Moza Racing has come a long way since its beginnings in sim-racing, and today offers a fairly good range of peripherals that are not only qualitative, but also competitively priced. This brand is clearly targeting a segment of the sim-racing market, with competitors well in its sights. I’m talking, of course, about Simagic and Fanatecwhich are active in the premium segment.

To take on such renowned names in the industry, you need a product range that’s not only quality, but also performance. As far as Moza is concerned, in my opinion, he’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades: he’s not excellent in any particular subject, but he still manages to get a pretty good average.

Moza offers a range of steering wheels, including an entry-level F1-type wheel. The KS is the cheapest option for Formula racing. In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to this steering wheel, tell you about its strengths and weaknesses, and tell you what I think of it.

Main and technical characteristics of the wheel

• Formula-style steering wheel with 30 cm diameter and standard rectangular shape
• 4 rear paddles, including 2 magnetic and 2 clutch paddles
• 10 backlit buttons, 2 joysticks, 3 encoders and 2 rotary switches
• RevLED on top of front panel
• QR Moza on rear
• Composite structure
• Compatible with PC and all Moza bases, as well as those of other brands via an adapter

Moza KS design

The Moza KS is based on the more or less standard design of a Formula wheel, with a rectangular shape and a diameter of 30 cm, which is a hair larger than the competition.

As for the design elements, we’ve got a carbon-fiber-style faceplate (it’s composite with a bit of carbon fiber) with TPE cuffs that look pretty good I must say, even if I’d have liked leather, but it’s okay.

The faceplate is quite busy, with no fewer than 17 controls in all. That’s a lot, but the 10 buttons are backlit, enhancing the wheel’s premium design. At the rear, there are 4 aluminum-alloy paddles for shifting gears and all things LC.

Customized assembly

This flywheel uses Moza Racing’s famous Quick Release, based on the D1-Spec. On the menu, we have the most solid connection with the drive shaft, which puts aside practically any flexing or movement of the latter. This QR is among the best available on the market.

Using it is very simple: you have a ring that you have to pull towards you to allow installation. Then all you have to do is align the QR with its base-side counterpart (Moza or other brands via an adapter), put the wheel in place and release the ring. It’s a simple, quick operation that produces one of the best flywheel-base connections on the market.

Manufacturing and finishing

Well, the weak points start right here. To put it in context, the KS is Moza’s budget-friendly, Formula-style wheel. So, even though this wheel offers many premium features (magnetic paddles, backlit buttons, etc.), concessions had to be made to keep the price down.

And how do you lower the price of such a steering wheel? With plastic, of course! Well, composite reinforced with carbon fiber. Sure, it’s well made, but it looks a bit cheap too, especially as the competition(Fanatec, for example) offers all-aluminum wheels for more or less the same price, or even less in some cases.

Another weak point of the Moza KS is its TPE cuffs. Already, when you offer a Formula-style steering wheel, you’re going to have very small cuffs, so you might as well use leather on them, because it’s going to cost you next to nothing, and it’s going to enhance the overall look of the product.

As far as the finish is concerned, it’s all good. I didn’t notice any visible burrs or defects, which is a good thing I must say, especially when the structure of the device is made entirely of plastic. “Composite, sorry…

Handling the wheel

The wheel is 30 cm in diameter, with a rectangular shape. That’s a bit large compared with other brands, and it’s likely to obstruct your screen a little more. Nevertheless, the wheel’s ergonomics are excellent, especially its grip.

Apart from the 3 encoders in the center of the faceplate, which will require you to take your hands off your wrists to use them, the rest of the controls are really well positioned, close to your fingers. What’s more, all 10 buttons are backlit, which really helps in the middle of a race.

At the rear, there are 4 aluminum-alloy paddles. 2 are magnetic for shifting gears, and the other 2 are analog for clutch, LC, etc. Even though they’re easy to use, their placement is a little odd in my opinion. Although they’re easy to use, I find their placement a little odd: they don’t fall naturally under your fingers, especially the lower ones, and they’re too close to the steering wheel, in my opinion.

Sensations during play

The KS is one of the wheels that are compatible with all the bases offered by Moza Racing, as well as those of other manufacturers if you attach an adapter. In terms of feel, I have to say that there’s a big improvement over the first Formula wheel offered by the manufacturer some time ago.

As for the buttons, they’ve been redesigned to have a short travel and a much firmer mechanism, which helps prevent accidents when your hands cross the steering wheel. These buttons click superbly, even a little too much for some, and it’s clear that this won’t please everyone.

Concerning the paddles, 2 are magnetic and make a lot of noise, and fortunately Moza has included pads to reduce this. The paddles are ultra-responsive, but are, for me, too close to the steering wheel, and have a rather odd positioning I find.

Apart from these minor shortcomings, Moza’s KS is a superb steering wheel. A little big, admittedly, and this will most certainly obstruct part of your HUD or screen, but the ergonomics are just excellent. Using it on ACC (in GT), I didn’t feel any movement in the steering wheel structure, which indicates that even though Moza used plastic, “composite”, the latter is rigid, which is a good thing.

Moza KS compatibility

The KS is one of the few Moza wheels that are compatible with all the manufacturer’s bases, and there aren’t many of them in the Chinese manufacturer’s catalog. As for platforms, it’s as usual: PC only.

As far as sim-racing titles are concerned, this steering wheel will be perfect for all Formula-type titles: F1, AC, ACC, rFactor, iRacing, Forza Motorsport, and so on. It’s pretty complete in this respect, and typically Moza doesn’t have any major problems with sim-racing games, except perhaps Forza Horizon where you just have to spend a little more time setting up the config.

Value for money

This wheel is priced at €309, which, in my opinion, makes it rather expensive, especially for what you get. It’s decent value for money, but that’s all, as a lot of less-than-premium materials have been used to make this wheel, and the asking price is still high compared to the competition, who supply much higher-quality wheels for practically the same money.

My verdict on the KS Steering Wheel from Moza Racing

The KS is a good steering wheel, solid, fully customizable and, above all, usable with the entire Moza ecosystem, which I have to admit is pretty rare. If you’re looking for a Formula-style steering wheel and already have a Moza setup, I can recommend the KS.

On the other hand, if you already have a Formula wheel from Moza or a rig that isn’t from the Chinese manufacturer, there’s not much point in shelling out nearly €300 for this wheel. I suggest you take a look at the other F1 wheels I’ve had a chance to test, and maybe get a little inspiration right here.