With the advent of sim-racing worldwide, a number of brands have emerged in recent years, including Simagic and Moza Racing. And it’s only natural when you consider that many racing teams are opting for simulations with commercially available equipment, so that their drivers can train in near-real conditions.

For pilots and amateur racers, we have many players in the game, such as Logitech or Thrustmaster. These two brands are aimed primarily at those who are new to the sport, but still offer quality products (for the most part) and, more recently, high-performance, top-of-the-range options.

Among the many premium sim-racing players, we have the Moza Racing brand, which has just landed in new territory that it intends to conquer. Its catalog of sim-racing peripherals is quite comprehensive, I must say, but is no match for the German giant Fanatec. Like the German brand of sim-racing peripherals, Moza offers bundles that include bases, steering wheels and pedalboards, along with other accessories. The R3 bundle is the smallest in the range, and is also the only one compatible with consoles (Xbox to be precise). In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to the R3, tell you about its strengths and weaknesses, and give you my opinion on it.

Main and technical features of the bundle

• Base Direct Drive with max. torque of 3.9 nm
• 1000 Hz refresh rate
• 15-bit encoder
• Steering wheel with approx. 28 cm diameter
• Infinite angle of rotation
• Pedals with 2 pedals
• Premium materials: aluminum and steel
• Table Clamp supplied with

Moza R3 bundle design

Those already familiar with the Moza brand will know that the design of its bases is more or less the same across virtually the entire range: there’s the Chinese manufacturer’s characteristic X shape, which is largely inspired by Fanatec’sCSL DDs. As long as you copy other people’s work and do it well, it doesn’t bother you that much.

The base is entirely matte black, with a few Moza logos in white. The dimensions are small for a motor that develops almost 4 nm of torque. The steering wheel is a custom version of Moza’sES, less expensive to be honest, with a flat bottom and an overall discreet design.

As for the crankset, it’s the handsome SR-P Lite, in all-black steel. All in all, the R3 bundle fits in with the stylistic code of the Chinese manufacturer of sim-racing peripherals.

Customized assembly

Included in the bundle’s box is Moza’s famous Table Clamp, which makes it easy to mount the base on virtually any piece of furniture in your home. The clamp is a little cumbersome, but at least it has the merit of securing the base firmly to the furniture.

If you have a chassis or steering wheel support, the R3 base provides screw mounting points at the bottom. The assembly operation is very easy to perform, as well as very quick to do. All in all, this Moza bundle is perfect for getting started in sim-racing, without the need for a rig.

Manufacturing and finishing

As for the base, it’s just like the others from Moza: we’re treated to aluminum from the aeronautics industry, superbly finished and machined to perfection. As far as I’m concerned, the R3 is just a less powerful R5, without the skimping on materials.

The steering wheel is a budget-friendly version of the ES, with an aluminum alloy structure and ISF PU on the sides. Basically, it looks like leather, but it’s not. It’s there just to look good, in addition to offering a little grip. As for the steering wheel finish, well, it’s plastic, so… It’s well made, I must admit, but it looks like a cheap option.

As for the SR-P Lite crankset, it’s made of reinforced steel and very well machined. I didn’t notice any manufacturing defects or burrs, which is a positive point in its favor, but not necessarily for its feel.

Getting started with the bundle

On the steering wheel, we have a total of 18 buttons, 2 paddles and 1 D-Pad, all very well distributed on the faceplate. The ergonomics of the ES steering wheel for the R3 bundle are identical to the standard version, with just a slight change in design. The wheel is small and easy to grip, and buttons and controls are easily accessible on the steering wheel. Even the rear paddles are large, in aluminum alloy by the way, and click nicely when you use them.

As for the crankset, the SR-P Lite is highly adjustable, both in terms of pedal spacing and pedal plate. What’s more, this product can easily accommodate a clutch pedal if you want. It’s not free, of course, but it’s possible all the same. On the other hand, in terms of feel, the picture changes completely.

Sensations during play

And now, what about the sim-racing performance of Moza Racing’s little R3 base? Well, in broad terms, it’s better than a G923 or a T248, but nothing more. The force feedback sensations are present, with a very good dosage of feedback, as long as you’re on an arcade or sim-arcade title in my opinion. Admittedly, feedback is precise and fairly well-progressive, but let’s not forget that the R3 only develops 3.9 nm of cut.

Some might think it’s not much compared with the competition from Fanatec or even Moza’s R5, but the sensations are there. The trick is not to ask too much of it, as clipping can happen very quickly, even though the ES steering wheel in this bundle is rather light. Thanks to Direct Drive, the R3 is clearly superior to Logitech and Thrustmaster’s competitors, at least those at the lower end of the range, and you can feel everything the car does, even before it saturates the power department.

As for the SR-P Lite crankset, it’s… how can I put this without offending him too much… It sucks in stock configuration, that’s what it is. There’s virtually nothing at all in the way of foot feel, and the 2 pedals (brake and throttle) feel pretty much the same, most of the time. This forces you to go through the cash register and upgrade the whole thing with the performance kit in order to have a drinkable product, providing feedback when you brake.

Moza R3 compatibility

The R3 base is the only console (Xbox) compatible of the entire Moza Racing catalog currently on offer, along with the PC of course. Moreover, this bundle is clearly aimed at racers on Microsoft’s console, to wrest market share from Fanatec.

As far as sim-racing titles are concerned, you won’t have many problems as long as they’re compatible with Microsoft’s ecosystems, with the possible exception of Forza Horizon, but that’s an inherent concern with Moza’s basics.

Value for money

This bundle should cost you around €400 – €450, depending on your online store preferences, if you can find it of course. It seems that there are some problems with the supply of Moza’s R3 bundle, and unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about it.

As far as I’m concerned, its value for money is pretty good, especially if you compare it directly with Logitech and Thrustmaster’s challengers in the same segment. The R3 is much more premium than a T248 or a G923, as well as being more powerful. However, bear in mind that the latter two bundles (T248 and G923) are available for considerably less than an R3.

My verdict on the Moza Racing R3 Bundle

I find the R3 bundle perfect for an Xbox racer looking to switch to Direct Drive, coming from a belt/gear drive base. Sensations are much better, even if the price is higher. The only problem with this budget-friendly bundle from Moza remains its crankset, and fortunately this can be relatively easily fixed for not very much (around €30).

However, if you’re a mainly PC-based runner, I’d advise you to pass on this one and go straight for an R5 or R9 bundle, or even Fanatec’s competition.

Alternatives to the Moza R3 Bundle