Moza's Gamescom Drop: Are These New Racing Wheels a Sim Racer's Dream, or Just a Very Expensive Enchantment?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Moza unveiled new high-end direct drive wheelbases (R21/R25 Ultra) and stunning replica Lamborghini and Porsche wheel rims at Gamescom, promising up to 25Nm of torque and incredibly detailed feedback, while also hosting a time attack challenge with pro racers Jimmy Broadbent and Jarno Opmeer.
Right, so Moza just turned up to Gamescom and, fair dinkum, it looks like they’ve been tinkering with some serious arcane forces in their workshop. They've dropped a whole new batch of racing gear that has the sim racing world buzzing – and honestly, it’s got me wondering if they've accidentally conjured up a portal to a dimension where money grows on trees.
Now, you might recall me raving about Moza's more mid-range gear, like their R5 and R9 wheelbases, which have always been pretty solid value. They're usually the kind of gear that punches above its weight, letting you get a proper feel for the road without having to remortgage the dog. But this latest announcement? We’re talking about a significant leap, pushing into the upper echelons of sim racing hardware. It’s like they went from casting a perfectly respectable `Firebolt` to accidentally summoning an elder god of force feedback.
First up, the big guns: the new R21 Ultra and R25 Ultra direct drive wheelbases. If those names don't scream 'serious business,' I don't know what does. Now, most of the mainstream direct drive offerings you see from the likes of Logitech or Thrustmaster max out around 10 newton-meters (Nm) of torque. These new Moza beasts? They're promising up to a whopping 25Nm of peak torque, thanks to some mysterious 'next-gen flat-wire' motors. That’s a whole lot of oomph, mate – enough to give your arms a proper workout, perhaps even make you feel like you're actually wrestling a digital supercar into submission.
But here's where my gently skeptical wizard hat goes on. While 'more torque' sounds brilliant on paper, it's a bit like saying 'more mana' in a spell-casting contest. You've got to ask yourself: can you actually *use* all that mana effectively, or are you just going to blow yourself up? Too much peak torque can be an absolute killer over long races, leading to fatigue that makes your arms feel like overcooked noodles. The real magic, in my humble opinion, might lie in the *improved torque response* and the shiny new 21-bit magnetic encoder. That encoder, by the way, apparently offers about ten times the resolution of their current flagship R21. Now *that* is interesting. More resolution means more detailed, nuanced force feedback, potentially allowing you to feel every tiny ripple in the road, every bit of tire slip, and every whisper from the car's chassis. That's the kind of subtle spellcasting that truly elevates the driving experience, letting you read the digital tea leaves of the track. Oh, and they’ve slapped some RGB lighting on the edges too, which can indicate gear shifts and flag signals. Handy? Sure. A bit flashy? Probably. But hey, who doesn't love a bit of flair?
Then there are the wheel rims themselves, and this is where it gets really exciting from a visual and immersion standpoint. Moza has recreated stunning replica wheels from the Lamborghini Revuelto PHEV sportscar and the Porsche Mission R EV racecar. The Revuelto wheel looks like what you’d expect from a high-end supercar – a chunky D-shape, big paddle shifters, and plenty of buttons to fiddle with. But the Porsche Mission R wheel? Bloody hell, that thing is something else. It's got a proper Formula-style design, faux-suede grips (because of course), a bunch of satisfying-looking switches, encoders, and a glorious 5.4-inch 720p flexible OLED display right in the middle. Imagine seeing your telemetry, lap times, or just a cool animated Porsche logo staring back at you as you hit the apex. That’s pure, unadulterated digital wizardry right there.
It’s worth noting that the Porsche wheel was actually teased as an early project almost a year ago, already raceable in iRacing, Rennsport, and Forza Horizon 5. The Lambo wheel popped up even earlier last year. So, while it's fantastic they're now 'imminent,' there's a tiny part of me that’s gently skeptical about the definition of 'imminent' in the tech world. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Now, for the bit that always brings us back to reality with a thud: the price. Moza hasn't announced official figures yet, but the original article had some pretty solid estimates. We're talking likely north of $849 for the R21 Ultra, and the R25 Ultra will probably sail comfortably into four-figure territory. As for the wheels, reckon the Lamborghini will be in the upper triple figures, and that fancy Porsche wheel? Probably $1500 or more. This isn't your grandma’s steering wheel, mate. This is for the truly deep-pocketed sim racers, the folks who treat their virtual garage with the same reverence as a real one. Moza is known for its value proposition and excellent software ecosystem, so it'll be fascinating to see if they can truly deliver the 'out-and-out build quality or design chops' needed to justify these top-tier price points and compete with the established giants at the very high end.
And to cap it all off, Moza's bringing in the big guns for Gamescom itself. Real-life Nürburgring 24 racer Jimmy Broadbent and F1 esports champion Jarno Opmeer will be at the Moza booth (Hall 10.1, if you’re heading to Cologne) on Saturday the 23rd. Attendees can compete against them in an Assetto Corsa time attack challenge – piloting the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 on Silverstone’s National layout – to set a sub-one-minute time for signed merch and Moza gear. Now *that’s* a brilliant bit of player-focused engagement, letting regular punters put these new, potentially reality-bending, peripherals to the test against actual pros. It’s where the human story truly meets the tech, and I’m all for it.
So, what's the takeaway here? Moza is clearly pushing the boundaries of what they offer, reaching for that top-tier sim racing experience. The high torque numbers are eye-catching, but it's the finer details – the resolution of that encoder, the immersive replica wheels, and the promise of truly next-gen feedback – that genuinely pique my curiosity. Will these be the new standard for serious sim racers, or just very expensive halo products? Only time (and a proper test drive) will tell. But for now, it's a hell of a show, and I'm genuinely excited to see where Moza’s magic takes us next.
*Original reporting by Will Judd for Eurogamer.*
Tags: Sim Racing, Gaming Hardware, Gamescom, Peripherals, Esports
Original article: Eurogamer