The sim-racing steering wheel market is made up of numerous entries (several hundred, I’d say), with different categories that touch on all motorsport disciplines. Given that motorsport covers a wide range of competitions, it’s only natural to see steering wheels for GT, endurance, Formula and rally racing too.

Well-known brands include Fanatec, Simagic, Simucube, Asetek and Conspit. All these manufacturers have specific niches in sim-racing, with Fanatec reaching the widest audience of virtual racers thanks to an offering that includes over 40 wheels and flywheels.

At Conspit, the manufacturer focuses on a few motorsport disciplines, notably Formula. However, it also offers a wheel that is a generalist, such as the 310 Apex. This is a wheel aimed at racers who take part in several disciplines, and we’ll take a closer look at it in what follows.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Entire structure in aluminum alloy
• Round wheel with a diameter of 310 mm
• 3D printed breastplate
• Magnetic and carbon fiber pallets
• 2.99″ diagonal central screen with color display
• 16 front-mounted controls, and RevLED above the screen
• Headband with imitation leather material
• Purple headband at the top of the headband, with stitching over much of the inner part
• 8 RGB buttons
• Compatible only with PCs
• Weighs 1.52 kg on the scale

Wheel design

Conspit’s 310 Apex has a design that’s both minimalist for the wheel itself, and highly competitive for the faceplate. The wheel is entirely round, with a textured leatherette-covered hoop, a colored band at the top, and topstitching in certain areas.

The faceplate is 3D-printed, and houses all the steering wheel controls, as well as the RGB buttons and stickers. It’s flashy, and looks like a typical GT wheel, but the marriage of these two elements – the minimalist wheel and the flashy faceplate – makes for a beautiful steering wheel design.

Customized assembly

From the factory, the 310 Apex comes with a standard 6x70mm mounting pattern on the rear. You can therefore order it as it is, i.e. without Quick Release, but you also have the option of taking it with 2 QR options: Quick-Con, which acts as a hub, and QR CDR, which is a Quick Release inspired by the D1-Spec, also found on Moza and Simagic.

If you opt for the Quick-Con, you’ll need to attach the QR Wheel Side of your chainstay, and this will add length to the drive shaft, like an extension of some kind. And if you opt for the CDR, it’s a QR in its own right, usable on Conspit bases for example.

In any case, the brand offers you several options for mounting its steering wheel, and the price doesn’t change whatever you choose.

Manufacturing and finishing

The 310 Apex is a steering wheel made from a variety of materials. Steel is used for the hoop, and the latter is covered in imitation leather. It’s very handsome, and very well finished on the front, but there’s a hiccup in the thumbs at the rear, at the 9:15 position. The brand has “patched” this area with a piece of imitation leather, and it’s not part of the rest of the hoop. To be frank, it looks cheap, and even Logitech does better on its entry-level offerings.

As for the faceplate, its aluminum alloy structure, with a 3D-printed front shell. It’s very handsome, and well finished too. I didn’t notice any defects on this element, nor on the entire steering wheel, except for the part behind the wheel for the leatherette.

Handling the steering wheel

The steering wheel is 30 cm in diameter, with a round shape. It’s perfect for a wide range of car races, making this steering wheel suitable for use by many virtual drivers. Whether you’re a fan of GT, endurance or rally racing, the 310 Apex is a highly versatile device in terms of diameter, shape, faceplate and controls.

Speaking of controls, we have a total of 16 on the front panel, including buttons, switches and rotarys. At the rear, there are 4 paddles, 2 of them magnetic and the other two for lunch control. The buttons are positioned fairly close to your hands, but this can’t be said for the switches and especially the rotarys at the top, where it’s impossible to use them without removing your hands from the rollbar, except perhaps if you’re driving in the 11H10 position.

Sensations during play

Let’s move on to how the Conspit 310 Apex feels during play. First of all, the driving position is very healthy on this steering wheel, thanks to its entirely round shape. What’s more, the controls are well positioned, except for the switches and rotarys, which are positioned quite far from your hands, meaning you have to take your hands off the wheel to use them.

Even though the 310 Apex is a wheel with a central structure that comes loose, I didn’t notice any flex at all on the hoop. It’s bolted together, literally and figuratively. The 310 Apex is a wheel that can be badly treated in full race, and it won’t complain at all.

On the whole, I enjoyed my time with this steering wheel, which is a welcome change from other brands that don’t offer round wheels for all things GT and endurance racing. However, the dual clutch paddles are set a little too low for my liking, and I couldn’t use them with my hands in a fixed position.

Apart from that, the rest of the 310 Apex is great for sim-racing, whatever your discipline of choice. The controls are intuitive, the screen offers several dashboards (7 in all), and the RGB is configurable via Sim-Hub. All in all, the 310 Apex is a good steering wheel.

310 Apex compatibility

Obviously, such a steering wheel is only compatible with PCs, and I’m not that surprised. With a few exceptions, only Fanatec, Thrustmaster and Logitech dominate the console and PC markets at the same time.

As mentioned earlier, the 310 Apex is supported by Sim-Hub for all RGB settings, as well as screen dashboards. As far as Direct Drive bases are concerned, you have the option of those offered by Conspit, or any other peripheral, as long as you have the matching hub (pattern 6x70mm and 3x50mm).

Value for money

Depending on which online retailer you shop with, you’ll find the price of the Conspit 310 Apex around €350. I could say that it costs more on average than Fanatec’s offerings, for example, but in reality, the ClubSport range of shuttlecocks, which are the 310 Apex’s direct competitors, trade for €400 – €450. So…

It’s not the richest in terms of features or premium materials, but it’s good enough for 90% of riders.

My verdict on Conspit’s 310 Apex wheel

Conspit goes a little off the beaten track with the 310 Apex, as the brand is used to focusing on Formula and GT racing. But I think this steering wheel is a fine addition to its catalog, allowing many racers to discover this manufacturer of sim-racing peripherals.

If you’re lucky enough to find it at a reduced price, it’s a bargain I wouldn’t miss if I were you. And even if it doesn’t cost more than €350, it’s worth considering for a sim-racing setup that can be used for several disciplines.