There are many brands of sim-racing peripherals on the market, although the discipline is still dominated by a few. Overall, the sim-racing market can be divided into three parts: we have the players in the low-cost, entry-level segment. These include brands such as Logitech, Thrustmasterand Cammus. The main aim of these brands is to offer budget-friendly solutions that are not at all expensive, but still offer a certain level of immersion.

One notch above, we have the players in the mid/top-range segment. Here, we’re talking about Simagic, Moza Racing and Fanatecas well as other names, of course. In this segment, the emphasis is on innovation, value for money and the sensations involved. Virtually all seasoned racers race here, as it remains the most attractive of all.

And finally, we have the premium market, with brands that specialize in the design and manufacture of sim-racing equipment derived directly from motor racing. These include Simucube is a major player in the premium sim-racing industry. Its products are not only ultra-realistic in terms of feel, but are often used by racing teams for their training.

In this article, we’ll tackle a rather tricky subject: choosing between 2 manufacturers of sim-racing peripherals. Which of Fanatec or Moza Racing is best suited to your needs? Well, that’s what we’re going to find out.

Choosing between Moza and Fanatec

In most cases, especially if you’re an amateur or a sim-racing novice, making a choice between two brands that are in the same segment is quite difficult. There are several points to consider, such as the ecosystem, product availability, in-game sensations, platform compatibility and so on. In my opinion, your choice should be dictated by points: the brand with the highest number of points wins. It’s simple, but very effective.

The brand ecosystem

Here, we’re talking about the ecosystem and the relationship between all products of the same brand. On this point, Fanatec wins the round, as its ecosystem is more or less fully compatible. This means that all Fanatec products will work together, whatever their range. You could very well have a Podium steering wheel (the most expensive), with a ClubSport base (the mid-range) and a CSL crankset (the entry-level). These three products will have no trouble communicating and working with each other.

This can’t necessarily be said of Moza Racing. True, the brand’s latest products are all compatible with each other, but there are several limitations in terms of the ecosystem. For example, you won’t be able to use the brand’s F1 steering wheel, the FSRwith a mid-range R12. And the reason is: Moza has changed its Quick Release hardware, but has not retrofitted it to certain bases and/or steering wheels.

Device availability

Fanatec is available worldwide, covering virtually all markets. You can order directly from the brand’s website and have your peripherals delivered to your home. This is excellent, as you don’t have to go through intermediaries. However, part of the German brand’s catalog is often out of stock, notably the Podium DD1 base.

On the other hand, at Moza, the story is slightly different. Products are most often available, but you have to go through authorized distributors who may not be present in your country or region of the world.

Performance and feel

Here, the two brands are virtually identical in terms of performance and in-game sensations. All Fanatec or Moza bases are very good for sim-racing, and are coupled with comprehensive software, allowing you to push the parameterization of peripherals. In other words, you won’t have to worry about either brand in this respect.

The sim-racing peripherals catalog

As far as the product catalog is concerned, Fanatec wins by a wide margin. The German manufacturer offers over forty different steering wheels, 6 Direct Drive bases, 5 pedalboards, 1 shifter and 1 handbrake, and a whole host of sim-racing accessories such as hubs, palettes, buttons, stickers and so on. It’s a wide-ranging catalog, with an emphasis on customizing peripherals. With Fanatec, you can mix and match all product ranges, and your setup will work without a hitch.

For Moza, the story is very different. True, the Chinese brand has a complete catalog of sim-racing peripherals, but the choice is very limited compared to Fanatec, especially for steering wheels and other sim-racing accessories. In wheels, Moza offers just 7 inputs. In pallets, there are none at all, and it’s much the same for hubs. But on the other hand, this is understandable, since we mustn’t forget that Moza is a brand that came into being in September 2021, and Fanatec has been in the industry for over 20 years.

Manufacturing quality

On Fanatec’s and Moza’s mid-range and top-of-the-range models, we have excellent manufacturing quality, as well as the use of premium materials. On the steering wheels, for example, you’ll always find aluminum structures, leather or alcantara around the edges. What’s more, some steering wheels are made from real carbon fiber, and we also have special editions that are officially licensed, such as Porsche, BMW, McLaren or Sparco wheels.

In the entry-level range of both brands, metal is the main material for chainstays and cranksets, and even aluminum, but not for all steering wheels. The latter will primarily use composite (reinforced plastic) for their structure. And as for finishes, don’t expect too much leather or alcantara, but mostly rubber. It’s not as premium as it sounds, but it’s perfectly normal to see it on a steering wheel costing less than €100.

Platform compatibility

On this point, Fanatec wins hands down over Moza. With the German brand, you’ll find a base for the 3 gaming platforms available on the market, namely PC, Xbox and Playstation. You’ll get either PC/Xbox, PC/PS or all three in some cases.

What’s more, all Fanatec wheels are equally compatible. In fact, the German manufacturer’s wheels and their compatibility with the platform of your choice are of the utmost importance, because theoretically, all bases will work on PC, Xbox and Playstation.

As far as Moza is concerned, it’s more or less monogamous. With the exception of the Xbox-compatible R3 bundle, the rest of the range is PC-only, putting console sim-raceors to one side.

The price

With a few exceptions, the prices of sim-racing peripherals from Fanatec and Moza are very similar, with a slight advantage for the German brand. As Fanatec has been in the industry for over 20 years, this manufacturer offers many deals on its bundles, where you can sometimes get a Direct Drive CSL DD base at half price, provided you pair it with predefined flywheels and pedalboards.

Prices at Moza are competitive with Fanatec, but deals are few and far between, even during Black Friday. You’ll find discounts of up to 15% on some Moza products, but prices are usually slightly higher than at Fanatec.

Peripherals software

Both brands offer software for setting up their sim-racing peripherals on the PC. On this platform, the two softwares are equal, even if I have a slight preference for Fanalab, Fanatec’s software, and its rather intuitive interface. What’s more, the German brand’s peripherals can also be set up on consoles via the menus integrated into the steering wheels. So, even if you don’t have a specific console application, you’ll still have a good number of settings with Fanatec peripherals.

At Moza, you get good settings on PC through Pit House, and that’s it, because 95% of the range is only compatible on this platform. And as for the R3, well, you’ll only have the settings that can be modified via the game.