Best PC racing wheel in 2020
Having the best PC racing wheel for gaming can really make you feel like an F1 athlete, a ten tonne trucker, or the Nascar racing star you've always wanted to be. Whether you're revving the engines of a spectacular muscle car, or doing the intricate Euro Truck Simulator 2 parking dance, even the best controllers can't possibly compare on the level of immersion a legit-looking, smooth-feeling racing wheel can deliver. And with the top racing games you will end up feeling like you're really racing at break-neck speeds from the safety of your chair.
That kind of steering is at its best when it comes in the form of a force feedback wheel. It'll make all the difference, offering a constant stream of information about both the track surface and what your in-game wheel is doing. Similarly to haptic feedback, it's some sort of controller/motor voodoo, but you'll quickly learn what it feels like when your back wheels are losing grip and you're about to say goodbye to the road. A good steering wheel will give you a physical cue so you can correct something that would otherwise have you careening into a wall with a joypad.
It's true that you get what you pay for, and the best PC racing wheels are no exception. There are a large number of options out there, all at various price points, with the absolute pinnacle being the stunning $1,500 Fanatec ClubSport wheels. But don't worry, for those who don't fancy pawning off their grandmothers old jewellery, we've chosen some more affordable options, and at least one all-out rig, that still deliver on the promise of force feedback.
You can check out our top picks for the best steering wheels for PC gaming below. Whether you're behind the dashboard of some beastly concept car, or a majestic F1 car, a good steering wheel can make all the difference to your racing experience.
1. Thrustmaster T300 RS
The best racing wheel for PC.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 3 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 1080 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: No | Expandable: Yes
This is at the top of the best PC racing wheel list for a reason: its performance and features combine to create a bit of kit worthy of the serious racing game enthusiast, but without the excessive price tag. In track racers like F1 or Project CARS, you can really sense a car's grip because of the superb motorized feedback, and the speed of response to your inputs is quick and perfectly executed.
The high-quality force feedback is so good that hitting a wall in-game feels like it’ll actually hurt your hands at some points. It’s precise, weighty and really shakes when the game demands it, making rally games feel distinctly more involving.
The only limitation the setup has as such is that the handbrake is mapped to a button you access with your thumb, making rally games fiddly. You can get a separate stick shift and use that as the handbrake with the paddles for changing gear, but that is not great at all. As the wheel is often upside-down or at unusual angles during races you’ll have to get creative on how to execute the handbrake function... Use your nose?
Regardless, it's manageable and this is still the perfect setup for anyone looking to get serious about racing games. Both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of this wheel work with PC.
2. Fanatec CSL Elite
The best racing wheel for serious sim rigs.
Connection type: USB | Force feedback: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 1080 degrees | Pedals included: Yes (with bundle) | Expandable: Yes
The Fanatec CSL Elite isn't the cheapest racing wheel in our guide, nor is it the most simple to use, yet Fanatec don't offer half measures. The entry-level CSL Elite is one of the most versatile and immersive pieces of racing kit a relatively moderate amount of money can buy.
The Fanatec kit is highly modular, meaning you'll need to buy a base, wheel, and pedals for a complete setup. A shifter is another added extra if you can't bear the feeling of flappy panels for gear changes. There are a wide range of options over on the Fanatec website, all of which can be easily configured through the online system. Our recommended loadout is the CSL Elite base, Alcantara P1 wheel, and load cell brake pedals.
With that setup you can be sure you'll be able to feel every screeching corner as you careen around a track. The CSL Elite's powerful single drive force feedback makes sure of that, and the load cell brakes really drive that realism home. They'll take some serious force to depress fully at speed, so you might want to consider a full frame sim racing setup if you head down the Fanatec route.
Read our Fanatec CSL Elite review.
3. Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel: Leather Edition
A higher quality of Thrustmaster.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 9 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 900 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: Yes | Expandable: Yes
While this is similar to the T300 RS above, it’s still a worthy inclusion because the quality and control are just as excellent and you get slightly more for the slightly higher price tag. This is the largely the same as the standard version but it comes with two extra elements: a 3-pedal pedal set and a detachable leather wheel.
The leather wheel is excellent, and feels that little bit more cool and authentic by being leather. Downstairs, the pedal set is superb, with full-size, weighty pedals that feel really responsive and comfortable at your feet; their tuning is excellent as well and each tiny adjustment seems to be enact a change in accelerating or braking. As a bonus, the steering wheel mount is still sturdy enough to hold it firmly to the desk—though a racing chair would probably get the best out of it. Here's a guide to our best gaming chairs.
4. Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel
A great, frequently discounted option.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 8 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 900 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: Yes | Expandable: Yes
An excellent wheel from Logitech, the G29 replaces the incredibly popular G27 wheel that came before it. The unit is designed to be set up with PlayStation 4 console but it’s definitely a strong competitor and great bit of kit for a PC, and more effective than the similar Xbox-centric G290. The first big plus is the array of additional buttons—namely a click wheel for adjusting brake balances, and positive/negative buttons for adjusting the traction control (though this is customisable and you can map it to anything you like).
This unit also has LEDs at the top of the wheel’s central column, which light up to tell you when you need to change gear (if supported by the game you’re playing), and the pedals are fantastically responsive. The brake pedal is non-linear, giving you a more realistic braking sensation than cheaper pedal sets. It’s a bit of a shame that the stick shifter is no longer built into the unit, but it isn’t that much more expensive—sometimes it's even the same price—to get it along with the wheel and pedal set. This is very much one of the best ways to get a full driving experience in your home PC setup.
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5. Thrustmaster TMX Force Feedback Racing Wheel
A more affordable option.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 5.5 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 900 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: No | Expandable: Yes
This is Thrustmaster’s entry-level offering with force feedback. That force feedback is still one of the main things that truly augments and completes a driving experience with a wheel, and the better systems with this tech are more pricey. The force feedback isn't as strong as other models, but it does work, and if you’re on a tight budget, it provides a true force feedback wheel with 900 degrees of rotation and a set of pedals, which is pretty good value.
The noticeable cut backs do appear on both the wheel and the pedals, however: the steering wheel doesn't have the deluxe feel of the higher-end units; and the pedals are a bit plasticky, offer little resistance, and are void of a clutch pedal. Something to bear in mind, if you ever fancy upgrading at a later date.
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Having the best PC racing wheel for gaming can really make you feel like an F1 athlete, a ten tonne trucker, or the Nascar racing star you've always wanted to be. Whether you're revving the engines of a spectacular muscle car, or doing the intricate Euro Truck Simulator 2 parking dance, even the best controllers can't possibly compare on the level of immersion a legit-looking, smooth-feeling racing wheel can deliver. And with the top racing games you will end up feeling like you're really racing at break-neck speeds from the safety of your chair.
That kind of steering is at its best when it comes in the form of a force feedback wheel. It'll make all the difference, offering a constant stream of information about both the track surface and what your in-game wheel is doing. Similarly to haptic feedback, it's some sort of controller/motor voodoo, but you'll quickly learn what it feels like when your back wheels are losing grip and you're about to say goodbye to the road. A good steering wheel will give you a physical cue so you can correct something that would otherwise have you careening into a wall with a joypad.
It's true that you get what you pay for, and the best PC racing wheels are no exception. There are a large number of options out there, all at various price points, with the absolute pinnacle being the stunning $1,500 Fanatec ClubSport wheels. But don't worry, for those who don't fancy pawning off their grandmothers old jewellery, we've chosen some more affordable options, and at least one all-out rig, that still deliver on the promise of force feedback.
You can check out our top picks for the best steering wheels for PC gaming below. Whether you're behind the dashboard of some beastly concept car, or a majestic F1 car, a good steering wheel can make all the difference to your racing experience.
1. Thrustmaster T300 RS
The best racing wheel for PC.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 3 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 1080 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: No | Expandable: Yes
This is at the top of the best PC racing wheel list for a reason: its performance and features combine to create a bit of kit worthy of the serious racing game enthusiast, but without the excessive price tag. In track racers like F1 or Project CARS, you can really sense a car's grip because of the superb motorized feedback, and the speed of response to your inputs is quick and perfectly executed.
The high-quality force feedback is so good that hitting a wall in-game feels like it’ll actually hurt your hands at some points. It’s precise, weighty and really shakes when the game demands it, making rally games feel distinctly more involving.
The only limitation the setup has as such is that the handbrake is mapped to a button you access with your thumb, making rally games fiddly. You can get a separate stick shift and use that as the handbrake with the paddles for changing gear, but that is not great at all. As the wheel is often upside-down or at unusual angles during races you’ll have to get creative on how to execute the handbrake function... Use your nose?
Regardless, it's manageable and this is still the perfect setup for anyone looking to get serious about racing games. Both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of this wheel work with PC.
2. Fanatec CSL Elite
The best racing wheel for serious sim rigs.
Connection type: USB | Force feedback: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 1080 degrees | Pedals included: Yes (with bundle) | Expandable: Yes
The Fanatec CSL Elite isn't the cheapest racing wheel in our guide, nor is it the most simple to use, yet Fanatec don't offer half measures. The entry-level CSL Elite is one of the most versatile and immersive pieces of racing kit a relatively moderate amount of money can buy.
The Fanatec kit is highly modular, meaning you'll need to buy a base, wheel, and pedals for a complete setup. A shifter is another added extra if you can't bear the feeling of flappy panels for gear changes. There are a wide range of options over on the Fanatec website, all of which can be easily configured through the online system. Our recommended loadout is the CSL Elite base, Alcantara P1 wheel, and load cell brake pedals.
With that setup you can be sure you'll be able to feel every screeching corner as you careen around a track. The CSL Elite's powerful single drive force feedback makes sure of that, and the load cell brakes really drive that realism home. They'll take some serious force to depress fully at speed, so you might want to consider a full frame sim racing setup if you head down the Fanatec route.
Read our Fanatec CSL Elite review.
3. Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel: Leather Edition
A higher quality of Thrustmaster.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 9 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 900 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: Yes | Expandable: Yes
While this is similar to the T300 RS above, it’s still a worthy inclusion because the quality and control are just as excellent and you get slightly more for the slightly higher price tag. This is the largely the same as the standard version but it comes with two extra elements: a 3-pedal pedal set and a detachable leather wheel.
The leather wheel is excellent, and feels that little bit more cool and authentic by being leather. Downstairs, the pedal set is superb, with full-size, weighty pedals that feel really responsive and comfortable at your feet; their tuning is excellent as well and each tiny adjustment seems to be enact a change in accelerating or braking. As a bonus, the steering wheel mount is still sturdy enough to hold it firmly to the desk—though a racing chair would probably get the best out of it. Here's a guide to our best gaming chairs.
4. Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel
A great, frequently discounted option.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 8 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 900 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: Yes | Expandable: Yes
An excellent wheel from Logitech, the G29 replaces the incredibly popular G27 wheel that came before it. The unit is designed to be set up with PlayStation 4 console but it’s definitely a strong competitor and great bit of kit for a PC, and more effective than the similar Xbox-centric G290. The first big plus is the array of additional buttons—namely a click wheel for adjusting brake balances, and positive/negative buttons for adjusting the traction control (though this is customisable and you can map it to anything you like).
This unit also has LEDs at the top of the wheel’s central column, which light up to tell you when you need to change gear (if supported by the game you’re playing), and the pedals are fantastically responsive. The brake pedal is non-linear, giving you a more realistic braking sensation than cheaper pedal sets. It’s a bit of a shame that the stick shifter is no longer built into the unit, but it isn’t that much more expensive—sometimes it's even the same price—to get it along with the wheel and pedal set. This is very much one of the best ways to get a full driving experience in your home PC setup.
Best controller for PC gaming | Best PC joystick | Best gaming monitor Best mechanical keyboard | Best gaming routers | Best gaming headset
5. Thrustmaster TMX Force Feedback Racing Wheel
A more affordable option.
Connection type: USB | Weight: 5.5 kg | Force Feedback: Yes | Rumble: Yes | Maximum rotation angle: 900 degrees | Pedals included: Yes | Clutch pedal: No | Expandable: Yes
This is Thrustmaster’s entry-level offering with force feedback. That force feedback is still one of the main things that truly augments and completes a driving experience with a wheel, and the better systems with this tech are more pricey. The force feedback isn't as strong as other models, but it does work, and if you’re on a tight budget, it provides a true force feedback wheel with 900 degrees of rotation and a set of pedals, which is pretty good value.
The noticeable cut backs do appear on both the wheel and the pedals, however: the steering wheel doesn't have the deluxe feel of the higher-end units; and the pedals are a bit plasticky, offer little resistance, and are void of a clutch pedal. Something to bear in mind, if you ever fancy upgrading at a later date.
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