Lately, more and more Chinese manufacturers of sim-racing peripherals are entering the global market. Gone are the days of Simagic and Moza Racing which are the only ones on the track. There are now a host of new brands hoping to compete with the established, world-renowned brands.

There are many examples, including Conspit and Leoxz. These two manufacturers have been active in the sim-racing segment for a number of years, but remain little-known to the general public.

For Leoxz, the brand offers a decent catalog of steering wheels and accessories. The offer is mainly aimed at GT/Formula racers, with several customization options. For our test, we chose the XGT Ultimate, the latest wheel to be added to the brand’s catalog. It’s aimed at a specific audience of racers, especially Formula fans, with plenty of tricks up their sleeves. And just in time, we’re going to unpack them for you.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Weight 1.5 kg without QR
• Available for purchase with factory-installed QRs from Simagic, Fanatec or Moza
• Compatible with Playstation (with some limitations), PC and SimHub
• 4.3” IPS front screen for telemetry display
• 14 RGB buttons, 2 funky switches, 5 rotary encoders and 2 thumb switches
• Version with 4 or 6 magnetic rear paddles
• RevLED at the top of the screen, and LED flags at the sides
• Wired (USB) or wireless (2.4 GHz) connection to PC
• 29.5 cm diameter with rectangular shape for Formula
• 4mm-thick carbon fiber faceplate
• Standard 70mm pattern on back for QR
• Polyurethane handles

Wheel design

The XGT Ultimate’s design is in line with the competition, with a rectangular shape, faceplate controls and a large 4″ display on the front. The sides feature downward-closing handles and RGB LEDs on all controls.

Speaking of which, the XGT Ultimate has plenty of them – too many, in fact. The faceplate is carbon fiber, and the frame is composite. Flip the steering wheel over and you’ll find the visible paddles, which can be configured as 2, 4 or 6 paddles, which is really quite nice.

Customized assembly

The XGT Ultimate is mounted via a standard 70mm rear pattern. This means that the flywheel can be used with several Quick Releases on the market, including Simucube, Asetek, as well as those from Moza, Simagic and Fanatec.

In fact, Leoxz offers you the possibility of ordering the XGT Ultimate directly with a QR1 or QR2 from Fanatec, and QRs from Moza and Simagic. The idea behind all this is to make the steering wheel much more attractive to racers who are already in a specific ecosystem, especially those from Fanatec, as the German brand doesn’t offer a Formula-style steering wheel with a large screen.

Wheel manufacture and finishing

The XGT Ultimate is based on a composite structure, with a 4mm carbon fiber faceplate. The grips are made of polyurethane, a material that proves to be strong, soft and sweat-resistant.

The build quality of the steering wheel is honestly very good. It’s well made, with good attention to detail. I didn’t notice any defects on the XGT Ultimate, even under a microscope.

The same goes for the finish, which is just as good as you’d expect from a steering wheel in this category. Let’s not forget that the XGT Ultimate takes on Simagic’s FX Pro and Moza’s FSR2.

Handling the steering wheel

With a diameter of 29.5 cm, the steering wheel is easy to grip. There are over twenty controls on the front, including 14 backlit buttons, rotary controls and funky switches. As for the screen, it’s an IPS slab with a 4.3″ color diagonal. Unfortunately, it’s not touch-sensitive, but to be honest, few brands offer that. So…

Ergonomics are right up there with the competition. The buttons, like the other controls, are well laid out so that you can reach them without too much effort in the middle of a race.

At the rear, you’ll find magnetic paddles in 2, 4 or 6 configurations. Basically, they’re very close to your fingers, but you have spacers that allow you to move them away according to your preferences. I think this is nice, and shows that the company is taking customer feedback into account.

Sensations during play

My tests were carried out on a Fanatec ClubSport DD, and on a PC. The XGT Ultimate is a good steering wheel for Formula/GT fans. Ergonomics are very good, even if the front of the steering wheel is busy, I must admit. But then, it had to incorporate several controls to appeal to both GT and Formula racers.

The ClubSport DD develops good power, and with this steering wheel, I didn’t notice any flex at all, even during lean turns. Frankly, it’s very solid for the materials used, and also for the price.

The screen displays telemetry data from the game in front of you. It’s configurable, of course, and also very effective at telling you what’s going on with the car and the track. For the record, the screen isn’t touch-sensitive, but that doesn’t really matter as far as I’m concerned, because as the steering wheel turns, there’s a risk of mishandling it. I prefer non-touch screens, at least I know what to expect.

The paddles are magnetic and selectable. The feel is very good under the fingers, but as I mentioned, in the default configuration, they are too close to the back-plate. This is easily corrected, which is great. By the way, depending on the store you buy the steering wheel from, you get 2, 4 or 6 paddles.

XGT wheel compatibility

XGT Ultimate is compatible with PC and SimHub on any Direct Drive base, as long as you have the matching QR. It’s possible to use this steering wheel with a Playstation-compatible Fanatec base, such as the ClubSport DD+ or GT DD Pro, thanks to the wireless kit. You’ll need to connect the steering wheel to the Wi-Fi on which the console is located for it to work.

Value for money

Ah, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: how much does the XGT Ultimate cost? Well, it’s not quite that simple. Depending on the wheel configuration, expect to pay between €500 and €780. In full option, that’s pretty expensive I must say, especially as it’s poorly positioned in relation to Simagic or Moza Racing and their Formula offerings.

But with 4 paddles and one of the QRs on offer, the steering wheel costs less than €650, which isn’t bad.

My verdict on the XGT Ultimate from LeoXZ

What I think of the XGT Ultimate. Well, for a start, it’s a nice wheel, despite the fact that its faceplate is quite busy. But hey, you’ve got to please everyone, and the RGB can go.

Secondly, its ergonomics are very good, which should help you easily string together laps in ACC or any sim-racing title. And finally, the customization, especially the fact that you can order it with a QR specific to a factory platform. I love that.

If you’re with Moza or Simagic, both brands’ ecosystems already offer Formula solutions that stand up very well. But if you’re on Fanatec, then the XGT Ultimate makes sense, as the German manufacturer doesn’t yet offer a Formula wheel with a large screen in the center. What’s more, Leoxz’s emulator ensures that the wheel is natively recognized by Fanatec bases, so that’s a big plus.