With the growth of sim-racing, many gamers are now thinking of getting into it, and the various equipment available doesn’t make it easy for amateur drivers. The sim-racing market is busy at the moment, I must say, with brands targeting specific segments.

As I’ve just said, there are several sim-racing players in the various market segments. Everything entry-level and generalist is more or less represented by Logitech and Thrustmaster. These two manufacturers have been in the game for over 20 years, and their market shares are well established.

The next level concerns premium brands, offering qualitative, high-performance products. Here we find players such as Fanatec and Simagicwith the recent addition of Moza Racing.

Finally, the ultra-premium. This segment is only considered by racing teams for their simulation rig, or virtual drivers with a solid bank account. Think of this segment as the one in which Koenigsegg or Pagani operate, and the best-known sim-racing brands are Heusinkveld and Simucube. However, their products are often unaffordable for the average person, with Direct Drive bases costing in excess of €3,000.

Among the sim-racing titles that can exploit such rigs, we have Assetto Corsa. The latter covers a wide range of motorsport competitions, with cars each more exclusive than the last. In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to the best steering wheels for racing on AC.

The Fanatec ClubSport R300 V2

We kick off the ball with an excellent steering wheel from Fanatec: the ClubSport R300 V2, in standard or Xbox version. The wheel is 30 cm in diameter, with a flat bottom. The rim is covered in leather with gold stitching and a band of the same color at the top.

Design-wise, it’s beautiful and minimalist at the same time, looking a lot like SuperCars steering wheels. The steering wheel structure is aluminum, with a brushed finish. Controls are located on a hub at the rear of the steering wheel, close to your hands.

The R300 V2 is an excellent steering wheel for racing Assetto Corsa, but its price is slightly high. At present, you can expect to pay €380 for the standard version.

The Moza RS V2

Products from Moza and Simagic sometimes resemble each other, especially when it comes to their Quick Release. And speaking of similarities, the Moza RS V2 shares some features with the Simagic GTS. But that doesn’t really matter, as we’re dealing with a good product for AC racing.

The RS V2 features an aluminum alloy structure derived from the aerospace industry, leather all around and a completely round shape. The steering wheel’s controls are located on a hub at the rear, with a RevLED, 2 forged carbon-fiber magnetic paddles, 10 buttons, 2 joysticks and 2 encoders. By the way, the buttons are backlit and mechanical, which should please many racers.

Ergonomics are excellent. The leather provides a good grip, and the controls are close to your hands. As for the price, expect to pay €490 to have it on your setup, and a Moza base to go with it too.

The Simagic GT-PRO HUB

Simagic is a sim-racing brand that isn’t very well known in France for marketing and representation reasons, and it’s a shame I must say, because its products are really qualitative.

The GT-PRO Hub steering wheel is a fairly standard wheel, available in 2 versions: fully round or flat-bottomed. The wheel’s structure is in brushed aluminum, and the rim features leather with red stitching. This wheel is very similar to the Fanatec one we’ve just seen, except that the GT-PRO has a few controls on the faceplate (joysticks).

Speaking of controls, you’ll find them again on the rear hub, but this time they’re more advanced. Fewer buttons in total, but GT-style encoders and 4 rear paddles. This Simagic steering wheel is premium, and so is its price.

Whichever version you choose (round or flat-bottomed), you’ll pay 520 € to get it from the brand’s representative in France.

That was for touring-type steering wheels or wheels that do more or less everything. But if you’re into Formula racing or prototypes, don’t worry, the following steering wheels are for you.

The Fanatec ClubSport Formula V2.5

The ClubSport Formula V2.5 and V2.5 X represent the Formula-type wheels from the German brand of sim-racing peripherals. Based on a carbon fiber structure, these wheels offer a simple, racing-like design for single-seater fans.

The Formula V2.5’s controls are all spread across the faceplate, with buttons, switches, a RevLED and a small OLED screen to display certain telemetry data. As for ergonomics, well, I don’t really have much to say except that it’s very close to your hands.

On the normal version (V2.5), the grips are made of perforated leather, while the X version features alcantara and red accents on the faceplate. Personally, I prefer leather, as it’s a much more perspiration-resistant material.

Let’s finish with the price. V2.5 costs €340 for PC and Playstation compatibility, while V2.5X is €10 more expensive and adds Xbox compatibility.

The Moza GS V2P

Moza offers a rather comprehensive GT/Formula range compared with the competition. If you’re looking for a steering wheel that’s not too expensive (€479) and perfect for racing Assetto Corsa, this one could well win the lottery.

The GS V2P features a forged carbon fiber structure, with an aluminum alloy backplate. The finish on this steering wheel is exemplary, very premium. There’s leather on the grips, and an assortment of buttons and controls spread across the faceplate. However, there’s no screen on the GS V2P, as this kind of option is reserved for the brand’s top-of-the-range models, which we’ll look at next.

At the rear of the steering wheel are 4 forged carbon-fiber paddles and Moza’s QR, which works on the same brand’s bases.

The Moza FSR

Let’s continue with Moza’s most premium wheel: the FSR. This wheel is specifically designed for use with Formula 1 cars. On the standard carbon fiber faceplate this time, we find a large 4.5″ color display with 800×480 pixel resolution, RevLED, a whole assortment of buttons, switches, encoders and joysticks (most of them backlit) and leather grips.

The rear panel features 4 paddles, including 2 magnetic ones for gear shifting and 2 for Dual Clutch, as well as an aluminum alloy backplate and Moza’s QR.

This steering wheel isn’t the lightest, weighing in at 3 kg, but when coupled with a good base, you won’t feel the weight at all. However, the price won’t go down well with some: €699 to acquire it, and that’s without counting the rest of the setup.

The Simagic GT Neo

Simagic’s GT Neo is a forged carbon fiber steering wheel with leather handles, 30 cm in diameter. Its typical rectangular shape makes it ideal for Formula or even GT racing.

The layout of the controls is very close to your fingers, so you can easily use them while running. On the faceplate, in the center to be precise, you’ll find 4 customizable encoders, as well as a RevLED.

With 4 rear paddles, including 2 magnetic ones, the GT Neo is perfect for Formula racing. What’s more, the top paddles are adjustable in spacing. So you can slide them in or out, depending on your driving preferences.

The GT Neo retails for €369 from Simagic’s distributor in France, which is, frankly, a very fair price.

So much for the best steering wheels for Assetto Corsa. Now all you have to do is make your choice according to your setup and you’re all set.