, I bought it two years ago and still works perfectly. I have read some people with issues (noise and heat) in the base, but for me no such issues. I did have an issue with my load cell pedal; I accidentally broke it while cleaning (the cable is a bit short) and they send me two new load cell units (I don't know why but I am not complaining) so for me nothing but positive experiences (n=1), and yes: I have read other more negative experiences, so for you to decide.
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I had a Fanatec CSL 2.5 and switched to a Moza R9 and MOZA GS V2P GT Wheel a year and a half ago. I am delighted and extremely satisfied with Moza. Not with Fanatec. I wish them end of market. My load cell pressure sensor broke twice on the V3 pedals. I bought an industrial one for 200 kg. But I found out that using it without a Fanatec steering wheel is impossible, because we can only set the load quill value from the Fanatec steering wheel. This is not possible directly from the calibration software. So I still have to replace the pedals. I wish an early end to this company.
 
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jongen
jonkrmr said:
You want your DD base to have more torque (Nm) than you plan to use. This gives the base some cushion to avoid clipping when large spikes in FFB happen.
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That's true, and I'll add that you'll ideally want to make sure that your base doesn't clip through software. Fanatec has peak and linear settings, for example; linear might seem a bit underwhelming, but it's more accurate and won't clip, rather than the workout peak will give you. FFBClip for Assetto Corsa woill ensure that all cars have their own bespoke dynamic range without clipping, reducing realism (making a power-steering truck and a harsh Indycar feel the same) in favor of exquisite fidelity for each.

Basically, if the game outputs a range of 0-10Nm, but your base can only do 0-5Nm, there are a few ways to go.
1. Scale everything 50%. No detail is lost, but your output will be less strong.
2. Make everything above 5Nm "clip", meaning it is all rendered at 5Nm whether it's 6Nm or 9Nm. You definitely lose detail in the high end, but the low end is untouched.
3. Make everything feel as close to 5Nm as possible. In audio, it's annoying, but in sim racing, it's useless. Don't do it :D

I'd advise going with solution 1 if you find your current FFB level sufficient with a DD base (belt/gear will definitely lose fidelity). If you don't, #2 isn't ideal, as you crush your high end and lose all fidelity, but depending on what you drive, the enjoyment might be worth more than fidelity. Of course, the ideal solution would be have a base with more torque, but that's more expensive than dealing with software settings :)
 
Wilko Jones
Premium
Deicide The Light Bearer said:
I had looked at it but was worried it'd be "overkill" if that makes sense. Am I wrong? I honestly have never even used a DD system before
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It's not overkill, it's a matter of having extra headroom for when things get intense. You don't have to set a 12Nm wheelbase to 100%. You can set it to a comfortable level and know that when the sim pushes hard and hits the strength, you're comfortable with; it won't lose detail because that is not the wheelbases hard limit.
 
Durge Driven
Cautious but sounds like great news for sim industry no matter who you are.

P.S. Bought the cheapest CSL DD dual bolt collar from China.
Works beyond my expectations, wheels are tighter and has never loosened.
Highly recommended for cheap fix.
 
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Deicide The Light Bearer
Premium
jonkrmr said:
You want your DD base to have more torque (Nm) than you plan to use. This gives the base some cushion to avoid clipping when large spikes in FFB happen.
Click to expand...
Wilko Jones said:
It's not overkill, it's a matter of having extra headroom for when things get intense. You don't have to set a 12Nm wheelbase to 100%. You can set it to a comfortable level and know that when the sim pushes hard and hits the strength, you're comfortable with; it won't lose detail because that is not the wheelbases hard limit.
Click to expand...

Okay awesome. I experience that quite often now. Its like the wheel just goes limp at times. Thank you guys for this information, honestly. Its greatly helped out a lot with my choice. I was worried of the R12 but I feel a lot better now. I've got the R12 and KS wheel bookmarked now. Its also not much more of an up in cost either compared to the McLaren Fanatec setup.

How is the software for Moza?
 
Wilko Jones
Premium
Duydo said:
I had a Fanatec CSL 2.5 and switched to a Moza R9 and MOZA GS V2P GT Wheel a year and a half ago. I am delighted and extremely satisfied with Moza. Not with Fanatec. I wish them end of market. My load cell pressure sensor broke twice on the V3 pedals. I bought an industrial one for 200 kg. But I found out that using it without a Fanatec steering wheel is impossible, because we can only set the load quill value from the Fanatec steering wheel. This is not possible directly from the calibration software. So I still have to replace the pedals. I wish an early end to this company.
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The CSP's have long been a non-starter for me. The price of them is the biggest turn off, and then how delicate the loadcell seems to be. I like stiff pedals. The less squish, the better. I feel like soft elastomers just get in the way of brake control. I know it's unrealistic, but I learned from experimenting with my pedals that stiffer was often better.

When I got a set of Fanatec's CSL-Elite V1 LC pedals, before they were discontinued. I tried soft, medium and mixing the elastomers, which turned out to be short throw softs. I eventually settled on the hardest elastomers. But I feel that even they are too soft. If I had a drill press, I'd buy some hardwood rods, measure and cut wooden spacers to prevent pedal travel but, instead; I am going to buy a bunch of washers and do the same.

The CSL-Elite V1's loadcell design, while nonsensical, can take a crap ton of punishment. I am not truly comfortable with putting all of my weight on the rod that holds the elastomers in place, but if I were to distribute that force to the base where the rod is anchored, then I can push on the pedal all day without worry.

If anyone ever used the CSL-Elite LC with something preventing the pedal to have any trave what-so ever, they could probably attest to how much more accurate and intuitive that pedal is when it's 100% stiff. I did this for a couple of days before I became worried about the rod breaking and went back to the 95 shore elastomers. After I get confirmation on the fit, I plan on buying a bunch of similarly sized fender washers and getting rid of pedal travel.
 
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Wilko Jones
Premium
Durge Driven said:
Go do Moza thread will you ?
Bad as sim trolls.
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LOL.

Honestly, I want Fanatec to recover from this and to reach it's true potential. Will they have a nearly 100% grip on the industry? No... But they can do a lot better than what they are currently doing. And that is not taking Endor's insolvency into consideration. To me they should have killer products at great prices. They should absorb the prices of the QR2 into the ecosystem and not have the customers pay extra for getting it. They should have a set of CSL-Elite pedals with adjustable throw and pedal software that has the ability to set pedal curves. They should have been had a set of hydraulic pedals, even if it used cooking oil rather than automotive grade brake fluid. The Bentley wheel should be in its second iteration by now. They should have more replica GT3 wheels, like a Porsche GT3 wheel to sell alongside of the McLaren GT3 wheel. They should have a new 300mm formula wheel out. They should have a Formula v2.6 out that fixes the flaws of the v2.5. They should have team braded Formula v2.6 and Formula F1-Esports wheels in all the team colors of the current F1 season. They should have reliable ITM Sofware for the Fanatec app my now. They should be talking about and showing prototypes of active pedals.

It's hard to watch a company that was seemingly oozing with potential, fall so hard and so fast. Again, I hope they can figure this mess out and return to respectability, but until then I am not going to turn a blind eye to anyone asking my opinion on other brands.
 
Deicide The Light Bearer
Premium
Durge Driven said:
Go do Moza thread will you ?
Bad as sim trolls.
Click to expand...

I had been planning to buy the McLaren setup until I started seeing all of these articles. I went to Moza because I saw others speaking about how well they are and the cost being similar. After all I've seen and read though and with the amazing help of commenters I'm going to Moza. Especially with all the information I've learned over the past few articles and from users like those who've commented as a reply to my question.
 
JZStudios
Michael Krone said:
I bet we start seeing complaints of that material breaking and cracking within a year.

Why not just use metal? How much are they really saving?
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Mashing carbon and plastic into a mold is significantly cheaper than machining aluminum, and cheaper in material cost. I'd expect the strength to be about on par with regular forged carbon mash and I honestly wish more sim gear was plastic because this intense desire for overpriced machined aluminum and carbon is ludicrous when plastic is just as durable for the job at a similar weight but considerably less money.
 
T
This might be an unpopular opinion but the QR2 just from the looks of it seems so flimsy compared to Moza or other QR systems. Its a bit baffling that Fanatec who prides themselves on their engineering skills could not come up (after such a long development time) with a more sturdy looking solution.
 
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Wilko Jones
Premium
th3orist said:
This might be an unpopular opinion but the QR2 just from the looks of it seems so flimsy compared to Moza or other QR systems. Its a bit baffling that Fanatec who prides themselves on their engineering skills could not come up (after such a long development time) with a more sturdy looking solution.
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You must mean the QR2 in the photo. I assume looks are decieving here because the QR2 is anything but flimsy. If the plastic wheelside QR2 is anything to go by, the pictured base-side is absolutely fine for an 8Nm wheelbase. Going all metal for the CSL DD is overkill, and wouldnt add much to the expierence.

Also, theres absolutely nothing flimsy about the metal versions.
 
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Wilko Jones
Premium
Deicide The Light Bearer said:
Okay awesome. I experience that quite often now. Its like the wheel just goes limp at times. Thank you guys for this information, honestly. Its greatly helped out a lot with my choice. I was worried of the R12 but I feel a lot better now. I've got the R12 and KS wheel bookmarked now. Its also not much more of an up in cost either compared to the McLaren Fanatec setup.

How is the software for Moza?
Click to expand...
Simagic Alfa Mini and their GT Sport steeringwheel subtotals to 880. Only $40 north of Moza's kit. Just an FYI.

The LaPrima base and formula wheel costs about the same. That is the bundle without the pedals.

If youre willing to lose some strength, going with a Moza R9 and the CS V2P would be 680.
For the record, I don't find the strength of my CSL DD at 8Nm to be lacking.
 
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R
Deicide The Light Bearer said:
View attachment 774208

I know and I saw it. I am looking for Multiple opinions/thoughts though. The ones people mentioned (Simmagic,Asetek La Prima) are way out of my saving budget. Hence why I said the Moza R9, no one has commented though with thoughts of the R9.
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R9 would be a Great Choice from a Company that is Stable and having just released the R3 for Xbox Owners isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I think however if I were in your Shoes I would 100% go with Asetek anything they make and they have Regular sells and Special's is A++++++
My Next wheel we definitely be from them 100%. Everyone from the Owner to Upper Management seem absolutely too notch! Both the Owner and his Son are both into Racing immensely and because of that are Dedicated into the Growth of the Company not to mention they manufacturer their Own products in House.
 
Kevin Troschinski
I use my CSL DD 8nM on a stable desk with a normal but fixed DX racer gaming chair (anti-slip washing machine mat) :thumbsup:
Additionaly i must say i like a subtile ffb, where i can feel everything well, without fighting the wheel.
I experienced the 8nM so far sufficient in every situation. Enough power without having to wrestle. No clipping at all in no situation. No jumping desk or monitor either ^^ So for me the perfect choice for good money value.

I always feel if i go too high with the ffb ingame - i still got no clipping, the sheer power is increased but i am loosing the details. So for me a wheel with 10+nM makes just no sense.
 
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Deicide The Light Bearer
Premium
RealRacinGuy said:
R9 would be a Great Choice from a Company that is Stable and having just released the R3 for Xbox Owners isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I think however if I were in your Shoes I would 100% go with Asetek anything they make and they have Regular sells and Special's is A++++++
My Next wheel we definitely be from them 100%. Everyone from the Owner to Upper Management seem absolutely too notch! Both the Owner and his Son are both into Racing immensely and because of that are Dedicated into the Growth of the Company not to mention they manufacturer their Own products in House.
Click to expand...


Awesome thank you, I'll be looking at the R12 ans the Asetek as time gets closer as they are similar in price. How is the software for them?
 
TShrimp
Yes for Moza over Fanatec, but I am not a fan of Fanatec as I had issues with my CS v3 and took a very long time to hear back from their support. Ended up selling my Fanatec items and replacing with other gear. Simagic might be an option at your price point as well. Actually less expensive where I live. Due to mounting the Asetec might require cost of a new base, or drilling, as they have non standard mounting. In short, yes to moza over Fanatec, and Simagic over Moza if in your budget. But you will like whatever you end up getting.
 
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P
justageezer said:
If you're only on PC then ecosystem isn't that important - you can mix and match your pedals / shifters / handbrakes, only if you race on a console it helps if everything matches, but even then a DriveHub can get most stuff working.
Click to expand...
Not true if you don't limit yourself to sims, many racing games don't support multiple USB devices (and many don't support those new wheel brands, unless those wheel bases have a G29 compatibility mode).
 
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