More and more sim-racing players are partnering with video game franchises. The reason is that racers, mainly on consoles, are much more inclined to acquire a sim-racing setup if it’s a “limited edition”. A case in point might be the Fanatec GT DD Prowhich is a steering wheel + base + pedalboard bundle under official Gran Turismo license.

The Gran Turismo license has been the stuff of dreams for many sim racers since its debut on the first Playstation in the 90s. Today, it remains a staple of console racing, and it’s for this reason that Fanatec has chosen to partner Sony on its GT DD Pro.

In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to this bundle, which is complete by the way, with a steering wheel, a 5 or 8 nm base (depending on your choice) and a pedalboard. I’ll tell you about its strengths and weaknesses, and give you my opinion on it.

Main and technical features of the bundle

• Bundle with base, steering wheel and pedals
• Available in 2 torque versions: 5 and 8 nm (with boost kit)
• 28 cm diameter wheel
• RevLED on the steering wheel
• Compatible with all platforms (basic at least)
• Table/desk mounting system with clamp
• All-metal pedals (CSL Pedals) with 2 pedals, available in 3-pedal kit and Load Cell.
• 11 buttons on the steering wheel, with 5 directional sticks
• Plastic pallets

GT DD Pro design

Let’s start with the GT DD Pro‘s design. In three words: it’s rather sober, as Fanatec peripherals more or less are. The GT DD Pro is, in fact, a bundle of sim-racing products found throughout the Fanatec range. It includes the CSL DD base, CSL Pedals and a Gran Turismo-specific steering wheel.

As far as I’m concerned, the wheel looks pretty good, with a design combining 2 colors: black and gray. The bottom is flat, with a diameter of 28 cm, which is a little small for my taste, as I’m used to slightly larger wheels (typically 30 cm). In the center of the wheel is the Gran Turismo logo, with a RevLEd just above it.

The buttons are arranged in a racecar-inspired way, with excellent ergonomics. It’s easy to reach all the controls without taking your hands off the wheel.

Customized assembly

The GT DD Pro comes with a clamp that makes it easy to mount on a table or desk. Simply position the clamp and tighten the screw at the bottom. What’s more, this mounting system is very solid, easily withstanding the base’s 8 nm maximum torque.

Fanatec also allows you to mount the GT DD Pro directly on a cockpit, using the screws and mounting points provided on the base. Finding a chassis compatible with Fanatec bases, especially the CSL DD, is no longer a problem, as the brand now offers its own perfectly adapted cockpits, such as the GT Cockpit or the CSL Cockpit. In fact, you can discover some of them right here.

Whether on a table or on a chassis, the GT DD Pro stays firmly in place, even when you’re in full-blown sim-racing mode.

Manufacturing and finishing

Let’s move on to the point I liked least about the GT DD Pro : the build quality. The base and pedalboard are great. These two devices use metal for their structure, which is very well finished and smacks of a premium product.

However, this is not really the case for the steering wheel. The GT DD Pro is priced rather competitively, and sacrifices had to be made in order to achieve this. And by sacrifice, I mean use. plastic. The GT DD Pro wheel is made of plastic and is more geared towards console racers. Even though it’s well made, it feels a little cheap, and we’re not really used to this feeling with Fanatec steering wheels.

The paddles aren’t exactly excellent, and you can feel the whole wheel move when you apply a certain amount of force to it. Knowing Fanatec, Sony must have dictated the guidelines for the GT DD Pro wheel.

Getting started with the bundle

The GT DD Pro ‘s ergonomics are excellent. Buttons are easy to reach with your fingers, and the steering wheel is easy to grip. The wheel is a little small (28 cm), but you soon get used to it.

The QR1 Lite is still very easy to use, but don’t forget that it’s made of plastic and will therefore have a few degrees of play. It’s not too bad on the 5 nm version, and you’ll get used to it after a while. The good news is that it is now possible to opt for the QR2, offering a more robust, backlash-free connection for an even more immersive driving experience.

As for the pedals, the CSL Pedals are made of metal and are also easy to handle. You can change the position of the pedals to suit your riding style. That’s a big plus as far as I’m concerned.

Sensations during play

Like all Fanatec CSL DD bases, the GT DD Pro provides excellent gaming sensations, whether you opt for the 5 or 8 nm version, although I’m partial to the latter. Force feedback is superbly balanced, whatever the title in front of you.

The only notable weakness of the GT DD Pro is its plastic QR1 Lite. On the 5 nm version, it’s not so intrusive, but you’ll feel it on the 8 nm version. Fortunately, it’s now possible to opt directly for the QR2, offering a stiffer, play-free connection for an optimized driving experience. If you opt for the 8 nm version, I strongly advise you to choose this option, which is far more efficient than the metal QR that used to cost around a hundred euros more.

As for the rest, it’s precise, the base is very communicative about everything the car in front of you is doing, and you’ll feel vibrators, gravel, loss of grip and so on. It’s amazing to see a small base provide so many driving sensations, especially if you come from a gear/belt drive technology.

As for the pedalboard, the CSL Pedals are pretty basic, but still offer a pretty good feel. The good thing is that you can upgrade it with a Load Cell kit, which will make it much better.

GT DD Pro compatibility

On paper, the GT DD Pro is a Fanatec wheel compatible with PS5 and PS4, or at least the wheel is. But Fanatec’s strength lies in its ecosystem, and you can use the base on all platforms.

The GT DD Pro wheel swaps easily with the Quick Release, leaving you with a wide choice of wheels available from the entire Fanatec catalog.

Value for money

This bundle is clearly affordable, with prices of €700 and €850 for the 5 and 8 nm versions respectively. In Direct Drive and with Fanatec’s experience, the competition pales into insignificance, especially at these prices. Admittedly, it’s not the cheapest, but you’ll be hard pressed to find anything better at €700 in Direct Drive and as a complete bundle.

The GT DD Pro ‘s value for money is very good, with only the steering wheel materials (mainly plastic) holding it back from being excellent. At this price, you get one of the best, if not the best, Direct Drive bases at this power level, a good wheel (with a slightly cheap effect) and a decent crankset, which does the job very well.

My verdict on Fanatec’s GT DD Pro

I’m a fan of Fanatec’s peripherals, and the GT DD Pro is once again a success. This bundle allows sim-racing enthusiasts and fans to enjoy excellent racing sessions, while exploding their lap times and not their bank accounts.

If you’re considering the GT DD Pro, which I highly recommend by the way, I suggest you take it with Fanatec’s QR2, especially with the 8 nm version of the bundle. And if you’re curious or simply not satisfied, I let you discover the 6 Best Steering Wheels for Sim Racing at 2025 by clicking here.